Loved by the Lion: BBW Paranormal Lion Shifter BWWM Romance by Zoe Chant Page B

handsome man she'd ever met.
    He was tall, well over six feet if she had to guess, and looked like he was sculpted from marble, if marble went to the beach. His skin was tanned everywhere she could see, but naturally, like he spent a lot of time outdoors. An air of authority radiated from him that made her straighten her shoulders instinctually, even though he was standing casually with his hands in his pockets. Up close Kira could see a pair of penetrating hazel-green eyes under a shock of dark hair, and they were locked onto hers with an intense attention.
    Not even noticing Kira's stunned silence, Emi jumped right in and hugged him. "Cole! You jerk, were you listening to us?"
    Cole accepted her hug with good humor, his gaze still on Kira. Over her head, he said, "You think I'm her type, huh?"
    The corner of his mouth lifted, and Kira found herself glad she was wearing sunglasses.
    "Thanks for thinking of me, cuz." He gently disentangled himself.
    Emi punched him in the arm. "How did a jerk like you get to be in charge anyway? Kira, meet Cole. He's the alpha of our pride."
    Cole offered his hand. As Kira took it, his hand squeezed hers gently. His eyes never left hers; when they touched, Kira felt a tingle go down her spine. His skin was a little rough with callouses – just the way she liked it. She couldn't stop herself from wondering, in graphic detail, what those hands could do to her, gliding over her skin, caressing, reaching between her legs . . .
    Thank God shifters weren't psychics. At least as far as Kira knew.
     

Chapter Two
     
    Cole
     
    When she turned around, Cole thought his heart was going to stop. It definitely skipped a beat or two dozen.
    Gorgeous , he thought.
    Mine , his lion growled, but while Cole liked the idea of the sentiment, he tried to push that part of himself away for the moment. Emi had told him she'd be bringing a friend – someone who wasn't a shifter, even though she knew about them.
    His lion wasn't going to take that treatment lying down, though. The woman, whoever she was, exuded a quiet confidence as she surveyed the house and them met his gaze boldly from behind her sunglasses. What he wouldn't give to see her eyes . . . he knew they would be as beautiful as the rest of her.
    And she was beautiful, with long dark curls he wanted to run his fingers through and curves beautiful enough to make his mouth water. Cole's lion rumbled his agreement with this assessment.
    Shut up, you , he thought half-heartedly.
    Fortunately, Emi saved him from looking like a star-struck dumbass when she rushed up to him.
    Still, he couldn't take his eyes off her. When she – Kira, that was her name, and Cole knew he was going to remember it forever – when she shook his hand, he felt the firmness of her grip and saw the warmth of her smile. Finally, she reached up to push her sunglasses back, and Cole was rewarded with a pair of warm chocolate eyes, flecked with amber.
    "Thanks for the welcome," she said, and her voice had a smooth, low quality that shot straight to his groin.
    "Any friend of Emi's is a friend of the family," he said, unable to think of anything smarter to say.
    But she was smiling. "'The family,' huh? Maybe it was my Godfather marathon last weekend, but that sounds kind of menacing. You guys like the Mafia, except you transform at the full moon?"
    "Full moon? That's werewolves. And there's no such thing as werewolves – I think you've been reading too many fantasy books," he said with a cheeky grin, the one that had gotten him into a lot of beds and a lot of barfights.
    She laughed, deep-throated and sexy. "Oh, is that right."
    "It is." He let his look turn serious for a moment. "But we do take care of our own. Always." Cole's lion rumbled his agreement. Sometimes that line was a threat, but for Kira it was a promise.
    "Good to know." They stood looking at each other for a moment, not wanting to move, before Emi coughed conspicuously.
    "So there's some luggage to unpack . .