ROMANCE: LION SHIFTER ROMANCE: Luring The Lion (Lion Shapeshifter Paranormal Fantasy Romance) (BBW Lion Shifter Romance) (12 page)

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Shedding her clothes turned out to be the best thing she had ever done, both for herself and the artist she was working with. With the competition drawing nearer fast, the two of them worked frantically together, and Marissa felt a personal connection she had never felt before, let alone with a wealthy sculptor.  Pierre seemed to do a lot more than just sculpt too, and the two of them grew to learn more about one another as time went on.

What was really strange to her, was that it was actually easier to talk to Pierre when she was naked than when she was in the dress.  Sure the dress was pretty, and her intention to wear it to the art show was still there, but there was something about exposing herself for him to visually explore, and the fact that he didn’t judge her was comforting and soothing.  All her life she had been told that being fat wasn’t pretty, and that her being a bigger woman would never attract a man.  She had been told constantly that being born black would never cause her to feel good about herself, but with every passing moment, she started to realize that it was all nonsense.  These negative thoughts had been holding her back, and she realized now that the reason why she struggled so much in life wasn’t because of her personality, but because she was afraid to realize how awesome a person she was.

They completed the sculpture just in time.  The night before the competition they finished early, and after finishing the final details, they sat in the living room and drank some more tea and ate a few delicious pastries Pierre had bought at a nearby
boulangerie
.

“I’m so glad to have finished that,” he said, looking over at the corner of the room where the newly sculpture was standing.

“Same here.  I can’t believe that we got it done in time,” she told him.

“You never know what you’re capable of accomplishing until you put your mind to it, in all honesty.  The fact that we were able to get this done in an effective manner is a great feeling in itself.  I’m proud to have worked with you, and I realize now that my intuition was right, from the outset.  I truly do find you beautiful,” he said.

“Thank you.  You’re a great man.  You made me realize something about myself that I never felt before, and for that, I thank you,” she smiled.  She never realized until now how easy it is to accept the compliment that one is beautiful, and to be honest, it was the best feeling ever.

“Tomorrow, let’s win the competition,” he said as he gathered up the crockery.

“Fine by me.  I intend to win,” she said happily.

The two of them spent the next day preparing for the big night.  Marissa wore the plum dress, and Pierre wore a suit with a matching tie.  While she had butterflies in her stomach, the preparations certainly made her feel great, and her confidence was at an all-time high.  Marissa was realizing more and more with every moment, that it was really great to accept herself, even if the fact that she could do so easily was something of a novelty. 

The sculpting competition award ceremony was held at a glittering event in central Paris, with limousine after limousine arriving with famous artists and celebrities. Inside the sculpture entries were lined up for people to admire, and their piece provoked more than just a little conversation and admiration. Finally they sat down, and proceedings began.

It seemed like an eternity before the winner announcements began, and the air was tense with anticipation. “In first place, with the sculpture titled ‘True Inner Beauty’ we have Pierre and his model Marissa!  Congratulations!” the announcer said, clapping his hands.

People burst into spontaneous applause, and the two of them looked at one another, beaming from ear-to-ear.  They couldn’t believe they had managed to accomplish both their dreams, and without further ado, they went over to the announcer, and accepted the prize money and the accolade.  The sculpture was moved towards the front, and soon the two of them were proudly standing by it, happy and satisfied.  It felt like something out of a dream, and as the two of them looked at one another, they realized that they too had formed a bond that was very, very special to both of them.

“Thank you for everything Pierre,” she said.

“No, thank
you
Marissa.  You helped me win this competition.  I thank you,” he replied.

“You taught me what true beauty is, so I thank you for that.  You’ve made me realize something about myself that I hadn’t expected to feel.  Are you free after this?  I think it’s best that I tell you this in private,” she said.

“Fine by me,” he replied.

“Oh,” said Melissa, “There’s my friend Gerald, I can spot him a mile away by his yellow sneakers. Let me go say him to him.”

She went up to Gerald, and they hugged. He looked at her with a broad smile. “See? I told you I have a knack for telling the future! For the first time I can see stars in your eyes, beautiful! You’re looking so happy!” She was at a loss for words, but she was sure Gerald knew that she was feeling on top of the world.

Melissa and Pierre spent a while afterwards at the awards ceremony, both smiling at everyone, but mainly at each other.  This was the first time she had ever felt this way about herself, feeling like a strong and empowered woman.  With little touches and caresses that barely ghosted over her hand by Pierre, Marissa felt better about herself.  She was realizing each and every day that things were going to improve, and that she just needed to set her mind to it to really succeed in life.

They went back to his place, both of them sitting on the balcony with the lights of Paris twinkling below in the darkness.  He popped open a bottle of French red wine, handing Marissa a glass filled to the brim.  She sipped it, looking out at the Parisian night sky.

“I’m so glad to be here,” she said.

“And I’m blessed you’re here with me.  Thank you, for everything,” he said.

“We make a great team.  You showed me the way to feel good about myself, something I hadn’t ever thought possible.  You showed me that it’s okay to be happy, that it’s okay to succeed in life, and to be honest, I really do appreciate that,” she said.

“Thank you.  And yes, a great team, indeed.  You’ve given me a beautiful piece of art, and a beautiful woman to go with that,” he replied.

She smiled radiantly, realizing just what she was feeling.  She felt it stronger than she had ever felt in her life.  It was love, a feeling of happiness and a loving and tender emotion that hadn’t ever thought possible.

“Pierre, do you believe in love?” she asked.

Pierre turned to her, smiling warmly.  “When it’s with someone special, yes,” he replied.

“Same.  At first, I didn’t really feel like love ever existed, or at least not for me.  My parents always said that I wouldn’t amount to much, simply because of the hand I was dealt.  But here I am, a model and someone who helped an artist win first prize and the adoration of the art world.  It’s amazing, and I’m glad that I could do that.  But most of all, I discovered what love is, and I discovered that through this journey, I learned to not only love myself, but you as well,” she said.  She flushed over at the sheer mention of these words.  She couldn’t help it, for she never felt this way about a man before.

“I guess that makes two of us then,” he replied.

She looked at him, eyes wide in genuine surprise.  “You feel the same way?” she asked.

“But of course.  I thought that was obvious.  But yes, I love you too Marissa, I will always love you.  You’re a beautiful woman, both inside and out,” he replied.

She couldn’t believe that this was happening, that this man was actually confessing his love to her.  It felt like a dream come true, that her small little crush that grew over time finally blossomed into something real.

“You’re something, you know that?” she said.

“That I am, but you are as well,” he replied.

The two of them looked at one another, happiness residing within them.  They knew that it was something better than anything they ever thought before and within moments, Marissa felt like this was right.  Everything would be okay, as long as they were around each other.

She felt her body move inwards towards him, blushing madly at the sheer notion of this.  She couldn’t believe it, that she finally confessed her love to a man and he loved her back.  It all seemed like a dream come true, and within moments, she felt her lips move right over his.  She kissed him, her lips moving awkwardly against him, but it was full of passion and desire.

The way they kissed was something special, something that not even she could comprehend.  The two of them kissed each other softly, both of them letting out small moans as they started to kiss one another in a chaste manner.  Pierre didn’t want to take things too fast, neither did Marissa, and soon the two of them started to languidly kiss one another, both of them loving the way that it felt.  The two of them started to deepen the kiss a little bit, both of them enjoying the way that it felt.  It was certainly the most amazing thing ever, and with every breathing second, Marissa could feel the magic of this man take over her body.

They then started to become more impassioned with the kiss, both of them letting their lips passionately move against one another.  She started to lightly press her tongue against the edge of his mouth, which he gladly accepted.  She then started to push her tongue against his own, and soon they were mingling with one another in passionate way that neither of them ever felt before.

He grasped her hand, breaking the kiss and pulling her inside.  He closed the door, sweeping her off her feet and guiding her to the room.  He then pressed her down lightly against the bed, kissing her passionately as his hands traced over her curves.

She couldn’t believe how good this felt.  It was like a dream come true, and in her mind, she couldn’t believe that this was happening to her.  This man, a man that she loved, was treating her like the best person ever, and deep down, she did feel beautiful.  When he moved his lips away from her mouth and down her darkened neck, lightly trailing his lips against the sensitive area, she let out a series of puttering moans, loving the way that this felt.  His hands moved up to her breasts, cupping the orbs there while he continued to touch her neck with soft, gentle kisses.  She breathed slowly, feeling her body become hotter than ever before.

He then pushed his lips away from there and started to move down her body, lightly dotting and decorating her skin with soft, touching kisses.  She moaned, bucking her hips and loving the way that it felt.  It was by far the most sensual thing she had ever felt, and when he got to the dress, he immediately pulled it off her body, exposing her in almost all her glory.  She only had on a pair of black panties and a matching bra, but on the inside, she was huffing and blushing.

“You look gorgeous,” he said with a smile.

She couldn’t help but feel turned on by the simple touches and sounds that he made.  Is lips trailed downward against her body, getting to the edge of her breast which was still shielded by her bra.  He undid the clasp in the back, causing the garment to tumble off her body and expose her breasts for his eyes.  His hands trailed against them, and soon she let out a shuddering moan with every single touch. 

“You sound amazing as well,” he said, letting his lips dot down her body.  He started with soft kisses and touches, and finally, he got to where her nipple was, kissing the outer edge of it and then moving his lips against the puckered bud.  It hardened under his lips, and soon he was moving his tongue, manipulating it and making her moan out in wanton pleasure.  She couldn’t believe how good this felt, how her body was responding to this man in an effective manner. She loved how he treated her, how he was touching and kissing the areas with soft, gentle touches, and how he sucked on the nipple without any second thoughts.  His other hand moved towards her other nipple, lightly touching and teasing the bud until it got hard as well.  Marissa couldn’t help but enjoy this feeling, loving the way that he practically took her and made her go crazy with his touches.  She wanted more, for this was the first time ever that she had ever felt this much sensitivity in this sort of action.

Her thoughts were answered when his hands brushed against her soft hips, lightly caressing them along with the rounded buttocks she possessed.  He then slipped his hands to both sides of the panties, going under it and sliding them off.  She moaned, feeling her body tense up as he started to expose her shaven sex to his eyes.  This was different from before.  Sure, he had seen her nude body once, but never like this.  He had never seen her in a fit of pleasure, her body glistening with heat, and her pussy craving attention.

He took it upon himself to lightly stroke her folds, touching it softly before delving inside.  His touches were soft, sensual, and not what she was expecting.  She thought he would be a bit rougher, but even with this, he did the same thing he always did.  He treated her with respect, and with the love that she felt from him as he grazed against her.  Within moments, his finger was against her entrance, sliding in and making her moan with pleasure.  He slid his fingers in and out of her, loving the way that she moaned and groaned with every passing touch.  She couldn’t believe how good it felt, how her body was responding to every single action and touch in the way it was doing so.  He then slid out, licking his finger as he undid his pants, pulling them down along with his boxers. 

He was big, and she felt a hint of worry as she looked at him.  He grasped his cock, looking at her with a smile.