Between Feather and Fur (Gryphon Melds #1) (4 page)

Be brave, be strong. Confess your feelings, don’t hide them anymore—let them out.

“I’m frightened.” Her confession soft, but he heard.

“I can speak for Ben when I swear on both our lives we would never hurt you, physically or emotionally, or let anyone else hurt you. I know these are only words to you right now, but please, baby, give us a chance to prove it.”

Already, their actions, through their kind gentleness spoke volumes of the kind of men they are.

Yet, something else was niggling at her. Here he lay in her bed in the room to share, thinking of what they told her at breakfast.

“What do you really want from me, not only a house cleaner, friend, is it?”

“Not many women are willing to accept two men into their lives, and allow them to share her in every way.”

“We’ve been searching a long time for the right kind of woman to share our lives with.” Ben’s voice startled her; he stood in the doorway, and then walked around and sat on the other side of the bed.

“We want you to be our woman, Arial,” Steve added. “There’s no pressure, you can say no, or walk away at any time. Like I said, we want you to give us a chance to show you how much we care, how serious we are.”

Oh, wow
. “You didn’t exactly tell me the truth either, you said you wanted honesty.”

“Got you there buddy,” Ben said, clearly amused.

“We kept some aspects out, but answer me this. Would you have freaked out if I’d laid it out completely? Our room to share meant finding a beautiful sweet woman to share between us in a committed relationship.”

It was true; she would have freaked and bolted for the door. She was an emotional mess, more so before than now. After crying out some of her pain and having these two wonderful men caring for her, she felt less messy.

Could she walk away from what they were offering her? She would be stupid if she did.

“Okay, everyone deserves a second chance, I don’t know how it works, but I...I’m willing to trust you.”

The bed bounced as Ben suddenly pounced, the look of utter joy on their faces made her giggle. She shrieked in laughter as her face was suddenly covered in kisses. Not once did they go near her lips, only little teasing butterfly kisses which made her feel all warm and gooey inside.

“You’ve got yourself two of the happiest boyfriends in the world, baby.” Ben cooed, pulling back. “We’re going to spoil you rotten.”

Boyfriends? Did I really agree to date two men? Wow, Arial, you sure know how to dive in at the deep end.

But she trusted them, didn’t she?

“Out of the way, you oaf” Steve shoved Ben, and he flopped onto the bed on the other side of her.

“Oaf? Since when do you use words like oaf? I swear he’s a big me-Tarzan-you-Jane, meat-head most the time.”

“And you’re the sensitive, pansy Jane Austin movie watching shit. She likes me all tough and Lion like, don’t you, my little mermaid?” Steve sat up and flexed his naked biceps.

“I think you’re both crazy.” She managed bringing her laughter under control, half swooning over their attention.

“If I’m now your girlfriend, aren’t you going to kiss me?” Heat scalded her cheeks realising her brain to mouth filter vanished again.

They both paused, gazing down at her with raw heat in their eyes. Ben leaned down and placed a light kiss on her lips. “We want to kiss you, make love to you, and eat your sweet little pussy till you writhe and scream in pleasure.” His voice was low and husky.

“This isn’t a rejection, so don’t feel bad when I say we’re not going to do it just yet.” Steve shifted beside her, fiddling with her long hair. “I want to wrap this hair around my cock, feel it tickling my chest when I have you ride me, little mermaid, but we’re not going to go too far, until you’re ready. Here...” he touched her head again, then her breast. “...and here. We’re patient men, we can wait while you get to know us and trust us fully.”

Her heart swelled in her chest. How did she get so lucky to find not one, but two amazing guys? She pushed the negative thoughts back. Maybe this was all a part of the new life she needed.

They weren’t pressuring her into sex, but giving her room to get to know them; she was sure there was a lot to learn about her men...she tested the words again in her mind.
Her men. Hold that thought keep it and believe it.

“But that doesn’t mean we won’t touch you in other ways. Get used to it baby. We’re tactile guys, we like to touch, pet and stroke, nuzzle.”

“And hugs, lots and lots of hugs.” Steve pulled her into his arms, hugging her close against his chest. She loved the hardness of his muscular chest and his strong arms.

“And he calls me the mushy one, fucking pussy,” grumbled Ben, rolling his eyes.

Steve reached out and thumped Ben lightly on the arm, making her break out in giggles.

Steve groaned. “Gods, man, don’t make her laugh like that; her breasts are all soft and they jiggle against me when she laughs.”

Her head swam, in a happy, giddy swirl at their playfulness, relaxing her mind and confirming she made the right choice for once in her life.

Chapter Four

While helping Arial in the kitchen, Steve’s phone buzzed in his back pocket; he pulled it open to glance at the Caller ID.

“I’ve gotta take this, baby.” She smiled, and he swooped in to kiss the creamy skin of her neck before heading out to his office. He felt her bright blue eyes following him until he left.

He jabbed his finger at the screen, answering the call. “It’s been three days, Dean.” Usually background digs didn’t take so long.

“I had to dig deep on this one. The fucker she’s been living with for the past five years is a sneaky smug bastard. Squeaky clean on the outside. No criminal record, not even a fucking parking ticket. I used some unconventional methods to draw out exactly who this bastard is.”

“Hang on let me connect to Ben.” Steve called Ben and connected their call.

“What took so damn long?” Ben growled. He was at headquarters in Melbourne, sorting out some staff squabbles.

“Ears?” Dean asked.

“No, I’m alone now. Go ahead.”

“Carl Berga, pillar of the community, works for the city council planning, in the outer suburbs of Perth. I got in and managed to talk to him under the pretence of getting a permit for building. When I talked to people about him and tracked down past girlfriends, it became clear your woman’s been living in a fucking nightmare; he’s the biggest, fucking narcissist I’ve ever met—controlling and manipulative. Although she has been living with him, everything was in his name. I can’t find a single account in her name, only a driver’s licence. All the neighbours say they were quiet, she kept to herself, never went out or had any friends visit her.’

Steve knew it was common for abusers like Carl to isolate their victims, make them feel a sense of dependence on them, trapping them into a nightmarish life.

Steve took several deep breaths, the liquid fire of rage boiling in his veins pushed him to the point of shifting and letting his beast take over, so he could rip Arial’s abuser to shreds.

“Fucker,” Ben growled; he heard his friend battling with the same rage. “She’s out of there now, that’s all that matters. We won’t let him fucking near her again.”

“From what I know of Narcissist’s, they don’t let go so easily, and she ran from him. Was there any sign he would try and come after her?” Steve asked.

“Strong possibility; I can’t say when, but no doubt he will, his damaged ego won’t let go of the insult of her leaving him. Your woman’s smart to get out. Carl’s been in two previous relationships and both women are dead.

Tension thrummed through him at the news and Steve swallowed hard before asking. “How?”

“Both death records state suicide.”

“It’s clear Arial’s been having suicidal thoughts.” Ben added. “But she’s been fighting it. I hate to think what would have happened if she hadn’t escaped.’

“Don’t go there, buddy, we’ll support her through everything. At least we know to prepare if he comes after her. Dean, hire someone over there to keep tabs on him. If he tries to leave the town, we want to know.”

“Already on it. I’ll be back in a few days with the rest of the intel.”

“Thanks, Dean.” Ben put in. “It’s appreciated.”

Dean grunted his response and they knew he was finished with the call.

“I’ll be home soon, how’s our one?” Concern threaded Ben’s voice.

“Happy to be kept busy cooking dinner.” Steve felt some of his anger drain, as he sat down on his chair, leaning back, feeling fucking lucky to have their one in their home and in their arms.

“We’ll all talk to her after dinner. I think we should also let the family in on this; my dads have friends in human counselling. She’s still in deep pain.”

It tore at them both to see her struggling so much, wishing they could take it all from her; standing by her side through this was all they could do for now.

“Good thought, but we don’t want to overwhelm her with too much of our family just yet.”

It was a gutsy move on his part to ask her to be their girlfriend so soon. She could have told them to go to hell, but even she wasn’t unaffected by the pull between them. She’s their precious gift, given by the gods. Even if she didn’t know or realise it, she would always be drawn to them, it also helped her to accept them.

“We owe her our honesty, and we’ll ask her about going to therapy.” They wouldn’t keep things from her for long. They would confess what they’d done by digging, and explain it was for her wellbeing and protection. She would forgive them.

“Right, see you soon.” Ben clicked off and Steve shoved the phone back in his pocket.

Although it had been three days since she came into their lives, under their constant attention, praise and care, she has been slowly opening up in small steps. Yet, at night when they left her alone in the bathroom, they’d heard her start to sob and they’d raced in to find her in tears, rocking her body on the floor. They would scoop her up and cuddle her between them in bed, soothing her the best they could.

Ben was right; she needed more help than they could give her. One positive aspect is she is trying. It looked as if she was determined to grab a hold of this new life and move forward and not look back.

Steve picked up the office phone and called his dads, letting them know the current situation with their one, and to get the ball rolling on her therapy. All they would need was her approval. Gods, it was a long way off yet before they could reveal the truth about themselves.

However, it didn’t mean they couldn’t start planting the seeds, preparing her.

* * * *

“Let me get this straight, you ordered your head of security do a background check on me?” Arial set down her fork, glancing between Ben and Steve who looked as guilty as hell. She wasn’t sure how to process the information, other than they had been open and told her rather than keep it secret.

“Not on you, baby. We want to protect you and make sure the asshole is kept far away.”

Fear swamped her at the thought of Carl coming after her; no doubt he would if he knew. “Does t...the asshole know?”

Steve coaxed her into calling him ‘the asshole’, and she liked it, helping to lessen the power his name held over her. Carl was an asshole. Fact.

“No, not a clue, and we’ll keep it that way, so relax baby.”

Trust them.
“Okay, I trust you.” She hid her smile at their relieved sighs. She studied them further, and harboured a niggling feeling. “Is there more you want to talk about?”

“Its early days, little mermaid.” Steve smiled, oh, so sexily. “So if you feel like, maybe you would like to see someone to help with what you’ve been through. We’re here for you no matter what, but it wouldn’t hurt to talk to a professional.”

“A professional! You want me to go to therapy?”

“Your choice, baby” Ben said. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want or feel comfortable with.”

She loved the way they didn’t tell or demand her, but asked, giving her freedom of choice. The strong attraction, the attention, their sexy smiles, amazing bodies and constant touching to stroke, or kiss her head and cheek; were just a few reasons why she didn’t feel overly weird for accepting their help. Something deep within called out for her to want to be with them, learn more, and place herself in their caring hands.

She knew the pity and side glances of people she tried to go to for help when things grew too much for her with ‘the asshole’.  She didn’t feel they were just saying things to be polite, as she often felt with strangers, so far, true to their word, they were proving how much they cared.

“I’m comfortable with you two, can I think about it?”

They smiled, nodding. “When you’re ready” Ben reached and placed his large hand over hers, giving it a comforting squeeze.

Steve went back to shovelling the lamb casserole into his mouth. “This is fantastic, you are an amazing cook! I can’t remember the last time we had home baked bread.”

Heat rose in her cheeks. Would she ever get use them complementing her? The asshole never did. There was no comparison it was,
chalk and cheese
.

Afterwards, they banished her from the kitchen, playfully ordering her to go choose a movie from their vast collection, so they could veg out with her.

Carl never let her watch television in the evening, guilt tripping her into thinking she was being lazy and needed to be more productive with her time.

She swallowed when more negative emotions swamped her and struggled to push them down, to shake them from her mind.

“Little mermaid?” Steve stepped down into the living room, arms open and she sank against him, trying to absorb his strength.

“Can you tell us what you’re thinking now?”

She lifted her head and told him about ‘the asshole’s’ attitude to her watching television.

She saw the blazing anger in Steve’s eyes when she lifted her head. “I want to fucking kill him. Who the fuck would call someone lazy for watching television?”

“Come here baby.” Ben had joined them, pulling her down onto their soft plush sofa, cuddling her against his side.

“Watch all the movies and television you damn well want. You. Are. Not. Lazy. Steve, put something on, we’re gonna veg, because we want nothing better than to relax with our girl.”

She sniffed and smiled through her tears when Steve cursed Ben out for what he called a pansy movie collection, and then proceeded to laugh nearly all the way through her choice of
Bridget Jones Diary
.

Her guilt faded and she felt comfortable and cosy between her guys. Thinking over her roller-coaster of emotions she couldn’t really control, it wasn’t fair to either Ben or Steve and she needed to do something about it. She did need help.

Exactly like she finally wised up and escaped ‘the asshole’, she needed help with all the shit he heaped on her over the years.

“I’ll see the therapist,” she whispered later that night, once they settled in bed. She nestled her back against Steve’s length, and Ben put his arm around her waist.

Their answer was a simple kiss of thank you on her hair.