The Lion’s Mate

Chapter 3

Leah waited on her back porch swing, moving gently forward and back, a glass of chilled red wine in her hand. Between the breakfast meeting with Mark and this point in the day, she’d managed to finish her novel. She’d finally settled on an ending, although when she’d emailed the final version to her publisher, a note had been attached to pay close attention to the end in case it needed specific changes. The stress that had built up in her body had eased tremendously, but as she pushed herself back and forth, new stress entered her mind.

The case Mark was planning to build against the university weighed on her. Not because she thought they’d lose, but because of the backlash against Annie. No decision had been one hundred percent made; he had research and interviews to conduct before he even knew if they had a case. But she felt it in her bones that Annie had been discriminated against. Mark would see it, would find proof, she was sure of it. And then Annie would have a decision to make: did she want to pursue a court case against the university for discrimination?

Leah hated the idea of discrimination of any kind. She had been raised by her mother, who had believed wholly in the rights of all people, regardless of special powers or needs. Leah often included those beliefs in her novels, inferring that all people were the same. She wanted equal rights, but not if it meant pain for Annie. She’s suffered enough, Leah thought as she sipped her wine. She heard her best friend’s voice in her head: But she’s strong too, Leah. Don’t discourage her. A tear slipped out of the corner of her eye; she wiped it away gently and took another sip as memories filled her mind.

The sun was close to the horizon, and Leah had filled her glass twice. The sound of galloping feet reached her ears, and she smiled when a golden lion streaked out of the forest and rounded the lake. Jenny lurched to her feet and growled briefly, but when she realized her new friend was here, she ran to greet him. Leah narrowed her eyes; had Mark brought a suit? He obviously wasn’t wearing one. Her eyebrow arched, and she thought to herself that he’d better not think they were skinny dipping.

After a brief tussle with Jenny, Mark ambled slowly over to Leah and shifted abruptly in front of her, rising to his full height of six feet and a couple or three inches. Leah stepped back at the suddenness, then recovered and smirked at him.

“Well hello,” she said. “Where’s your suit?”

Mark smiled at her, his eyes playful and fun. He looked behind him at the spot where he and Jenny had wrestled. A bright red bag lay on the ground. He looked back at her. “Do I really have to wear a suit? You’ve seen me naked.” He held up two fingers and winked at her. “Twice now.”

Leah didn’t want to laugh at his charming behavior, but she couldn’t help herself. She giggled prettily and playfully batted at his chest. The wine was doing its work; she felt positively giddy. “Yes, you have to wear a suit. I do not swim naked with a man on the first date.”

“Date?” Mark laughed as he walked back to retrieve his bag. Leah’s eyes moved briefly to his sculpted ass as he spoke. “Are we on a date?”

Leah narrowed her eyes. “You’re right. This is not a date.”

“I agree. Our first date will be something much fancier,” he wiggled his eyebrows at her, “and we’ll be wearing clothes that cover all of our bodies.” He made a point of looking down at her robe.

Leah followed his eyes; her robe had gaped in the front when she’d risen from the swing to greet him. Her bre*sts, though covered by the bikini, were bared to him. And the bikini didn’t cover much.

Leah looked back up and met his eyes, a challenge in hers. She untied the robe, her eyes never leaving his. She let the robe fall on the step behind her. He watched her movements, nearly drooling as she revealed a perfectly tanned, perfectly toned body. A giggle escaped her mouth.

“Mark,” she said huskily, “you seem to have lost your voice. Are you having an aneurysm or something?”

He choked a little before answering her. “Um, no. Wow. You’re beautiful.”

“Thank you. Now get your suit on. I want to go swimming.” Leah walked past him, swinging her hips as she walked to the dock.

Mark watched her perfect ass in that tiny red bikini. He swiftly grabbed his trunks and yanked them on, not only because she’d asked him to, but because he was sporting a hard on he wouldn’t be able to disguise.

When she reached the edge of the dock, she looked back at him questioningly, turned back, and executed a lovely dive, slicing into the water like she belonged in it. He raced to the dock but stopped and waited for her to resurface.

“That was an impressive dive,” he called when she returned to the surface and looked at him.

“Swimming is the only exercise I get. I hate getting sweaty,” she replied.

Mark grinned. “You just haven’t been the right kind of sweaty.”

Leah shook her head as she tread water, grinning right back at him. “I guess not. Are you getting in, or are you going to watch me like last time, you perve?” she goaded.

Mark took several steps back, ran to the edge of the dock, and leapt as far away from it as he could. Leah marveled at the bunched muscles in his legs and stomach as he moved. She didn’t have long to appreciate his body; the cannonball he executed doused her face with a cascade of water that she had to cough up.

When he resurfaced, she splashed his face. “Butthead.”

“Butthead?” he asked, pretending to be stung by her name calling. “I can’t dive as well as you and wasn’t going to try. A cannonball is the next best thing.”