Loved by the Lion: BBW Paranormal Lion Shifter BWWM Romance by Zoe Chant

job.
    “I liked meeting everyone,” she said, and he detected a little wistfulness in her tone. She liked his family, he was sure of it, and the realization warmed him more than the wine ever could.
    “They liked you.” At her skeptical look, he added, “Really, I mean it. You fit right in.”
    Kira took a sip of her wine. “Well, I’m sure they liked the cheesecakes, anyway.”
    “I won’t argue with that. For someone who says she’s not much of a cook, you make some pretty tasty food.”
    “It’s the job. Hospitals are really stressful places to work,” she explained. “People are there for double and triple shifts, snacking on candy bars and taking naps in between bites. Even though we're supposed to know a lot more about health than patients. I tried to bring in something a little better for everyone. I ended up learning how to throw together a lot of food for a lot of people without a lot of effort. Hence the pizza bars and tiny cheesecake cups.”
    During their conversation, they’d moved closer to one another until there was almost no space between them. It was wholly unconscious, like they were drawn together by a subtle magnetic force, until he was close enough to see the sparkle in her eyes. Her lips were stained a little red from the wine and he wanted suddenly to lean down and kiss her, run his tongue along her lower lip and taste the sharp-sour-sweet flavor of it.
    He leaned in slightly, and she tipped her head back. Her eyes were dark; he knew she was thinking the same thing he was. Then her lips brushed his, so soft, and he stopped thinking at all.
    BEEP !
    The oven timer sounded the alarm, and they jumped apart.
    Cole held back a sigh. His heart was racing – and not just from the surprise, either. Having her so close was intoxicating to all his senses. He ached to touch his mate, run his hands all over her beautiful, generous body.
    Did she feel the same way? He couldn’t tell, not when she was facing away from him and pulling their food out of the oven.
    “The pizzas will have to cool,” her voice broke through his thoughts. Guiltily he raised his eyes to her face.
    “Yeah?”
    “Yeah.” Her voice lowered till it was almost a whisper. “I think we have some free time.”
    She wanted him, too. His lion roaring in his ears, Cole didn’t need any more encouragement than that. He took her face in his hands, running his thumbs over her cheeks, and bent to kiss her passionately.
    Her mouth opened under his easily, even eagerly, and she pressed back against him with a desire that left his head spinning and his cock aching for her. He traced her lips with his tongue, like he had wanted to do earlier, and she shivered. She was so responsive to his touch.
    He ran his hand over her shoulder, tracing her collarbone with his thumb lightly until he met the strap of her dress. He pulled it over her shoulder, baring her skin. He could just see the tops of her breasts, and the sight aroused him. He wanted more , wanted to see her, wanted to taste her.
    Cole bent to kiss her neck, sucking lightly, and heard her gasp. It was easy to slip the other strap down, too, and then run his fingers along the neckline of her dress, teasing. Her sensitive skin sent up a trail of goosebumps wherever he touched. He loved it.
    Slipping his fingers under the hem, he pulled gently, exposing more of her beautiful skin to the cool air. Her breasts were large and heavy, the perfect size for cupping and squeezing and playing with – if she was a little bit taller.
    Kira pushed herself up onto the counter, clearly thinking along the same lines. His mouth followed the line of her neck down, down, down, until he was kissing the hollow between her collarbones and then down into the valley between her breasts where he could feel the rise and fall of her breathing. She sighed as he kissed her, and squealed as he flicked his tongue against her nipple, so he did it again.
    Her nipple grew tight and stiff from his attentions. Soon