Taming the Lion by Elizabeth Coldwell Page A

he suspected Ellie was doing him a favor. He wasn’t going to complain. It would be nice living with someone who understood the rhythms of his life and who wouldn’t be surprised if he felt the need to leave the house in the middle of the night when the compulsion to prowl in lion form became impossible to ignore.
    “Okay. Most of my money is still in euros, but—”
    “Don’t worry, Kaspar. You can settle up with me when you get your wages from Marina. Now, I’ll let you settle in, and when you’re ready, come down and I’ll make you something to eat.”
    “Thanks, but I don’t want to put you to any trouble.”
    “You’re not. I’ve been rattling around in this place on my own for so long that it’ll be nice to have someone to share it with.”
    He waited for her to elaborate, suspecting there might be more to her story, but it seemed she’d said all she was prepared to on the subject.
    “Well, if you don’t mind, I’m going to have a shower.”
    “Of course. That’ll give me time to get my quiches in the oven. You’ll need a clean towel. There are plenty in the cupboard under the washbasin.”
    Ellie retreated from the bedroom, leaving Kaspar to pull his clothes out of his rucksack and stow them away.
    He looked ruefully at the handful of items hanging in the closet. With any luck, he’d have enough left over from his wages to treat himself to another pair of jeans, and maybe a sweater in case the nights turned cold. Marina had provided him with the black T-shirt bearing the løve logo that was the standard attire for all her bar staff, so at least he didn’t have to worry about what he’d wear to work every day.
    Kaspar stripped to his underwear then grabbed his washbag and went into the bathroom. Like his bedroom, it was compact, with just enough room for a wedge-shaped tub in one corner. Ellie’s beauty products occupied the shelf above the sink, as well as most of the space along the rim of the tub. When he looked in the mirrored cabinet, he discovered aspirins, tampons, cotton wool balls and makeup removing wipes. As long as he could find somewhere to put his toothbrush and razor, he didn’t mind putting up with the rest of the clutter.
    He pulled the transparent curtain into place before turning on the shower. Once he judged the water to be at the correct heat, he took off his shorts then stepped into the tub. As he lathered his body up, he felt as though he was washing the last traces of his homeland from his skin.
    He hadn’t expected to make a new life for himself quite so quickly but, more by luck than judgment, he’d managed to secure both a job and a roof over his head within hours of arriving in Bath. Maybe Ellie was right, and he’d been drawn here for reasons he didn’t yet understand. Could his mate really be waiting for him here? Until he met the rest of the pride, he had no way of knowing. Of course, the odds of any of the male shifters being gay were very small, but he had to hold out hope.
    Sighing, Kaspar shut off the spray. He reached for the towel and dried himself off. When he walked out onto the landing, he smelled the scents of hot pastry and fried bacon. His mouth watered.
    In the bedroom, he went to find the pot of facial moisturizer at the bottom of his rucksack. It was his only real concession to vanity, though he wore it more for the sunscreen protection it offered him than to keep any wrinkles at bay.
    As he reached for it, his fingers brushed against the cover of one of the porn mags he’d brought from his old apartment. Just thinking about what was contained in its pages had his cock rising to attention.
    He thought of Ellie downstairs, engrossed in her baking and oblivious to whatever he might be doing. She wouldn’t miss him for another few minutes.
    Kaspar pulled the magazine out of his backpack. It fell open at the page he’d studied more times than any other. This particular set of pictures featured a dark-haired, well-built model who went by the name