Lessons in Purrsuasion: BBW Paranormal Werelion Surprise Pregnancy Mob Romance (Chicago Catastrophe) by Rory Dale, Anya Nowlan Page A
Authors: Rory Dale, Anya Nowlan
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woman’s hard exterior was just a protective front. And she had just agreed to help them with no small risk to herself. Emotions took over as Selina stepped forward and grabbed Kate into a tight hug.
Kate sputtered in protest.
“I just had this outfit dry-cleaned!” she protested, arms stiffly at her sides.
Stone let out a strangled cough and Selina released Kate with a smile.
“Thank you,” she said, looking Kate straight in the eye.
“Yes, yes, go already,” Kate waved them off, her cheeks flushed red.
Selina noticed something resembling a genuine smile tugging at Kate’s lips.
“Brave,” Stone said, leaning in slightly as Selina walked side by side with him out of the study. “Her bite is far worse than her growl.”
Selina followed Stone to the guest bedroom, blushing from the compliment. The bedroom matched the rest of the house, carefully decorated in creams and pastels, fresh flowers on the nightstand next to the massive bed covered in a tasteful arrangement of pillows.
Selina plopped down on a small settee by the window.
“So… that’s your ex. Got to say, not what I pictured,” she mused, taking in the lavish room.
But who would you picture with him then? Yourself?
Stone chuckled.
“Don’t let her looks fool you. She is tough, merciless and not afraid to get her hands dirty,” he said, stretching his arms above his head.
Selina followed the movement with her eyes.
“Get her hands dirty with what, exactly? And how did you two meet in the first place?” Selina probed.
Stone and Kate seemed to come from different worlds, yet something connected them. If she could find out more, maybe she could figure out what that was and gain more insight into Stone in the process.
The man wasn’t easy to read and she wanted to know as much as she could about him.
“She’s a… problem solver for the wealthy and powerful,” Stone said vaguely, ignoring the other question.
“You don’t have to protect me from the harsh realities of the world, it’s a bit too late for that anyway.”
Selina’s tone was bitter. She was tired of stumbling around in the dark, told what and when to do and little else.
Stone looked at her for what felt like a very long time. His green eyes bore into her with an intensity she had never felt before. Selina squared her shoulders and stared back, determined not to back down.
“You won’t like what I tell you.”
“I’d like to come to that conclusion on my own, thank you very much,” Selina countered, angrily now.
“She’s a hitwoman,” Stone said, eyes still locked onto hers. “She kills people for a living. And she’s very good at it.”
Selina gulped.
“And?” she pressed on, voice growing hoarse.
“We met on the job,” he answered.
Oh.
Ten
Stone
“ S o that’s what you do? You kill people for money?”
The look on her face made his stomach sink. It was everything he’d been trying to avoid and yet there it was, clear as day. Fear, surprise, maybe a hint of disgust…
Great, now all she’s going to think when she looks at me is ‘killer’.
“Not anymore,” Stone responded.
Selina stared at him.
“Not anymore? That’s all you’re going to say?” she demanded, exasperated.
“I’m here to keep you safe and that’s what I’m doing. Anything else is irrelevant,” he replied tersely.
He hadn’t intended to sound as he did, but the thought of being found less than adequate by Selena made him bristle and his insides twist. Not that he thought himself to be a good guy by any stretch of the imagination. He’d done things he wasn’t proud of.
That was why he had gotten out of The Firm and refused to work for anyone like them, too. Men like Spade and Foster and everyone else in the intelligence unit there were brutal beings and Stone had no stomach for it. He was a killer, sure, but in his opinion, big money could lead to big corruption and he didn’t want to be around for it when it happened.
So he’d started working
Kate sputtered in protest.
“I just had this outfit dry-cleaned!” she protested, arms stiffly at her sides.
Stone let out a strangled cough and Selina released Kate with a smile.
“Thank you,” she said, looking Kate straight in the eye.
“Yes, yes, go already,” Kate waved them off, her cheeks flushed red.
Selina noticed something resembling a genuine smile tugging at Kate’s lips.
“Brave,” Stone said, leaning in slightly as Selina walked side by side with him out of the study. “Her bite is far worse than her growl.”
Selina followed Stone to the guest bedroom, blushing from the compliment. The bedroom matched the rest of the house, carefully decorated in creams and pastels, fresh flowers on the nightstand next to the massive bed covered in a tasteful arrangement of pillows.
Selina plopped down on a small settee by the window.
“So… that’s your ex. Got to say, not what I pictured,” she mused, taking in the lavish room.
But who would you picture with him then? Yourself?
Stone chuckled.
“Don’t let her looks fool you. She is tough, merciless and not afraid to get her hands dirty,” he said, stretching his arms above his head.
Selina followed the movement with her eyes.
“Get her hands dirty with what, exactly? And how did you two meet in the first place?” Selina probed.
Stone and Kate seemed to come from different worlds, yet something connected them. If she could find out more, maybe she could figure out what that was and gain more insight into Stone in the process.
The man wasn’t easy to read and she wanted to know as much as she could about him.
“She’s a… problem solver for the wealthy and powerful,” Stone said vaguely, ignoring the other question.
“You don’t have to protect me from the harsh realities of the world, it’s a bit too late for that anyway.”
Selina’s tone was bitter. She was tired of stumbling around in the dark, told what and when to do and little else.
Stone looked at her for what felt like a very long time. His green eyes bore into her with an intensity she had never felt before. Selina squared her shoulders and stared back, determined not to back down.
“You won’t like what I tell you.”
“I’d like to come to that conclusion on my own, thank you very much,” Selina countered, angrily now.
“She’s a hitwoman,” Stone said, eyes still locked onto hers. “She kills people for a living. And she’s very good at it.”
Selina gulped.
“And?” she pressed on, voice growing hoarse.
“We met on the job,” he answered.
Oh.
Ten
Stone
“ S o that’s what you do? You kill people for money?”
The look on her face made his stomach sink. It was everything he’d been trying to avoid and yet there it was, clear as day. Fear, surprise, maybe a hint of disgust…
Great, now all she’s going to think when she looks at me is ‘killer’.
“Not anymore,” Stone responded.
Selina stared at him.
“Not anymore? That’s all you’re going to say?” she demanded, exasperated.
“I’m here to keep you safe and that’s what I’m doing. Anything else is irrelevant,” he replied tersely.
He hadn’t intended to sound as he did, but the thought of being found less than adequate by Selena made him bristle and his insides twist. Not that he thought himself to be a good guy by any stretch of the imagination. He’d done things he wasn’t proud of.
That was why he had gotten out of The Firm and refused to work for anyone like them, too. Men like Spade and Foster and everyone else in the intelligence unit there were brutal beings and Stone had no stomach for it. He was a killer, sure, but in his opinion, big money could lead to big corruption and he didn’t want to be around for it when it happened.
So he’d started working
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