Page 11 of Tempting Shadowed Hearts
She gives me a sad smile and loosens her grip on me. I call forth my wings to make sure they catch me when I begin to fall. I’m thankful they work fine, but part of me wishes they didn’t because I want to stay in her arms.
Her voice pulls me from my thoughts. “You okay?”
With a small smile of my own, I nod. “Thank you. Would you like to come to my place for a drink… or two? As a thank you for catching me when I so rudely ran into you.”
She bites her lip and doesn’t answer for a moment, letting the suspense build. “I would love that, actually.”
It doesn’t take us long to get to my place. When we both land on my patio, more questions spring to mind. I knew she wasn’t joking when she said I’m much larger than she is, but standing next to each other is a whole other story—especially while I’m in my griffin form.
Before bombarding her with questions, I summon my human form, keeping my eyes on her as my body compacts itself and I shrink a few inches. But even at this height, I’m several inches taller than she is in her harpy form. “How the hell did you wrap your arms around me and keep me from falling?”
Her wings fold around her. “Just because I’m small doesn’t mean I’m not strong.”
“That’s not at all what I’m insinuating. How did you get your arms around me when I’m so much bigger than you, even in my human form?”
“Do the logistics really matter?” she asks.
“I suppose not, but I do want to thank you again.”
She unfolds her wings from around herself, and lightning flashes all over her body, slowly putting her human form in place. After it’s all done, she’s a couple of inches shorter, and Iadmire just how muscular she is. As we stand there staring at each other, I trail my eyes down her body and lick my lips. She’s delicious in all the best ways—just what I need to get my mind off my little mimic for a little bit.
Chapter six
Iwatch in fascination as the griffin magically unlocks the balcony doors to her penthouse. It’s something I’ve never seen done before, but it’s not like I’ve ever spent long in one place. In the few seconds it takes her to unlock the door, I marvel at the way her shirt clings to her muscular back, showing off every line, indent, and dimple the muscles create. It takes everything in me to keep from tracing the deep groove of her spine down to her luscious ass.
Once the door is unlocked, she pulls it open and gestures for me to enter. I whisper a quick thanks before strolling in, eyes widening as I take in the space. Her living room is massive with a vaulted ceiling—which makes sense with the size of her griffin form and how fucking tall she is in general—and decorated to the nines. Being the airborne creature she naturally is, every wall facing the outside of the building is made of floor-to-ceilingwindows. I have to say, if I settled down anywhere, this would be exactly what I’d want.
The griffin walks past me, straight into the open-concept kitchen. “What can I get you to drink?”
“Water would be great for now. Thanks,” I say, still admiring her penthouse.
She pulls two glasses from the cupboard, fills them, and approaches me, handing me the water I requested. “Thanks again for catching me. I’m still impressed you managed that, considering my size. But, where are my manners?” she says, scoffing at herself. Then, she holds out her hand to me. “My name is Adrestia.”
I raise an eyebrow and reach out to shake her hand. “I’m Vaelyn. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
A smile spreads across her lips as she releases my hand. “I’m not sure I’ve ever heard that name, but it’s beautiful.”
I let out a nervous laugh. “Well, my parents thought they were being funny when they chose my name. Many cultures speak of the ‘vale’ where their dead go, but according to lore, it’s rumored that a harpy’s ‘victims’ never truly enter that ‘vale’.”
She holds back a laugh. “I’m glad to hear my parents weren’t the only ones who named their child with the meaning of the name in mind. My parents thought it was a good idea to name me after the Greek goddess of retribution and balance because I’m a griffin. It’s ironic how disloyal I am to them. They’ve done some really fucked up shit, and they only care about themselves.”
“I’m sorry. I can understand that, though. We harpies rarely stray far from our families—whether they be of our blood or those we choose. I never felt like I belonged, and my family never did anything to help alleviate that feeling. If anything, I feel like they pushed me out, so I haven’t settled down since the moment I could leave the nest.”
Adrestia takes a sip of her water. “I wish I could’ve been that brave the first moment I realized it was a problem.”
“Being by myself hasn’t been easy, but I’m relatively glad I did it.”
“I can only imagine. When I finally left my family, it felt freeing, but being without a companion even feels… lonely,” she says, biting her lip as her eyes drift to the floor. She takes a deep breath and looks back at me. “Enough about that. Are you hungry? I could find us something to eat if you are.”
Playing with my venom tongue piercings, I swipe my tongue over my bottom lip. Adrestia’s honey-colored eyes darken as she watches me, giving away how my actions are affecting her. I roll my bottom lip between my teeth and set my glass down on the nearby coffee table. She watches me intently as I approach her.
“I can think of something right here that’ll satisfy a craving I have,” I whisper.
Her lips tip up into a sinful smirk. “Is that so?”
“You can’t tell me you haven’t been thinking the same thing. I saw the way you looked at me on the balcony when I pulled on my human glamour.”
She takes a step toward me, eyes hooded. “I’m going to enjoy putting that pretty mouth to work since you like to run it so damn much.”
