Damaged Billionaire Daddy Bear - Leela Ash Page 0,11

froze in her veins, and she jerked her gaze toward them. They didn’t pay her any attention as they disappeared around the corner. She looked toward Theodore’s secretary. The woman was busy typing out something on her laptop and hadn’t spared the gentlemen any glance at all.

What was going on? Was something illegal really going on in Exotic Rescue? Oh dear Lord, was Theodore the sort?

Maybe she couldn’t leave the rescue just yet, after all, she thought. Maybe it would be best if she stayed on for the agreed time and tried to find out what was going on here.

Finally, his door opened and four young women let themselves out, all wearing identical frowns.

Jessica sprang to her feet, unable to contain herself as she stalked into his office and slammed the door behind her.

“Did you lie on your website?” Jessica demanded the moment she cleared the entrance of Theodore’s office.

He looked up from whatever he was studying, a cold, arrogant expression stamped on his features. A flicker of annoyance crossed his face and was immediately wiped off.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” she shot back, undaunted by that cool expression reserved for insects.

“Who might you be?” he asked, leaning back in his seat.

“Jessica Harris, as you well know. You asked me specifically to be here on consultation with a six-week contract. I specified that I do not work for companies that conduct experiments with their animals, and you assured me yours didn’t. Imagine my surprise when the first friendly face I meet coming into town turned to frost the moment I mentioned you.”

Silence.

“I convinced myself that Roy was an aberration, but now, I walk in here and discover half your staff do not like you and the other half are frightened to death of you.”

His gaze reached out to hers across the space separating them and an undecipherable current arched in the air. He looked away, breaking the connection, as he said in a bored, dismissive tone, “No one is paid to like me. And neither are you. Anita will show you around so you can get to work.”

“I don’t think so. I’m leaving. I refuse to be part of whatever you have going on here.”

He flicked his intense green gaze her way with marked unconcern. “Look I am very very busy at the moment. If you haven’t noticed I am running a rather large animal rescue here. I don’t have time to address every one of your imagined grievances. If you really want to leave I won’t stop you. I would only say that it probably would not reflect well on you or your current employer should you cancel our agreement – especially based on nothing but hearsay and rumors.”

Oh the gall, she thought. But fair enough.

Well, she would say this for Theodore Cooper, he had the bored rich boy act down to a science. He couldn’t have sounded more dismissive if he tried. Left with no other option, she tossed out a last shot, which sounded more like an attempt to save face, “Fine. I’ll be here for six weeks, as agreed, Mr. Cooper. In that time, you had better not be harming any animals on my watch or I’ll have the authorities on your ass faster than you can blink.”

Raw anger swept across his handsome face, and he rose to his feet, his voice arctic as he told her in freezing tones, “Oh, I don’t know about that, Harris. I can blink pretty fast. And for the record, of the two of us, you’re more likely to harm innocent animals than I am. You’ve got that seething, simmering-beneath-the-surface-anger going for you, after all. Now, get out there and start earning your keep. Contrary to your thoughts, this isn’t some fancy holiday resort. There’s work to be done.”

As she started toward the door, his voice sliced out at her, “And Ms. Harris? I don’t like suits. Do not wear them again.”

It was the last straw and the jab was unmistakable. Anger burned through her until her cheeks were red hot with it. Clamping her lips together, she swept from the room and right out the door.

Now, she knew why the locals didn’t like him. Theodore Cooper was a bastard, through and through. He had the morals of an alley cat and was ornery enough that he could easily give old Scrooge a run for his money. She couldn’t wait for the six weeks to be over, so she would never have to look into his handsome, detestable face ever again!

She