The PlayBear Billionaire: A Bear Shifter Romance (9 page)

Daphne had raised one dark, fine eyebrow and smiled slowly. “I will keep that in mind.”

Alex had wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him in the bed. “What did you really think of her? Honestly.”

Daphne had gone silent for a moment, her dark eyes losing focus as she considered the question. “Honestly, she’s obviously a kind, intelligent woman. Worried about you. Lonely without her husband.” Daphne had pressed her lips together. “I think she’s looking for grandkids. Someone to live for.” Daphne had taken a deep breath then, and Alex didn’t need preternaturally acute senses to notice the flicker of doubt in her eyes. “I mean, she didn’t say anything to that effect. She wasn’t planning our wedding or anything like that. But you know.”

Alex had nodded slowly. “We’re not there yet. I know she’s lonely since Dad passed. But I know… we’re not ready for that kind of seriousness yet.” He had kissed her, lightly on the lips, up along the curve of her jaw to her ear. “You’re not ready for it.”

“Are you… okay with that?” Daphne had asked. “I mean… you asked me to meet her, obviously you want things to be at least a little more serious than they were before.”

Alex had hesitated only a moment before nodding. “I’m okay with it. I do want things to be a little more serious but I want us to take our time getting there. I don’t want you to be rushed, or feel like you have to do something you’re not ready for. I know you’re still working through… well…” He’d let the sentence die off, not knowing whether or not it was time to have a real conversation about his nature.

“It’s kind of a lot to adjust to,” Daphne had admitted. They had left it at that, shifting into passion once more, touching each other with more and more lust building up between them until Alex lifted Daphne onto him and kissed her as she rocked her hips against his, taking him in with a few quick movements.

In the few days since, Alex had been surprised at how content he was. Daphne was still, obviously, trying to work her way through the conflicting emotions that his dual nature gave her but he could tell from her seriousness that the winning emotion, the one at the foremost of her mind, was affection. She hadn’t run away from him, she still responded to him physically, leaning into his touches, kissing him, caressing him.

Alex could understand that it was difficult for Daphne to wrap her mind around the fact that he transformed into a bear. If he hadn’t grown up knowing that it was his fate, if his parents hadn’t carefully prepared him for that fact of his existence, he would have been shocked the first time it had happened. He wanted—needed—to break through the barrier of politeness that had formed between them, but he knew that if he made the move too soon, he would do nothing more than push her away into fear. He had to wait for her to ask the questions that filled her mind. He had to wait for her to be ready.

Alex’s phone buzzed. He had set it to vibrate in the beginning of a meeting with his management team and hadn’t taken it off the setting when they had left. There was a text message from Daphne. The screen flashed it for a second and then faded back to black. Alex picked up his phone and unlocked the screen, opening up the messages to see what she had written.

I know you’re probably in a meeting, but please, please call me when you get the chance. It’s urgent. Please, Alex.

Alex frowned at the message; what could have happened that would make Daphne so upset? He hit the phone button and dialed out to her cell.

“What’s going on?” he asked, as soon as the call connected. On the other end of the line, Daphne was sniffling, and he heard her swallow, taking a deep breath before she spoke.

“I’ve been fired,” she said, her voice cracking and breaking. “Fifteen minutes ago. I’m clearing my desk right now.” She sniffled again and Alex stared at his phone in disbelief. How was it possible? What had happened?

“What do you mean, fired?” he asked, knowing his voice was sharp and strident. “Daphne, what happened?” There was a clatter on the other end of the line, the sound of a chair groaning. Daphne’s breathing hitched, and he heard her sniffling again.

“Amelia called me into her office,” Daphne said, keeping her voice low and barely under control. “Her boss was there with her. They said…” she stopped, a soft, gasping sob breaking up her words. “They said that I’d failed to disclose an inappropriate relationship. That my, that my relationship with you, that it would make ARC look bad if it came out. They fired me, Alex.” Alex closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. The move, the disclosure, could only have come from one source. He shook his head.

“I’ll be there to pick you up. We’re going to get you incredibly drunk and we’re going to feed you the best meal you’ve ever eaten, and then we’re going to go to bed, and tomorrow, you can start a nice, long vacation while we sort this out.”

CHAPTER 8

Alex had known from the moment he finished the call with Daphne who to blame for her firing. Before he even placed the orders and made arrangements for the week of luxurious excesses, he wanted Daphne to enjoy, he contacted Amelia at ARC. After two rings, she picked up. “Amelia speaking.” Alex felt the tingling along his bones that came along with the transformation, fueled by anger and the desire to protect his mate. He pushed down the instinct but not the cause.

“Amelia. ARC is never getting another thin dime of my money. If you send me anything in the mail, it will be returned. If you try and invite me to any events, if you have representatives attempt to speak to me, I will take whatever legal or PR steps I possibly can to have them be labeled harassment.”

“Isn’t that a little extreme, Alex?” Amelia’s voice was slightly shaky; if she had been in the same room, Alex would have had the pleasure of scenting rising fear pheromones. He was not by any stretch the only donor to the animal rights group but he was certainly one of the most prominent, particularly after Daphne had convinced him to become a spokesperson.

“I mean, your relationship with us goes way farther back than your relationship with Daphne. You’ve been a big fan of our work.”

“There are several animal rights organizations in the world, Amelia,” Alex said, taking a deep breath to suppress the angry growl starting in his throat. “You fired Daphne because of a personal vendetta.”

“I fired her because she was carrying on an inappropriate relationship with you!” Alex could hear the shrill tone in her voice, the telltale indicators of a person lying.

“You know as well as I do that you’ve been itching to fire her since she signed me on.” Alex took another deep breath; the animal in him wanted to maul Amelia but his father had, on more than one occasion, drilled into him that just because they became animals did not mean that they were obliged to act like animals in their human guise. “So as a result, you lose my patronage.”

“Alex, come on. She’s a fling, it’s not like you’re planning on marrying her. Her employment contract stipulates that inappropriate relationships are grounds for dismissal.”

“Right, because it’s not as though you’ve ever been involved with a spokesperson or donor for ARC, right? So that time I saw you making out with Garrett Bell at the Donors’ Ball was all in my imagination?” Alex shook his head. “No. You wanted a reason to fire her because she got me to sign on when you couldn’t. Or maybe you have some kind of attraction to me, I have no idea. But you actively searched for a reason to fire her, now you face the consequences.”

Alex had hung up the phone, closing his eyes to suppress the urge to transform. Hearing Daphne crying, hearing the depth of her distress, moved the protective instincts in him. He had to settle for simply caring for her, for comforting her in her turmoil. He couldn’t force ARC to reinstate her nor did he think Daphne would appreciate it if he did that. He would fund a little vacation for her, he would give her whatever help she wanted in gaining a new job, and he would get his revenge on ARC by ceasing to donate, and exhorting his friends to do the same.

But in spite of his argument with Amelia, Alex knew that the opportunity to fire Daphne had been given to Amelia. Until that day, as far as he knew, no one at ARC was aware of their relationship. It was too easy to imagine that Eric had gone to Amelia directly, told her about the fact that he and Daphne were seeing each other. He might have even furnished proof. He and Daphne were careful not to be too public about their relationship but it would not be difficult for Eric to provide a picture, if he was in the right place at the right time. Why Eric would specifically target Daphne instead of Alex wasn’t clear, though of course, Alex thought, hurting Daphne would affect him. Hurting Daphne might put a strain on their relationship.

That Eric wanted to ruin Alex’s life entirely, Alex didn’t doubt at all. He picked up his phone and made a few calls, ordering food to be delivered to his apartment, making a reservation for Daphne at the spa his mother had routinely raved about for two full days of treatments—massages, steam baths, a facial and everything he could think of. He called his personal shoppers at the stores he preferred to patronize and gave them instructions and a budget for Daphne to shop to her heart’s content. He would still have to show up for work every day, but he could fill Daphne’s off-days with activities that would take her mind off of her temporary career troubles. Alex knew there would be at least a little argument from the woman he loved. Daphne, to his delight, was hesitant to accept any expensive gifts from him, or to take advantage of his wealth in any way.

When he arrived outside of the ARC offices in the back seat of his car, Daphne came out, eyes still red, carrying the few items she had used to personalize her desk in a printer box, looking every inch the dejected fired employee. He stepped out of the car and wrapped his arms around her tightly, turning her face up to his and kissing her on the lips.

“At least now we can be as public as we want about our relationship,” he murmured, breathing in the scent of her. He could still smell the pheromones for fear, for anxiety and sadness, the stink of failure, an undercurrent to her subtle musk.

“Silver lining, I guess,” she said, taking a deep breath and glancing once over her shoulder.

“I’ve canceled all future involvement with ARC,” Alex told her, gesturing for her to get into the car before him.

“I should be glad, but I’m kind of not.” Daphne made a face. “In spite of Amelia, ARC does some really good things.”

Alex shrugged. “There are many organizations working to the same end. They’ll have the benefit of my money to help them.” He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her palm. The scent of distress began to fade from her as she responded to his touch, his presence. He smiled, feeling the rush of heat that heralded his arousal. Not now, he would take care of her, he would feed her a sumptuous dinner, he’d fill her up with wine, get her into a warm bath, and then he would make love to her until she fell into a contented, satisfied sleep.

It was almost worth the pain of Daphne’s distress to see her delight over the meal spread before her at his table. He had ordered all of the things he knew she loved: seafood, meat, vegetables, and desserts galore, along with the best wines that could accompany each course.

“As bizarre as it sounds, if this is what happens when I get canned, I’d almost be tempted to ruin my career weekly.”

Alex laughed. “I think you’d gain about fifty pounds in a year if you did that,” he pointed out.

“Nah, I’d just get you to hire me a personal trainer and work out for two hours a day.”

Alex let out a low growl. “Two hours a day away from me?” He leaned in and nipped at her neck playfully. “Not acceptable.”

“We can’t spend every moment of our lives together,” Daphne countered.

“Well, no. But my free time… such as it is… is yours.” He dragged his lips upward along the column of her throat until he came to her mouth. Daphne tasted of wine, of the meal, and her usual sweet flavor. Alex could barely restrain himself from stripping her clothes off right at the dining room table, breathing in the mingling of her own scent and the musk of his mark on her.

In the back of his mind, Alex knew he had more work—personal work—to do that night before he could relax, but he wanted, needed, for Daphne to relax first.

“If you wanted to work out for two hours a day, I’d make it happen… but I don’t think you do.”

“Not really,” Daphne said, grinning as he pulled back from her. “I also don’t particularly want to ruin my career weekly, even if this…” she pointed to the remains of their meal, “is a very good consolation prize.”

“Oh, this is just the beginning.” Alex told her about the arrangements he had made, the spa visit, the shopping. Daphne’s eyes widened.

“This is… a little extreme, don’t you think?” She swallowed. “I know you want me to feel better, to have a little break from the business grind… but that’s a lot of money you’re throwing around.” Alex took her hands in his and gave them a gentle squeeze.

“It’s a drop in a barrel, Daphne,” he told her. “I wouldn’t miss it. I could spend twice that amount and not miss it.” Daphne shook her head.

“That’s not the point,” she said slowly. “I know you don’t think anything of it… but I don’t want to feel like, like you have to spend money like that on me.” Alex pressed his lips to hers once more.

“This is a special occasion,” Alex told her quietly. “I’m not going to shower you in gold and jewels. Just a little distraction, a little vacation to take your mind off of losing your job.”

“As long as this doesn’t become a constant thing. I’d feel like I owe you.” Alex lifted Daphne from her seat and carried her towards the bathroom, kissing along the column of her throat.

“I promise I will keep myself from treating you like the queen of Sheba unless it’s a special occasion, for as long as we’re together.” Daphne turned his face around and kissed him on the lips, her body pressing more firmly against his, the scent of her arousal rising up from her skin through her clothes.

“Thank you,” she murmured, as Alex began to strip her work clothes off of her.

“Let’s get you cleaned up,” Alex suggested, trailing his hands over her breasts, her waist, stopping at her hips to knead the smooth skin there. “And then let’s spend the rest of the night making you sweat.”

“I will never be able to comprehend your fascination for the way my sweat smells,” Daphne said with a chuckle, shaking her head.

“Probably not,” Alex said with a grin. “But you can at least enjoy the fact that even if you didn’t bathe for three days, I’d still find you incredibly hot.”

“A little gross there.” Daphne shook her head again, though she was still smiling. “But I guess it saves agonizing over whether I should wear perfume or not.” Alex stripped off the suit he had been wearing all day and kissed her as the bathtub filled up. Soon enough, he told his raging libido. He’d feel her body wrapped around his, hear her moans of pleasure, smell the sweet-sharp musk of her arousal soon enough.

*

Not for the first time, Alex found himself wishing that his responsibilities didn’t force him to stay in the office while Daphne enjoyed her vacation. It would have been easier to pretend like the stresses of his life didn’t exist. After Daphne had fallen asleep, curled up in his bed, thoroughly exhausted and thoroughly tipsy from the wine and the bath, he had sent Ben a text.

Tell me what the hell is going on with Eric.

He had received a response a few minutes later.

Will brief you in the morning. Still working out the details.

Alex sat back in his desk chair, staring up at the ceiling. He had reports to review; he had decisions to make. He knew that Ben would be calling soon and the fact of it made it impossible to focus on anything else. Eric was getting to him through Daphne, that much was apparent. But how far Eric would take his strategy was the question. Getting Daphne fired from ARC was a small matter. It didn’t take much finesse or planning, especially with Amelia already determined to find some reason.

As he waited to hear from Ben, Alex thought about what Daphne would be doing. She would have made it to the spa by now and the aesthetician would have led her back, started the first of the treatments that she was scheduled to receive: a soak in a fragrant bath of flowers and essential oils. Alex smiled to himself. Daphne, his nymph, his ‘little honeybee’ would enjoy every moment of the day at the spa, he knew. If only he could be there with her to watch, to see her slowly, steadily sinking into deeper and deeper relaxation. He had worked with the spa in the past and they knew him well. It was owned by a friend of the family, another werebear by the name of Regina. Alex had given her the capital to open the business. If he had wanted to accompany Daphne, if he had wanted to have a few private moments with her, Regina would have been happy to arrange it for him.

Alex’s phone rang, the screen lit up flashing Ben’s contact details. Alex picked it up and tapped the accept icon. “Tell me you’ve sorted it out and you can give me an exact picture of Eric’s next moves.” He heard Ben inhale on the other end of the line, exhale slowly.

“He was definitely behind Daphne getting fired. I got into her boss’ email and found the message from one of his dummy emails, with a picture of you and her kissing in a park somewhere.”

“Tell me something I don’t know, please.” Alex gritted his teeth. Ben was on the scent, he knew, if he’d managed to get into Amelia’s email, he was on a trail; a trail that led straight back to Eric.

“He’s submitted pictures, all kinds of info to about a dozen of the scandal rags. It’s going to be impossible for Daphne to get a job for a while, at least in the nonprofit sector for sure. Her name is going to be everywhere. Heard from a contact at the
Herald
that most of the big local papers are sending paparazzi out to find her, figure things out about her.”

“So he’s coming at me through her.”

“There’s plenty of mud to go around. You’re going down with her. Scandal like this could drive the stock down, you know?”

“It’s unlikely,” Alex said, shrugging it off. “I mean after all, I’m a bachelor hanging out with a single woman. Hardly a mystery.” Still, he felt the tension come over him, felt the tingling deep down. Daphne was going to be hounded by the press.