Lola stilled.Why was this all still somehow sneaking up on her?It was stupid.How many books had she read?Hundreds.No, seriously, it was in the hundreds.She could talk about her unhealthy reading addiction later.That wasnother current issue.The current problem was she was marrying a lion shifter, and she was going to have to tell her parents.Oh andshealso turns into a lion.Surprise!
“Maybe, for now, we could just kiss and go to sleep like a normal couple,” Lola suggested.
Callon tilted her chin up and pressed his full, warm lips to hers.He kissed her, deepened the kiss, and then proceeded to ravage her until she no longer remembered that she cared about anything else.Then, when she could barely breathe, he pulled away and tucked her against his chest.“Sleep well, myErossazzi,” he whispered.
Chapter 11
Roan: One.Maddie: Zero
“Sometimes you think you should get out and meet new people.You think, ‘I should go explore and check what the world is all about.See things.Do things.All the things.’Let me give you some free advice: Don’t.Just stay at your nice little pizza joint, eat your nice little pizza, do your nice little everyday things, and mind your business.”~ Maddie
Maddie walked beside the grouchiest man she’d ever met.Okay, maybe that wasn’t true.Callon was pretty grouchy, and she wasn’t sure which was worse.Maddie was beginning to think there was something in the water.She’d need to talk to Lyra about purchasing some kind of filtration system.“You needn’t have escorted me to my room, Roan.I’m quite capable of putting myself to bed.Besides,Lyra offered to walk me.”
“You’re not Lyra’s responsibility.”It looked to Maddie like Roan was suffering physical pain simply by being in her presence.In fact, he’d looked like that all day.
“Nor am Iyourresponsibility.I’m a grown woman, Roan.”Maddie bit her bottom lip, something she did anytime her frustration began to get the better of her and there was a possibility she would act like a six-year-old ready to tell someone they weren’t invited to her birthday party.Which, for the record, Roan definitely wasnot.
The Shaman didn’t respond.Maddie took several deep breaths and let them out slowly.Her mind ran back over the events of the day.There was no point sitting there fuming over the presence of Tall, Dark, and Gloomy.She knew that nothing she could say or do would make him leave.He was a grown-ass, ancient, magical man who could do… Who knows what?And she was just an ordinary teenage human girl who could do… Well, she could make a mean Margherita pizza, but other than that, not much.Roan: one point.Maddie: zero.
They came to a third—yes, third—set of stairs.Didn’t they have a freaking elevator in this massive house?As they began to climb, Maddie looked at Roan.“Those women today, they seemed to take the things Taras and Lyra told them surprisingly well.”
Maddie remembered walking into the room earlier that day, unsure of what to expect.In her mind, she’d totally pictured this harem of women, like a sheik might have, all lying dramatically on pillows, dressed in the finest silks, with sizeable hairstyles, expensive jewelry, andno,she had no clue why she suddenly put them all in India.Instead, what she’d seen was, yes, a very luxurious suite, and it was massive, but much more like a fancy dorm-type setting than an exotic den of silky pleasure.The women were all doingnormalthings like watching TV, reading, crafts, or yoga.It was as if Maddie had walked into a very exclusive country club where people happened to live.Oh, and it was an all-women’s country club.No dudes allowed.She glanced at Roan.Maybe that part wasn’t all bad.
“Lyra.Taras.”A tall, blonde woman with hips, breasts, and basically all the womanly curves that Maddie would kill for, set her book down and rose from the couch where she’d been sitting.
Maddie tried to glance around the room, but every time she moved, the big-ass Shaman shifted and blocked her view.What was his problem?
“Shayree,” Lyra said, warmly.
Maddie looked back at the two women who were currently embracing.
“You’re looking lovely,” Lyra told the other woman.
“Please.”Shayree waved the prima off.“I’ve gained ten pounds because your cook keeps feeding us.He insists we won’t find a mate until we get more meat on us.”Shayree looked at Maddie and raised a brow, a wry smile forming on her lips.“If that’s the case, sweetie, you don’t have a chance in hell.”
Roan stepped directly in front of Maddie, blocking her from Shayree’s view.
“Okay, I realize you don’t want me here, but that’s just rude.”Maddie grabbed the back of his arm and pinched as hard as she could.He jerked and glared over his shoulder at her.Maddie smiled sweetly.“Move, please.I enjoy meeting new people.Except you.I haven’t enjoyed meeting you.”
“Roan,” Shayree cocked her head at him.“It’s good to know you are still as charming as ever.”
“If by charming you mean he’s still an insufferable ass, then you’re right on the money.”Maddie stepped around him.“I’m Maddie.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Maddie.”Shayree held out her hand and shook Maddie’s.“If he’s this protective of you, I’m going to go out on a limb and say you’re not ananimus.”
Maddie frowned.“But I thought they werereallyprotective of animuses.”
“Animi.”Shayree grinned.“The plural of animus is animi.And yes”—she gave Roan a pointed look—“theyare very protective of animi.”
“Shayree,” Roan growled, nearly as good as Callon.
“What?”She held up her hands.“I didn’t say anything.”
“I would hate to come to regret what I gave you,” he said cryptically.
Shayree’s eyes narrowed.“There’s no need to be, as Maddie put it, an insufferable ass.”
A medium-height brunette with smooth, chocolate brown skin joined them.She wore a jogging suit and looked like she’d just finished a workout.Maddie noticed she practically bounced on the balls of her feet.Her beautiful, ringlet hair was pulled up into a high ponytail and bobbed with her movements.“Greetings King and Queen.To what do we owe the pleasure?”She smiled at Taras and Lyra.The genuineness of her tone made it clear she liked them.“We don’t get to see you two often enough.”
