Between Feather and Fur (Gryphon Melds #1) Read Free

will take us?”
    She lifted her head, meeting his steady gaze, not understanding what she was seeing in his. “Us?”
    “Your new house mates.”
    “Uh, um, okay.” Her gaze dropped.
    “Good girl.” A warm giddy feeling slid through her at the faint praise on his lips, but it confused the hell out of her.
    The door slid open and he guided her down a long hall, standing outside a large white door with the golden crest of a melded lion and eagle.
    “Is that a Griffin?” She wanted to reach out and touch the metal and trace the creatures with her fingers. She kept her hands by her side.
    “Gryphon actually. It’s our family crest. You like mythology?”
    She shrugged sheepishly. “History channel fan.”
    “You and Ben will get along great. He bores me to death making me watch those documentaries until my eyes bleed.”
    “Let me guess, you prefer shoot em’ up movies with a massive body count?”
    “Your intuition is downright spooky.”
    Her body relaxed and she giggled at his waggling eyebrows. Was he flirting with her? She shook her mental head. Impossible.
    “Now, that’s a smile. Come on, Ben will be eager to meet you, Anne or Arial.”
    “It’s Arial, Anne’s my middle name.”
    “I like Arial; you’ve got pretty hair like the little mermaid, and I’m keen to find out just how long it is.” His voice dropped a notch with huskiness, sending a shiver down her body she felt in her toes.
    If he felt it, he pretended not to notice, opening the door and ushering her through.
    “Hey Ben, buddy, look what I found loitering in the lobby.”
    “I wasn’t loitering.” She protested. Her mouth dropped open at the huge open space apartment. The living room was down two stairs into a kind of pit with a half circle sofa, a few ottomans and a massive plasma television screen. He drew her into a dining room, and pulling out a chair he helped her sit down.
    “No, you looked like a scared, little red rabbit ready to bolt or faint.”
    She scowled and he grinned. Damn it, did he have to be so good looking? “Don’t faint on us yet, sweet little mermaid. So, tea or coffee?”
    “Um, coffee.” Yes, she needed coffee; it would help keep her awake, so she could leg it out of here and find a hotel before she made a further fool of herself. How was it she was keeping so calm around such a god-like man? No, her belly continued to flutter, she was freaking out inside.
    Steve winked and walked towards a huge kitchen with sleek white cupboards and speckled grey and black marble counter top. Silver appliances sat in a few choice places.
    “Well, hello sweetheart, you must be Anne.” Her head swivelled to see another man walking towards her. Holy cow! He had dark brown hair, trimmed in a short neat style, just as tall and broad as Steve. He possessed warm, chocolate brown eyes and a sharp chiselled jawline. His nose was a little longer, almost hawk like over his sexy full lips, he stopped and stared down at her for a long, uncomfortable moment. He looked to where Steve worked a coffee machine and back to her; clearly he wasn’t expecting her to be sitting there. Okay, they must be male models she decided, and this one didn’t want her here.
    “Her real name is Arial—we have our very own little mermaid,” Steve said, in an amused tone before she could open her mouth to explain.
    “Look, I’m sorry for this.” She glanced towards the door, wondering how fast she could get back the way they came.
    “Ben.” Steve growled suddenly.
    He blinked from his serous stare. “Sorry, just caught by surprise.”
    “Yeah, me too. I didn’t expect it.”
    Ben’s full lips suddenly quirked up in a broad grin. Sharp pain sliced through Arial, feeling like the rear end of some private joke. Get out now, I don’t need this kind of pain . Too late, it cut through her, worse than a put down from Carl. Why did it matter if she didn’t meet their approval? She couldn’t figure it out, but felt the need to escape.
    “This is