I know I have posted a few chapters from other stories but I would really like feedback on this one in particular. This is the first true romance story I have written and I'm not going to lie I am a little nervous about it. So if you feel like taking a moment and shooting me an email or leaving a comment it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Chapter 1
‘Why am I dealt this hand of crap?’ Charise thought.
Perfect example - being left to deal with her boss’s fuck ups, and to be the next meal for Xavier, the oldest of the Leo brothers. Which she wouldn’t mind in the least, with his icy blue eyes and luscious locks, if he hadn’t been glaring down at her at that exact moment. Even though he was madder than hell she couldn’t help but notice how his shirt stretched across his shoulders and chest.
“I’m sorry that your client has decided to go with Cougar Construction, Mr. Leo. If you would like to talk to Mr. Kale I can call him for you.” She began to feel fidgety as he continued to glare at her. She was torn between wanting to climb under the desk and hide, and shifting to her bear and run at top speed out of there.
“You can tell Jack that if I find him sniffing around our clients again, I will skin him alive and have myself a new tiger skin rug,” he growled. He turned on his heel and stalked out of my office, giving me a perfect view of his tight ass.
She jumped as he slammed the door closed. She sighed and slumped over the keyboard. ‘Why did the three hottest men on earth have to own the competition? Life is so not fair.’ She grabbed the phone and dialed Jack.
“You know, if you are going to steal clients from the competition you can at least give me a heads up?” Charise growled as Jack picked up.
“Sorry, but I was kind of distracted at the time,” Jack purred.
“Meaning you were rolling around in bed with Ms. Calley.” She really should have known. He always did this crap.
“Among other places,” he murmured.
She heard a moan in the background and groaned. “Why do you do this to me? I’m starting to think I run this place and not you. And why did you pick up the phone if you weren’t done?!”
“We were done at the moment.”
She could hear him talking to Ms. Calley and wished that she couldn’t hear some of the things he was saying. “Jack, if you are not in this office in two hours, I am quitting.”
“Two hours! I need more time than that.”
“Too bad.” She ended the call and turned it to silent. She had the beginnings of a headache.
Her thoughts turned to Xavier Leo, the man currently pissed off at Jack. He was the oldest of the Leo brothers and the boss of Heat Construction. All three of them were panty creaming sexy and she had plenty of fantasies about them. Her bear even thought that they were screaming orgasm worthy. It was just a shame that she couldn’t have any fun with them, them being Kings of the Libaax Pride and her being Princess of the Northern Ursus Den.
She slumped back in her chair. ‘Why did I have to be so attracted to the feline trio? Why couldn’t they be Kodiaks or some other breed of ursus? I would just have to avoid them at all costs.’ In a way it sucked being the princess, and being the only sister of the twin alphas of the last pure blooded bear clan meant that you mated with the someone with an almost perfect pedigree of your own species. Sometimes it really sucked being her.
The office phone rang, signalling that she needed to get back to work.
* * *
Charise looked up from her computer screen as Lachlan Kale, Jacks’ father, old alpha of the Shanbeel Pride, and founder of Cougar Construction, walked through the door. “ Hello Mr. Kale, is there anything I can do for you today?”
“Yes, there is. You can tell me what that good-for-nothing son of mine is up to,” he said as he sat down in the chair across from her.
She flipped open the calendar on her desk and skimmed today’s entries. “According to his calendar he is supposed to be meeting with a new client, a Ms. Cassie Calley.”
Lachlan snorted. “More like you meant to say he was fucking her senseless.”
Charise sighed. “Yeah, most likely. So how did you find out?
“I’ve been made aware of the situation by a loud and irritable source.” He sighed and leaned back, rubbing his forehead. “A very loud source.”
“This source wouldn’t happen to be about 6 ½ feet tall, icy blue eyes, long black hair. and a bad attitude?”
“That would be correct. This source also informed me that if I didn’t leash my son soon then what happened to my son would be his fault.”
She laughed. “So in feline male code, that means that Jack would be neutered in a not so friendly way.”
“Pretty much and since Jack is my heir and only child the he can’t be neutered, even though I’ve been very tempted to do it myself several times. Which brings me to the reason that I am here. I know that this job has been your way of escaping from your den and those brothers of yours, but I’m going to have to bring someone in that can bring Jack to heel before he gets hurt.”
“You know that when I leave all of my clients will be going with me?” she asked, leaning back in her seat. She felt a headache coming on and she knew just who to blame for it, Jack and that annoying Xavier Leo.
“I know and it’s going to hurt us to lose you and that many clients. But Jack has to stop doing these things,” Lachlan said as Jack walked through the office door.
“Doing what things?” he asked sitting in the chair next to his father.
“Being a complete and utter asshat, thats what,” Charise grumbled.
“And how exactly am I being an asshat this time?” Jack chuckled, he was used to Charise calling him names. But then she was the only female that worked for him that he didn’t try to seduce. It might have been because she more like a sister to him, or the fact that her two older brothers would kill him if he so much as sniffed her wrong.
“I’ll be replacing Charise with a new secretary, someone who can keep your dick in your pants,” Lachlan explained.
“I doubt anyone can do that. Maybe his mate but she definitely doesn’t live here in Shelbyville,” Charise laughed.
“So you’re firing Charise because I love to have fun with the ladies?” Jack asked.
“Essentially yes.I’m sorry that this is happening but what did you expect to happen when you started seducing female clients from our competition? Every action has a consequence and unfortunately this is the consequence of your actions.”
Charise felt sorry for Jack but she knew her friend would persevere. She stood up and put her few meager things in one of the small shopping bags she kept for the trash can.She sighed and took off the pendant that hid her from other shifters. “Jack, it’s ok. We both need to grow up. I need to stop running from my fate and you need to stop being an unscrupulous playboy.”
“Took the words right out of my mouth,” Xavier said as he and his brothers walked through the door.
“Hello gentlemen,” Lachlan said, standing up to face them.
“Great more testosterone,” Charise sighed. She finished packing, her client list being the last thing she grabbed.
“Come to make sure that my father was dealing with me?” Jack growled.
Xavier's grin was feral. “Yeah and if he wasn't we would be.”
Xander, the middle brother, sniffed the air. “Something smells really good in here. Tantalizing and delicious.”
“Almost as if our mate had been here recently…” Xerxes said. Xander and Xerxes stared at Charise.
Xavier snorted. “The only female here is the pudgy secretary, so stop it.”
“Why thanks for that wonderful compliment! By the way this secretary has a name and I need to find a new job because of you.” Charise grabbed her stuff and headed for the door.
Xerxes stepped in front of her and gave her a panty dropping grin. “I’m not an asshole like my brother.”
“And?”
“I can help you carry your things out to your car,” he said.
“Thanks, but I’m a big girl and can take care of myself.” Charise smiled at him and darted around him. “I’ll see you later, Jack.”
