Billionaire Bear Shifters A Paranormal Romance Complete Series Boxset - Brittany White Page 0,112

the lobby to the wide stairway, taking the right staircase up to an elevator that would take him to the top floor and the wing where he and his brothers all lived.

Cody wrapped on the door and thanked the fates above and below that he didn’t hear a baby crying through the wall. Nathan answered with baby Emily in his arms. She was fussing just a little bit, softly whimpering as he rocked her. He had his big, square palm carefully cupping the back of her fuzzy little head as she clutched his chest, wrapped in a blanket

Cody couldn’t help cracking a smile. “Man, you’re a natural.”

“Who knew, right?” Nathan said. He stepped back and nodded for Cody to come in. “Nice to see you up here, bro. What’s up? Alanna’s asleep for about the first time in two days or something. I was gonna have some coffee while I chill with Em here. You want some?”

“Yeah, sure. I can hang out for a minute.” He made a vague gesture to Nathan’s plush red couch and headed to the kitchen. All the residential suites had a similar layout and anyway, he’d spent enough time in Nathan’s place before to have run of the place. “Sit down with Em. I’ll make the coffee.”

“Thanks, dude.” Nathan sat down with a sigh. He looked like it must be the first time he’d sat down all day. Emily started to fuss again and Nathan kissed her little head, trying to calm her. “You alright?”

“Yeah!” Cody filled up the carafe with tap water and poured it into the coffeemaker. “I mean I wanted to visit anyway. But I was a dick before. Thought I should apologize. I’m doing that a lot today.”

“No sweat,” Nathan with a shrug. “We know how you get.”

He sounded just a little too gleeful about it and Cody shot him a look. “You were right. I was pissed about something else and I took it out on everybody. I got some air, cleared my head... ”

“You should go on a run when you get like that,” Nathan said knowingly.

“Who has time to go on a run in the middle of a workday?” Cody said, a bit incredulous.

“Tell Connor you said that. He’ll laugh. Listen, Alanna and I have a deal. When one of us gets all tensed up we go shift in the woods and get our bear out, you know what I mean? No matter what’s happening. We cover for each other and there’s always someone to cover work. Otherwise, your bear comes roaring out and you don’t want that.”

“I guess,” Cody muttered. He was probably right. “Anyway. The thing I was actually upset about was this girl, Jessie.”

“Oooh.” Nathan cooed, rocking Emily in his arms. “Connor told me about this. The maid you’re crushing on, right?”

“It’s not a crush.” Cody frowned and flicked on the coffeemaker. “I’m not twelve. I was interested and we talked a lot and yesterday I asked her out and she shut me down.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah well, I talked to her after I blew up at you in the kitchen and actually, she is interested too. But... She says she can’t date.” He shrugged. “Won’t tell me why but she says it’s not a boyfriend.”

“Huh. That’s mysterious.”

“Yeah.” He leaned on the counter and eyed Nathan. He’d gained a few pounds since getting together with Alanna but it looked good on him. It seemed to have only added some muscle and he seemed like even more of a man than he had before, if it were possible, especially with his infant daughter in his arms. He looked happy. He looked happier than Cody had ever seen him. Eric was the same way nowadays too.

It made Cody wonder if that’s how things could be with Jessie. He imagined them reading the same books, laughing together, and waking up with her in his arms... It was the stuff of dreams.

“Any advice?” Cody said.

“From me?” Nathan snorted. “You’ve never asked my advice.”

“Yeah, but look at you.” Cody shrugged. “You got it all, man. I hate to admit it but... I’m jealous, alright? Of both you and Eric. I think Connor is too. Sometimes I feel like maybe Jessie is the one, ya know?”

“Wow. Your mate?” Nathan gaped at him. “Really? Do you get the feeling in your chest?”

Cody chewed his lip. It was an overwhelming thought and he hadn’t voiced it before.

“What feeling in my chest?” He said softly.

“Just like... this desperate yearning,” Nathan said, looking somewhere far away. “Like if