Loving the Lion: BBW Shifter Mail Order Bride Paranormal Romance (Mail-Order Mates Book 1) (2 page)

Erin tugged at her pencil skirt. She was wearing her most professional outfit. She wasn’t sure what to wear to a mail-order bride meeting. In the end, she decided to wear the same thing she would for a job interview. That wasn’t a very big pool either. She’d started her own web design business when jobs were in short supply. The desperate act had turned out to be one of the best career choices. Now she was her own boss and she made more money than she needed. It also meant she had the ability to up and leave town at a moment’s notice.

“Ms. Grey will see you now.” The receptionist led Erin to a beautifully bare office with a panoramic view of the small downtown area. They were only on the sixth floor but Erin could see all the way to the lake. Olivia was wearing a beautiful white pants suit. Her hair was pulled back in a stylishly messy ponytail.

“Erin! I’m so glad you came. Please have a seat. Would you like something to drink? We have coffee, tea, soda, and bottled water.”

“I’ll take a water, thank you.” Erin tugged at her pencil skirt as she sat down in the buttery soft leather chair.

Olivia handed her a water and sat down behind her almost empty desk. “So, are you familiar with LK Brides?”

“Um, a little. I know that all your clients are shifters.” Erin opened the water and took a long drink. “That’s about it. You have a very good reputation.”

Olivia nodded. “We pride ourselves on safety. Our mission is to bring a shifter together with their mate. Shifters mate for life, you know.”

“I didn’t.”

“Yup, but it can be difficult for them to find a match. Lovely and Kind was started in 1867, shortly after Montana became a territory.”

“How does this work, exactly? I’ve done internet dating before and I haven’t had a lot of luck.”

“This isn’t dating. This is marriage.” Olivia looked at Erin pointedly. “If you’re here looking for a wild night with a shifter, you may as well just leave now. I hear the Shifter Shack has ladies’ night on Thursday.”

“That’s not what I’m looking for,” Erin assured her. She looked down and blushed. “I would like to get married. I just haven’t had much luck up till now.”

“That’s because you haven’t met the right person yet. This is unusual, but I actually have a client in mind for you. He’s been in the database for a long time and hasn’t found a match yet.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Erin asked suspiciously.

“Nothing.” Olivia leaned forward across the desk. “I have to confess that I have a thing for the hard finds. I love being an agent but there’s something magical about finding a mate for a hard-to-match client. It’s a pet project of mine.”

She moved her mouse and clicked a few times on the computer on her desk. “He has an agent in his area who is just exasperated. This guy has looked at hundreds of profiles but he’s rejected almost all of them. He’s looking for something special. You fit his physical type so well, I just had to ask you to come in when I saw you the other day.”

Erin rolled her eyes. She couldn’t help herself.

Olivia laughed and rubbed her hands together. “This is going to be fun. You don’t believe me. Just you wait, missy. I’ve looked at your questionnaire and you’re a ninety-eight percent match for Mr. Brooks.”

Erin’s eyebrows shot up. “Ninety-eight percent? That’s pretty good.”

“Yes, it is. Now, all Lovely and Kind bachelors have to go through rigorous background checks and have to meet an income requirement. It’s a little outdated, but we’ve found that it’s helped to weed out the lookie-loos. If a man gets through our process, he has to be serious about finding a bride.”

“That’s comforting.” Erin tapped her fingers over her mouth. “Tell me more about this Mr. Brooks.”

“He’s a rancher. Thirty-three, no kids, but wants to start a family, lion shifter. He lives in a small town called Sunset Falls. It’s a lovely place from the looks of it, but it’s secluded. It’s not a shifter-only town but there is a high concentration of shifters out there.”

“Can I see a picture?”

“Of course.” Olivia swiveled the monitor around. “If he isn’t your type, I can put you in the database and maybe you’ll get another match.”

“He’s great!” Erin said quickly. “Whose type isn’t he?”

She licked her lips looking at the picture on the computer screen. He looked like a male stripper if Erin was being crude. She couldn’t be sure from the picture but he did look tall. He had long limbs and was muscular but not bulky. His skin was golden tan and he had a mess of golden blond hair. His warm smile reached all the way to his sparkling green eyes.

Olivia clicked through a few more pictures and Erin was sold. She would at least email the man. It couldn’t hurt to get to know him better. If nothing came of it, she would at least have an interesting story to tell.

“I’d like to contact him.”

“Great. Would you mind sending a picture of yourself? You don’t have to, of course.”

“Oh, well, sure. I guess that’s fair.”

“I can take one now.” Olivia pulled out a smart phone and stood up. She snapped a few pictures of Erin. “That should be great.”

“I was sitting down. Are you sure those are good? I’m sure I have a few at home that are better.” She didn’t, but she could get Erica to take more flattering pictures. You could definitely see her small belly roll when she was sitting down. That picture had to be awful.

“That angle is your friend. I take a lot of selfies. Trust me. This is a good picture.” Olivia turned the monitor back to herself and clicked around a little. When she spun the monitor around again, Erin was surprised. The angle was great. Her cleavage looked great and she had a small smile on her face. Erica would never be able to get a better shot.

“I’ll let him know that you’re interested and open the line of communication.”

“Thanks.”

Olivia stood up and walked Erin out. She squeezed her arm at the door. “I’m only a phone call away if you ever want to set up an in-person meeting with Mr. Brooks.”

Erin nodded. She didn’t know if she would get that far. An email. She could do just one email.

***

“Are you checking your email again?” Kellan teased.

“Nope. Just seeing if I had a missed call. I thought I felt my phone vibrate,” Owen lied. Of course he was checking his email again. He was obsessed with the little red-and-white app these days. He’d been emailing back and forth with Erin for two weeks. When Olivia had sent him the picture, he’d known it was going to be something special.

He’d had a profile with the agency for eight months. His agent in Midland had told him it could take a while to find a match, but it was getting ridiculous. Everyone who contacted Owen wasn’t even close to what he was looking for. But Erin was perfect. Olivia said their questionnaires had been a match, too, but Owen didn’t care about that. Even if Erin had been a vegetarian or something else difficult to deal with, he wouldn’t have cared. She was so damn hot he wanted to pull her right through the picture.

Her body was a work of art and he had only gotten a glimpse of it. Once they’d begun emailing back and forth, he’d known this was it. She was everything he was looking for. Kind, funny, hardworking, smart, and she was looking to settle down and start a family. She had never been with a shifter before but she was curious. Not in a weird shifter stalker way, either. She’d asked him a little about the pride and what it was like to change into an animal. Mostly, they’d talked about themselves and what they were looking for. They’d also traded dating horror stories. Owen couldn’t wait to meet her.

“Come on, man, back to the task at hand.” Kellan waved his hand in front of Owen’s eyes.

“Right.” Owen checked his phone one more time before reluctantly sliding it into his pocket. He looked at the blank paper in front of him. “Good things about living in Sunset Falls.”

He and Kellan were at Frank’s Treats in town. They didn’t venture in to town much but Clint thought Frank might be able to help with the task at hand.

Frank Franklin had lived in Sunset Falls his entire life too. He owed the only bakery in town and was very popular. Clint, Kellan, and Owen had failed miserably trying to come up with a list of good things about the Falls. Their list was too cut-and-dried.
Nice scenery
.
Friendly people
.
Great food
. Everything they came up with was generic and didn’t make the Falls sound special at all.

“Any ideas, Frank?” Owen asked. The shop was closed for the night but Frank had let them in for the chat. He’d even been gracious enough to provide donuts and coffee for the little powwow. Owen had to stop himself after six. Frank’s creations were addicting.

“You’re going to have a hard time coming up a list of great things right now,” Frank said honestly. “This town has seen better days.”

“That’s not going to win us any awards.” Kellan sputtered. “We need good stuff. Come on, Mr. Optimism. Give us something to work with, here. You saw our piss-poor excuse for a list.”

Frank sighed. “This would be a lot easier if we had the great pack and pride like we did in the 1950s.”

“If we had the pride and pack, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” Kellan stuffed another donut in his mouth. “We should put these on the list.”

“That’s a great idea.” Owen wrote down
donuts
. “We have a lot of shifter business owners here. More than most towns, I bet.”

“It feels like it’s true.” Kellan pulled out his phone. “Damn. Our website is going to need work if we want to get a spot on this list.”

Frank took the mobile device from Kellan. “This is pretty bad. I’m no tech expert, but this looks like something from the eighties.”

Owen grimaced. “I know. I’ve been meaning to go and talk with James about it. I don’t think they’ve updated that thing since they first put it up.”

The town website had no pictures and was only one single page. It had the name of the town and the contact information for City Hall. The mayor’s office had put the site up hastily when the internet first came to Sunset Falls in the nineties. They wanted to secure the domain name and had planned to put up something better when they had time. The mayor’s office consisted of the mayor, James Shelby, and his secretary. That was almost the entire government for Sunset Falls. They didn’t have many civic issues in the home rule municipality.

Owen’s phone made a ringing noise to let him know he had a new email. He reached for his pocket and looked at the message. Erin’s goodnight email was waiting for him to read.

“Do you know about Owen’s new thing?” Kellan asked Frank.

The bear shifter shook his head. “I’m not in the loop on this one.”

Kellan grinned. “Our leading lion is looking for his main squeeze. He’s using LK Brides.”

Frank nodded his head appreciatively. “I’ve heard good things about the agency. How’s that going for you?”

Owen smiled, thinking of Erin. “It’s going good. Great, really.”

“You think it’s a match?” Frank asked.

“Maybe. I don’t want to get my hopes up,” Owen admitted. “She sounds really great. Everything I’ve ever wanted and I’ve never even met her.”

“I’m happy for you. Lord knows we could use more women in town.”

“Don’t mention that in the email,” Kellan said.

Frank rubbed his chin. “That’s going to be a problem for us. We can work the business angle, but almost every business owner is single.”

Owen frowned. “You’re right. That’s not going to go over with the magazine. Can’t say it’s a great place to raise a family if there are no families.”

Frank clapped Owen on the back. “You’re going to have to lead the way, then. Get this little lady to Sunset Falls. If this works out for you, maybe you’ll start a trend!”

Erin looked around the small airport. She was supposed to be meeting a pilot to fly her into Sunset Falls. She had wanted to rent a car and drive from the airport, but Owen had set up the private flight instead. Kai Waters’ small plane was the fastest way into town. Driving would have taken her two days. She had packed only three small bags for her trip, but she felt very conspicuous with her bright pink luggage.

She was debating calling Owen when an incredibly tall and stunning man came striding toward her.

“Erin?” he asked.

She nodded. “That’s me. I hope you’re my pilot.”

“I’m Kai.” He shook her hand and then picked up all three of her bags. “Right this way. My little plane might not look like much, but we’ll be in Sunset Falls before you know it.”

Erin followed him right onto the tarmac. He was right. The plane wasn’t much to look at. There was an exotic flower painted on the side of the plane and her bags fit inside easily. There was enough space for four people with a small amount of luggage. She sat up front with Kai.

“Hold on tight.” Kai started the plane and got them airborne. “Your first time in a small plane?”

Erin released her death grip on her harness. “Yes. I’m not a fan of flying at all.”

“Hopefully, once you get to the Falls you’ll want to stay.”

“I hope so.” Not that her sister would like that at all. Erica had begged Erin to reconsider going to meet Owen. She’d spent two days at Erin’s apartment listing all the awful things that could happen. In desperation, Erica had even called their parents and tried to have them talk some sense into her older sister. It was no use. Erin was going. She’d known it from the first few emails with Owen.

They’d been emailing for over a month now. A week earlier, Erin had called Olivia and asked if a meeting would be possible. The agent had squealed with delight and had immediately booked a flight for Erin. It was a very long week until she could get on a plane to see her possible future husband. She’d packed all her bags the first night and had spent the rest of week counting down and watching the clock anxiously.

“You’re the first Lovely and Kind bride to come to Sunset Falls in forty years,” Kai informed her. “You’re going to make a big splash in town when people hear about you.”

“I thought Owen lived outside of town?” Erin said. She had been picturing tumbleweeds, cactuses, and not a soul for miles.

“He does,” Kai assured her. “But we’re a tight community. He’s going to have to introduce you to the pride at some point. Word is going to get out. Right now, you’re flying under the radar. Only a few of us know.”

“Good.” Erin sighed. She had been hoping for time alone with Owen. She could meet the pride later. First, she wanted to see just what all those muscles looked like without clothes. Erin blushed. She hoped Kai couldn’t tell how turned on she was. She was sure he would be able to smell her if he was a shifter. She was already wet just thinking about touching Owen for the first time.

“How long have you been with LK Brides?” Kai asked as they flew over a giant waterfall. It was greener and more lush than she had imagined. There was a lot more grass than sand. It was much more beautiful than she’d pictured in her mind.

“Only a month. An agent asked me to join so I could meet Owen.”

Kai looked surprised. “Really? They must be really dedicated to their clients.”

Erin smiled. “Olivia has been great. I don’t know how to thank her for setting this all up. But we have to stop talking about me. Tell me about yourself.”

Kai and Erin spent the rest of the flight talking about Kai and his life in Sunset Falls. He wasn’t a lifetime resident like most of the town shifters. He was from Hawaii and had moved to Sunset Falls for his late wife. Now it was just Kai and his son, Kieran. Erin’s heart ached for the little boy left without a mother.

“Don’t worry about us. We’re managing just fine. There are a lot of nice little old biddies in the Falls who are more than willing to watch Kieran when I have a last-minute flight.”

“That’s nice. I live in a small town, but that isn’t the case back home. Most of the people keep to themselves. It would be nice to spend time with neighbors.”

Kai laughed. “Be careful what you wish for. Look. We’re gonna pass over town to get the airport.”

Erin looked out the window, eager to see her future home. She had heard so much about the town and couldn’t wait to walk down State Street herself. The town was smaller than she had expected. From this far up, she could see how far the ranch was from the center of town. Owen said the rest of his family lived together as a pride on the opposite side of town.

“Hey, did we already pass Brooks Farm?” she asked Kai.

“No, you should just be able to see their farm from here. See that little red dot way out there?”

Erin squinted. “Just barely.”

“That’s the pride. That barn houses the pigs and dairy cows that make up the bulk of their income.”

She would be going to the farm soon if she and Owen were a match. He would have to introduce her to his mother, sisters, and pride brothers.

Kai landed the plane and helped Erin down.

“Thank you for the ride.”

“No problem, Erin. It was really nice to meet you. I hope to see more of you in town. I’ll get your bags and bring them to the car.”

“I can do that.”

Erin’s breath caught in her chest. Owen Brooks was coming toward her. He was right there in real life. He got a little closer and then stopped awkwardly. He was arm’s length away from her, just staring.

“Wow. Just…wow. Those pictures didn’t do you justice.”

Erin blushed. She was about to say the same thing. Owen was so good-looking in person it seemed unreal. His face was perfect and his eyes were so green they looked fake. His tan shirt was stretched tight across his hard chest.

“Bags are already in the truck. You two are free to go.”

Erin looked at Kai and where her bags had been. She hadn’t even noticed him move. She and Owen had just been standing there staring at each other the entire time. Kai nodded at Owen before walking away whistling a happy tune.

“I guess we should go.” Owen was smiling ear to ear.

“That would be nice.” Erin couldn’t help herself. She leaned forward and kissed Owen. He responded right away, taking her in his arms and returning her kiss. She was glad he was holding her. His kiss was literally making her weak in the knees. She pulled back to take a breath.

He nipped at her lip. “I’ve been waiting to get my arms around you.”

“I couldn’t tell by the way you stood ten feet away from me,” she joked.

“I didn’t want to scare you off by jumping on you. I wasn’t sure how to act.”

“You can pounce on me all you want.” Erin smiled. Her whole body was warm. She was glad she and Owen had taken so long to email each other. They had really gotten to know each other and now she didn’t feel the least bit bad about jumping his bones right away. She didn’t know if she’d been able to fight her body, either way. After getting into his car and sitting next to him, she was squirming in a few minutes.

He smelled so good. She wanted to crawl across the seat and snuggle in his lap. He kept one hand on the wheel and one in her lap while he drove. His giant hands made even her thighs look small in comparison. His picture hadn’t shown just how giant Owen really was. She’d heard that shifters were bigger than human men. That was one of the reason shifter stalkers followed them around so much.

“I can’t believe you’re really here,” Owen said, smiling at Erin again. “This whole time, I was so scared that you wouldn’t come or that I’d mess up and you’d stop writing me.”

“Me too,” Erin confessed. “You sounded too good to be true. I’ve never met a man so honest and upfront about his intentions before.”

“I was very serious about all that.” Owen’s smile faded. “I’d like to marry you if you’ll have me.”

It still sounded so strange and wonderful to Erin. She’d only known Owen for a month and he was already proposing. She bit her lip. “It feels really good to hear you say that in person. I have a very good feeling about you.”

“Good.” Owen gave her thigh a squeeze. “Since you know my intentions, I want to be very clear. You’re my mate, Erin. I can feel it. You’re supposed to be with me.”

“I knew I looked good in this dress.” Erin had chanced the weather and worn the new blue dress. It had unexpectedly come in the mail the day before. She’d taken it as a sign when she opened the package. This was the dress for her first meeting with Owen.

He growled. “You look good enough to eat in that dress.”

Erin crossed her legs so Owen’s hand was pressed against her wet panties. “Well, if you’re hungry.”

“Be careful, Erin,” Owen warned in a low voice. “I’m a shifter. It’s not easy for me to control myself around my mate.”

“So don’t.” Erin didn’t know what had come over her. She couldn’t control herself around Owen, either. She wanted to feel every inch of him. She knew she should wait. Let at least an hour pass before just hopping into bed with him. But she couldn’t. Didn’t want to even try. This was part of the whole mail-order bride thing, she reasoned. She couldn’t very well marry him and never have sex. And she was going to marry him. She could feel it too.

She pressed Owen’s fingers into the fabric around her opening.

“Dammit.” He swerved the car to the side of the road and pulled Erin across the seat. He leaned his seat back as far as he could get it. “I think I’m little too hungry for a whole meal right now, but I think a little taste wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

“Not at all.” Erin moved leaned back, careful not touch the car horn. She ground her pelvis against Owen. She could feel his erection pressed hard against his zipper. She reached between them and unbuttoned his pants. “You can’t be too comfortable like this.”

As soon as he was free of his pants, he thrust into her palm. She was delighted to see that indeed, shifters were giant all over. Owen was sporting a very impressive erection. She could barely get her hand around him. She pumped her hand a few times before he stopped her.

“I can’t wait another minute.” He reached under her dress and ripped her panties on the side in his haste to get them off her. He pulled her forward so she could line up with his cock.

She gripped his shoulder tight and put her hand down to guide him inside of her. It was a very tight fit. The burn of him stretching her almost made her cry out.

“Oh, god.” He pushed up, filling her completely as he growled again. He wrapped his hands in her hair and started rocking gently.

The motion was more than enough for Erin. They were in a tight place, but it was the perfect angle to hit that magical spot inside of her. And with each move forward, Owen’s pelvis was grinding against her swollen clit. All she could do was hold on to him and moan. He’d only moved inside her a few times before she was coming hard.

She came two more times before Owen roared and spilled himself inside of her. He pulled her until her head was resting on his shoulder. He rubbed her back. “I’m never going to let you go, now that you’re finally here.”