Sassy Shifter Brides: Complete Series - BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Mail-Order Romance by Anya Nowlan Page B
Authors: Anya Nowlan
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wait,” he murmured in her ear, biting at her earlobe. She grinned, sweat glistening on her skin.
“First of many, tiger,” she whispered, and the growl he responded with made her giggle.
CHAPTER SIX
Rake was painfully aware of the happy smile he had been carrying on his face since the first night with Liza. While he had been sure that the trip was exactly what he needed, he hadn’t been quite aware how much and in what way. Instead of finding a quiet place to battle his demons, he had found the arms of a loving, gorgeous woman and was loving every second of it. Not only was she a dirty little minx, she also understood him without words, and that was the kind of magic he had dreamt of but not dared hope for – what could be better than someone sassy and full of life to call him out on his bullshit?
He loved watching her. She was a pro rider, even better than he was at times, her professional training showing through where his natural talent left him floundering. Her movements were effortless, and the horses adored her – a far cry from the quiet respect they gave him. Gone was the tension and unanswered questions, replaced by a far more delicious anticipation. It was hard staying on the trail when all he wanted was to tear her off the horse and take her until she screamed to the heavens. And he did. Over and over again. And it still wasn’t enough. She had fed the beast, and now he wanted more.
By the second evening, they had made it up to the main cattle herds, and by the end of the third day, they’d driven the languid, brown-eyed heifers into one teeming mass of mooing and grazing. As usual, they’d sat down to enjoy their dinner and each other in the light of a fire, when a rumbling roar of an engine sounded from the distance. Rake heard it far before Liza did, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He knew it had to be one of Deacon’s guys coming with a delivery, but something in the air made him react warily. His nose crinkled in the familiar echo of the lion inside of him, and he stood up when the beams of the truck came into sight,
“Rake, what is it?” Liza asked, sleepily hiking herself up on one elbow. They were both sore from the long days riding (both horseback and, well, not), but she could pick up on his nervous energy immediately. It was uncanny the way she read him.
“It’s nothing. Just one of Deacon’s guys. I’ll go meet him,” Rake said, motioning for her to get back to her dinner. He strode out to meet the truck, making it pull aside a bit further from the campsite than the guy had seemingly intended. The door flew open, and the wide-shouldered shifter jumped out, young and wild-eyed. Rake’s lion clawed at him, understanding why he had been so on edge.
Lion, he thought, his eyes flashing golden for a moment.
“Hey, man. Deacon sent me with the supplies,” the young man said, barely out of his teens. There was something inexplicably familiar about him, and when he turned to face Rake with the saddlebags full of gear, Rake couldn’t hide his growl. He was a Whiteplains lion, no doubt about it.
“What do you want?” Rake asked, grabbing the saddlebags. He could see the younger lion peeking across his shoulder at the campsite, obviously peering at Liza with an interest. Rake stepped closer to the lion, his muscles flexing. One wrong word and he’d deck the guy. He was young enough not to have been driven from the pride yet, and Rake had no doubt that the kid had been sent to spy on him
“What do you mean, man? I’m just delivering the stuff. I don’t have no beef with you,” he said, smiling widely and putting up his hands. Though the glint in his eyes told Rake something entirely different.
Rake grabbed hold of the front of the young lion’s shirt, pulling him close to face the older, more experienced lion. The growl of the beast within was obvious as he spoke, and all his doubts were confirmed when the younger man’s eyes flashed
“First of many, tiger,” she whispered, and the growl he responded with made her giggle.
CHAPTER SIX
Rake was painfully aware of the happy smile he had been carrying on his face since the first night with Liza. While he had been sure that the trip was exactly what he needed, he hadn’t been quite aware how much and in what way. Instead of finding a quiet place to battle his demons, he had found the arms of a loving, gorgeous woman and was loving every second of it. Not only was she a dirty little minx, she also understood him without words, and that was the kind of magic he had dreamt of but not dared hope for – what could be better than someone sassy and full of life to call him out on his bullshit?
He loved watching her. She was a pro rider, even better than he was at times, her professional training showing through where his natural talent left him floundering. Her movements were effortless, and the horses adored her – a far cry from the quiet respect they gave him. Gone was the tension and unanswered questions, replaced by a far more delicious anticipation. It was hard staying on the trail when all he wanted was to tear her off the horse and take her until she screamed to the heavens. And he did. Over and over again. And it still wasn’t enough. She had fed the beast, and now he wanted more.
By the second evening, they had made it up to the main cattle herds, and by the end of the third day, they’d driven the languid, brown-eyed heifers into one teeming mass of mooing and grazing. As usual, they’d sat down to enjoy their dinner and each other in the light of a fire, when a rumbling roar of an engine sounded from the distance. Rake heard it far before Liza did, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He knew it had to be one of Deacon’s guys coming with a delivery, but something in the air made him react warily. His nose crinkled in the familiar echo of the lion inside of him, and he stood up when the beams of the truck came into sight,
“Rake, what is it?” Liza asked, sleepily hiking herself up on one elbow. They were both sore from the long days riding (both horseback and, well, not), but she could pick up on his nervous energy immediately. It was uncanny the way she read him.
“It’s nothing. Just one of Deacon’s guys. I’ll go meet him,” Rake said, motioning for her to get back to her dinner. He strode out to meet the truck, making it pull aside a bit further from the campsite than the guy had seemingly intended. The door flew open, and the wide-shouldered shifter jumped out, young and wild-eyed. Rake’s lion clawed at him, understanding why he had been so on edge.
Lion, he thought, his eyes flashing golden for a moment.
“Hey, man. Deacon sent me with the supplies,” the young man said, barely out of his teens. There was something inexplicably familiar about him, and when he turned to face Rake with the saddlebags full of gear, Rake couldn’t hide his growl. He was a Whiteplains lion, no doubt about it.
“What do you want?” Rake asked, grabbing the saddlebags. He could see the younger lion peeking across his shoulder at the campsite, obviously peering at Liza with an interest. Rake stepped closer to the lion, his muscles flexing. One wrong word and he’d deck the guy. He was young enough not to have been driven from the pride yet, and Rake had no doubt that the kid had been sent to spy on him
“What do you mean, man? I’m just delivering the stuff. I don’t have no beef with you,” he said, smiling widely and putting up his hands. Though the glint in his eyes told Rake something entirely different.
Rake grabbed hold of the front of the young lion’s shirt, pulling him close to face the older, more experienced lion. The growl of the beast within was obvious as he spoke, and all his doubts were confirmed when the younger man’s eyes flashed
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