Read When A Lioness Snarls (A Lion's Pride Book 5) for Free Online Page B

lips could come within a hair of his own.
    “Don’t worry about my acting skills in public,” he whispered across her lips. “I’ll play the part of loving boyfriend, so long as you can play the part of sane female. Of us two, I think your role will be harder to achieve.”
    With that, he released her, noting the O of surprise on her lips along with the annoyance—and heated interest—in her gaze.
    Uh-oh. I think I might have made things worse. Screw the eye of a tiger. The gaze of a lioness was much more deadly.

Chapter Seven
    S talking into the pride’s condominium complex—where most of the lions and a few stray breeds in the city chose to live—Luna found herself still flummoxed by Jeoff. The man knew how to get her inner kitten purring and how to bristle her fur, all in a single stroke.
    Talk about out of the ordinary. Usually, Luna was the one putting men off balance. This reversal of roles didn’t sit well at all. It also wouldn’t last long. Once they found out what had happened to those missing folk, she could go back to lusting after Jeoff from afar.
    Or I can use this opportunity to scratch that itch. And then move on to furrier pastures.
    “Luna!” A chorus of voices shouted her name as she pushed through the second set of glass doors into the building proper. The condominium complex was the heart of the shifter community for this area. The headquarters, so to speak. But while the men thought they ran the business from their cute little offices upstairs, in truth, the real work was done down below in the lobby.
    More than a few tawny heads lifted as amber gazes focused on Luna. She waved a hand in their direction. “Wassup, biatches?”
    “About time you got here.” Stacey waved at her. “Get your fat ass over here. We need you to settle something for us.”
    “Fat?” Luna grabbed both cheeks. “This is all steel, cow.”
    “For now,” Nellie announced in an ominous tone. “We all saw what happened to your mother’s ass after she had you.”
    The term voluptuous came to mind. It also brought back traumatizing memories of her daddy constantly grabbing her mother’s bum—and the fact that he still did after almost thirty years of marriage. So perhaps taking after her mother wasn’t a bad thing.
    Sauntering in their direction, Luna noted her crew clustered in a circle and looked at something on the floor. “What do you have there?” she asked, pausing outside the ring and peering over them.
    Two shoes sat in the circle. A red stiletto with thin straps and an evil arch. The other was a more sedate black pump covered in matte leather, sporting a thicker heel and a solid toe.
    “Which ones should Melly wear on her date tonight?”
    “Seriously? This is what’s so urgent?” She rolled her eyes and pointed—at Melly’s bare toes. “The answer is painfully obvious. She needs to wear those, but only after a pedicure so that her toes look pretty around his ears.” Because dating was overrated. When Luna wanted a good time, she went out with her friends, and when she wanted a good time, she stayed in with whoever grabbed her fancy.
    “She’s right! I’m going to order in from that Chinese place down the street. We can have a buffet.” Melly grinned and laughter flowed as ribald suggestions abounded.
    Situation resolved, Luna vaulted over the back of the couch and wedged a spot for herself between the ladies.
    Stacey leaned close and sniffed. “What’s that smell?”
    Another nose pointed in the air and sniffed. “Is that dog? Was someone feeding that stray again?”
    “She’s not a stray,” Nellie replied. “She’s Arabella, Hayder’s mate.”
    “What a waste of a lion,” sighed Stacey.
    “Who cares? I wanna know who reeks of Eau de Puppy.”
    “My fault,” Luna admitted. “I was hanging with Jeoff.” Actually, she’d spent the night, but she’d save that wicked bomb for the right moment.
    “Hanging with the wolf? Whatever for?” asked Stacey, her fine nose