Billionaire Bear Shifters A Paranormal Romance Complete Series Boxset - Brittany White Page 0,158

up between them. To his credit, Connor had come around to each shop just a month ago, taking the time to meet all the new clerks of the winter season. Brooke had watched all the other shop girls melt in Connor’s presence, and thought Connor enjoyed it all a little too much. When he’d come by Cole Couture, Brooke had all but ignored him, and when he’d teased her for it, she’d snapped that his suit was out of style.

Now, here they were. Connor Strauss couldn’t seem to get enough of her mocking.

“No, really.” Connor stood up straight and took off his suit jacket. Brooke’s gaze wandered to the bulging muscles that strained the seams of his shirt. Broad shoulders and a solid chest tapered into a trim waist, and she could see a hint of abs that on anyone else would make her drool.

He probably waxes his chest, she thought, trying to talk herself out of how attractive she found him and frowning down at the cash register.

“I’ve heard my wardrobe is outdated and so am in the market for a few new suits,” Connor said. “What do you think?” Connor pointed to a headless mannequin wearing a double-breasted suit and raised an eyebrow. “Also, is it me, or is the waist on that thing crazy high?”

“It’s in,” Brooke said loftily. “But it wouldn’t look good on your body type.”

“Everything looks good on my body type,” Connor said matter-of-factly.

Brooke grit her teeth, I wish he was wrong. “Oh brother,” Brooke said under her breath. “Alright, if you really want to know, you should be taking more risks. You, sir, buy boring ass suits. All that charcoal and black. You should spice them up with ties and pocket squares with bold colors, bright patterns. That’s my advice.”

Connor leaned on the counter again, his suit jacket hanging off his finger. Up close, she noticed how long and thick his eyelashes were, and how much his blue eyes glittered when he grinned. “Thanks for the advice,” he said.

All the heat rushed to Brooke’s face.

“Maybe I’ll come by later for a fitting…” He tossed her a wink and was gone in a flash, leaving Brooke to wonder how he’d managed to make the word ‘fitting’ sound so dirty.

“I hate him!” Brooke glowered, and her breath steamed in the chilly air.

Her cousin, Carlo, walked beside her as they crossed the employee parking lot. Carlo was smirking and looking way too amused. Brooke had a tendency to rant about Connor Strauss nearly every day after work. She couldn’t seem to stop herself.

“Tell me how you really feel, cuz,” Carlo cackled He was nineteen, a young wolf with thick dark hair and a carefree smile that hadn’t broken even after his pack had been driven out of their home after years of turf wars with a rival pack. Now he operated the gondola at the lodge. “He must be something if he can drive a steadfast alpha like you crazy.”

Brooke snorted at that. He wasn’t wrong. Brooke was never usually so riled up, even in the face of difficult men. She’d come across enough of them, especially ones who felt threatened by a rare and powerful female alpha. But some men clung to their traditions of entitlement and seemed to take it as a personal affront that she, a female, was alpha of her pack.

“I wonder what Connor Strauss would think of me being an alpha,” Brooke mused, as they reached her Jeep and climbed in. It was fairly new. She’d leased it soon after getting her shop job, finally getting rid of the rusty old beater of a van that had brought many of her pack members from Nebraska to Colorado.

“Does it matter?” Carlo asked, then smirked. “For the record, I think he wouldn’t care.” He stared out the window at the delicate snowflakes flurrying outside as Brooke pulled out of the lot.

“You like Connor,” Brooke said flatly. “Why? He’s a bear and he’s - he’s...ugh!”

“That was really articulate,” Carlo teased. “Ugh. I’m convinced.”

“He’s still a bear.” Brooke pursed her lips. She was being ridiculous. Connor Strauss just seemed to bring that out in her sometimes.

“Not all bears are bad,” Carlo argued. “I mean, the only shifters who have ever given us trouble were other wolves, and you know it.”

“Hashtag not all bears,” Brooked deadpanned.

“Ha ha ha.” Carlo stuck his tongue out at her and she chuckled. “I’m running tonight with the guys. Just thought I should let you know.”

Brooke nodded, tensing slightly as her