Ready to Bear Page 7

  “I have no idea who he is,” she said with a slight grimace. “My mother doesn’t talk about him.”

  “I’m sorry,” Billy said. “I was close to my dad when I was young. I can’t imagine what my life would have been like growing up without him.”

  “Robert wasn’t a bad substitute,” Thea said. “Although he had his hands full with Eric.”

  “He’s ten years older than you?”

  “Yes,” Thea said. “Eric met Kyle and Tony in prep school. But you probably already knew that.”

  She expected him to have come prepared, and she wasn’t wrong. Billy had spent time doing his homework on the three men. “Well, it’s pretty common knowledge,” he said. He stood up. “Do you mind if I have a drink?”

  “You officially off the clock now?” Thea said. “Feel free to help yourself. According to Robert, the bourbon’s a very nice vintage.”

  “I don’t like drinking when I’m in the middle of doing business,” Billy said. He went over to the sideboard and found ice in the cooler in the cabinet below. He poured bourbon into the glass. He stared at it for a moment as it swirled around in the glass. He felt slightly off his game, and he didn’t like that. Not one bit.

  “So my brother and his partners are business for you, huh?”

  “It would be easier for everyone involved if they’d at least appear open to the idea of collaboration,” Billy said. “They’ve gotten under Lukas’s skin, and after the way it went down tonight, I can see why.”

  “They’re hard and shrewd, but they are the smartest men I’ve ever met, and that includes Robert,” Thea said.

  Billy wondered suddenly if there was more to the story between Thea and either one of Eric’s partners. His bear came roaring to the surface so quickly that he choked on his sip of bourbon. He coughed as the liquid felt like fire going down his throat.

  Thea sat up in alarm. “Are you okay?”

  “Sorry, I got distracted there for a minute,” Billy said. He looked down at his hand and saw that it was shaking. He put the glass down and tightened his fist.

  “Your eyes changed color,” Thea said quietly. “Were you going to shift?”

  “I control when and how I phase,” Billy said firmly. He felt his grip steady. Then he took the glass again and made his way back to the couch. He felt an edge of alarm as he sat down in a chair opposite the couch. With the bear riled up, it was better if he kept his distance from Thea. He saw her frown when she realized that he wasn’t going to return to his original position. He wondered if there was anything about him that had intrigued her as much as she intrigued him.

  “Where were you?” Billy asked, taking a slow sip from his glass. “Today, you were at the airport because you were obviously coming home from somewhere.”

  “Oh,” Thea said. She frowned. “I was visiting my parents. They are currently staying at a resort outside of San Francisco. Eric forced me to take a few days off, and my mother has been on my butt because I haven’t visited her since I graduated. We did a tour of Napa Valley.”

  “Where did you go to school?” Billy asked.

  “Cornell,” Thea said. “You’re full of questions.”

  “Part of the job,” Billy said with a shrug. “If I’m going to be hanging around for a bit, we might as well get to know each other better.”

  “I don’t usually invite men I’ve just met up to my apartment,” Thea said. Billy wondered why she felt the need to explain herself to him, but he didn’t mind. The question had crossed his mind. Thea didn’t seem like the type of girl to do that often, but it was nice to hear her say it out loud.

  “I understand wanting a little company until you feel settled,” Billy said.

  “Do you often save women who ask you to stay over at their house?”

  Billy realized then that Thea was equally curious about him. “Yes,” he said. He saw her raised eyebrow. “And usually I’m given a whole apple pie and pancakes for breakfast. I’m quite popular with the geriatric crowd in Greyelf.”

  Thea laughed, and Billy thought how pretty the sound was. It calmed the bear down which allowed him to relax. Thea grabbed a small remote off the coffee table in front of her and turned it toward the fireplace on the far wall. A few seconds later, a fire burst into being.

  Billy shifted in his seat. Suddenly the whole scene had a much different feel to it.

  “You don’t mind, do you? I’m a little chilly,” Thea said.

  “Not at all,” Billy gulped a larger sip from his glass. He was trying not to look at the gentle swell of Thea’s t-shirt as it crossed her chest, or the graceful curve of her thighs. He averted his eyes. If he didn’t control himself, how could he expect to control his bear?

  “I’ve heard it gets cold in Greyelf,” Thea said. She wrapped her arms around her knees and pulled them in closer to her chest.

  “You get used to it,” Billy said. He stood up and pulled a blanket he noticed off the top of the couch. Then he unfurled it and gently set it around Thea’s shoulders. The way she looked up at him made him want to bend down and taste her lips, but he couldn’t do that. He wasn’t going to take advantage of her fragile state. “If you’re human, you just don’t spend a lot of time outside.”

  “Right,” Thea said.

  Billy found that he didn’t want to go back to the chair. He positioned himself on the couch again. Thea hesitated for a moment, and then she moved closer to him. She turned so that her head rested on his shoulder.

  “I’m so tired,” she said.

  Billy wasn’t sure what to do, but he put his arm up, and then Thea tucked herself up underneath it. He felt the softness of her body as it pressed up against him, and it nearly made him jump out of his skin.

  “You smell nice. I noticed it earlier,” she said. Her voice sounded drowsy.

  “Thanks,” he said. He let his hand drift down so that it rested on the hollow of her waist just above her hip. She snuggled closer to him.

  “Thanks for staying, Billy. I hope it’s not a bother,” she said.

  “It’s okay. I’m happy to do it,” he said. “Why don’t you get some shut eye?”

  She mumbled something intelligible, and then incredibly he heard the sound of her breath turn to that of one who slept. This beautiful woman had fallen asleep in his arms. The even crazier part of the whole thing was that Billy didn’t mind a bit. It made him feel strong, and as if he had protected the thing most precious to him.

  He stared out the window at the skyline in front of him and thought back on the day. He had awoken in his own lonely bed in Greyelf and was falling asleep in Copper City next to the woman that his bear said was his mate. It was surreal. Billy wasn’t sure what to think about all of it.

  Billy figured that he would be awake for hours pondering all of the new things that had happened since meeting Thea at the airport, but the adrenaline of the day had worn off. He felt his eyelids slip closed, and then he was asleep.

  “What the holy fuck is this shit?” The angry, booming voice woke Billy from a deep slumber. He opened his eyes to see Thea rubbing at her own beside him. Her beautiful emerald eyes blinked at him with a confused expression and then widened as her memory of the previous evening seemed to come back to her.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Thea was still trying to catch up on where she was and why there was a handsome man staring at her with the loveliest blue eyes. But Eric’s continued tirade took all those thoughts away.

  “I demand an explanation!”

  “Take it down a notch before you wake up Alex,” Thea said. She pulled herself up off the couch, noting various aches and pains. Her knees felt stiff and sore. They were reminders of the attack that she hoped went away soon. It made her wish for the shifter’s healing abilities. “What are you doing here so early?” A quick glance to the clock on the wall across the room told her it was 6am.

  “I came over to check on you and take you and Alex out to breakfast,” Eric said, his voice only slightly lower than before. “I didn’t expe
ct to find…this.”

  Thea rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “And by this, you mean seeing that I had a friend keep me company last night because it was too hard for me to sleep by myself?”

  “You just met this guy yesterday,” Eric said, shoving his finger in Billy’s direction. Thea noted that Billy had stood up and taken a small step back, but didn’t appear to be willing to speak yet. She didn’t blame him. Eric was a peach to deal with when his temper flared up.

  “This guy saved my life and escorted me and Alex home. I asked him to stay. He’s been a perfect gentleman.”

  Eric rubbed his face. “Jesus Christ, it feels like the world has gone insane.”

  “You’re right, it does,” Thea said. “I’ve got my stepbrother stomping around my apartment at the crack of dawn acting like a prehistoric wildebeest.”

  “I don’t even know what the fuck that is, but I’m a panther shifter,” Eric said with a frown.

  “It means that your behavior isn’t all that becoming in a grown man,” Thea said with a sniff. “It’s no wonder you haven’t settled down yet.” She watched with amusement as Eric’s mouth opened and closed like a fish.

  “If you needed someone to stay with you, I would have given Sophie the night off. Or I would have been happy to come by after the fights,” Eric said. His voice had calmed down considerably.

  “I know you are busy on fight nights, and I wouldn’t have asked Sophie to give up her tips,” Thea said. She let her arms fall to her sides. Billy was still watching the situation warily.

  “I’m apologizing for my brother’s behavior. Again,” Thea said to Billy.

  “It’s okay. I can’t say I’d act much different if the situation was reversed,” Billy said. He stuck his hands deep into his pockets. “I should probably be on my way.”

  Thea wanted to stop him, but she could tell by the way Eric looked at Billy as if he were shooting him with daggers that it was probably for the best. “I’ll walk you out,” she said quietly. Billy gave Eric a wide berth as he made his way into the hallway. “Why don’t you make yourself useful and put on some coffee, if you remember how,” she threw over her shoulder at Eric.

  Billy had already arrived at the elevator doors and pushed the button to call it.

  “Thanks for staying with me last night,” Thea said. There were so many other things she wanted to say. She felt as if she had only scratched the surface of Billy’s exterior. She was attracted to him, but it felt different than when she had lusted after men before. She wanted to know everything about him. But he might be ready to ditch her and get on with his purpose in the city. She struggled with how to make the next few moments last as long as possible.

  Billy took her hand and interlaced her fingers in his. His touch momentarily took her breath away. “I’m happy that you asked me to stay. I’d like to see you again while I’m in town if you’d be willing.”

  “Oh, yes,” Thea nodded her head, relieved that he wasn’t about to walk out of her life forever.

  “So I have an appointment at 10pm tonight that I can’t miss, but other than that, I’m free,” he said with a wry grin. “How about dinner?”

  “I’d like that,” she said. “There’s a restaurant over on 50th. Marchuli’s. How about 7pm?”

  “I’ll see you then.” The elevator doors opened, and he reached out to brush her hair out of her face and behind her ear. “Good luck with that.” He cocked his head toward the living room.

  “I’ll need it,” she said with a small sigh. Billy stepped into the elevator and then the door slid shut taking him from her view.

  Thea felt flushed, and her heart raced as if she had just gotten done working out. It had been a long time, if ever, since a man had excited her and intrigued her the way that Billy Miller did. She touched the side of her head where his fingers had just been and smiled. She liked being close to him. She’d leave it at that for now and try not to overanalyze it too much.

  Squaring her shoulders, Thea made her way into the kitchen. She found Eric there and was surprised to see that he did, in fact, know how to brew coffee.

  “I don’t appreciate you storming into my house and scaring away my guests,” she said. She figured it was best not to bother beating around the bush. With Eric, subtlety didn’t work well.

  “Last time I checked, my dad still foots the bill for this place,” Eric said as he moved around the kitchen. It always surprised her how gracefully he moved for how large he was. Eric looked more like a linebacker than a CEO.

  “It’s my place, Eric.” She wasn’t going to be drawn into an argument with him over how Robert’s holdings were divided among his children. “I’m twenty-five years old, and what you saw hardly even qualifies as anything at all. We fell asleep on my couch with all of our clothes on. Hot.”

  Eric looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Then he got two mugs down from the cabinet. “I am glad to see that you do actually have an interest in the opposite sex, Thea. Believe me, if it were any other guy, I’d be delighted as shit.”

  Thea sat down on one of the stools and thought about how she had done the same thing the night before when Billy and Alex were in the kitchen. It had felt a lot more like family then. “Can we tone down the language? It’s goddamn early. And who I choose to spend my time with isn’t any of your business.”

  “It is my business when it involves the sheriff of Greyelf,” Eric said. “Look, Thea. I don’t want to make you paranoid or suspicious about the guy’s intentions, but Lukas Kasper has been on our asses for months. Then his sheriff shows up out of the blue and ingratiates himself into your favor in the span of a single evening? Doesn’t that seem like a pretty big coincidence?”

  “Why does my favor matter?” Thea said. She didn’t like the direction of the conversation. She hadn’t felt one deceptive vibe about Billy in the time they spent together.

  “You are my right-hand. If I had a wife or a girlfriend, you’d still know more about me than either of them.” Thea had to roll her eyes. Of course, Eric would assume that he’d have both and that the roles were not mutually exclusive. “You might not realize it, but you know more about my business and my agreements with Kyle and Tony than anyone else. Having your confidence means the sheriff gets inside intel of the highest caliber on the Urban Dwellers.”

  Thea put up her hands. “There are so many insults in those few sentences that I can’t even believe it. First of all, I think you’ve completely misread the situation. Billy saved my life, and I was the one who invited him here. He wasn’t trying to ingratiate himself at all. Secondly, I appreciate how much credit you give me in being able to tell when someone is manipulating me or not. Of course, the fact that you made me sign a confidentiality agreement the size of a textbook might have been the first clue. Third, it warms my heart that you think a guy might seriously be interested in me, and not the entire fucking Carmichael family!” Thea’s voice had gotten louder, and Eric’s eyes widened at her last comment.

  He slid a cup of coffee across the counter at her. “Stop giving me shit about my language. Pot, kettle, black.”

  Thea felt a laugh burst out of her mouth and then saw Eric had a similar twinkle in his eye. He pulled the coffee cup up and gave her a small salute. She started to pick up her cup and realized that her hands were shaking. This wasn’t like her at all.

  “It’s kind of nice to see you let loose for once, although I’d prefer that it wasn’t all directed at me,” Eric said drily. “Look. I’m not trying to be all paternal or anything. I do want you to find a guy and be happy. But I want you to find the right guy, and it bothers me to see you with someone that I wouldn’t trust being within fifty yards of me or anyone in my family. And it goes beyond the fact that he is the right-hand man of the biggest thorn in my side at the moment.”

  Thea felt herself responding to Eric’s sincere words, and she felt bad for yelling at him. Like his father, Eric took his responsibilities to care for his family seriously. The way that manifested, though,
always left a little bit to be desired. “What do you mean? What else do you know?”

  “Just like I’m sure the sheriff has been doing his homework on me, I’ve done my homework on both him and Lukas Kasper. The sheriff looks like a boy scout on paper, but he has skeletons in his closet just like everybody else.” Eric leaned over to let his forearms rest on the countertop.

  “Nobody’s a saint. If I’ve learned anything by being around you, Kyle, and Tony, I’ve learned that much,” Thea said. “You can’t judge someone by the actions of their past.”

  “Let me put it this way,” Eric said. “People don’t just up and leave their clans for no reason. Shifters have these bonds of loyalty that run miles deep. So deep that the alpha can control them if he wants to. It’s part of the deal of joining a clan.”

  That was the first time Thea had ever heard this tidbit of news. “What are you talking about?”

  “It’s a long story, and I don’t even know if I understand it,” Eric said. “There are a lot of things about shifters that you don’t know because you aren’t one of us, and despite what you think to the contrary, you’ve only ever seen a small snippet of what it’s like to be one. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you with Alex all along. If he is a shifter, there are going to be some things he experiences that you have no comparable experience to relate to, and you have to be open to that when it happens.”

  “I understand that,” Thea said. “But what does that have to do with Billy and being part of a clan?”

  “The biggest reason that Kyle, Tony, and I chose not to become part of a clan, or even form one here, was because we believe in free will and choice. You shouldn’t have to be shackled to one person’s domination just because you happened to have the misfortune of being born into their clan. It’s an archaic system that doesn’t work in modern society.”

  Thea had never heard Eric speak so passionately about anything before. She let the words sink in because he was right. It did feel archaic.