"Ella, what's the name of the place that set us up?"
"Paranormal Param-" Her jaw snapped shut as the pieces finally clicked. The name of the dating site, Stacey's cryptic comments about the certain types of people they cater too. It all made sense now.
"How did you even find that site if you didn't know about us? It's quite hard to find for a reason. Only those who go specifically searching for it are supposed to find it."
"I don't remember Jake, I was just filling out so many at the time. I just recall seeing it and liking the name and pictures on it. I never clued in at the time that the animals were for more than just show. Jeeze I feel like such an idiot now!" She smacked her palm off her head, frustrated that it had taken him laying it out in front of her for her to make the connection.
"How long have you been able to, to - " she struggled with the right word to call what he could do. 'Change' just didn't seem to work well enough to describe his ability.
"We call it 'shifting' in our world," he supplied gently, not wanting to commandeer the conversation, instead content to let her speak.
"How long have you been able to shift Jake? That's just incredible, I didn't realize that it was actually a thing."
They talked long into the night about him, his abilities and how hard it was to live with. Her heart ached by the end, wanting nothing more than to comfort him. She couldn't imagine growing up an outcast, completely unlike anyone else she ever met. For her, it was hard enough being curvy and finding someone who would not only accept her, but love her for it.
Eventually, curled up on the couch next to each other, she fell asleep in his arms. There was a feeling of rightness in the world now, even if he wouldn't be able to come back to Sunset Valley for some time. She couldn't stay here, but at least knowing that things had been set right with him allowed her to sleep peacefully.
Jake
In the morning, he left Ella asleep in the bed, where he had carried her some time after the two of them had fallen asleep. It was tough to drag himself away from her gorgeous body, but he knew he had other duties to attend to as well.
Walking in to work, he laid out his plans in front of Doug.
"This is what you're going to have to do if you want this project to work. You aren't going to like it, it's going to cost you some more money, also you'll have to ensure that someone qualified oversees the job."
"What do you mean someone qualified Jake? That's what we hired you for?" Doug was thoroughly confused as to what was going on.
"I can't do this for you any longer, I'm sorry. I have other commitments in life, and I need to put them first this time. I've solved the problem for you, now just get someone who isn't the idiot you hired in the first place, to do it right." He ignored the wincing from the original architect who was sitting in another seat at the table. At this point in time, his focus was on Ella, and nothing else.
"Thank you for offering me the contract Doug, but I have to go. Call the flights and hotel as payment for solving his mistake in the first place." With a firm nod of his head, he strode from the office, never turning back. For the foreseeable future, Jake Masterson was no longer an architect. He was simply a friend, lover and shopkeeper for Carving's & More. His cheeks ached from the smile on his face the entire way back to the hotel.
There he found Ella just starting to rise from bed. Nudging her good-naturedly, he teased her about sleeping in.
"Get up you lazy bum. We have the whole day ahead of ourselves, and it's looking like it's going to be gorgeous. Let's get a move on! We have three hours to kill before we have to be at the airport for our flights. Do you want to do some sightseeing?"
"Do I?!" she exclaimed, practically jumping out of the bed. "It's been so long since I last travelled. No way I'm passing up the chance to spend a few hours touring around with you." She raced into the shower, getting herself ready in what seemed like, to him anyways, record time for her.
Bags packed and ready, they headed down to the lobby. Jake made sure to set an alarm, so that they could come back to grab their stuff with plenty of time to catch the airport shuttle and make their flight. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck another day here. He wanted to be home, with Ella.
As they wandered around downtown, she asked him more questions about the shifter community. He avoided telling her that Max was one as well, but he thought she had picked up on that fact all on her own. She was quite intelligent he noted to himself, not for the first time.
"I love you, Ella." He froze as the words tumbled out of his mouth. He had been thinking of saying it, but had not meant to actually say so. Now he panicked, trying to think of a way to let it slide off humorously, without freaking her out.
"You didn't mean to say that, did you?" she asked, looking up at him, eyes twinkling.
"Uh, no, no not really. I mean, I was thinking it, but I didn't want to freak you out, or make you feel uncomfortable or anythi-" he stopped speaking as her lips found his, her hands raking through his hair, preventing him from pulling away. She kissed him long and passionately, making her point thoroughly clear.
"I love you too Jake," she said as they parted, adding words to her actions for good measure.
"Really?" His cheeks flushed at the stupid question, but she simply laughed and punched him lightly in the shoulder.
"Yes really, you goof! Now come here." She kissed him again, not caring about the comments or catcalls from passerby. This was her man, and she was going to show him she cared dearly about him as well.
Things seemed to be going well for him once again. Their flight home passed uneventfully, even miraculously arriving a few minutes early. The two of them decided to go to Jake's house for the evening. Ella had told work she needed a few days off for personal reasons, so she did not need to go back until the following week. It seemed to him, that the both of them had something else in mind besides relaxing.
He hadn't even made it in the door before she was after him, her hands grabbing at his crotch, pulling him towards the living room. She didn't even want to go the full distance to the bedroom a corner of his mind noted. The rest of his brain was focused on just what her hands were doing to his rapidly hardening cock.
"Come here," she whispered to him playfully as he pretended to resist. A small grin on his face, he let her pull him close, using his weight to take them both crashing into the couch. She laughed out loud in delight before his lips closed on hers, muffling all silence for the time being.
When their lips parted, he left a pattern of kisses down her cheek before finding the soft, tender flesh of her neck. Giving it a soft nip, which elicited a cry of pleasure, he then kissed all along her neck and collarbone, immensely enjoying the low moans coming from Ella. There was just something so sexy about a woman indicating that she loved what he was doing to her, all of which was heightened by the way he felt about Ella.
Her fingers tore his shirt off with smooth ease before they started to dig deep into the muscles on his back every time his lips touched her exposed skin. She practically went wild the first time he purred in response to her touch. A wicked grin creasing his face, he moved lower with his lips, pulling her shirt down to expose the beautiful roundness of her full breasts.
His hungry lips found her rapidly hardening nipples, taking them into his mouth while his tongue flicked gently over them. He didn't fight her as she wrapped her arms tight around his head, pulling him in close while arching her back for him. Questing around her back, he easily undid the clasp of her bra, letting it fall completely out of his way.
Pulling back slightly, he admired the gorgeous sight in front of him, drinking in her nakedness for as long as he could. Before long, her insistent urging had him continuing his exploration southward, much to the delight of Ella. This time he didn't have to do anything to help her out of her clothes. The skirt she wore simply slid off when he touched it, falling clear of her legs without effort. Much to his surprise, she wasn't wearing anything underneath.
"Expecting somethin
g, were you?" he whispered evilly as his lips followed a wandering line up the inside of one leg. He stopped just short of where she wanted him, instead switching to the other leg, once again meandering his way up, following the trail of heat to her pussy.
"I'm expecting something right now, and you had better deliver it or el-" her voice cut off, ending in one long moan as he finally made contact with his tongue. For the next while she didn't say much, simply gasping and making pleasurable noises while he did his best to please her.
After some teasing, he slipped a finger inside her, quickly bringing her to orgasm. A wash of wetness spread across his face as she writhed under his touch, her climax utterly arousing from his point of view. He had to fight hard not to simply stand up and take her, instead waiting until she had finished convulsing before he moved to penetrate her.
He slid forward, her lips wrapping around his cock tightly, while she begged him to push all the way. More than happy to oblige, he buried himself completely, reveling in the look of shocked pain on her face. Instead of pushing him away though, she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, pulling him in even deeper.
Jake's body began to heat up as their hips ground together, her cries mingling with his growls. He could feel the pressure in his cock building, knowing it wouldn't be long before he erupted inside of her. Ella seemed to pick up on it, urging him onwards, telling him she wanted it.
That was enough for Jake, and with a groan his cock began to pulse, sending stream after stream inside her. With a cry, Ella began to shudder and writhe in time with him, her own climax triggered by his. Completely spent, Jake rolled onto his side, bringing her with him, so they could look into each other's eyes. They fell into sleep like that, neither of them remembering who passed out first, only the look of happiness in each other's eyes.
Ella
In the morning, Jake asked her if she would like to come help him in the shop for the day.
"Max could use the day off anyways. He's been running the place since I left, that's long enough for him I'm sure."
"Are you sure? I don't really know what I'm doing."
"Can you talk nicely to customers, make change, and help with carry-outs?"
"Well, yes, but-"
"Excellent, you'll be awesome. Let's grab some breakfast and get a move on!"
He was grinning from ear to ear, the sheer enthusiasm contagious. Shaking her head in happy exasperation she followed him out of bed and to the kitchen. Although she wasn't wearing much in the way of clothing, Ella had rarely felt more at home in her own skin. It helped with all the seductive glances and caresses that Jake sent her way.
Eventually, the two of them managed to get a breakfast put together. They had to redo it once when she got a little carried away with kissing him and they burnt the bacon. The eggs also had to be redone once, because she flinched while cracking them when Jake gave her a rather arousing caress on her rear and between her legs.
They continued to smile and flirt while they got dressed as well. Ella felt like she could get used to their antics being a regular thing. She even wondered if Jake would ever invite her to move in with him. It startled her to be thinking of such a move so soon, but part of her knew that if he asked, she wouldn't say no.
The drive in to the store was wonderful as well. The sun was shining and the wind rushed through her hair as they wove along the back road, windows down and sunglasses on. One of her hands rested on the door, fingers playing with the wind. The other was firmly entwined with Jake's, their fingers interlocked and resting on the center console.
"I can't believe I hadn't been by here until now. That's really a travesty you know," she exclaimed, looking around his shop in wonder. It was absolutely beautiful, all the various works of art laid out for display and purchase.
"I could spend forever in here just looking around Jake."
The day passed swiftly, though surprisingly it wasn't very stressful. Nearly every customer of Jake's knew the routine and was more than happy to help her out as she went. The variety of people that came in, just to talk, to browse the new pieces or even to arrange a showing of their own work was constant. Somehow each and every one of them was happy and easy to work with.
"Is this what every day here is like?" she asked in awe as the day drew to a close.
"Pretty much. It's why I like it so much more than working in the city," he replied, locking the door and flipping the sign over to read 'Closed'.
"Unbelievable."
The two of them left through the back door, Jake fidgeting with something in his pocket before they locked up behind them.
"Did you forget something?"
"Nope, I have it right here," he said a little breathlessly.
"Is everything okay Jake?" she asked curiously, stopping just before they rounded the corner to the front of the store and the street.
"I think so Ella. I really think so. Oh," he said, dropping down to one knee to adjust a shoelace.
He was acting so strange, she thought to herself. Ella wasn't sure what he was up to, but whatever it was, it was making him nervous. She eyed him speculatively as he stuck his hand back into his jacket pocket one more time, still down on his knee.
"Jake what are you doing?"
"Ella Gordon," he began, taking her hand in his, meeting her eyes, " will you ma-"
"Ella!" Charlie said from behind her, startling her and forcing her to turn around. He was the last person she had expected to see here. Looking at him, she couldn't help but admire the change in him. He was more clean cut and polished than she had seen in quite some time. In fact, he was wearing new clothes that fit and weren't ripped as well.
"Charlie, what are you doing here?" Even though they had been separated for a month now, the five years they had spent together still tugged at her heartstrings. It was so good to see him getting his act together.
"Listen, Ella. I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I've realized something. All along I thought I had it figured out. Then you left, and things came crashing down. I don't want that to happen again. I need you in my life. Forever."
She gasped.
"Ella Danielle Gordon, will you marry me?" Charlie said, dropping down to one knee, ring in hand.
To Be Continued
Jake, Ella & Charlie will return in the conclusion to the Sunset Valley Series: A Leopard Is Forever, available in early June. Get my newsletter to be notified when it's available!
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Sneak Peak of 'Bear In Mind'
By Alannah Blacke & Terra Wolf
A look of sadness came over his face, and Keri tried to open her mouth to respond. Before she could though, Derek had turned away from her, dropping the remnants of the picnic on the ground as he faced the wolves. They were only thirty or so feet distant now, steadily closing. They were snarling, snapping at the pair of them, trying to scare them off.
A deeper, foreboding growl echoed through the clearing, sending a rumble down her spine. It took a moment for her to realize that it had come from Derek. As she watched, half in horror, half in fascination, he leaned forward, his arms elongating to reach the ground.
The wolves had slowed their approach at the growl, and as he began to change, they stopped entirely. At first Derek's skin appeared to be darkening in color, but it quickly resolved into fur sprouting from everywhere. He let out another growl, this one louder than before, his head twisting and shaking slightly like animals do when they challenge one another. His frame was expanding in size, doubling, then doubling again.
In seconds, there was nothing left of Derek, only a massive grizzly bear where he had been. It pawed at the ground, massive claws leaving deep rents in the hard packed earth. It was a wordless challenge to the wolves, indicating that he was not backing down. The largest wolf moved forward slightly, teeth bared as it responded to him.
Then Derek roared.
It was a physical wall of sound, sla
mming into Keri and driving her to the ground it was so loud and powerful. She went down to one knee, hands bracing herself on either side for balance. Somehow she managed to look up, where she saw the wolves cowering beneath his full blown battle cry. To emphasize his power, Derek reared up on his hind legs and let loose another blast that, if anything, was louder than the first.
It was an awe-inspiring display of power. No normal bear on earth could challenge that, and only the fact that the wolves were abnormally large and powerful themselves allowed them to not flee in terror. Still, they were the first to give, backing up several steps.
The ground shook as Derek dropped onto his front paws, taking a step towards the intruders upon his territory. She hoped he wouldn't do anything stupid or try to show off. The odds were definitely stacked against him at six wolves to one bear.
Click to Read 'Bear In Mind'
Safari Shifters: Pride (Book 1)
There was no room for his lion in the city. But can he handle the wild?
Tall, powerful and undeniably attractive, Zach is a wealthy businessman with a secret to hide. Fed up with the high-rise prison that is New York, he yearns to escape back to the plains of Africa for another Safari. Only there does he feel at home, putting aside the complete and utter loneliness that invades him when he's in the city. Visiting his preferred high-class Tour Provider, Zach finds himself saddled with the groups newest guide.
Lena, the curvy, sassy, no-nonsense taking tour guide is thrust into the spotlight. When her boss springs a last minute tour on her, one that would normally take months to plan, she can't say no. It doesn't hurt that her client is none other than Zachary Hopkins, one of the world's most notorious billionaire business moguls, who also happens to be high up on a number of Most Desirable Bachelor lists. His good looks promise to make her next two weeks just a little less painful.
Better Late Than Leopard (A BBW Shifter Romance) (Sunset Valley Book 2) Page 3
