by Lola Kidd
The two of them enjoyed a nice dinner. They talked about the upcoming holiday, whom they’d met at the festival, and Olivia’s speech. Kai waited until he’d brought out the apple pie to tell Sarah what was in his heart. “Sarah, how much do you know about shifters and their mates?”
She took a bite of pie and chewed slowly while she thought. “Well, a shifter mates for life usually. Once they find their mate, they don’t usually cheat except for a few species.”
“That’s right. Do you know why I’m bringing this up?”
She shook her head but also pushed the plate of pie away. She leaned closer to Kai. “No. Why?”
“You’re my mate. You’re the one I’m supposed to be with. I know we’ve only just met, but I don’t want you to go back to Australia. At least not now. When KJ graduates, I’ll go wherever you want. I want to see where this is going. I think this could be forever.”
Her eyes glistened. “Really?”
He put his hand over hers. “Yes.”
She reached across the table and hugged him hard, then buried her face in his shoulder. “This is all pretty scary. I mean, you have a kid and you don’t even live on the same continent as me. I’d have to give up my whole life…but I want to. I think this could be something too.”
Kai held her until she climbed over the table and into his lap. She pressed against him suggestively and looked him in the eye. Kai’s leopard recognized the signs of arousal, but Kai struggled to control himself for a moment longer.
“Are you sure?” he asked her.
Sarah bit her lip and nodded. Kai didn’t need to be told twice. His hands were all over her. He let his leopard have free rein. This was his mate and he was going to take her in every way possible. He kissed Sarah while pulling down her tight jeans, growling at the sight of her lacy red panties. He pushed her up onto the table and wrapped her legs around him.
She ran her nails down his back lightly as they continued to make out. Kai only kept his leopard slightly in check. He didn’t want to hurt Sarah; he just wanted to be inside of her as quickly as possible. He hooked a finger inside her panties and pulled them off. She hurried to remove her top and bra while he pulled her legs apart, then Kai knelt and buried his face in her wetness. He tasted her until she was pressing hard against his shoulders and calling his name.
Once he had her good and worked up, Kai stood up and pulled off his pants. Sarah smiled at him and pulled him close with one leg. “I want to feel you inside of me.”
Kai obliged her with a roar. When he was balls deep inside of her, he paused and kissed his mate. He reveled in the feel of her a moment longer before he began moving.
They moved around the picnic table for a few hours before they finally parted. Kai helped Sarah dress and gave her his coat, then they packed up the picnic supplies and headed back to town.
Kai held her hand as he drove. “Want to come back to my place?”
Sarah looked at him slyly and nodded. “I’m not tired yet.”
“KJ won’t be home until the afternoon tomorrow.”
“I know.” Sarah looked out the window. “I love you.”
Kai squeezed her hand. “I love you too.”
Epilogue
It had been a whirlwind year. It had had its ups and downs, but she wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Sarah sat with baby Sam in the crowded room where all the LK Brides were gathered for one last commercial. It was the third and final one, according to the company.
“We’re going to be back in a few years for a reunion commercial,” Rachel Preacher said matter-of-factly. “They’re never going to let us go.”
“As long as they pay for baby wranglers for an afternoon, I’m in,” Gwen Cates said.
Sarah watched an assistant try to coax one of Gwen’s twin girls into frame. They were trying to get a picture of all the children, and it was proving very difficult. Sarah had the second youngest baby, and they were going to put Sam and Rachel’s adopted son into the shot last. Rachel’s daughter was going to hold little baby Liam, and the oldest toddler was going to hold Sam. Sarah was still unsure about the whole thing, but they’d assured her it was safe. A production assistant would be just out of frame in case anything happened.
Sarah had to admit it was going to make a lovely picture if they could get the kids to cooperate. A year earlier, she’d never imagined she’d be an American housewife. Now she couldn’t imagine anything else.
“Bring in the babies!” The photographer waved at her and Rachel wildly. They popped up and handed their precious bundles to assistants.
“Can I get a print of this?” Sarah asked the assistant she’d handed Sam to.
“I’m sure you’ll get a whole stack.” The assistant put Sam in little James Brooks’ arms, and the photographer immediately started snapping away.
Sarah couldn’t wait to see the finished product. She was glad she was able to attend the event, and hoped the ads would continue for years to come. Even if she was a little anxious to hand Sam off to a toddler, the shot was so precious. Watching the Cates’ girls coo over her baby made her heartache. Maybe Kai was right and it was time to start working on baby number two already.
“Bring in the moms,” the photographer shouted.
The women joined their children in the frame. Gwen’s twins immediately began begging to hold Sam too. Sarah was more than happy to let the girls take turns holding Sam. He cooed and smiled the whole time. Her little leopard cub loved being the center of attention.
“Perfect!” the photographer yelled. “Don’t change a thing, ladies. This is it.”
“Bask in it, girls.” Gwen threw her strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder. “This is our star moment and it’s going to be the last one for a while.”
Sarah was grateful that while the commercial and photoshoot would be their last work for Lovely and Kind Brides, it wouldn’t be their last gathering. She knew she’d be gathering with her LK sisters for years to come. They had a bond that would last for a lifetime. Marrying Kai, she had not only gained a wonderful husband but also inclusion in an exclusive club. She was an LK Bride.
~~~~~~~~~~*
Thank you for The Leopard in Love. If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a review. Thank you so much for your help :)
Coming Soon
Safari Island Shifters Book 1
Join me this summer for a trip to the Safari Islands. An island resort where wild animals roam free, the sun is always shining, and everyone has a wild time. The islands feature a theme park, decadent clubs, and private safari tours. The series follows the shifter workers of the island as they look for their own happy endings. As with all my series, you can expect sassy curvy ladies, hunky shifter men, and sweet romance.
Sign-up to my private mailing list to be notified when the first book in the series is released.
A Note from Lola
Thank you so much for reading The Leopard in Love. If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a review. It really helps other readers decide to take a chance when looking for new authors to try out. I would really appreciate it if you have the time!
If you’d like to keep in touch you can always join my new release mailing list. I won’t spam you’re inbox but you’ll get an email whenever I have a new release. You can also friend me on Facebook. –Lola
Other Books by Lola Kidd
Other Mail-Order Mates Books
Loving the Lion
Curvy Erin Numm is over dating. At the tender age of twenty-eight, she’s seen it all. A string of bad dates and heartbreak has left her ready to put herself on the sideline. Her plans are changed when she meets an agent from Lovely and Kind Brides. The mysterious woman tells Erin she has the PERFECT match for her. Curious, Erin decides to give love one last try and join the mail-order bride agency.
Shifter Owen Brooks is a lion on a mission. He’s working on big plans but he’s having trouble crossing one special item off his to-do list; Find A Mate. A shifter isn’t comp
lete until they find their mate and Owen’s had no luck in that department. After months of no matches, an LK Brides agent emails to let him know she has found his mate. The agent’s optimism is enough to give Owen hope that maybe his long search is over.
Follow two strangers as they embark on a journey to find their one true love. This is the first book in the Mail-Order Mates series. It is a standalone novella with a HEA. No cliffhanger!
Wolf Seeks Wife
Curvy Molly Pitt’s life is going nowhere. Fast. Losing a job she loves causes her to reevaluate exactly what she wants out of life. She realizes that what she really wants is to be a wife and have children. Only with no one special in her life, there’s little hope of that happening anytime soon. Seeing an ad for a mail-order bride company renews Molly’s hope for her future. Even if she doesn’t get matched right away, this could be exactly what she needs to get her back on the right path.
Kellan Lunar has gone against his instincts and signed up for Lovely and Kind Brides. Seeing a happy couple get married convinced him that he could use a little help in the romance department. He’s excited when Olivia Grey calls and tells him that she has found his perfect mate. Only there’s a slight problem that may put Kellan off. Can he overcome his own prejudices and claim the mate that fate has put in front of him? Find out in book two of Mail-Order Mates series.
The Bear’s Bride
Frank Franklin is ready to find his mate. After years of searching on his owe, the big bear is ready to give Olivia Grey and Lovely and Kind Brides a shot. He couldn’t be more thrilled when after only three days, Olivia finds his match. There’s only one little problem. The woman doesn’t want to meet him!
After three failed marriages, Amy Alma knows she has terrible taste in men and choosing who to give her heart too. When her well-meaning sister signs her up for Lovely and Kind Brides, Amy will have to make a very important decision. Will she take another chance on love or keep her heart guarded away?
Find out if Frank can convince Amy to take a chance on him in book three of the Mail-Order Mates series.
Taming the Tiger
Gwen Johnson is losing her mind. She’s watched three of her friends find love with the help of LK Brides. But her profile goes unmatched in the database. Gwen’s ready to leave Sunset Falls and find the love of her life. If only she’d be matched already!
Dominic Cates knows Gwen is the love of his life and his mate. Too bad she doesn’t believe it. They have a history and Gwen won’t give him another chance after he’s already hurt her once. Can the tiger convince the stubborn tigress that he’s changed? Find out in book four of the Mail-Order Mates series.
A Wife for the Wolves
Matt and Mark Lunar have been waiting to become alphas their entire lives. Together, they could provide the leadership that the Lunar Pack sorely needs. Their only problem? They don’t have a mate to complete their triad. There hasn’t been an alpha triad in the pack for decades and the twins are having no luck finding the special lady to complete their threesome. In a last ditch effort to find a mate, the twins sign-up with a mail-order bride company. Join the alphas-in-waiting as they search for their perfect mate in book five of the Mail-Order Mates series.
Surrendering to the Stag
Rachel Drummond has spent her entire life in Sunset Falls. The hardworking waitress has longed for a family of her own for years. Seeing her friends find love with a mail-order bride service. Rachel decides to give the agency a chance.
Stag-shifter Clint Preacher has had his eye on Rachel since they were teenagers. The beautiful curvy waitress has never batted an eye in Clint’s direction. To his surprise, the two are matched via Lovely and Kind Brides. Clint is eager to get their romance underway but Rachel is holding back. She has a secret that could tear them apart.
Will these longtime friends find love or will her secret tear them apart? Find out in book six of the Mail-Order Mates series.
Witch and Wolf Universe Books
The Witch and the Wolf: The Complete Collection
Aurora Silver has a werewolf problem. Cross Hemlock won’t stop begging her for a date. If only the handsome man wasn’t only a werewolf, Rory would agree to a date in a heartbeat. Too bad witches and wolves don’t mix. When Rory’s life is in danger, Cross jumps at the chance to protect the young witch.
Cross will protect Rory no matter the cost to himself. He knows the witch is the one for him. Now all he’s got to do is keep her alive and convince her to give a wolf a chance.
This book also contains the short story, A Very Witchy Wedding. This collection contains graphic sex scenes and language. It is meant for a mature audience.
Individual entries are also available as part of KindleUnlimited.
The Vampire and the Bear
Vampire Violet Moore needs help. She’s been injured in a werewolf attack and is near death. Her mother has brought her to the only safe place she could think of, Golden. The city is home to the Golden Bears, a tribe of bear-shifters. Shifters don’t usually want anything to do with vampires but they make an exception for Violet. They’ll give her place to rest while her mother deals with the events that got her hurt.
Eric Lightfoot is the son of the alpha of the Golden Bears. He takes Violet in against the wishes of his tribe. He wants to do the right thing and pay back the vampire who helped his tribe long ago. He didn’t want anything to do with the vampire but he’s finding that harder and harder. The gorgeous bloodsucker is growing on him. Could he have finally have found someone he can connect with?
The Lost Tribe: Complete Collection
Princess Lena is in for the fight of her life. Her older sister Sophia has gone on a murderous power grab and its cost the entire tribe dearly. The Northlands Fae have been banished from Earth to a realm where dragons roam free and magic isn’t practiced.
In this new land, Lena meets the dashing Prince Troy and his clan of dragon-shifters. Lena thinks she may have found a home for her orphaned tribe. Her sister has other plans and plots to bring them back to Earth and continue her power play. With the help of her new friends, Lena must stop her sister and keep her old home safe.
Individual entries are also available as part of KindleUnlimited.
Black Oak Shifter Universe Books
Taken by the Shifters: The Complete Collection
Curvy Elle Quinn is beyond delighted to meet the man of her dreams on a lazy day at the farmer’s market. Tall, dark and handsome Luke Rivers is equally smitten with Elle. The two can’t keep their hands off each other from the minute they meet.
Too bad their pleasure is cut short when a figure from Elle’s past whisks her away from Luke. Elle is about to come face-to-face with a shocking revelation about her past. The most difficult part of all is that it doesn’t just affect her but also her burgeoning relationship with Luke. Can their explosive connection survive the blast from her past or will the shocking news tear them apart?
This book contains graphic sex scenes and language. It is meant for a mature audience.
Individual entries are also available as part of KindleUnlimited.
Captured by the Shifters: The Complete Collection
Journalist Amina Blake is in trouble. She’s gotten lost in the woods while doing research for an article. She was following a lead about a secret town in the woods that may be linked to shapeshifters. Amina may not believe in shifters but she knows a great story when she hears one!
Impossibly lost, she manages to stumble into a strange town. She’s surprised to find the super-hot best man from a wedding she just attended happens to be the town’s deputy sheriff. Her week goes from bad to worse when the town turns out to be far stranger and more dangerous than she ever imagined.
Individual entries also available as part of KindleUnlimited.
Black Oak Shifter Novels:
The Shifter’s Wife
The Shifter’s Surprise
The Shifter’s Choice
d, The Leopard in Love (BBW Shifter Mail Order Bride Romance) (Mail-Order Mates Book 8)