Lion About: A Zodiac Shifters Paranormal Romance: Virgo

by Catherine Banks

  “I’ve been a poor date already,” he said, setting the menu he had just picked up back down.

  “How?” I asked, focusing on his face.

  “I failed to mention how beautiful you look.”

  I smirked. “Thank you.”

  “You make this room much brighter,” he said, looking around. “I’ve eaten in here, alone, several times, yet with you here, I actually can see the beauty of the room.”

  “Such a flatterer,” I said, smiling fully. “And I enjoyed you adding you’ve eaten here alone.”

  He shrugged and picked up the menu again. “It’s true. I’ve never brought a woman here.”

  “What do you recommend?” I asked, looking at the menu was making my stomach rumble, and everything sounded amazing.

  “How about I surprise you?” he asked. “Do you have any particular food dislikes?”

  I shook my head. “I like pretty much everything.”

  He nodded. “Good.”

  A beautiful woman with an enviable hourglass figure stepped into the room wearing black pants and shirt, a basket of bread in her hand. “Do you need some more time, sir?” she asked.

  She set the bread down and out of the corner of my eye, I saw what my normal vision couldn’t. She had pointed ears, which meant she was fae and was using glamor to hide her true form.

  “Two of my usual,” Lucas said.

  She nodded once, then left.

  “How often do you come here?” I asked.

  “Once a week,” he admitted.

  While I wasn’t poor, I had seen the prices here, and they were ones I would be able to afford once every six months, tops.

  “Are you ready to present me with your next test?” he asked, shaking out his napkin before laying it across his lap.

  “It’s no fun if you know it’s a test,” I said, tearing off a piece of bread and dipping it in the oil and balsamic the waitress had also left.

  “Isn’t the fun in finding out if I’m a worthy mate or not?” he asked.

  “That’s the result, not the fun,” I argued.

  “Well, let’s make it fun,” he said.

  “How do you plan to do that?” I asked.

  “I ask you a question and you ask me one. We can go back and forth,” he suggested.

  I smiled. “Okay.”

  “What happened with Jamison today?” he asked.

  I sighed. “That’s not how this is supposed to work.”

  “You agreed to a question, not a specific line of questioning.”

  “Fine. He pulled me aside to remind me that I’m not allowed to share anything about our projects, no matter how close you and I were. I told him it was inappropriate of him to say that, because if I was male he wouldn’t have. He apologized.”

  “You were right to stand up for yourself. He’s old and sometimes gets stuck in the old mentality,” Lucas said.

  “What type of shifter are you?” I asked. Normally, it was considered rude to ask someone that, but I wanted to know.

  “Lion-ish,” he said.

  “Ish?” I asked.

  “Not something I prefer to discuss on a first date,” he said.

  “Are you planning to be monogamous?” I asked.

  “It’s my turn” he reminded me.

  I sighed. “Fine.”

  “Why are you still single?”

  “I’ve been focusing on my job and haven’t been trying very hard to find dates,” I admitted.

  “Why me and why now then?” he asked.

  “It’s my turn,” I said, parroting his earlier comment.

  He smiled.

  “Are you planning to be monogamous?” I asked again.

  “Yes. I may be lion-ish, but I’m human enough that I want one mate. The idea of sharing is not something I wish to engage in, so I understand that would be the feeling from the opposite side as well.”

  I nodded. Second test passed.

  “Please answer my earlier question,” he said.

  I shrugged. “Right place and right time? I’m really not sure how to answer that. I wasn’t really planning to start dating, but you made quite an impression on me last night, and I’d like to see where this goes.” I paused a moment, then asked, “Are you a morning person or a night owl.”

  “Neither. Although I am fine staying up late, or waking up early, I prefer the afternoon,” he answered.

  The waitress returned with salads, which gave us an excuse to stop our questions. I wanted to think of some good questions to ask him. Something that otherwise he might not answer. What could I ask? What should I ask?

  “There’s steam coming out of your ears,” Lucas chuckled.

  “What?” I asked, jerking my head up.

  “You’re thinking very hard about something. Care to enlighten the class?”

  I laughed. “Just contemplating what to ask you next.”

  He set his elbows on the table, folded his hands together, then leaned his chin on his folded hands. “It’s my turn, anyway.”

  “Well, then ask away,” I said, smirking.

  Have you ever been with a shifter before?”

  “I’ve slept with a shifter before, once, but I’ve never been in a relationship with one before,” I answered. “I have done some research on shifters and have talked with friends who are married to shifters, but I don’t have much firsthand experience.”

  He nodded, and it looked like his shoulders relaxed. Was that an important question for him to know the answer to? Or was I imagining it?

  “What is your favorite outfit?” I asked, since it was my turn.

  “To wear or for women to wear?” he asked, his brow arching slightly.

  I smirked. “To wear.”

  He smiled and said, “Sweatpants.”

  “Really?” I asked.

  He nodded. “I don’t really like wearing suits, but it is a necessary evil.”

  “So, if we were at your house, watching a movie, you’d be wearing sweatpants?” I asked. That picture did all kinds of things to my hormones.

  He smirked. “Most likely.”

  I was so on board for that to happen.

  “What’s your favorite outfit?” he asked me back.

  “Jeans and a t-shirt,” I said.

  “Really? You strike me more as a summer dress type of woman.”

  I shrugged. “I wear them a lot in the summer, but I prefer jeans and a t-shirt to anything else.”

  “So, if we were lounging at my house, watching a movie, you would be in jeans and a t-shirt while I was in sweatpants?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  He leaned back, letting his hands fall into his lap. “Interesting.”

  Our main course came out, and I didn’t talk again until I had devoured every bite of the chicken marsala he had ordered.

  “That was amazing,” I said, smiling at him.

  “I'm glad you liked it,” he replied, wiping his mouth with his napkin.

  “Your wine, sir,” the waitress said, setting down a glass of wine in front of each of us.

  I raised the glass and took a sniff. Honestly, I wasn't much of a wine fan.

  “That's for dessert,” Lucas said.

  “Wine for dessert?” I asked.

  He chuckled. “No, it's to drink with dessert.”

  “Oh,” I said and set it back down. “Honestly, I'm not a huge wine drinker.”

  “Trust me, you'll enjoy this,” he said.

  I wasn't convinced, but I waited patiently.

  The waitress brought out two slices of what looked like chocolate cake. She set them down, bowed, and disappeared.

  “One bite of cake, and then one sip of wine,” he instructed me.

  Following his instructions proved delicious. The cake was tasty, but paired with the wine, it was delectable.

  “Wow,” I whispered. “I never would have thought to pair wine with it.”

  He smirked. “I'm glad you like it.”

  Once we were finished, and he paid for the bill, I w
aited to see what his next move would be. It was only our first date, and we hadn't made plans aside from dinner.

  He stood, pulled out my chair, and then put my hand on his arm. “Was your experience here favorable?” he asked.

  “It was delicious,” I said. “Someday, I'll have to come here again.”

  We stopped outside the restaurant.

  “Would you join me for a movie?” Lucas asked.

  “A movie?” I asked back.

  He nodded.

  “I don't have my jeans,” I said with a smirk.

  He smirked back. “I can solve that.”

  “What?” I asked, but he just pulled me down the street.

  Chapter 5

  Lucas pulled me into a clothing store a few doors over from the restaurant, and the women working there immediately snapped to attention. One was a cat shifter, who had her cat ears out on her human head. Her ears and eyes focused on Lucas, and I could see she also had a tail, since it was swaying behind her.

  “I need jeans and a t-shirt for my companion,” Lucas informed them.

  The cat girl's ears dropped slightly. “Right away, sir,” she said. She marched up to me, staring into my eyes. I held her stare, refusing to back down. After a moment, she dropped her eyes, put her hands on her hips, and lowered her head until her eyes were even with my breasts. “Come with me,” she ordered me.

  “Sir, we have seats right over here,” the other woman, who had beautiful silver hair, said, directing Lucas.

  “Low cut shirt?” she asked me.

  “Not too low,” I said.

  “First date?” she asked.

  “Really, our second,” I said.

  She grabbed a few things from the racks as we walked, then pushed me and the clothes into a dressing room. “Try them on,” she ordered me.

  I tried them all on, settling on the hip-hugger jeans she'd grabbed and the v-neck shirt that showed just enough cleavage to be enticing, but not really put them on display.

  I stepped out and Lucas looked up from the water he was drinking. Gold rolled over his eyes a moment, and then he smiled, a slow seductive smile. “Yes, that outfit is perfect. I'll take that.”

  “This way, sir,” the silver-haired woman said, taking him to the counter.

  “I'll put your other outfit in a bag for you to take home, so you can wear this out,” the cat-woman said.

  “Can I take these tags off now?” I asked her.

  She grew one claw out of one of her fingers, then cut each of the tags before pulling out the plastic ties. “There you go.”

  “Thank you,” I said, smiling warmly at her.

  “How'd you land a guy like that?” she asked me softly.

  “Pure, dumb luck,” I whispered back. “Right place at the right time.”

  “Lucky.” She pouted and then hurried to the front with my bag.

  “Ready?” Lucas asked, holding my bag.

  I tried to grab it, but he pulled it back out of my reach. Chuckling, I wrapped my hand around his bicep, which was larger than I first thought, and said, “Ready.”

  Instead of going to my car, like I thought we would, he stepped outside and immediately a black limousine stopped at the sidewalk. Lucas opened the door for me, and once I was in, climbed in and shut the door. The driver took off without a word to us.

  “Will there be popcorn?” I asked.

  He chuckled. “What type of theater would I be taking you to that didn't have popcorn?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “No idea. You're the one who insisted on this outfit,” I said, motioning at myself.

  He moved over closer, resting his hand on my thigh. “It was a very good decision. I thought you looked good in work attire, but you look even better in jeans.”

  I leaned forward, our faces inches apart, and drew in a deep breath of his scent before saying, “I like extra butter on my popcorn.”

  He threw back his head, pulled his hand from my leg, and laughed loudly. “Good to know. And what type of candy?”

  “Anything with chocolate,” I said.

  He draped his arm across the top of the seat behind me, and his body warmth seeped into me, inviting me to move closer. “I have lots of chocolate,” he whispered, picking up one of my curls, and bringing it to his nose to smell.

  “Do you have soda?” I asked.

  He moved closer, so that our bodies were completely touching. “Are you a sugar fiend, Ms. Vincent?”

  “I do love sugar,” I admitted.

  “Mm, me too,” he whispered, his fingers traced my jawline, making my eyes flutter closed a second. “You look rather sweet, perhaps I might taste you?”

  I opened my eyes and turned to him, which was all the invitation he needed. Our lips met, fire and need burning through us both and turning a simple kiss into a frenzy of kisses. He slid a hand behind my neck, and one around my waist, pulling me up onto his lap. I slid my fingers into his thick hair, gripping slightly as our tongues clashed. His grip on my waist tightened and he growled deep in the back of his throat, which spurned me on more.

  I'd never made out with someone in the back of a limo before, but I definitely wanted to do it again. We broke apart, gasping for breath, and both flushed.

  He slid his thumb along my bottom lip, swollen from our kissing, and whispered, “You do taste sweet.”

  I flicked my tongue out, catching the tip of his thumb, and gold rolled over his eyes again. He looked up at me, and I smirked.

  He opened his mouth to say something, but the car came to a stop, interrupting him. “We're here,” he said.

  “Where is here?” I asked, sitting back in my own seat and looking around.

  “My home,” he said, exiting as soon as the driver opened his door. I followed, taking his hand to help me out.

  I stepped out and openly gawked at the mansion I found myself standing before. It was a gothic mansion, complete with gargoyle statues.

  “Those are statues, right?” I asked.

  Lucas chuckled. “Most of the time, yes.”

  “What?” I screeched, but he had taken my hand and pulled me to the front door before I could get an answer from him.

  He pushed open the door and smiled at me. “Welcome to my home, Milena.”

  I stepped inside, gawking at the decor, but asked, “Do you bring women home on the first date often?” I asked. “Or is this how you prefer your one-night stands to go?”

  “Well, you'll have to wait to find out,” he said, his warm breath brushing along my neck.

  “Do you live alone?” I asked, looking at the huge foyer and wondering how much it cost just to heat the place in winter.

  “Yes. My family died when I was young,” he said. He linked his fingers with mine, then tugged gently. “Come, we have to pick out a movie still.”

  “Movie?” I asked.

  He laughed. “Did you forget that I asked you to watch a movie?”

  I had, actually, but I wasn't going to admit that. “I didn't expect us to watch the movie in your house,” I admitted.

  He led me down the hallway, which was lined with expensive paintings by some of my favorite artists but didn't give me a chance to stop and admire them. We stopped at a room that was covered by a thick burgundy drape. He pushed it open and waved me in.

  Inside was a screen the size of the wall and plush reclining chairs.

  “It's just like the theater,” I said, walking forward to inspect the chairs.

  “Even better,” he said, clicking a button on one of the chairs. I watched in amazement as the single chair slid and combined with the one to the left, making it into a love seat.

  “Where do you keep your movies?” I asked, looking around, but there was nothing else in the room.

  “Hidden,” he said with a smirk.

  “Why don't you pick?” I suggested. “This is your house after all. So, you pick a movie for us to watch.”

  “Romance or comedy?” he asked.

  “How about a romantic comedy?” I said with a smil
e.

  He chuckled and walked out of the room through the drape on the right side of the room. I'd assumed it was a solid wall, but it seemed to lead to another room.

  I sat on the love seat, tucking my legs up beside me, and reclined the back just a bit. Just when I was beginning to worry he had gotten lost, Lucas returned.

  He set a bucket of popcorn in my lap and pulled a small table from the side to sit in front of us where he put two bottles of soda, chocolate bars, and a remote. “Ready?” he asked.

  “No,” I said seriously.

  He looked at everything, then me, and frowned. “What am I missing?”

  I looked at his outfit. “I seem to remember being promised sweatpants.”

  He laughed loudly, kissed my cheek, and then disappeared out the entrance that led to the hallway. I ate some popcorn, smiling, pleased with myself.

  Lucas returned shirtless, wearing sweatpants that hung low enough to see every muscle in his stomach, and the v inside his hips. He was much more muscular than I assumed, and I nearly choked to death on my popcorn. I took a big drink of soda, turning away from all of that glistening golden skin, to try to calm down. Damn, he was gorgeous.

  I had to admit, I wanted more than a one-night stand with him, but even if that was what this was, I was completely fine with that.

  “You alright?” he asked, sliding onto the love seat beside me.

  “Peachy,” I said in a slightly hoarse voice.

  He hit play, then leaned to the right, relaxed, and grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bucket I held in my lap. I glanced over at him again, and did what any sane woman would do in the situation. I cuddled up against him, resting my head on his bare chest, and set the bucket on the table in front of us.

  He draped his arm around me, pulling me even closer.

  Why did I feel so comfortable with him? I barely knew him, yet I was so relaxed and at ease around him. It wasn't normal. Yet, I wasn't going to complain!

  I snagged one of the chocolate bars, but couldn't get the wrapper off. Lucas took it from me, opened it with no struggle, broke off a piece, then held it out to me. Instead of taking it with my fingers, I bent forward and took it from his hand with my lips. I sat up, chewing on the chocolate, my lips lifted in a smile as I chewed and faced him.