Vivi Andrews - Jaguar's Kiss

Lila Fallon stared at the stack of wedding magazines with an emotion that was far too similar to loathing. Most twenty-three-year-old women would be giddy at the idea of planning their weddings. Especially twenty-three-year-old women who had alets face itnear-compulsive obsession with girly clothes and pretty hairstyles.

But then, most twenty-first-century women werent shape-shifting lionesses marrying the prides next Alpha in a glorified arranged marriage. And most women had actually been proposed to by their fiancs.

Maybe that was the problem. Not that there was a problem. She was fine with the situation. Perfectly fine. So what if Roman hadnt proposed? Or said so much as a single romantic word to her during her entire life? They got along well enough. Even if he had always treated her as a cross between a much younger sister and a petwhich hadnt exactly inspired burning passion in return.

The age difference really hadnt helped. Shed still been in grade school when her father hand-picked teenage Roman to train as his successor. Regardless of the eight-year gap, it had just been assumed that when she came of age, she and Roman would tie the knot to shore up any cracks in the solidarity of the pride. The Alphas only daughter and his personally selected replacement. Done deal.

And that was fine. Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine. Lila wasnt a complainer. She knew her role, knew her duty, and was happy to be a contributing member of the pride. She was happy to be marrying Roman. Happy, damn it.

She just seemed to be suffering from an irrational hatred of bridal magazines. Nothing strange about that.

Lila swept the magazines off her vanity and kicked them under her bed with one high-heeled foot. Not the most mature way to deal with the situation, but she didnt want to see those smug bridal faces smiling up at her. Not today.

Her gaze was drawn inevitably to the clock. Five twenty. An hour and forty minutes before the All Pride meeting. Probably ten minutes of other pride business and then it would happen. In one hundred and ten minutes, her father would stand up on that stage, beaming like the proud papa he was, and announce the date of her wedding.

No more theoretical, vague, long engagement. Three months. New Years. Done deal.

Which was good. Great even. She was euphoric. Over the moon. Couldnt be happier. Hadnt she just been complaining to Patch the other day that she was living in a state of perpetual virginity, waiting for her future-Alpha pseudo-fianc to make a move since all of the other lions in the pride were too damn scared of him to poach on what they perceived to be his territory? Shed been waiting for what felt like years for her life to start and now the date had been set. Prayers answered.

So why couldnt she get a full breath?

What she needed was a celebration. A night out with her best friend. Drinking, flirting, dancing, forgettingno, not forgetting. Nothing to forget. Life was good. Life was worth celebrating.

Lila plucked her cell phone off her vanity and dialed Patch. It went straight to voicemail and she sighed, waiting as Patch chattered through her Thank you for calling Montana Mountain Guides spiel. She couldnt mention the wedding date on a message. That was in-person news. Instead, she waited patiently for the beep and put on her most cheerful voice, which was pretty damn cheerful.

Patch, darling! I have news. I realize youre probably out shooting the rapids or wrestling a bear or doing some other gloriously outdoorsy activity, but this is your friendly reminder that your ass had better be on time to the All Pride meeting tonight. And wear something cute. Youre taking me to the Den after.

There. That was suitably mysterious.

Lila dropped the phone back on the vanity, exchanging it for a bottle of nail polish. When in doubt, primp. That was her motto.

By six thirty she was polished, curled and made-up to a glossy shine. Blonde hair tumbled around her shoulders in an artless tousle shed spent nearly thirty minutes perfecting. Her blue eyes were lined with just enough kohl to be sexy without crossing the line into trashy. Lips that always seemed a little too big for her face were carefully lined and painted a demure pink. A soft flowing white dress with tiny red flowers twisting across the skirt and her red-and-white floral print heels completed the most bridal-looking outfit she owned.

As ready as she would ever be, she trotted quickly down the stairs of the lodging house and started across the compound to the Pride Hall. Shed probably be expected to move in with Roman soon. Funny, she didnt even know where he lived, never seeing him anywhere but his office. There were scattered bungalows on the pride lands as well as the common buildings and a collection of lodging houses like the one shed moved into five years ago that were more like condominium complexes. And then there was the main house up on the hill overlooking it all. The Alphas house. Where shed grown up and where she and Roman would live when he took over the pride. Raising babies and ruling the world from on high.

Lila stopped, bracing a hand against the big maple tree twenty feet from the main entrance to the Pride Hall. Her knees were shaking.

Jitters. Perfectly normal. Everyone got bridal jitters.

Lila?

The smooth baritone, the soft barely-there lilt of an accent touching the vowels. She knew without looking who it would be. And she didnt want to look. Didnt want to see those miles-deep brown eyes watching her with the unnerving mix of intensity and irritation. Shed never figured out why Santiago Flores always seemed so annoyed by her.

Conjuring up a smile, she turned her head and forced a sparkle into her voice. Santiago. So good to see you.

And it was always good to see him. The man was masculine beauty incarnate. Thick black hair just long enough to start to curl, burnished bronze skin, and a sculpted face and body that would have been pretty if it hadnt been so powerfully male.

A slight frown put a crease between his brows. Are you all right?

Me? Of course I am. Dont be silly.

A slow lift of one eyebrow seemed to argue that Santiago Flores was never silly. You look like youre about to vomit all over those pretty red shoes.

Why, Santiago, you do say the sweetest things. She dimpled and batted her eyes at himfalling back on her second motto: Its always the right time for flirtation. She angled her ankle to better display the shoes. They are fetching, arent they?

Those bottomless brown eyes narrowed. You dont have to be happy all the time like some kind of perfect little Stepford kitten. Youre allowed to have moods.

She smiled brilliantly. This is my mood.

He snorted. Of course it is. Why would anyone be frustrated by having their entire life story written for them? Never making any of their own choicesthough maybe thats what you want. If you dont choose, its not your mistake, right?

I dont know what youre talking about. Lila swallowed, trying to maintain a smile that was wobbling around the edges.

He couldnt know about todays announcement. Only her fathers inner circle knew that theyd finally picked a date and Santiago was about as far from that inner circle as a pride member could get. He was one of the wanderers. The drifters. The outsiders who flocked to live under the protection of the Lone Pine Pride, but never truly fit in, living on their own off the pride lands, never giving up their isolation for the comfort of the pride. Lila couldnt imagine living outside that security.