Rebel Lion

by Anna Lowe

  So, fix it, his lion snapped.

  “What if I take it from here?” he whispered into her ear. Well, he tried to whisper, but it came out closer to a growl.

  “Yes, please.”

  The words were scarcely out of her mouth before he rolled, coming out on top. Then he scooped her into his arms and stood. A heartbeat later, they were in the bed. So quickly, the candle Anjali had lit and placed on the bedside table earlier flickered, threatening to go out. Anjali sank into the mattress the way Dell sank into her — gratefully, with wide, hungry eyes and shaky hands. Smoothly, as if they were made for each other. Hungrily, because his lion was laboring for release.

  Take her. Show her, the beast roared.

  He withdrew an inch, hitched her legs higher, and thrust back in. Anjali cried out and sank her nails into his back.

  Okay? he let his eyes ask.

  So good, hers replied.

  He repositioned his hands beside her body and did it again — withdrawing, then driving back in. Again and again, until his body was on fire and screaming for release. His lion fangs pushed at his gums, and he couldn’t help but imagining how good it would feel to sink them into her with a mating bite. And while he knew he couldn’t go that far, there was something he could do. Namely, give her the sensual high of her life.

  “Dell,” Anjali cried as he thrust.

  Her inner muscles flexed, making him burn. Her breasts were pillows, her chest covered with a sheen of sweat.

  He closed his eyes, pumping faster, blinking the sweat out of his eyes. Silently begging her to hang on, because he was so, so close, and he wanted to come at the same time. He reached down, finding her clit and pressing hard, making Anjali groan. And then, with one final, powerful thrust, he exploded inside her.

  Anjali cried out, arching into him hard.

  He held her against his body throughout his release. Too tightly, probably, but Anjali didn’t seem to mind. Her arms were just as snug around him and her voice distant as she moaned through her own climax.

  Outside, a shutter rattled, and the wind howled. The fire snapped and swirled. But even with all that background noise, Dell could hear his soul sing. He wanted to raise his chin and release a lion roar loud enough to outdo that storm, but he managed to keep that in.

  My mate, his lion sighed.

  He hung on as one after another of Anjali’s muscles went limp. Then they all seized up again as an aftershock of pleasure hit her. Anjali cried out, and he stiffened inside her, giving her pleasure an extra edge. Then she relaxed again, and just as gradually, he did too.

  “Hey,” she whispered, opening her eyes with a shy smile.

  “Hey.” He smiled, kissing her. Getting lost all over in the soft, silky touch of her lips. He took a moment to dispose of the condom, then rolled back to face Anjali.

  “You’ve created a monster,” she chuckled, running her hands over his rear.

  He pretended to look around. “All I see is flying beauty.”

  She laughed then went back to sensuously sniffing his ear. “I should be exhausted, but all I want is more.”

  He grinned, letting his erection grind against her hip. “Funny you should mention…”

  And off they went on a whole second round. Most women would have long since dropped to the mattress and lost themselves in the warm afterglow, but Anjali was just getting started.

  She’d make a great lioness, for sure. His lion grinned.

  Dell moved over her body, letting everything beyond his lover blur. Her breasts were soft and full. Her stomach aglow with the light of the fire. And when he pushed her legs apart to explore even lower…

  Heaven. There were folks who claimed heaven could be found on Maui, but for him, heaven was right there. The taste of her on his plundering tongue. The soft, welcoming flesh under his fingers. The dark tunnel of nerves that called to him.

  “Yes…” Anjali moaned as he flicked his tongue, driving both of them wild.

  Yes, his lion growled.

  His cock burned for release, and his body throbbed with a sweet, yearning ache.

  “Dell,” Anjali cried.

  He pulled back and spoke to her in a husky, urgent voice. “Turn.”

  He might not be able to make her his mate tonight, but he could let his lion prowl a little closer to the surface.

  Anjali rolled and nestled up against him on all fours. She looked over her shoulder and wiggled her ass.

  Yes, her eyes said. Take me. Mark me. Make me yours.

  Dell gulped. When had a woman ever looked at him with so much trust, making his cock and his heart swell?

  No one, his lion growled. No one before, and no one ever again.

  “Dell,” she groaned, bumping against him like a cat in heat.

  He gripped her hips and slid against her a few times. Then he plunged in, and they both moaned. Softly at first, then more loudly, matching the intensity of his thrusts.

  Anjali jammed her hips back and her arms forward, bracing herself. Her hands twisted in the sheets, and the muffled sounds she made assured him it felt good. The curve of hips fit perfectly in his hands, and the pearl swayed under her body as they both moved.

  Every time he slid inside her, the burn increased. Every time he withdrew, his soul wept. And every time Anjali cried out in pleasure, Dell wanted to cry out too.

  I’ve never felt this with anyone. No one but you.

  Then, with a final, hard thrust, he exploded inside her. Anjali gasped while he threw his head back with a low, animal grunt. For a moment, they went as still and hard as an erotic statue. Then he slowly folded over her and covered her hands with his. A bead of wax dripped slowly from the candle at the bedside, melting the same way he did.

  “Oh. My. God,” Anjali whispered, sinking down to her belly.

  Dell relaxed over her, letting his weight press her down as he inhaled her amazing scent. “Too heavy?”

  She shook her head into the pillow. “Just right.”

  He grabbed a handful of sheet, wiping them both off. Then he nestled his chin on her shoulder and dragged it around, nuzzling her in long, deliberate strokes.

  Anjali sighed, then giggled, and finally squeaked. “What are you doing?”

  “Possessing you,” he said without thinking. Then he winced. Shit. Maybe that didn’t sound right.

  Luckily, Anjali just chuckled and stretched, clearly enjoying herself. “You’re like an animal, you know.”

  Oh, I know, he wanted to say.

  “Maybe a bear.” She giggled.

  He snorted. “A what?”

  She laughed. “Not civilized enough for you? Okay, how about…um…” She mulled it over for a second. “How about a lion?”

  For a moment, he didn’t move, letting lightning zip around his veins. Did Anjali know? Had he somehow given himself away?

  Does she love me too? his lion asked all too eagerly.

  But her voice had a lilt to it, which meant she was joking, and Dell didn’t know whether to feel relief or shame. He covered up with another long stroke of his beard along her back and forced a jaunty tone.

  “A lion. I like that. King of the jungle, and you’re my mate.”

  “I shouldn’t like the sound of that, but I do.” She sighed from under him.

  He closed his eyes, picturing that rocky ledge beside his house. Him and her…

  Anjali wiggled a little, and he rolled slowly, giving himself space to nuzzle more than her back. He nestled his chin in the valley between her breasts and rubbed up and down, turning her skin pink.

  She threaded her fingers through his hair. “You really would make a great lion.”

  He took a deep breath. If only she knew.

  “You too,” he whispered, making a silent promise. The moment they got to Maui, he would tell her the truth. About himself. About his brother. About Quinn. But for now…

  He moved a wisp of her hair aside and smiled, suddenly bittersweet. “We’re like them, you know.”

  Anjali tucked up a
gainst his shoulder, fitting perfectly in that space. “Like who?”

  “Quentin. Lourdes. Only you’re Quentin — the knight in shining armor, saving me — and I’m Lourdes.”

  Anjali laughed, cupping his face and rubbing a thumb over his cheek. “You sure don’t look like her.”

  He smiled, trying not to drift off into sad thoughts. “No, I guess I don’t.”

  “And, hey. I think you’re the one who saved me,” Anjali whispered.

  The rain eased, becoming a softer tap on the roof. Uneasiness crept into him at that reminder of the outside world. Quentin had entered Lourdes’s life without intending any harm, but ultimately, he had brought her a world of trouble. Could the same happen to Anjali?

  His lion growled. Big difference. Quentin left Lourdes. And those two weren’t mates.

  Dell’s face tightened as he looked over to where Quinn slept. Wondering if he really had it in him to rise to the challenge of his life. Just taking care of a kid, yes. Just winning over his mate — hell yes. Getting revenge for Quentin — triple yes. But all of those things at the same time? That was the tricky part. Each time he concentrated on one thing, he risked failing in the other two.

  “Hey,” Anjali whispered, cupping his face. “None of that.”

  “None of what?” He tried joking it off.

  She didn’t say anything, but her eyes gave it away. I see through you, they said. And I love you anyway.

  “I don’t want Quentin. I want you,” Anjali whispered. Then she sighed and covered his lips before he could speak. “And right now, I really need to sleep. And you do too. Lord knows Quinn isn’t going to snooze through the night.”

  He faked a groan. “God. More bottles. More diapers.”

  She laughed, tucking herself in good and close to his side. “You know you love it.”

  He kissed her shoulder, about to protest. But then he looked into the fire. Wait a minute. How could anyone love all those midnight feedings? All those hours of doing his best with Quinn but feeling totally out of his league. All the ways the baby had turned his life upside down in the space of a week. Everything he’d given up.

  Anjali chuckled, sounding sleepy. “You love it, and you know it.”

  He felt so, so tired, but when he closed his eyes and listened to his heart, the answer was clear.

  He blew out the bedside candle and whispered, “You’re right. I do.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Anjali slept better than she had in years, drifting in and out of dreams. Some were steamy, letting her relive the best sex of her life. Other dreams were weird and mystical, yet strangely comforting. She dreamed that the carved dragon separated from the mantlepiece, flew out the window, and expanded a hundred times in size. It swooped around the house, guarding her, Dell, and Quinn. She dreamed about a wolf growling, keeping intruders at bay. The closer she snuggled to Dell, the more real the dreams seemed. It was as if the butler and security guard took on new forms and changed to animals in the night.

  The craziest dream — and her favorite — was the one in which Quinn’s stuffed lion stood and paced in front of the door, protecting her. It grew and grew until it was full-size, lashing its tufted tail the whole time. Then it turned and gazed at her through yellow-brown eyes just like Dell’s.

  Funny how those dreams gave her a sense of peace.

  When she woke, it was slowly, comfortably, and she snuggled closer to Dell. Her body practically throbbed with satisfaction, and the bed was still warm, though Dell wasn’t there. She looked up in alarm, then smiled. Sunlight was streaming through the windows, clear and bright. Apparently, the storm had cleared. Dell was pacing around the room, wearing boxers but no shirt, pointing out paintings to Quinn.

  “See the castle, sweetie? Dragons like castles. They can fly around…”

  Anjali smiled. It was so cute, hearing him make up stories for the baby.

  “All drafty, though,” he went on. “Maui is better, for sure.”

  Anjali settled back in bed. Maui was better. Better than a drafty castle, and better than Chicago. But Maui was just as much a fairy tale as the castle in that painting. A place to dream about and maybe visit once in a while, not a place to be serious about.

  In that way, Maui was a little like Dell. The kind of man a woman crushed on, not one to get all serious about.

  She pursed her lips. That might have been true of the old Dell, but not the man standing before her now, kissing the baby gently on the head. This Dell was a keeper. Of course, she had just spent a torrid night in his arms. Which made it awfully hard to make rational judgments, especially with his bare chest in plain view.

  Dell held up the stuffed lion and made it prance around. “Now, lions… See, they like to prowl. They hunt at night, and they sun themselves at noon.”

  Anjali smiled. Funny, how closely that paralleled Dell’s habits. Between bartending and running patrols of the property, he was often busy in the evenings and at night. The early hours of the day were devoted to work on the plantation grounds or that beautiful house by the creek. And yes, he did enjoy noontime naps in the sun.

  Anjali closed her eyes, wondering if she could ever fit into that kind of life.

  “Hey,” Dell called softly.

  Anjali looked up, smiling back. “Hey.”

  The moment their eyes met, her body heated. If it hadn’t been for Quinn, bubbling with energy, she had the feeling Dell might just have raced back to bed and treated her to another incredible round of sex.

  Instead, they grinned at each other, and she slowly slid out of bed. She was buck naked, but Dell’s eyes stayed on hers, sparkling as she came over to him.

  “Good morning,” she said, kissing him and then Quinn.

  “Good morning,” he echoed, tapping Quinn on the nose. “Can you give Anjali a kiss, sweetie? No? Okay, then I will.”

  And boy, did he, making Anjali wonder how they might keep Quinn occupied for long enough to sneak back to bed. Then Dell broke away with a sigh, and she did too.

  Maybe later, his eyes sparkled.

  Definitely later, Anjali wanted to say. But a look at the clock brought reality back like an avalanche.

  “Whoa. Is it really seven?”

  Dell nodded. “I called a cab for seven forty-five.”

  It was only when Anjali stepped into the shower that the significance of his words sank in, all chopped up into bits. The airport and their flight to Hawaii. The danger Dell was so sure of. The rush to leave Chicago.

  She finished showering in a hurry and dried off, blinking in the light that streamed in through a high-set window in the bathroom. The previous night, it had been easy to believe in danger, what with the memory of Moira and a storm pounding down. But the morning brightness made her pause. Her job was in Chicago. Her family was in the suburbs. How could she possibly leave?

  “Almost ready?” Dell asked when she stepped back into the room.

  The doors to the parlor were open, and breakfast had been set out for them. The baby bag was packed and ready beside the door, while Dell moved around the room, grabbing the few things he’d brought.

  Anjali stood still, feeling like she’d hit a brick wall. All her life, she’d worked hard, thought things over, and deliberated every decision. Was she really ready to do this?

  “Almost,” she whispered, trying to get her limbs to move.

  She dressed and picked up her phone, making Dell whip his head around.

  “I have to call work,” she explained.

  She could practically see the sharp Don’t building on his tongue, but he held it back.

  “Don’t say where we’re going or when. No details.”

  His face was grim, and his curt nod drew her gaze to Quinn, who gurgled happily in a nest of blankets on the floor.

  And just like that, that ominous feeling of danger rushed back into the room.

  Anjali’s hands shook as she dialed in to work. Not her assistant, Crystal, but straight through to Ken, her immediate boss, whose voice w
as cold and harsh.

  “Ms. Jain. What exactly is going on?”

  She gulped. Ken had always insisted on first names, so Ms. Jain was a bad sign, for sure. She hemmed and hawed, because how exactly could she explain?

  “You walked out,” Ken said.

  She winced. “I’m so sorry. The family emergency I mentioned last week wasn’t as under control as I thought. Please let me explain.”

  “Yes. Why don’t you come in and explain? And while you’re at it, you can explain why you were rude to Ms. LeGrange.”

  Her jaw dropped. “I beg your pardon?”

  “She was very upset.”

  She was upset? Anjali wanted to scream, but Ken just went on in the same snippy tone.

  “Then you can also explain how it is possible that your unauthorized visitor assaulted our new shareholder.”

  “Assault?” Anjali yelped, making Dell look up from where he was kneeling, tickling Quinn’s feet.

  “We have witnesses. Apparently, the man is former Special Forces. The kind who can kill with his hands. And his hands were on Ms. LeGrange.”

  Anjali couldn’t believe her ears. “Ms. LeGrange threatened his daughter. What would you do if someone threatened one of your girls, Ken?”

  The line went very quiet — for half a second at least.

  “Obviously, the man is coming unhinged. Some kind of PTSD, as I understand.”

  Anjali’s cheeks heated. “What?”

  Dell looked up sharply.

  “Look, Anjali. I know the quality of your work, so I’ll give you one more chance. Cut this man loose, whoever he is, and we’ll do our best to control the damage and move past this.”

  Past what? Moira was the one with her hands all over my office — and my man, she wanted to scream.

  Dell carried Quinn to the window then nodded to Anjali. The taxi was waiting outside.

  “Listen, I have to go,” Ken said.

  Me too, Anjali nearly whispered.

  “Take an hour. No, take two,” Ken added.

  Gee, thanks, she wanted to say.

  “Pull yourself together. Then get in here and back on the job. Do you hear me? If you’re not here by noon…” He trailed off.

  “Ken,” Anjali started then stared at her phone when the line went dead.