Page 1 of Her Lion Lover

ONE

Leo had no warning. A red laser beam shot out at random, arcing for his head. Leo ducked and weaved, following the beam as it hit a tree on the edge of the clearing. He leaped to make contact with the laser targeting dot before it blinked out of existence, only for it to reappear on the other side of the clearing, trailing along the ground like some harmless beetle.

Leo knew better, though. That red dot needed to die.

Plus, while he was chasing it, he didn't have to focus on everything else life demanded he deal with.

He leaped, somersaulted, planted both feet against the rough bark of a tree and launched across the clearing, catching the laser before it blinked out once more.

There! Up in the branches!

He had to leap, scrabbling for a hold before jumping for the next branch, ruthless in his pursuit until the dot skimmed from one tree to the next, almost too fast to track, but Leo kept after it anyway, even as the thin branches shuddered beneath him, threatening to throw him onto the ground below.

Instinct made him take a flying leap, an instant before the crack told him his branch was going down, but too late to take him with it. Leo was already well into the next tree, closing on that damned dot...

There! And...gone.

Leo grinned. This had to be the most exhilarating workout ever. It beat rock climbing, abseiling, skydiving and skiing. Snowboarding and kitesurfing came close, if only because both of those let him take flight from time to time, but he missed the thrill of the hunt. Now, spearfishing on a jet ski might compare...but no. It was one thing to use a weapon, and another entirely to use your whole body as a weapon...

The beam shot low this time, skimming off the leaves of a shrub before vanishing into the woods.

Leo climbed down until he was low enough to drop to the ground, landing on his feet, as always, before bounding off into the undergrowth after that elusive red dot. It had dodged between the gaps in the trees, so that it wavered on a particularly wide trunk, surrounded by impenetrable thicket. He could try to go under, but then he might lose it. Better to leap lightly over the undergrowth, trusting it to support his weight while he never lost track of that damn dot...

Behind him, something trilled, the sound growing louder with every second.

Damn, his alarm. His workout time was up.

The momentary distraction was enough to make him lose focus, crashing through the spindly shrub to the ground below. Getting out cost him a good two minutes, but the shrub definitely got the worst of it by the time he emerged, a little scratched, but still triumphant.

He padded over to his laser cat toy and shifted so he could shut it off. He didn't want the batteries going flat mid workout. Only then did he cross the clearing to where he'd left his phone, so he could shut off that pesky alarm.

He couldn't believe he'd been working out for an hour. It had felt like only minutes, but he couldn't wipe the grin off his face, it had been that good. Almost better than sex.

Which he should be getting more of, if only he had the time, and the inclination, to find a woman worth taking to bed.

As if on command, his phone chimed again with a message. His mother, of course.

Good luck in today's board meeting.

Of course, Mum would never be so condescending as to come out and tell him not to forget about the meeting.

His uncle, however, who'd sent him a message twenty minutes ago, had no such scruples.

Board meeting at 6pm sharp. Don't be late.

That didn't sound right. Board meetings were always right after lunch, and over by six, so everyone could head home for dinner.

Leo checked his schedule. Yep, 1pm, not six. He wondered what his uncle was playing at this time. Surely he wouldn't be stupid enough to give Leo the wrong time so he'd miss the meeting? Leo wasn't quite sure what to make of his uncle, who was his dad's older brother. They'd always gotten along fine while his dad was alive. Now, though...

Leo made a note to ask his assistant about the board meeting. She'd know the schedule better than anyone, and if his uncle was trying to cause trouble...well, Leo would be prepared.

No worries at all, he told himself as he headed into the house for a quick shower. Soap, shampoo, spray, and he was soon towelling himself off, before buttoning himself into one of his tailor-made suits.

Sometimes he went into the office in something more casual, but something told him today he'd need a bit more formality to remind the board that he, and not his uncle, was their CEO.

Leo snorted. He was willing to bet his ageing uncle couldn't catch a red dot even if it was targeting his own saggy arse. In the board meeting, his uncle wouldn't know what hit him.

No worries, he told himself as he climbed into his car.

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