In The Roar(3)

“You’re getting fatter,” she’d exclaimed, disgust and surprise on her face. “I thought you said you exercised and ate healthy.”

“I do.” She didn’t like explaining herself to her grandmother. She had a one–track mind. Lose weight. You must be doing something wrong if the weight didn’t come off.

Eat less. Workout more. Eat healthier. Her grandma had hammered those three rules into Liv’s brain all her life. Until she wasn’t so fat, Grandma would not approve how she looked. No matter how nicely she groomed herself or how well she dressed, her grandmother always destroyed her self-esteem and dragged her back to feeling like that little girl looking for love.

So Liv said fuck it and got four tattoos and colored the tips of her hair purple. She wore cute tops made for curvy women and felt damn hot in them. Grandma did not like this. Not even a little.

The door chimed and another patron walked into the bakery. Pulled out of her thoughts, Liv growled. Every time she tried to enjoy something she’d worked hard to deserve, she ended up feeling guilty. No more. She had to stop letting her past bother her. Fuck that.

She was an adult who worked out, ate well, and loved her body. She picked up the first cookie and took a bite, moaning. It was divine. The amazing flavor combination of chocolate, sugar, and other ingredients burst on her tongue. Aurelis created pure magic in the form of dessert.

“Hello, Gerri,” Aurelis said behind Liv.

Liv focused on her coffee and cookies, shutting out the world and relaxing. The more she thought about her grandmother, the more determined she became to overcome the negativity. She might be big, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t beautiful. Everyone had beauty in their own way.

Her grandmother didn’t understand Liv would never be thin. Perhaps there was something about her body that held on to weight. She didn’t know and at this point, she no longer cared. She liked her big, fluffy curves. She felt damn sexy with her nipped-in waist and wide hips. And her boobs nicely balanced her physique into an hourglass. No. She wouldn’t let her grandmother upset her any longer. Liv knew she was beautiful the way she was.

Sudden movement from the corner of her eye made her turn to Aurelis and the woman she spoke to. It was the older woman from the card store.

“Excuse me,” Liv said.

“Yes?”

“I think you dropped this in the store I was in a little while ago,” she told her and handed her the business card.





THREE



Liv noticed the woman eyeing her with interest. “I’m Gerri Wilder.” She gave Liv her hand to shake. “Owner of the Paranormal Dating Agency.”

Liv gave her the clean hand she hadn’t used to eat. The last thing she wanted was to cover the poor woman in chocolate. “Nice to meet you, Gerri. I’m Alivia Vela, but please, call me Liv.”

“Do you mind if I sit down?” Gerri asked, her look more intense by the second.

She hadn’t been wanting to spend time with anyone, but what the hell. The older woman had a nice disposition and a welcoming smile. “No. Go right ahead.”

Gerri sat across from her. Her gaze roamed Liv’s face, her exposed arm tattoo and her colorful hair. Unlike most people, Gerri appeared to like how different Liv looked instead of frowning at her like she’d broken societal rules by doing whatever she wanted.

“Thanks for returning the card,” Gerri said, placing it on the table next to Liv’s plate. Why didn’t she take it? She should put it in her handbag. Someone would eventually need it.

“You’re welcome.” She bit into the second cookie. Aurelis brought coffee for Gerri and a plate with chocolate covered cream puffs. “A paranormal dating agency, huh?”

Gerri grinned, her blue eyes twinkling with humor. “Yes. You have heard of shifters, right?”

Who hadn’t? Everyone knew shifters were the badasses that shared the planet with humans. They were built like Mac trucks. Tall, strong, and caught everyone’s attention. Men wanted to be them. And women…well, women just wanted them. It was said shifters fucked like animals. Too bad Liv had never had the luck to date one.

“Shifters. The sexy, growly men women die for a taste of. Those guys? I’ve heard of them.”

Gerri laughed. “Are you single, Liv?”

She nodded and sipped her latte. “Have been for thirty-six years.” She lifted her shoulders in a careless shrug. “If my dating life keeps going downhill, I might buy myself a cat or ten.”

Gerri pushed a strand of blond hair behind her ear, her gold hoop glinting in the light. “Don’t say that. You’re much too young and beautiful.”