Page 7 of Shamrocked
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. “Leprechaun? Like pot of gold guy?”
“The only pot of gold that bastard has is the fool’s gold he keeps in his pants. Which is where he’d better keep it, while he stays out of yours.”
I knew this was a dream, but that pissed me the hell off. I sat up and jabbed a finger into his chest hard enough he grunted. “You don’t get to tell me whose pants I can and can’t get into. No one does.” That was only one of the many reasons I’d divorced my husband. I wasn’t going to have a man order me about. Ever again.
“You want to fuck Warwick?” Despite our argument, his brogue was lyrical, his voice almost sing-song, roughened only by his deep bass. “Fine, have the bastard. But I’ll fucking kill him, so I will.”
“Why? For fucking me? You have no right.”
He leaned closer, his eyes flashing like dark blades. “I’ll kill the bastard because he’ll hurt you. He’s a fuck ‘em and leave ‘em kind of guy.”
“Sometimes that’s exactly what a woman wants.”
I tried to say it lightly, but his eyes narrowed. “Somebody already hurt you. Who? Tell me, so I can kill the motherfucker.”
“It’s over and done with.” I sighed, staring at the necklace around his throat. A thick silver chain held what looked like a pebble, with a hole bored through the center so the chain could slide through. The whole necklace looked incredibly heavy. “Besides, I wouldn’t want you to kill anyone just because they hurt my feelings.”
“I’ll kill anybody who looks at you sideways.”
Taken aback, I looked into his eyes, seeking the truth, and yeah, a murderous glare darkened his eyes. I had no doubts whatsoever that he’d kill someone as easily as taking out the trash.
“Right, that’s the perfect metaphor.” Relaxing his intensity, he dropped his gaze to my lips. “I’ll take out the trash for you. Anytime, day or night. I’m your guy.”
“Why?” I reached out and touched the harsh planes of his face. His jaw was rock hard and grim, but his lips were soft as I ran my thumb over his mouth. “Why me? How did I get into this?”
“I saw you, and I knew you were the one who could free me and bring us all together.”
I rubbed my eyes, so weary and foggy. "Bring who together? Free you? None of this makes sense."
He blew out a heavy sigh and leaned forward to brace his forehead against mine. "I'm sorry, love. I know I'm pushing you hard. I have reasons. You're the key, Riann. Without you, everything is lost."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Find me. Go to Warwick if you must. He's a slimy bastard, but he'll help you as much as he can. Maybe he can explain things better than I do."
"We're going to see him tomorrow morning. But I don't need to find you. Vivi put your statue outside on the front porch."
He grunted. "That little statue is only a representation of me, a connection to this world. Don't go to see him in the daylight. It'll be a waste of time."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You'll see, so you will."
I ran my fingers over the planes of his face. He was as hard as the carved statue, but warm. Living flesh, not stone. "Why are you trapped in a gargoyle?"
"I'm cursed. Only you can free me, but you can't do it alone. You have to bring the treasures together."
"Treasures?"
"The stone, spear, sword, and cauldron. I've given you our names in this cycle, and what we look like. I don't know where the others are, but they'll be drawn to find you. They should be on their way to you now. You'll recognize them when you see them. But beware. Demons be coming for you, too."
Great. Fantastic. This dream was just getting better and better. Not.
I slid my hand around his nape and squeezed hard enough he lifted his head a little in warning. Then I snagged his bottom lip in my teeth.
His hands locked on my upper arms with brutal strength. I thought he'd throw me aside for the audacity of nipping him, but then he hauled me closer and opened his mouth on a ragged groan. Giving himself to me.
Oh yeah. I released his lip so I could slide my tongue into his mouth. He tasted like dark, smoky whiskey with a coffee chaser, like I could get drunk just from kissing him. I slanted my head to fit my lips to his better and ran my hands down his impressive shoulders. Broad, powerful, heavy muscle, like a living gargoyle.
