Hester munched her way through a crab salad and a banana milkshake while Antonio settled for lobster sliders and fresh-squeezed lemonade. The small restaurant was run by the lion pride – so fish prevailed on the menu. Most of the diners were lions, though there were a few other shifters peppered in – those who like Antonio were permitted to use the beach, but also a few humans, probably hoping to get to know the shifters a little better.
“Hey, Antonio,” drawled a familiar voice.
Antonio tried not to growl as the sun-kissed male approached. His naturally blonde hair was bleached even more by hours in the sun, while his skin shone like gold. He was wearing nothing but board shorts and flip flops, and judging by the hungry looks he was getting from lions, shifters and humans alike, even that was too many clothes.
Would it kill him to put on a shirt? wondered his irritated jaguar.
Antonio forced a smile as he stood and exchanged a one-arm hug with Brodie.
The lion shifter was a couple of inches taller, and a couple of inches broader than Antonio, and given the sighs he elicited in females everywhere he went, Antonio had to assume they found him a couple of inches more attractive.
They exchanged pleasantries while Antonio subtly tried to hide Hester from view.
“New member of the leap?” asked Brodie pleasantly, peering over his shoulder, and not at all put out by Antonio’s gruff responses. The male was far too laid back for his own good about some things.
“I’m Hester,” declared his mutinous little cheetah, beaming at the huge male.
Antonio narrowed his eyes, though his jaguar couldn’t scent any desire on either one of them. Though it was wafting in loud and clear from other females in the vicinity.
“Brodie,” replied the lion shifter with a wide smile.
Hester’s delicate little nose gave him a sniff. “Lion, huh?”
Brodie smiled and sniffed in return, an eyebrow arching ever so slightly. He looked her up and down, and Antonio thanked everything that is holy that he insisted on her putting her clothes back on. Clothing was optional in the restaurant as well – probably why it was popular with humans. Shifters didn’t tend to have a problem with nudity. He didn’t usually – he could see any of his leap naked and not care, but he didn’t want anyone to see Hester naked.
“Cheetah? Don’t see many around here.”
Hester preened a little, and Antonio edged a little closer to her, placing a proprietorial hand on her shoulder as his jaguar bared his fangs.
Both Hester and Brodie smirked at his gesture.
“You part of the pride who owns this joint?” asked Hester.
“Brodie’s the leo of the pride,” interrupted Antonio, not liking the two of them carrying on a conversation without him.
In other words, Brodie was the prime or alpha. He may look like a laidback surfer, but the male could be pretty darn vicious when he wanted to be. He was only twenty-five when he fought his way to the leo position – youngest ever in his pride, and eight years later he was still there at the top.
“Got a minute?” Brodie asked Antonio. Though he started walking away before Antonio could answer, so it obviously wasn’t a question. He just said it out of courtesy rather than just trying to haul his butt in the direction he wanted Antonio to go.
“Stay here,” warned Antonio.
Hester rolled her eyes. “Like I’d leave before I had a chance to peruse the dessert menu. I have my priorities you know.”
Antonio smiled and impulsively leaned down to kiss her – another proprietary gesture, but some of the male lions in there could be single, and he bet they wouldn’t mind a cheetah shifter for a mate either. He half-expected her to try and pull away from him, but her mouth met his so fast there was a clash of teeth and lips that was almost bordering on violent. Though that was nothing compared to the way her hands clutched at his shoulders as she virtually kissed the life out of him. What had intended to be a quick kiss had turned into an almost erotic display. Hester only let him go when she heard the click of a camera from somewhere behind her.
Antonio thought he glimpsed a brief flash of embarrassment on her face, but she hid it as she turned and snarled at the happy snapper.
“That was nice,” he said.
“Wanted to make sure they knew you weren’t available,” she cooed.
“They?”
Her dreamy ‘cat that got the cream’ expression darkened. “All the females in here ogling you,” she groused.
“Thought they were looking at Brodie,” he admitted.
“Aww,” she pouted, “so insecure. They were checking you both out. Wanted to make sure they knew it was a waste of time looking at you.”
“Huh.” His jaguar gave a loud meow of satisfaction. But then, he already knew that Hester could be possessive, and he already knew he liked it. “Order me a sundae or something, and another lemonade.”
“Mmm,” she purred as she licked her lips, “the lemonade tastes good. Maybe I’ll have one.”
“I don’t know,” he murmured. His tongue darted out to swipe across her lips. “The banana milkshake tastes good too.”
Slowly Hester released him and as he turned she slapped his ass, eliciting more than a couple of titters of laughter. If he hadn’t been so delighted, he might have actually blushed.
*
Brodie cocked his head at Hester. “New mate?”
Antonio glowered.
“Don’t you guys have this tradition of kidnapping females for your mates?”
Antonio continued to glower. That was not something they liked to advertise for obvious reasons, though he wasn’t entirely surprised Brodie knew. The male knew a lot more than he would ever let on.
Brodie shrugged. “Whether you do or not, looks like she’s not going anywhere.”
Antonio softened marginally. The lion was starting to make sense.
“Heard you’ve been having trouble with Vertigo again.”
“You spoke to Roberto?”
Brodie nodded. “Briefly. You know your prime, he’s pretty tight-lipped.”
“They been around to the pride?”
“Not since we told them where to sling their hook.”
Antonio glanced out the window to the beautiful beach. “Thought they’d be clamoring to get all this.”
Brodie shrugged. “The company just built a beachside resort in Playa Lunar. My sources tell me they want this next one to be all about the golf.”
Antonio slanted him a look of surprise, and Brodie grinned. “Yeah, I have sources. Reckon that’s why they want your land – more open space than we’ve got.”
“They haven’t made another offer for our land, but they don’t seem to be going anywhere.”
“I’ll check with my sources and see if they heard of them buying up any other land around here.”
Antonio nodded his thanks.
“Eager to get back to your mate,” chuckled Brodie. “She’s got you whipped.”
His jaguar gave a cross between a sigh and a growl. Yeah, he couldn’t deny he was horribly close to answering ‘how high’ if she said jump.
“Just wait until you mate,” Antonio said warningly.
Brodie shrugged and wandered back to the restaurant kitchen, disappointing a lot of female diners.
Antonio caught Hester’s eye, and she gave him a cocky grin. Yeah, he was whipped all right.