Newmar, Lola - Leo's Crown [Scarlett Rose and the Seven Longhorns 2] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Read Online Free

his palm, holding it there with her dainty hands. “You know, even when I’m sad, I still feel like I’m the happiest woman in the world.” She blinked, and a single tear from each eye fell atop her rosy cheeks.
    He might not have known much about his new mate, but he did know one thing. “I love you, Scarlett.” He swallowed hard. Don’t cry, you damn pansy.
    “I love you, too, Leo.”
    As they went back to finishing their lunch, he couldn’t help but wonder just what Scarlett’s life was like back in Dallas. Not that anything she’d done in her past mattered to him. What really mattered was she was there with them now, where she belonged. But anything having to do with Scarlett sparked his interest, and his curiosity was beginning to get the best of him. “Scarlett, baby, would you mind if I spent a little time in my office this afternoon?” He wiped his mouth with his napkin and placed it on his lap. “I shouldn’t be more than an hour, and then I’ll be right back to keep you company.”
    She swallowed down her last bit of sandwich then wiped her hands on her napkin. She reached back over the table to grab his hand again. “Honey, you don’t have to ask me that. I’ll be okay on my own, you know.”
    “I know, baby doll, but I wouldn’t blame you for feeling uncomfortable being alone. You’ve been through a lot and¬”
    “And it’s all the more reason for me to slowly gain my independence back,” she interrupted. She sighed then smiled at him as she ran her thumb across his bottom lip. He felt the spark travel from his mouth to his hardening cock. Just one touch, that’s all it ever took with her. “Besides, I’ve been dying to watch that old movie you’ve been telling about with the woman with my name. The one you said I reminded you of.”
    He couldn’t resist kissing the finger she still held at his lips. “ Gone with the Wind . It’s because you’re as bewitching as you are breathtaking.”
    He watched another tear escape her pretty eye. “There you go again, Doc. Making me feel things I never felt,” she teased.
    Leo stood up and walked around the table to stand in front of her. “Just promise me, Scarlett,” he brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face, “promise you’ll never let anyone else let you feel that way.” She smiled up at him, and he could see the utter trust and admiration in her eyes. He hardly felt worthy of that heavenly look, but he’d take it without pause. His heart fluttered at the thought that she’d soon give them babies as beautiful as she was. Human babies void of the curse of the shifters. The lifestyle may have had its benefits, but hardly any parent would want their child to spend their lives pretending to be someone they’re not. Fooling people to believe a shifter was just a normal human wasn’t an easy existence.
    “Leo,” she began as she wrapped her small arms around his hips, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
    “And I pray you never do.” He ignored her confused expression as he knelt down to kiss her forehead. His lips lingered on her soft, sweet skin before turning away and walking out the door.
    Leo made his way down the porch steps before stripping down completely naked. He closed his eyes and imagined his beautiful baby doll wrapped in a red silk sheet, wearing the reddest lipstick he’d ever seen. He’d dropped on all four hooves before he’d even realized he was shifting. A bull-shifter who imagined or saw his mate in red made a world of a difference in how much more comfortable the shift was.
    He made a mental note to himself to frolic the ranch more as he approached the clinic door. He was breathing pretty hard, and he knew his endurance wasn’t what it used to be since the new clinic cut down on a lot of his free time. But he knew that if he wanted to be the best shifter he could be and protect the most precious gift he’d ever received, his Scarlett, he’d have to make sure he was fit to protect her.