Guardian Lion: BBW Lion Shifter Paranormal Romance (Cedar Hill Lions Book 2)

by Chant,Zoe

  She gulped as she saw the size of the erection that was tenting his sweats – and at the knowledge that it was for her. She was the one who had made him this hard, her kisses that had fuelled his desire.

  “I want you.”

  Heath’s words broke into the reverie she’d fallen into at the sight of his perfect body.

  Feeling slightly dazed, she looked up at him, finding his golden-green eyes smoldering. There was something almost animalistic in the desire she saw in them, and it made her shudder, driving her own craving for him.

  “I’m yours.”

  She could barely whisper the words. But no sooner were they out of her mouth than Heath had crushed his lips to hers again, his arms winding around her back and lifting her up. Daphne curled her legs around his hips, feeling his hands on the back of her thighs as he carried her down the hall to her bedroom.

  Their kisses didn’t break until Daphne felt the bed beneath her back, Heath lying over her, his hips between her thighs. Again she felt the hot hardness of his cock pressing against her, and she moaned, arching up, pushing herself against him.

  As she felt his fingers on the waistband of her pants, Daphne closed her eyes, waiting for one or the other of them to come to their senses and realize what a mistake this was – that this relationship was supposed to be a professional one, and that if they were stuck together for any length of time, this could become very awkward very quickly.

  But instead, she could only hear the thundering of her heart in her ears, and feel the tenderness of Heath’s lips as he laid kisses over the soft swell of her belly. There was nothing else to think, except how desperately she wanted him, and how she had felt drawn to him from the first moment they’d met.

  It was crazy – they’d barely known each other a day.

  And yet, Daphne knew already that she’d fallen for him.

  She’d never felt this way about anyone before in her life.

  She could only hope he felt the same way.

  Heath knelt up, slipping her sweats over her ankles and tossing them away. When he looked down at her, his eyes were filled not only with lust, but also a kind of gentleness that made Daphne swallow.

  No one had looked at her that way before. Not with that mixture of desire, protectiveness, tenderness…

  She stopped herself before she thought the word love.

  But as Heath leaned down to kiss her again, it rose in her mind again, irresistible.

  Using her heels, Daphne pushed Heath’s pants down from his hips, hearing him gasp as they finally lay skin-to-skin.

  “Wait a moment.”

  Daphne groaned as Heath moved away from her, opening her eyes. Heath stood at the edge of the bed, pushing his sweats the rest of the way down his long, muscular thighs. Daphne gulped at the sight of his cock, thick and hard, where it jutted out between them, her mouth watering. She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anything before in her entire life.

  Heath leaned down, and Daphne heard the click of a buckle being undone. When he stood again, Heath was holding a gun in an ankle holster. Coming around the bed, he put it on her bedside table.

  “Can I leave this here? I don’t like to have it too far away when I’m – when –”

  Daphne nodded. She knew what he’d been going to say: when I’m with a client.

  The reminder that this relationship was supposed to be professional pierced her heart, and she bit her lip.

  “Heath,” she said, hearing the hesitancy in her own voice. “Should we be doing this?”

  Sitting on the bed, Heath took her face in his hands. “I don’t care. I don’t even care if I get fired. All I know is I want you. More than I’ve ever wanted anything.”

  Daphne groaned as he spoke. His voice was low and husky, and his hands on her face were hot. Even if this turned out to be stupidest thing she’d ever do, she just couldn’t bring herself to care right now.

  She put her arms around him, drawing him to her. He moved to lie against her on the bed as she lay back. His skin felt burning hot against her. She tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling him close to her as they kissed.

  Daphne groaned as he pulled away, moving downwards. He cupped one breast in his hand as he ran his tongue over the other, drawing her nipple between his lips and biting gently.

  She squealed, writhing on the bed, as pleasure shot through her whole body.

  “Oh God, Heath…”

  He didn’t give her any mercy, continuing to lick and nibble his way over her body, his fingers moving deftly on her skin. She gasped as they moved between her legs, sliding against her slick folds.

  “I want to taste you,” Heath murmured, his lips moving slowly down between her legs.

  Daphne could only squeeze her eyes shut, tangling her fingers in his hair as he kissed her thigh. Pleasure and anticipation darted through her, making her moan. Her whole body felt aflame with desire, white-hot ecstasy coursing through her.

  At the first touch of his lips against her, Daphne squealed, her back arching. His expert tongue licked against her, finding her clit instantly and sending wave after wave of pleasure through her. His fingers pressed gently at her entrance, intensifying the sensation, wringing a desperate moan from her throat.

  She could feel ecstasy racing through her, building in waves. Her orgasm was already building, and she clutched at his hair, desperate for him to keep going.

  “Heath, oh God, Heath…” She could hear herself repeating his name again and again, but she was powerless to stop as he drove her further and further toward the edge.

  She cried out as she finally tumbled over, every muscle in her body contracting. Daphne shook as ecstasy took hold of her, whiting out her vision. Aftershocks of pleasure coursed through her like lines of fire, making her shudder and groan.

  She lay back, gulping in air to fuel her body after its exertion. Her nerves still tingled with pleasure, and she thought she had never in her life felt so relaxed.

  Eventually she became aware of Heath’s warm body lying next to hers, his fingers playing gently through her hair.

  She blinked, wanting to tell him how amazing he had made her feel. But then she felt his still rock-hard erection against her thigh.

  “Mmmm.” She licked her lips, leaning up to kiss him. She could taste herself on his lips, but it didn’t bother her. In fact, the evidence of how he had enjoyed her was kind of a turn-on.

  “What can I do for you?” she asked when they broke apart.

  Heath smiled. “You’ve already done enough for me. Getting to taste you, feel you, watching you as you came – that was what I wanted.”

  There was something about the way he said the words that sent a renewed thrill of desire through her. He obviously meant it. And it was the hottest thing Daphne had ever heard.

  “What happens if I want more?” she asked him, grinning up at him wickedly.

  Heath’s smile grew as wicked as her own. “Then that can probably be arranged.”

  His lips were back on hers in an instant. He moved, propping himself up above her. The weight of his big, strong body pinned her to the bed, and Daphne moaned, overwhelmed. Already her hunger for him was overtaking her again, wiping out every thought except for how much she wanted him.

  She could feel his massive cock pressing against her entrance. She was already wet and ready for him from her previous orgasm, and she squeezed her thighs around him, letting him know.

  Daphne gasped as he began to ease himself into her, stretching her open. He felt incredible inside her – just the right size to fill her up completely.

  Heath groaned against her neck. “Fuck, Daphne. You feel…”

  He never finished the sentence. Soon he was sheathed in her entirely.

  Daphne’s hands fluttered against his shoulders. She felt overwhelmed – the size of him, the feeling of him inside her… everything felt too much. If he moved, she thought she would scream.

  At the first movement of his hips, she did cry out. Ecstasy shot through her
, making her writhe beneath him.

  She could feel sweat gathering on her skin as their bodies moved together. Heath groaned, his hard-cut muscles standing out against his skin as he thrust into her. Daphne could already feel her second orgasm building in her belly, pleasure racing through her. He was moving in her in exactly the right way, finding the perfect angle with every thrust.

  Daphne could hear herself crying out every time he moved, but it sounded distant, as if she was listening to herself from far away. Every move Heath made sent her closer and closer to the brink, her muscles clenching in anticipation. She could tell he was close – his hips sped up, his movements becoming more desperate.

  And she could tell in the way he repeated her name, over and over again, as if it were some kind of mantra.

  “Please,” she whispered, feeling utterly overloaded with sensation. “Please…”

  She barely knew what she was asking for, but in the next moment she had tumbled over into shattering bliss, her entire body shaking, her orgasm washing over her like an explosion.

  Heath’s lips were on hers, hot and hungry, as they rode out their orgasms together, their sweaty bodies moving as one.

  Heath was still buried deep inside her when their kiss broke. Daphne twitched as the aftershocks of her orgasm raced through her, sending sparks of pleasure over her skin. She groaned when Heath slowly pulled out, as if he was reluctant to leave her body.

  “Wow,” she said when she had her breath back. “That was… wow…”

  “I know,” Heath said after a moment. “I’ve never… I’ve never felt anything like that before.”

  If she hadn’t already been flushed with exertion, Daphne was sure she would have blushed. “Really?”

  “Really.” Heath’s voice was sincere. “Daphne, that was… I mean, you feel it too, right? You don’t think I’m just… you know.”

  Daphne glanced up at his face. He looked slightly abashed, as if he couldn’t quite bring himself to say the words. Daphne could guess what he meant – it was the same thing she’d been afraid of. That she was just taking advantage of their unusual situation.

  “No,” she replied. “I feel it too. I mean… there has to be some reason we keep meeting up. Fate keeps pushing us together, so why fight it, right?”

  She’d been at least half-joking in her words, and she was surprised when Heath nodded, looking at her seriously.

  “Right.” He leaned over, kissing her softly. “We should talk about some stuff, but for now, let’s just get a mid-morning nap?”

  Daphne laughed. She couldn’t help but agree. After her troubled night’s sleep and the startled awakening she’d had, a sleep-in sounded better than anything else right now.

  Daphne smiled as she cuddled up against Heath’s strong body, feeling his fingers stroking gently over her temple. She felt warm and happy, and more relaxed than she had in days. She felt Heath press one last kiss against the top of her head, before she drifted into a deep, untroubled sleep.

  Chapter Eight

  Heath

  Heath waited until he heard Daphne’s breath deepen into sleep before he moved.

  There was nothing he wanted more than to stay exactly where he was, with his mate curled by his side. But the increased physical stamina that was part and parcel of being a shifter meant that sleep could be put off for the moment, and right now, he had business that needed to be attended to.

  Easing himself up off the bed, Heath grabbed his phone from the pocket of his sweats and slipped out into the hall, leaving the bedroom door open so he could clearly see Daphne’s sleeping form on the bed – as well as the window on the far wall.

  Quickly opening his contacts, he found Sandra’s number and hit call.

  “Heath,” Sandra answered almost instantly. “Any problems?”

  “Maybe.” Not for the first time, Heath wondered if he was merely being paranoid. “Are there any shifter gangs operating in this city?”

  Sandra paused, considering. “No. None that I’m aware of – and if there were, you know I’d be aware of it. Why? What have you uncovered?”

  Heath grimaced. “Maybe nothing. But this morning when Daphne woke, there was… an eagle outside her window, tapping at the glass. I wasn’t in the room, but I could sense there was something wrong, and I burst in and saw it there.”

  “And you think this eagle was a shifter?”

  Heath swallowed. “I’m almost sure. I only saw it for a moment, but even from the next room I could feel its presence.”

  Heath knew he didn’t have to explain that to Sandra. Shifters could sense each other, which definitely made knowing who to trust with such sensitive personal information easier. But he’d only seen the eagle for a second, and he couldn’t quite be sure.

  “Hmmm. I don’t like this,” Sandra said. “It’s not like it’s unheard of for them to stage takeovers of human gangs, and take their territory and network for themselves. I haven’t heard anything, but it might be a very recent development. Either way, it’s not worth the risk to the client. If they are shifters, then we don’t know exactly what they’re capable of.”

  Heath knew it was true. Small shifters like rats or mice could enter buildings in ways no human ever could. He’d already seen the eagle this morning, possibly casing Daphne’s home to check the layout and find the location of her bedroom. The thought made Heath’s blood run cold, even as his lion roared in fury at the thought of anyone hurting his mate.

  “What do you suggest?” he asked.

  “Bring her to the office,” Sandra said. “You know it’s been proofed against these things. No one, shifter or not, can get in here unless we let them in.”

  “Understood,” Heath said. “I’ll bring her today.”

  Heath hung up, his eyes never leaving the soft rise and fall of Daphne’s side. He had known she’d had a bad night’s sleep. He’d heard her twisting and rolling in her bed as she’d dreamed, and it had taken everything he had not to go into her room and comfort her.

  His lion had been furious, not understanding why it couldn’t go to its mate, look after her, tell her everything would be all right…

  Heath felt a surge of joy as he remembered that now, he could. Daphne felt their connection too – she knew they were meant for each other. He could hold her, comfort her and protect her for the rest of their lives. They’d never be apart again…

  … If only he could find a way to explain what he really was to her.

  Sighing, Heath padded back across the room, sitting gently down on the bed. It had barely been fifteen minutes. Looking down at Daphne’s beautiful, untroubled face, Heath felt a pang of regret at having to wake her. But he knew it had to be done – he couldn’t stand the thought of her being in a potentially dangerous situation for even one second longer than necessary. And if what he suspected was true, and the gang who were after her really were shifters, then her apartment building simply wasn’t safe.

  Reaching down, he stroked her cheek, gently calling her back to the land of the living.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, as her eyes fluttered open.

  “For what?” Daphne asked, yawning.

  “For having to wake you. But we need to leave.”

  Daphne was suddenly wide awake, sitting up on the bed. “Leave? Why? Where are we going?”

  “I can’t be sure you’re safe here,” Heath said. “There’ve been some… developments. I can explain later, but right now, you should shower, and then we should go.”

  “Are we leaving the city?” Daphne asked, her tone measured. “Because I already said I didn’t want to do that. This is my home.”

  “We’re not,” Heath assured her. “But I want to take you to my company’s building. It’s safer there.”

  Daphne tilted her head a little. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  Her tone wasn’t suspicious or accusing – but Heath knew she had him dead to rights. He wasn’t telling her the whole truth. He should have known that of all people, his mate would be able
to read him like a book.

  “It’s… complicated,” Heath said. “It may be difficult to understand at first.”

  “Try me.”

  Heath sighed. Well, there was no getting out of it.

  He would have to tell her everything.

  Swallowing, he looked into her green eyes.

  “Do you know what a shifter is? Have you heard about them?”

  Daphne blinked, surprised. “You mean… the people who say they can turn into animals?”

  Heath nodded. “Yeah. Those ones.”

  Daphne blinked again, looking away before focusing her gaze back on him. “Is that what you’re saying you are? A shifter?”

  Heath was surprised – he’d never told anyone before about what he was. Either they already knew, or he’d decided to keep it to himself. But he’d never imagined someone might jump to that conclusion so quickly and easily.

  “Yes.” He tried not to let his voice waver as he said it. He hoped she’d believe him if he said it with sincerity, and not call him crazy and tell him to get out of her apartment. Of course, he could then just turn into a lion to prove that he wasn’t crazy… but he couldn’t imagine how that might go down. It wasn’t exactly an everyday experience, having a lion suddenly appear in your bedroom.

  Especially when that lion had, until a moment ago, been a man you’d just had sex with.

  Not to mention that he’d have to explain what being mates meant. A lifelong bond. Nothing on earth could break it. Naturally, Daphne might have been willing to commit to a long-term relationship with him on the strength of their feelings for each other, but to know that something was for life…

  Who knew what plans Daphne had. Whether she even wanted that kind of commitment.

  Heath supposed he was about to find out.

  Daphne hadn’t responded to his answer. She had turned her head and was biting her lip, staring at her bedroom wall.

  “I don’t know what to think,” she finally said. “I… I mean, this stuff, this shifter stuff… it seems like it’s all come out of a fairytale. I heard rumors, but… but it’s not real…”