Free Gargoyle's Mate by Nia K. Foxx

reflect a long overdue laundry day and her inability to resist tacky t-shirt sales.
    “I thought I’d make sure you got to breakfast without a problem.”
    Lorn’s voice invaded the room, causing her to jerk around and face him. He easily filled her doorway with his large frame. This morning he was dressed in a blue pullover and black linen pants making him look as dangerously sexy as he had the days prior. Fatima tried not to be startled by his sudden appearance but swore he had the stealth of a cat because she hadn’t heard him come into the room. She made a mental note to remember to lock the door before bedtime going forward.
    “Thanks, I appreciate the thought.”
    “Did you sleep well?
    “Who wouldn’t, the bed is a slice of heaven. Plus there wasn’t a teenage neighbor waking me up with a morning ode to rap,” she said lightly.
    “And that’s all it was?”
    “Combined with jetlag plus the time differential and I’d say those all provide the right ingredients for a sound sleep.”
    “Of course, you’re right.” he said although the look he wore expressed something different. “Shall we go?
    Seeing an opportunity to escape a potentially dangerous situation, she agreed. The last thing they needed in their presence was an available bed. He stepped aside to allow her to pass.
     
    Lorn watched as she gingerly picked at her breakfast, trying her best to ignore him. He marveled at his overwhelming desire to possess her body and soul. Last night he’d only meant to kiss her, to make her feel a fraction of the need consuming him when she was around. He hadn’t meant for things to go so far so fast, but because they had there would be no turning back for either of them.
    Just thinking of how eagerly she responded to him set his blood to boiling. Now he noticed how prim and proper she was, hiding under the veil of professionalism while she ran down her modus operandi for her research approach. He listened with half an ear, fully aware of the fluctuations in her heartbeat when she looked at him.
    “Perhaps we should get to it?” he asked when it was obvious neither of them was interested in anything else on their plates.
    “What?” Her voice raised a notch.
    Lorn chuckled, something he couldn’t remember doing in a long while. “The lab.”
    “Oh.” She blushed.
    “Of course if you’d much rather do other things,” he offered.
    “I’m here to work… not…socialize,” she sputtered.
    “Is that the name for it these days?” he asked with mock innocence.
    ***
    In the lab Lorn turned into a different person. Although he did crowd her on occasion, which she assumed wasn’t accidental, he proved to be a very competent assistant.
    “You’re trying to prove something based on a myth.” She looked at him in frustration an hour after they began. “We first need to focus on supporting evidence of the existence of gargoyles before we go into some farfetched hypothesis about humans and gargoyles reproducing. In these documents no one ever questions the reality of gargoyles. They speak of them the way one would talk about a neighbor.”
    “Would it help you if we carbon date some of these?” he suggested.
    “Why? They were obviously written by people with two feet firmly planted in fairytale land. They talk about elves, sprites, werewolves, succubae and vampires.” She sighed in irritation. “At any moment I’m waiting to see Bigfoot’s name mentioned.’
    “Sasquatch texts are listed in section 532 under indigenous inhabitants of Northern America.”
    “You’re joking.” She stared at him incredulously.
    He returned her gaze evenly.
    “Come on, you can’t be so close to this to not realize the fantastical when it’s staring you in the face.”
    “I could ask the same of you,” he countered. “You’re so ready to pass everything off as fiction without even opening your mind to the possibility there might be proof right in front of you.”
    “Don’t you think if any of these