Excerpt of Pride of the Lion by N.J. Walters

A brilliant spotlight flashed on and she shrank back, covering her eyes as she was momentarily blinded. She blinked and slowly lowered her hands, needing to see if there was anyone there with her.

She didn't see a person, but she did see a broken–down carousel. The ride had seen better days and only two animals remained on it—a wolf and a lion. Drawn to it by a force she couldn't deny, her feet moved until she was standing beside it. The paint was chipped and worn, but there was no denying the beauty of the carved animals. They were so realistic, so incredibly beautiful.

She ran her hand over the flanks of the wolf. His head was slightly turned toward her, his mouth opened to reveal several rows of sharp teeth. "You're a dangerous one, aren't you?" She wanted to stroke his head but was almost afraid to, he was so lifelike.

A dizzy spell caught her unawares and she thought she heard a wolf howling in the distance. She shook her head and reached out to catch herself against one of the posts of the carousel. "Wow, what was that all about?" This whole place was disorienting and it was making her feel slightly light–headed and nauseous.

She shuffled over to the lion and sucked in a breath. The creature was magnificent with his thick blond mane and golden eyes. She wasn't even certain if lions had eyes the color of old gold, or if they would be brown. Not that it mattered. This was an artist's representation of a lion, not a real one. Still, the animal was amazing with paws the size of dinner plates and thick muscles rippling beneath a layer of fur.

She reached out and touched his side and was startled to feel warmth beneath her hand. She stumbled back, clutching her hand to her chest. The lion slowly turned its head toward her, opened his large, powerful jaws and roared.

Araminta's heart raced and pure terror enveloped her. The sharp fangs of the lion seemed to glint in the muted light. She jerked back, slipped and kept falling. She thought she might have screamed, but wasn't certain. For a few brief moments, she couldn't see or hear anything. It was terrifying to be plunging through a dark nothingness that wrapped around her and threatened to strangle her.

When she finally landed, it was with a thud on a soft padding. The breath had been knocked out of her so she sucked in air in big gulps. It was still poorly lit, but she could see the outline of furniture. She was in a room of some sort. She frowned as the objects came into better view. It looked like her bedroom at home.

A large male arm snaked around her, pulling her back against a massive male chest. Araminta opened her mouth to scream, but he spoke before she could manage to do more than squeak. "I've got you. You're safe."

She blinked once and then again. What was going on? Where was the carousel and how had she gotten home?

Warm lips nuzzled her nape, sending a blast of heat cascading through her entire body.

"You smell nice." A large hand cupped her hip through the thin fabric of her nightgown, giving it a squeeze. "You feel even better."

She knew she should do something, get out of bed, run away or at the very least, scream. Something. Instead, she lay there beside the strange man and absorbed his heat and quiet strength. Something about him calmed her fear and silenced her unease.

She turned onto her side so she was facing him, wanting to get a better look at him. She couldn't see the color of his eyes or hair, but there was no hiding the hard planes of his face. His nose was broad and flat, his forehead wide. His jaw was strong and powerful, his neck muscular.

But it was his hair that made her gasp. It was gloriously thick and fell to just below his shoulders. She reached out and touched it, shocked when it felt soft and silky. She wanted to rub her face in it. Heck, she wanted to rub her entire body over it.

Which was crazy because she had no idea who this guy was. Still, she wasn't alarmed or upset by that fact. She wanted to get closer to him, to snuggle against him.

A loud sound permeated the room, almost like something was purring. It took her a second to realize the sound was coming from him. She placed her hand on his chest and the vibration sank into the flesh of her palm. It radiated down her arm to her shoulder before moving lower to her breasts and still lower until she was squirming and her panties felt damp.

She pulled her hand back. "Who are you?"

"Yours." The stark reply made her toes tingle even as her brain formed a dozen questions.