Pursuing the Panther: BBW Shifter Mail Order Bride Romance (Mail-Order Mates Book 7) Read Online Free

It was a tantalizing offer, but it wouldn’t work. How the hell had he annoyed her enough to make her want to leave in a ninety-minute talk? He wanted to sleep with her very badly, but he wanted her to stay even more. He had no idea what he should do.
     
    ***
     
    Zelda was being brash, but when wasn’t she? She had come a very long way and it was a waste. The least he could do was show her a good time before she hit the road again, because she was definitely leaving. There was no way they were going to work. She had no idea why someone like him would even sign up with LK Brides. He was handsome, successful, and from the looks of it extremely wealthy. He was looking for a cookie-cutter wife for his cookie-cutter life.
    She wasn’t even close to a vanilla girl. Yes, she wanted a family and a husband, but she still wanted to have fun. Having kids didn’t mean you couldn’t go to a bar and dance on tabletops every now and then. When she pictured her future husband, he was a hard-living blue-collar worker. Someone who would work hard to provide during the day, play with his kids in the evening, and then spend all night between the sheets pleasing his wife. She wanted a big, burly, manly man. That was what had appealed to her about shifters in the first place.
    Shifter men were known to be the manliest of all men. She hadn’t expected to get a Richie Rich. Hearing where he was from, she’d thought maybe he would be a ranch hand or something. And it wasn’t like he had been wearing a tuxedo and a monocle in his pictures, either. He was a very nice guy, but he just wasn’t for her. That didn’t mean they couldn’t have a little fun before she went.
    Ben looked at her for a long time before speaking again. “That wouldn’t be a good idea.”
    Zelda shrugged. “Okay, then. It’s been really nice meeting you.”
    She stood up and started walking around the house to her rental car. She didn’t remember the way back through his house, but it was easy enough to walk around the outside. Her wedges sunk into the grass a little so she had to stop to take them off. While she was bent over, Ben caught up with her.
    “Would you hold on a minute? Why are you so quick to leave? Have I offended you in some way?”
    Zelda got the shoe off and straightened up. “Nope. You’ve been perfectly nice. You just don’t seem like my kind of guy. You’re just a little too…vanilla for my taste.”
    Ben made a pained face. “Wow. I didn’t think that would be a problem. But if that’s how you feel, there’s little I can do about it. I’m not sure why you even came. You saw pictures of me.”
    Zelda understood what he meant and flushed. She laughed. “Oh, no! I don’t mean that . I mean…well, you seem a little…”
    Ben understood what she was trying to dance around. He laughed too. “I see. I think you should stay a little longer. You’re clearly attracted to me and I’m very attracted to you. I think once you get to know me a little better, you’ll change your mind.”
    “I don’t think so. I think it’s better if I cut my losses and head back now. I can still make the weekend shift at my job.”
    Ben stood in her way. “One kiss. I’m going to kiss you once. Then you’re going to go check in at the local hotel. You can’t miss it.”
    “I saw it on my way in.” Zelda was intrigued. He was pretty full of himself if he thought he was that good a kisser. She’d done her fair share of kissing. There was a snowball’s chance in hell that he was going to get her to stay with a little kiss.
    “You agree?”
    “What happens after I check in at the hotel?”
    “We’re going to go on a few dates and then you’ll decide if you want to stay or not.”
    “Okay. Maybe. If you kiss me real good.”
    Ben smirked. “That won’t be a problem.”
    He grabbed her by the back of the neck and pulled her to him with one hand. He crushed her lips beneath his until she parted her lips. Then his tongue was inside her month,