Billionaire Bear Shifters A Paranormal Romance Complete Series Boxset - Brittany White Page 0,61

didn’t go hopping into bed with you. Is that about right?”

“It’s not just about sex,” Eric snapped.

But he couldn’t deny there was a kernel of truth in what his brother said.

“I know.” Cody shrugged. “She’s the one that got away. I get it.”

“It’s not just that. I never knew why she went away. I told her how I felt and she bolted. And she was my best friend. It wasn’t like I was giving her some ultimatum - be with me or our friendship is over. Why leave? I never got it. Whatever.”

“You should talk to her about it.” He smacked Eric’s shoulder. “Instead of whining to me.”

“My bear’s about to lose his mind,” Eric muttered. “It’s whine to you or maul the guests.”

“Okay, well...don’t do that,” Cody said. “Go to her and apologize for whatever it was you said. I’m sure it was stupid.”

“You’re an asshole,” Eric said lightly. “And thanks.”

19

Michelle

I need to go on a run.

There were few coherent thoughts in Michelle’s brain after she left Eric. She was so enraged, she could hardly think. Her mind was a riot. It took a lot of self-control not to simply use the powerful force of her magic to throw Eric right through a wall and tear up the very lodge she wanted to take over, if he wouldn’t just bend like a good boy so she could marry him already.

She fumed and paced. If she could have blown smoke through her nose, she would have. The thought made her huff. It also made her crave a cigarette, a habit she had given up a long time ago. At least that was something to do; a small task to complete as she attempted to process the white hot anger coursing through her.

That son of a bitch. Her head was throbbing. That goddamn son of a bitch!

Michelle all but ran to the shopping promenade full of shops and boutiques where guests could splurge on themselves. The Black Bear Lodge was a lot like a high end Las Vegas hotel and casino that way. All it lacked was a casino.

Michelle found a small touristey shop that also sold some drug store items and cigarettes behind the counter.

“Pack of...whatever,” she snapped. “Something strong. And a lighter.”

The clerk was looking at her funny, as if slightly terrified. Michelle took a deep breath and attempted to school her expression into something like indifference.

But it was difficult.

She had been turned down again. She was not used to it.

Michelle grabbed the cigarettes and the lighter and billed them to her room before stomping out of the store. Her stilettos pinched her toes. She wasn’t dressed to go outside into the cold. She was only wearing a cashmere cardigan to guard against it. She made her way down the promenade to a courtyard with a smoking area that looked out on the higher ski slopes. She leaned against a pillar, glowering as she lit her cigarette until that first delicious drag.

She hated that she had to go to James and tell him that she had failed again. Not that James would be disappointed or that she’d put it that way. James was a complete idiot who counted himself lucky to be with her and was fully content to ride her coattails. He probably thanked his lucky stars every day she decided not to kill him just for fun. But it was still humiliating.

Nobody ever said no to Michelle. She had been getting everything she demanded for the last twenty-eight years and she had planned on continuing that trend, thank you very much.

Michelle smoked and glared and muttered and watched all the jerks skiing, somehow feeling it was their fault that Eric had turned her down. They were guests of the Black Bear Lodge, after all, and he was their dedicated concierge. Maybe if his guests were a little less demanding, he would see reason.

Her phone buzzed and Michelle, hoping it was Eric changing his mind, whipped it out.

It was a text from James. Just a single question mark. He wanted to know how things were going.

Michelle’s head throbbed.

I will kill Eric either way, she thought. That was a lovely idea. It made her feel a little better as she smoked and watched all the rich dum-dums stumbling their way down the slopes.

If Eric continued to resist, she would kill him anyway. In fact, it might help her snag one of the other brothers if she could get away with it. Perhaps she could pin Eric’s murder on James