Rebel Lion (Aloha Shifters: Pearls of Desire Book 3)

by Anna Lowe

  “Inhale, arms up…” she said, leading him through the move.

  “Exhale, swan dive,” he murmured.

  She grinned as she followed him into a forward bend. She needed to loosen up too.

  They took turns calling out moves, moving through plank to cobra and downward dog, each of them taking long breaths.

  “Side angle pose,” she said, reaching sideways with one arm toward Dell.

  “High five,” he joked as their hands met.

  A shot of warmth traveled down her arm and into her chest.

  “I like that one,” she admitted.

  “Me too. Same thing on the other side. Ready?”

  Heck yes, she was ready. Anything to forget a crappy day.

  They eased from one move to another, ending at side angle pose on the other side.

  “High five.” Dell chuckled when their hands met.

  The funny thing was, neither of them had to look up for their palms to meet perfectly. That just happened all by itself.

  “Oh, I’ve got one,” Dell said in a lighter voice than he’d started with. “You go like this…”

  And off they went, trying out half a dozen different moves, mirroring each other and connecting from time to time.

  “I’ll call this a footsie high five.” Dell leaned forward, raised one leg high in the air behind him, and wiggled his foot. “Come on, already.”

  Anjali laughed and copied him, tapping her foot against his.

  “Oh, and from here we can go to…here,” she said, showing him what she had in mind.

  They ended up facing each other in mirrored V-sits, holding hands to keep from falling back. Despite his greater weight, they balanced perfectly.

  The fire crackled, and the outside world seemed farther and farther away. Anjali pulled off her sweater and socks, feeling her cheeks heat. The furrows of concern on Dell’s brow eased, and his eyes sparkled. Anjali grinned at him, wondering why she was blushing. They were just doing yoga, right?

  The next few moves were closer and more complex, and their bodies brushed. Her eyes left his reluctantly, then locked again the second they came face-to-face. When they returned to mountain pose, Anjali found herself standing close, barely an inch separating their lips. Dell’s eyes dropped to her mouth, and his eyes flashed.

  Anjali held her breath, fighting the urge to kiss him.

  But then she wobbled, and Dell murmured, flashing her a grin.

  “We’re getting good.”

  Anjali plucked at the front of her shirt, fanning herself. “Sure are.”

  He stuck out his hand, and she took it automatically. Then Dell offered his left hand, crossing it over the right. “Now, lean back slowly…”

  They both squatted, supporting each other, eyes locked.

  Dell’s eyes flashed with a new idea. “Oh, here’s another one. Just hang on.”

  She squeaked as he leaned back, pulling her forward. But Dell just laughed. “Remember flying baby pose?”

  She nodded, hanging on to his hands. “How could I forget?”

  “It doesn’t just work with babies, you know.” He winked and slowly lay back. “One…two…three.”

  On three, he pulled her forward, and just like that, she was in the air. His feet supported her hips and his hands held hers tight, supporting her directly above his body.

  She yelped. “Whoa. Some warning next time?”

  Dell laughed. “Who needs a warning? Look. You’re doing it.”

  She smiled down at him. “Flying baby, huh?”

  Dell’s smile stretched. “This version is called flying beauty.”

  She grinned. He supported her so effortlessly, and his eyes were so warm, that it was all too easy to believe that. And who knew? Maybe she really was beautiful. Free. Maybe it just took a man like Dell for her to see.

  Her confidence soared, and slowly, she let go of his hands, letting him support her with nothing but his feet.

  “Now, you really are flying,” he said.

  It felt so good, she grew bolder still. “Okay, hang on. You got me?”

  “You bet your ass, I’ve got you.”

  She stretched one arm over her shoulder, reaching for her foot. Reaching…reaching…

  “Right here,” Dell murmured as she caught her foot and arched slowly back.

  She kept her eyes trained on a point on the ceiling, feeling strong and balanced thanks to Dell’s perfectly steady arms.

  “You got it,” he breathed.

  Anjali beamed as she came into bow pose. Wow. She really did have it. Bow pose — and not on the ground, but up in the air. No hands or anything. Was that really her?

  She came out of the move slowly, taking Dell’s hands and beaming from ear to ear. He lowered her until she was just an inch over his body, their faces perfectly lined up. And that time, instead of wondering if she dared kiss him, she just did.

  She let go of his hands, cupped his face, and covered his mouth in a kiss. Tentative at first, then deeper. Heat rushed through her body, and her chest heaved as her body came to rest on his.

  Yes, she wanted to murmur. Yes.

  Dell’s hands cupped her waist as his lips moved under hers. Softly. Gently. Letting her take the lead, not trying to prove anything. She was the one out to prove something.

  Like what? a little voice asked from the back of her mind.

  She held on to the kiss as the answer slowly dawned on her. Proving that I can let go.

  All her life, she’d been the cautious, responsible girl. The one who kept out of trouble and who did the right thing. But Dell had woken something wicked inside her, and suddenly, all she wanted was to let go. Of worries. Of inhibitions. Of rules.

  “Anjali,” he mumbled under the kiss.

  She shook her head. No way was she going to let him slow things down. He tasted too good, and she needed him so badly…

  “Anjali,” he whispered more insistently.

  She paused, catching her breath. “I’m busy kissing you, in case you didn’t notice.”

  He grinned, combing her hair back. “Oh, I noticed. But the baby…” He motioned to the far side of the room.

  “Is fast asleep,” she said, whispering kisses along his jaw.

  “And the butler…”

  She snorted. “Had better not walk in anytime soon.”

  Dell’s smile stretched. “No?”

  “No,” she said firmly. Then she reared up and looked directly into those amazing eyes. Golden-brown, like a lion’s. “I have a fantasy that looks a lot like this.”

  “Funny, I do too.” His voice was low and husky.

  “Except in mine, we’re naked,” she said, feeling bold.

  His eyes twinkled. “Mine too.”

  She half expected his funny side to come out and suggest giving that a try, but instead, his smile fell.

  She leaned closer, unwilling to let him off the hook easily. He wanted her. She wanted him. Why was he resisting?

  “Tell me you don’t feel this too,” she whispered.

  “Oh, I feel this, all right,” Dell said, all husky.

  She grinned, because she could feel him grow hard in all the right places.

  “But for once in my life, I’m trying to be responsible,” he added.

  She snorted. “For once in my life, I’m trying to live.”

  He bit his lip. “So what do we do?”

  She pointed at him. “Simple. You do as I say.”

  He laughed. “You’re the boss, huh?”

  “Yep. Tonight I am.” She ground her hips against his, watching his eyes flicker with need.

  Clearly, he wanted her, too. She could tell from the rise and fall of his chest, not to mention the sparks in his eyes. But he was holding back. His eyes darted toward Quinn, and his mind seemed to consider the crazy day behind them — and perhaps what might happen next.

  She cupped his face. “For once, I don’t want to plan ahead. I don’t want to weigh every option and decide on the best thing to do. I just want�
�”

  She petered out there. How exactly to put it all into words?

  “What do you want?” he whispered.

  If she looked around the elegantly furnished room, nothing seemed clear. But when she focused on his eyes, the answer popped right into her mind.

  “You, Dell. I want you.”

  His lips twitched, and she could sense him grappling with some second self. But a moment later, a switch flipped in him, and his eyes mirrored the firelight. His muscles bunched, and he rolled, pressing her into the deep carpet, covering her with kisses that were both gentle and wild. It was as if there were two Dells, each wanting to love her in his own way.

  She wove her fingers through his hair, following it back to the messy bun at the nape of his neck. Working blindly, she undid the bun and let his hair cascade over his shoulders.

  “Been wanting to do that for a while,” she admitted, finger-combing his blond locks.

  He smiled. “There’s lots I’ve been wanting to do for a while.” Then he went serious, hovering an inch above her lips. “Last chance. You know — second thoughts?”

  “Don’t have any,” she said, winding a leg around his.

  His eyes flashed, and an animal gleam flashed in his eyes, sending tingles down her spine. Which only made her hotter. Hungrier.

  “Once I start, I won’t want to stop,” Dell said, running his lips along her jawline.

  Anjali tilted her head back, giving him space to explore. Her vision blurred, and her ears crackled as if those swirling flames had jumped from the fireplace over to her veins. Then she arched up and rolled, taking the top again.

  “Stopping?” She snorted, rubbing her jaw against his. “Who said anything about stopping?”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Dell fought to keep control, but it was hard, what with a lion clamoring in his mind.

  Mark her! Take her! Make her ours!

  He could. One bite and Anjali would be bound to him forever. It would be easy. But there was no way he was going to abuse her trust that way.

  Cracking a mental whip, he settled the beast down. He forced his human side to settle down too, because it seemed critically important that Anjali take the lead, no matter how desperately he wanted to release all his pent-up desires. Like he had one more lesson to learn about love.

  Love? his lion snorted. I know all about love.

  Once upon a time, he would have agreed. But now, he wasn’t so sure. Love wasn’t all fun and games, but it wasn’t all pain either.

  Then what is it? his lion demanded.

  His mind was blank until he looked into Anjali’s eyes. And there it was — love was a mix of everything. Hope. Joy. Sacrifice.

  Love isn’t taking. It’s giving, a woman’s voice drifted through his mind. One he didn’t recognize. Waiting, if that’s what it takes.

  Waiting? his lion grumbled. Anjali was moving over him, breathing deeper, kissing harder.

  Waiting, Dell agreed, inching his hands up her ribs.

  “Yes,” Anjali whispered. “Please.”

  He teased the lower edge of her breasts just long enough to make her dance over him. God, she was beautiful. Her skin was just as silky as he’d imagined, and her lips reflected her personality. Soft yet insistent. Cautious one moment, bold the next.

  His inner beast growled in approval. Just like a lioness.

  Every human had a hidden, animal side, and he dreamed of freeing hers. Of prowling through wild grasslands beside her. Sunning himself on the rock ledge by his house with one side of his body snuggled against hers.

  A whole scene unfolded in his mind, so real, it took him from that wind-whipped Chicago mansion to his home on Maui. He and Anjali were on the terrace, snuggled together in lion form. Quinn was between them, playing with his tufted ears. Smiling her baby smile, totally at peace. The sun was shining, and life was good.

  His heart thumped harder, and even his lion stopped to lash its tail. Yes, the beast grumbled. Yes.

  Then he blinked and hauled his mind back to that ridiculously overfurnished bedroom in the back of the mansion. One fantasy at a time, right?

  But even the present seemed surreal. Rain battered the windows of the century-old mansion, and branches slapped at the walls. The flicker of the fireplace reflected on Anjali’s skin, and her jasmine-and-coconut scent tickled his nose. She had paused over him, studying his face, making him wonder if she was seeing things too. But a moment later, a naughty gleam shone in her eyes, and she reared back to pull off her blouse.

  He watched, mesmerized by the white of her bra against her darker skin. It was a damn good thing Silas’s mansion came with security, because he could feel himself slipping away from the watchful state of mind needed to properly guard his mate and child. And when Anjali reached behind her back to unclasp her bra…

  Well, he was watchful, all right. Just not tuned in to anything other than Anjali. The angry slap of branches over the roof became a distant scratch, the whine of the wind mere background noise.

  He chuckled at the sight of the pearl hanging just above her breasts. “Nice.”

  Her eyes sparkled. “Souvenir of Maui, you know.”

  “I know,” he said, touching her ribs. “Too bad it’s not the real thing.”

  Her eyes sparkled. “You never know. What the real thing might be, I mean.”

  We’re the real thing, his lion whispered. Mates. It’s destiny.

  Destiny, a woman’s voice echoed deep in the back of his mind.

  Was that destiny whispering? Was it the pearl? Dell couldn’t tell. He didn’t much care much either. Not with Anjali leaning down to kiss his mouth. He caught her breasts and closed his eyes to the rush of sensations.

  “God, you’re beautiful,” he whispered.

  She chuckled. “Your eyes are closed.”

  He nodded, keeping them that way, focusing on the smooth slide of his thumbs over her soft flesh. “Beautiful in every way. To touch. To smell. To taste.”

  She caught the hint and slid higher, guiding one pert nipple to his mouth. He worked it with his lips, and while he practically mumbled with pleasure, Anjali gasped outright. She swayed over him, offering him one side then the other. But at some point, she leaned away as if remembering she was in charge.

  “This has to go.” She pulled at his shirt. “Pronto.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He jackknifed to a semi-crunch and yanked his shirt over his head.

  Anjali’s eyes tracked all the way down each line in the stack of his abs. He held the crunch a little longer than necessary, just to let her drink her fill.

  “Show-off,” she scolded a second later, yanking her eyes away.

  He laughed. “Maybe just a little.”

  “These have to go too.” Anjali touched his pants, going back to boss-mode.

  His smile stretched. “Greedy, are we?”

  “Absolutely.” She nodded while working down his fly.

  The woman was nothing if not efficient, and in no time, they were both naked. Naked and a little giddy, he had to admit. Because her body was one perfectly even field, all mocha except the duskier points of her breasts and the thatch of curls at the apex of her legs. Her dark eyes filled with light, and his body tingled wherever her hands stroked. And stroke him she did, making him groan.

  “My, my,” she whispered, running the tips of her fingers along his cock. “We really are going to have to do something about this.”

  His eyes rolled back in his head as every muscle strained. “I’d love it if you did something about that.”

  He pictured Anjali wrapping her smooth fingers around him and stroking him hard, but when she leaned over to kiss his stomach, fireworks went off in his mind. Was she really going to…?

  She moved lower, peppering kisses in a long, sensual line. A line that led straight to…

  He held his breath as her lips closed over the tip. One tentative pluck turned into another, and soon, she laid her hands flat on his thighs as she took him all the way in.

&nb
sp; Outside, the wind howled, and dang — Dell nearly did too. Any minute, he’d wake up, and this dream would be over. He’d be forced back to the realities of his old life — hiding behind smiles, masking emotions with jokes. Pretending to flirt and have a good time when all he wanted was…was…

  Anjali, his lion filled in.

  And yet, incredibly, the dream didn’t end. The ecstasy went on and on, driving him wild. It was only when Anjali came up for a breath that he found himself gulping for air too.

  “Am I doing this right?”

  His laugh rang across the room. “Do you have to ask?”

  She chuckled and went right back down on him for another full minute of bliss. Then she smacked her lips and crawled back up, trading one pleasure for another as she straddled his straining cock.

  “Condom,” he managed to whisper.

  She groaned but let him race to the bathroom, where he ransacked the vanity and — thank God — found a few. When he hurried back to Anjali, she went right back to where she’d been, straddling him and slowly taking him in.

  Oh yes, his lion groaned as he drove deeper, then deeper still.

  “Just lie back and enjoy,” Anjali whispered.

  She tipped her head back and started undulating over him, and all he had to do was grip her hips. Which was about all he wanted to do just then. That, and try to pull himself together somehow. Lions preferred hard, possessive, on-all-fours sex. It shouldn’t be possible for plain old cowgirl position to feel so good. He hadn’t even come yet, but it was already the most mind-blowing sex of his life.

  The jeweled eyes of the dragon carved above the fireplace glittered, and his lion growled in his mind. Of course, it is. She’s our mate.

  He bucked upward, watching Anjali’s breasts gently bounce and her lips form silent exclamations as she moved. Hoping to hell it felt as good for her as it did for him and that mates weren’t a one-way thing. The pearl dangled from her necklace, and he could have sworn it glowed. Or was that a trick of the light?

  Anjali moved faster, coming to a crescendo, but each time he thought she’d fly over the edge, she would grimace and cry out.