Damaged Billionaire Daddy Bear - Leela Ash Page 0,26

Exotic Rescue, but none quite like this.

Connor’s gaze flicked to Theodore, “I doubt you were taking calls when you were so… wrapped up and engrossed in entertaining staff.”

Theodore’s voice hardened in unmistakable warning, “Jessica and I took her kids and mine out for a day by the lake to cool off.” His gaze drifted even more meaningfully to where Ari and Kal were standing on the doorstep, waiting for their mother to come to them before they entered the house. “They’re guests, and I expect them to be treated with unfailing courtesy.”

Connor didn’t even spare the kids a glance, evident of the fact that he was already aware of their presence. His eyes were still hard as stone as he countered, “And a very fine… cooling off you must have enjoyed right there by the lake.”

Jessica colored, resenting his innuendos, especially because he was right. He was talking almost as though he had seen them by the lake. Oh no, he hadn’t wandered by, had he?

But a man like him was so big that he was sure to have been noticed, she thought, soothing herself.

Right on the heels of that, she recalled that he had been standing silently in the shadows, and neither she nor Theodore had noticed him.

A low growl sounded in Theodore’s throat and he glared at Connor, “You wanted something? Or did you just wanna test if I can still punch your lights out?”

Jessica threw him a surprised glance. When they had been at the mall, he had stood there and let Roy call him vermin and a creature without defending himself, but now that Connor was making nasty innuendos about her relationship with him, he was willing to throw punches to shut the other man up? Never mind that Connor was so huge he positively dwarfed Theodore, despite how tall and huge Theodore himself was.

Jessica watched in silence as Connor glared at Theodore. She was staring straight at his eyes, so she saw it: the flicker of fire that lit up clearly in both eyes and the low rumble that spread beneath the very earth where she stood, shaking the ground a little.

What in the world? she thought, falling back a step in alarm.

With a snarl that definitely sounded animal, Connor spat, “If you’re finished coddling your guests, Cade Deveraux and Joshua Cox are here. They’re heading back to Weirna tonight, so you might want to make it quick.”

“The Damaged Pack? Here?” Theodore breathed, hushed reverence in his tone as though he’d learned that a unicorn wandered into his office. He hurriedly stepped back from Jessica and her arms immediately mourned the loss of his feel against her skin. He looked at her, “This was a great evening, Jess. I’m afraid duty calls.”

She gave him a hesitant smile before stepping back and turning to hurry off toward her children even as she wondered what sort of group called themselves ‘The Damaged Pack’. She didn’t look back at him again, so she didn’t notice his wistful look following her until the door closed behind her and the kids.

Theodore looked at Connor, “You were so rude just now, man. If I didn’t know better, I would say you had the hots for her.”

“My ass,” Connor grunted as he entered the passenger side of the car Jessica had just exited. “I’m glad you do know better.”

The drive to the office was short and swift, and he easily carried Carla in his arms and laid her in the little bedroom he had created off his office for just such emergencies. Then he traipsed into his office and stopped short when he saw that, in actual fact, two of the Damaged Pack brothers and their mentor were ensconced in different seats, waiting for him.

He looked a question at Connor, “You didn’t mention that Drake was also here.”

Connor met the eyes of the tall confident man who was standing by the fireplace and intense dislike sparked between both men as Connor announced crudely, “He doesn’t count.”

Theodore sighed. Drake was the only dragon in the Damaged Pack, and Connor was the only dragon among the Exotic Pack. One would think they would get along, but they had shared bitter animosity for years on end.

The Damaged Pack was a group of shifters, just like the Exotic Pack, but they were five in number and they stayed all the way in Weirna. In all the years Theodore had been running Exotic Rescue, Joshua Cox, the Damaged Pack’s mentor and father figure, had only come here