Loved by the Lion: BBW Paranormal Lion Shifter BWWM Romance by Zoe Chant Page A
Book: Loved by the Lion: BBW Paranormal Lion Shifter BWWM Romance by Zoe Chant
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Authors: Zoe Chant
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out-of-sight, out-of-mind?"
"Fingers crossed." Kira didn't want to dwell on the negative, though, so she changed the subject. "So what should I bring?"
She and Emi chatted about packing for a few more minutes. Afterward, Kira stayed on the couch and let herself fantasize about what it would be like. A week of relaxing, maybe some hiking, helping to clean up after dinner. Maybe she'd even meet someone. Maybe one of Emi's cousins was her type. He'd have to have dark hair, a chiseled jaw, and a pair of big strong hands. Kira shivered as she thought about those hands sliding over her dark skin.
But daydreaming about her ideal man wasn't going to get anything done. And it wasn't like her track record with relationships was great. Her last boyfriend had made it a point to remind her how lucky a curvy black girl like her was to be noticed by him at all. That had ended quickly.
And the Deleons were shifters. That would complicate things even if, against all odds, she did meet someone special.
Still, she couldn't help but harbor a secret little hope.
***
The drive out to the Deleon family house only took a couple of hours, but Kira felt like they were in the middle of nowhere. There had been nothing but trees and sky and road in every direction for the last twenty miles.
Over in the driver's seat, Emi was fighting back a yawn. Kira grinned.
"Told you we should have gotten coffee."
"Shut up," Emi grumbled.
"When will you learn I'm always right about everything?" she teased. In fairness to Emi, neither of them were exactly used to getting up at five A.M. on a Saturday morning and packing luggage into a car. Kira couldn't even remember the last time she'd taken a vacation; her supervisor had practically gone catatonic with shock when she told him she was taking the next week off.
They turned onto a dirt road, which Emi told her was the final stretch. They were almost there. "How many people are you expecting?" asked Kira. She had brought a few dozen mini-cheesecakes tucked away in a cooler. They were nothing compared to Emi's cupcakes, born of her time in pastry school, but Kira hated to be a burden.
Emi shrugged. "Twenty? Twenty-five? Depends on how many kids there are. One year there were thirty of us. Things got a little tight." She rattled off the numbers casually, like they were nothing. How big must this place be?
"It won't be everyone, though," Emi added. "People have other stuff going on."
When they turned a corner, Kira's question was answered. A huge house stretched before them, with an enormous covered deck wrapping around the front.
The first word that came to Kira's mind was stately . It was patterned on the style of classic Southern homes, with plenty of windows and columns and a gazebo out to the side, but like it had been dialed up to eleven. It was enormous. She'd never seen anything like it in her life except in magazines or on TV.
An array of cars and SUVs was parked out front, along with a few people milling around. Navigating around the little kids, Emi parked among them and they both got out.
The second she was out of the car, she turned to Emi with her hands on her hips. "You didn't tell me your family was rich," she said accusingly.
Emi held up her hands in placation. "Not rich-rich," she assured Kira, the hint of a plea in her voice. "Just, you know . . . this is the family home. Our other homes are totally normal, I swear!"
"Mm-hmm," said Kira with skepticism, but she was smiling.
Emi reached out to hold her hands, her eyes shining. "I can't wait for you to meet the rest of the family. You already know Tess, but there's my cousin Andrea, and her brother Cole, who's the alpha – he's so your type – and Mason, he just started college, and . . ."
Kira squeezed back, pushing down her nervousness. "Come on, let's get the bags out of the trunk."
But before they could, she heard an amused, male voice come from behind her. "Did I hear my name?"
Startled, Kira turned, and saw the most
"Fingers crossed." Kira didn't want to dwell on the negative, though, so she changed the subject. "So what should I bring?"
She and Emi chatted about packing for a few more minutes. Afterward, Kira stayed on the couch and let herself fantasize about what it would be like. A week of relaxing, maybe some hiking, helping to clean up after dinner. Maybe she'd even meet someone. Maybe one of Emi's cousins was her type. He'd have to have dark hair, a chiseled jaw, and a pair of big strong hands. Kira shivered as she thought about those hands sliding over her dark skin.
But daydreaming about her ideal man wasn't going to get anything done. And it wasn't like her track record with relationships was great. Her last boyfriend had made it a point to remind her how lucky a curvy black girl like her was to be noticed by him at all. That had ended quickly.
And the Deleons were shifters. That would complicate things even if, against all odds, she did meet someone special.
Still, she couldn't help but harbor a secret little hope.
***
The drive out to the Deleon family house only took a couple of hours, but Kira felt like they were in the middle of nowhere. There had been nothing but trees and sky and road in every direction for the last twenty miles.
Over in the driver's seat, Emi was fighting back a yawn. Kira grinned.
"Told you we should have gotten coffee."
"Shut up," Emi grumbled.
"When will you learn I'm always right about everything?" she teased. In fairness to Emi, neither of them were exactly used to getting up at five A.M. on a Saturday morning and packing luggage into a car. Kira couldn't even remember the last time she'd taken a vacation; her supervisor had practically gone catatonic with shock when she told him she was taking the next week off.
They turned onto a dirt road, which Emi told her was the final stretch. They were almost there. "How many people are you expecting?" asked Kira. She had brought a few dozen mini-cheesecakes tucked away in a cooler. They were nothing compared to Emi's cupcakes, born of her time in pastry school, but Kira hated to be a burden.
Emi shrugged. "Twenty? Twenty-five? Depends on how many kids there are. One year there were thirty of us. Things got a little tight." She rattled off the numbers casually, like they were nothing. How big must this place be?
"It won't be everyone, though," Emi added. "People have other stuff going on."
When they turned a corner, Kira's question was answered. A huge house stretched before them, with an enormous covered deck wrapping around the front.
The first word that came to Kira's mind was stately . It was patterned on the style of classic Southern homes, with plenty of windows and columns and a gazebo out to the side, but like it had been dialed up to eleven. It was enormous. She'd never seen anything like it in her life except in magazines or on TV.
An array of cars and SUVs was parked out front, along with a few people milling around. Navigating around the little kids, Emi parked among them and they both got out.
The second she was out of the car, she turned to Emi with her hands on her hips. "You didn't tell me your family was rich," she said accusingly.
Emi held up her hands in placation. "Not rich-rich," she assured Kira, the hint of a plea in her voice. "Just, you know . . . this is the family home. Our other homes are totally normal, I swear!"
"Mm-hmm," said Kira with skepticism, but she was smiling.
Emi reached out to hold her hands, her eyes shining. "I can't wait for you to meet the rest of the family. You already know Tess, but there's my cousin Andrea, and her brother Cole, who's the alpha – he's so your type – and Mason, he just started college, and . . ."
Kira squeezed back, pushing down her nervousness. "Come on, let's get the bags out of the trunk."
But before they could, she heard an amused, male voice come from behind her. "Did I hear my name?"
Startled, Kira turned, and saw the most
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