Page 14 of Stone Lover
“I’m still half-human.Mooooo.”
He kissed her. Was it supposed to be a demonstration of how good they would be together? She felt nothing except exasperation, a growing indignation because whether they’d known each other for years or not, this was still sexual assault, and distaste. She didn’t want any lips on hers butMalin’s.
She placed her hands flat on his chest, grimacing from the contact, and shoved, adding a hook around his ankle for good measure. They both went tumbling to the ground, and grappled, a short, scuffle before he broke away and got to his feet. She slapped his hand away and leaped up,glaring.
“What did you do that for?” Petru growled. “I could have hurt you. You’d never win a fight with me. You’re noteven—”
She was no longer amused. Well, she hadn’t been amused in the first place. “Go, Petru, before I take up my family’ssword.”
He looked shocked. He probably thought she was crazy to say she’d start a clan feud over something so trivial. No gargoyle raised warrior would use those wordslightly.
Face tight, he bowed. “I suppose it won’t be willinglythen.”
She watched him walk down the street and disappear around a corner, then went toMalin.
* * *
Surah hadn’t quite calculatedMalin’s fury. She’d weighed the odds he would be upset, considering the territorial nature of gargoyles—especially warriors—and the pride of Ioveanu’s in general. So she’d figured he’d be ready to go and giveGezaa tongue lashing,but—
“Wait a minute, Malin,” Surah said, alarmed, grabbing his arm as he stormed out of the room. “I didn’t tell you this so you can start a feud between Petru’s family and theIoveanu’s!”
He stopped and turned, snarling. “It’s an insult. How dare he? I will teach him to lay hands on a femalethat-”
She pinched the bridge of her nose, releasing him. “What’s your secretary’sname?”
He was thrown out of his anger, confused. “What?”
“Your secretary? What’s hername?”
“Rebecca. Butwhy—”
Surah approached his desk and pressed the labeledbutton.
“Yes, Mr.Ioveanu?”
“Rebecca, this is Surah. Can you make lunch reservations for Malin andI?”
“Of course. What time would youlike?”
Surah appreciated that the woman didn’t ask to speak to Malin first. But his staff were becoming more and more familiar with her—and likely had an inkling that their relationship was strictlyfamilial.
“One is great, thanks. Just message Malin the info. Oh, and send maintenance up, right? There was a rather large accident up here–some furniture is broken. There’s glass all over, too, so tell them to becareful.”
“So,” he said, watching her. She wasn’t fooled by his mild tone at all. “You expect me to do nothing, saynothing?”
When he reached out a hand to brush her cheek, she sucked in her breath. “I want you to not cause an incident in court. I still have to go there every day–you’re hidden here in thecity.”
He slid an arm around her waist, pulling her against him. The hardness of his chest, the hardness of his eyes, was a warning not to take this male for granted. He might be safe for her–but he wasn’tsafe.
Malin lowered his head. “Tell me, Surah,” he murmured against her lips, “are my balls in a beaker on yourdesk?”
She gaped. He took advantage, deepening the kiss even as his hold on her tightened, his other hand dipping under her shirt and resting on her ribcage, just under the curve of her breast. He pulled away moments later, after all rational thought had fled herhead.
“Don’t unleash me if you don’t want to deal with the consequences,” he said. “I held myself back when you were my foster sister. Now you’re mywoman.”
“And what does that mean?” she demanded. “That I can’t tell you if something bothers me because you’reirrational?”
“It means that I have the right to kill a male for touching you without my leave. And not even Geza would stopme.”
