Page 29 of So I Won a Werelion

He stepped closer. He was purring. The sound made my breath catch in my throat. “Absolutely. Fucking. Gorgeous.”

This was a whole new ball game. And I washerefor it.

“You look incredible.” My words were breathless, and it felt wrong but so right to flirt with him. “You’re so different now. You’re like a…”

He grinned. “Like a what?” he asked when I was too mortified to finish.

“Like a man.” I chuckled at how dumb it sounded out loud. “Not just a…man. AMAN. When you were so far away, it was easy to think of you as the way you left.”

He shook his head and took my hands in his. The pads of his fingers were rough, and even the simple movement of his thumb against my palm was electric.

“I’ve changed, and I guess that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you since I’ve come home. I didn’t have the words for it.” He squeezed my hand. “You’re different, too.”

“How so?”

He shifted his gaze away from me. “You’re not as confident as you used to be.”

I gasped. My heart slammed against my ribcage, and I was torn about reminding him I’d had my ass handed to me and telling the lion his stupid date was off.

It wasn’t even supposed to be a date. The date was a cover for coming up with a plan for the Scepter.

But I’d quit my job, and told Bibi I was back, and Gabe was holding onto me like he didn’t want to let me go.

“Maybe I have something to do with that,” he added. “The last time we were here, you were nothing but confident. I hated the way you practically crumpled when I told you no. Hated myself for doing that to you.” He shook his head. “It was on the tip of my tongue to say finally say it, that you were my mate, every time you told me about some asshole shifter who did you wrong. I should’ve come back here and fought for you when the council shifters scared you away from pursuing your dreams. You’ve been fighting a long time by yourself, Wendy. I’m sorry I let it go on for so long, and you don’t have to do it anymore.”

“Apology accepted.”

“Good.” He leaned in closer and I prepared myself for the kiss. Who was I kidding? I’d been thinking about what it would be like to kiss him since before the last time he’d brought me to this spot. He smelled earthy, and the heat that radiated from him made my skin dewy.

Of course, now I liked to think I knew what to do with a MAN, or in this case, a LION.

But I’d have to wait, because the kiss didn’t happen. Ugh! This cat was a giant tease.

“So let’s start over,” he said. “My name’s Gabe, I’m a lion, I used to do some snowboarding stuff until I came back home to claim my mate.”

Adorable. But I rolled my eyes, playing the game with him. “Some snowboarding stuff? Like winning every major competition in the last twenty years?”

“That too.” He shrugged. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”

“I’m Wendy.” I giggled, because this was silly and a totally perfect way to start with a clean slate. “I quit my boring real estate job today to go on a reality show and solve the mystery of an ancient shifter artifact.”

“Is that the only reason you came back to the show?”

“Maybe.” My voice would not stop shaking. Maybe it was his purr vibrating through my body. Who was I kidding? I was terrified. And I was supposed to be keeping my head on straight. I was here on a mission—to find the rest of the artifact. But the pulsing muscles between my legs wanted something different. “There’s this really hot lion who keeps trying to woo me.”

Stop talking, Wendy…

“Oh yeah?” He leaned in again, his lips hot against my ear. “Let me know who he is, because I’m not letting another beast lay a paw on you.”

He pulled away from me, meeting my gaze. He’d left me speechless. What could I say? The cameras were rolling and we were on a date. One that I’d assume Gabe had put a little bit of thought into. And it was working far too well.

“This is amazing so far.” A picnic basket dangled from Bibi’s fingers. She handed me a blanket and passed the basket off toGabe. He groaned, but I was happy for the distraction. Things were getting intense, fast, and I needed a moment to get myself acquainted with this new Gabe. I was totally down for some flirting, but I never expected him to come on so strong.

The friend zone? Obliterated.

“Gabe planned the entire menu,” Bibi continued. “Bjorn’s setting up the lights. We’ll be hanging out back here. I don’t plan to interfere with the date again. Have fun tonight and forget we’re here unless you need us.”

I spread the blanket out, fighting the feelings of déjà vu from the last time we were here. Gabe was right, I’d lost my confidence. The last time he’d brought me here, I was ready to take on the world. Never did I think I’d be single and reluctantly working for my sister at forty-two.

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