Randell snapped his fingers and the club manager stepped forward and escorted the two wereleopards out of the room.
One of the wolves arrived at the door with a file in his hand. Randell took the file and smiled at Dalton. “Let's get our signatures on the page, shall we? I will transfer her debt to you, and you will pay her debt in full in three days' time. Deal?”
Dalton read through the document quickly. “Deal.” He signed at the bottom and waited until Randell finished putting his signature on the document.
Dalton went to take JD's clammy hand. “She doesn't work for you any more,” he told Randell. “She doesn't owe you anything.”
Randell laughed. “No. She owes you now.”
Dalton didn't reply. He simply pulled JD roughly out of the room with him.
At Randell's signal, the bouncers parted to let them through. Dalton waited for JD to pull on her jeans and t-shirt and collect her belongings before walking out of the club with her. His clan members automatically fell into step behind them. Curtis and Connor were nudging each other and whispering furiously with Bruno and Jason. When JD glanced over her shoulder at them, the four of them straightened up instantly and flashed wide grins at her.
When they reached Dalton's car, Connor cleared his throat and said, “Um, I think we'll be staying in town for a little while more. We'll catch a cab home later.”
“Yeah. The night's still young. There's plenty more fun to be had. And I'm hungry,” Jason said, rubbing his stomach. “Let's go for an all-you-can-eat buffet before checking out another club!”
“Sounds like a plan.”
They turned to wink at Dalton and JD. “You two...have fun!”
“Goodnight, and it's a pleasure to meet you, m'lady!” Curtis said, giving JD a sweeping bow.
“Joyce,” she blurted out. “My name is Joyce. Thank you all for your help tonight. It was...I could have...” A strangled, hiccuped sob escaped. “I...I really don't know how...”
“Oh. You're welcome, Joyce,” the four young werebears said quickly and began to back away. It was clear they wanted to make a quick getaway.
They could face a ferocious pack of enemy wolves without flinching, but a woman's tears were something else. Something way scarier.
“Bye, Beta!” they called out, tripping over one another in their haste to escape.
“And, um, bye, Joyce. You...take care!”
And with that, they were gone.
CHAPTER FIVE
Joyce sniffed and swiped at her eyes. These were tears of gratitude and relief, but her tears seemed to have made those nice young men uncomfortable. They had stammered and stuttered and beat a hasty retreat at the first sight of her tears.
Leaving her alone with her very handsome benefactor.
Standing beside the elegant car which cost more than she made in a year, Joyce dried her eyes on her sleeve, trying to compose herself and not look like a silly, weepy fool.
“Thank you,” she said at last, blinking up at the tall, handsome man beside her. She had seen his face in the crowd while she was up on the stage. She stared at him for a moment, wondering if he was an illusion. He had wavy brown hair, chiseled features and a long body that was tanned and muscular. But it was his eyes that caught her attention. They were intelligent, intense and kind.
He was exactly how she imagined her online friend, DJ, would look like. The face that appeared in her mind whenever she was chatting with DJ online was the face that was gazing down at her right now.
She shook her head. No, he couldn't be.
How could he be…?
Before she could marshal her wayward thoughts, he stepped closer to her and said softly, “Joyce. You are...JD.”
She gasped and jerked her head up. “What?”
“JD. Your profile name on that dating site.” His face split into a wide, winsome smile. “I'm DJ. Dalton Jameson. We meet at last.”
“I...how?”
“Your eyes. I recognized your eyes.”
She stared at him, shaking her head slowly.
Seeing her look of shock and disbelief, Dalton pulled his phone out of his pocket and typed a message quickly. “Check your phone. I just sent you a message. I really am DJ. This is not a prank, Joyce.”
She heard her phone ping in her bag. Her eyes rounded when she saw his message.
I've always known that you're beautiful.
She blushed. “DJ...”
“Dalton.”
She blinked at him, staring into his deep brown eyes for a long while. Finally, she stuck out her hand. “Joyce Donovan. I'm pleased to meet you too, DJ!”
Her hand disappeared into his large, strong hand and she felt the heat tingle up her arm and down her body. She was suddenly very aware of how close they were standing, how powerful and masculine his body was, and how attracted she was to him.
With a gasp, she pulled back abruptly. She shouldn't be having all these naughty, inappropriate thoughts about her online friend, who had just burst out of cyberspace into her life. It was great to finally meet DJ, but she rather regretted the way they met.
She closed her eyes briefly and began, “Dalton, half a million dollars is no paltry sum. And you promised to pay the full amount in three days. That's not...”
“Don't worry about it,” he said, shrugging. “I'll pay up promptly and get the wolves off my back. They won't be bothering us.”
“I'll pay you back,” she said firmly.
He opened his mouth, but she cut him off. “No, Dalton. If you won't let me pay you back, then I can't accept your help. I'll just go back in and tell Randell that I'll continue working at Candybar to pay off the debt myself.”
“Joyce,” he growled in exasperation. “You...”
“My job as a receptionist doesn't pay that well, so I might take a while, a very long while, to repay everything. If you...”
“Wait.” Dalton held up a hand. “I know what you can do to pay me back. I have a job for you.”
“What kind of job?” she asked slowly.
“I need a housekeeper.”
“Huh?”
“I stay alone in a big bungalow, and I'm rarely home. I hardly clean and when I cook it's a disaster. My brother and cousins can attest to that. I need someone to keep my house in order. If I don't hire you, I'll need to hire someone else, but it's not easy finding someone good and trustworthy. Good help is hard to find these days.” He shrugged. “There are documents and financial details regarding the clan and the business in my office. I'm the Beta of the Nightfire clan and co-owner of Nightfire Landscaping. I don't want a nosy housekeeper snooping around our financial records and plans.”
“A housekeeper,” she breathed.
“Yep. You'll stay in my house and keep everything in order. I'll pay you of course, and lodging and meals are provided. But you'll have to cook your own meals. I'm hopeless in the kitchen.”
Joyce released her breath slowly. It was a really good arrangement, thoughtful and practical. She knew she would enjoy working for Dalton. He would be a good, fair employer and it sure beat working at her dead-end job which paid peanuts. And since lodgings and food were provided, she could save up quickly and repay him as soon as possible.
Joyce nodded, her eyes shining. “I'll take the job. Thank you so much, Mr Jameson.”
His whole face lit up at her words. “Oh, that's wonderful! You don't know how long I've been looking, but I just never managed to find someone suitable. Thank you, Joyce! But—” He planted his hands on his hips and pretended to glower at her. “If you call me Mr Jameson one more time, you're fired.”
“Yes, Mr Jam...Dalton,” she grinned.
“All right. Since your employment has commenced, I'll drive you home and you can get your things packed. You will be moving in tonight.” He opened the car door for her.
“Tonight?” she gasped.
“Yes. Call your office on Monday and give notice of your resignation. If they requir
e a month's salary in lieu of notice, I'll pay it.” She began to protest but Dalton said smugly, “I'm your new boss now, so I'll cover all my employee's necessary expenses. You'll find that I'm a very good boss. You can ask those four young men you met tonight. They're all Nightfire bears and top-notch landscapers in Nightfire Landscaping.”
Joyce laughed as she got in the car. She settled in the plush leather seat and admired the Jaguar's beautiful interior. Dalton was certainly doing very well. He could afford this luxury car and his own huge bungalow. And he'd bailed her out of her debt without batting an eyelid.
But more importantly, he was a real friend. He was caring, considerate, and he made her feel better about everything. He had offered her a job and made her feel proud of the work she would be doing for him. It was honest, respectable work.
She glanced at Dalton as he started the engine. She frowned a little when she realized that he hadn't even tried to seduce her. He'd just saved her, undertaken a massive debt for her. She owed him. Yet he didn't use his power and position to pressure her at all.
Dalton didn't even try to kiss her. He had only held her hand and put his hand chastely on the small of her back as he helped her into the car.
He didn't try to bully her, or take advantage of her, or make her feel indebted to him. Well, she was very much in his debt, but he didn't rub it in her face. He'd handled the situation with supreme skill and sensitivity. He had been so savvy and subtle that he'd made it sound like she was actually doing him a huge favor by accepting his job offer.
She could see how he might use his tact and diplomacy to advance the interests of his clan. Every organization needed a leader who was good at building bridges and relationships. Public relations was important. And she was aware of the complex power plays and politicking in the shifter community.
Joyce turned to trail her eyes down his handsome profile as he drove.
Dalton Jameson was a very desirable male. Rich, confident, powerful. He was the second-in-command in his clan, and he had power and influence, but he didn't abuse his authority. Joyce had seen first hand how united the clan members were. The four young werebears had been ready to fight and die for their Beta. They showed no fear even though they were outnumbered and surrounded by a pack of ruthless wolves.
It was obvious that the four Nightfire bears respected Dalton, but they weren't scared of him. They didn't fight for him out of fear. There was affection and respect in the way they addressed their Beta. She'd heard them joking together and even teasing Dalton good-naturedly. They were like...a family. Irreverent, irrepressible but fiercely loyal.
It would be really nice to belong to a family like that.
Joyce let out a small sigh.
When she married Felix, she thought that they would build a happy, solid family together. He was her husband, and she would love and support him, But it turned out that the love and support only went one way. Felix used and abused her love, her trust, her money. He refused to go out and get an honest, decent job. Instead, he kept dreaming of striking it rich, hitting the big jackpot. All without lifting a finger. When she pleaded with him to stop gambling, he shouted at her and told her not to mess with his plans. He knew what he was doing. He was going to win big.
Joyce had finally divorced him after realizing that he would never change. But even with him out of her life, he still managed to drag her into his debt.
She had no family, and Dalton here was her only friend.
Dalton seemed to sense her mood, and he left her alone with her thoughts for a few minutes. Then he said casually, “I'll introduce you to the rest of the clan tomorrow. You'll meet my brother, Tony, and my cousins, Cole and Brad, as well as their mates. And you'll meet the newest, youngest members of the family, Daren and Rita! They're Brad and Lisha's twin cubs.” His smile grew as he told her more about his family and clan.
Joyce returned his smile and said, “I can't wait to meet them. You have a really big family.”
There was a pause before Dalton replied quietly, “We, the Jameson bears, used to be a really big clan. But when I was eighteen, we were attacked by a rival clan in the middle of the night, and our entire clan was massacred. Only the four of us escaped. We came to Moonstone Creek, and I founded the Nightfire clan with Cole, who is now our Alpha. I had a really big family, and I watched them all perish.”
“I'm so sorry, Dalton,” Joyce whispered, putting her hand on his arm.
He shook his head. “It doesn't matter if you have a big family or not, Joyce. The four of us were the only survivors, but we didn't just survive. We made it. We built a future from the ashes of our past. We stuck together, fought together, became strong together. You're one of us now, Joyce. You...are now under my employ, so as your...” He swallowed before continuing, “...boss, I'll look out for you. And I trust you'll carry out your duties diligently and faithfully.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “You won't try to skive and sweep all the dirt under the carpet now, would you?”
She gasped. “Of course not!”
Dalton chuckled. “Glad to hear that.”
His expression turned serious. “You're not alone, Joyce. You never were. You have me. I'm your friend, your...family. Ever since you told me you worked as a stripper during the weekends, I've been going to a different strip club every week hoping to find you. I've been searching for you, Joyce. You have people who care for you, who will support and defend you, no matter what.”
“Oh, Dalton...” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I never thought I'd ever meet you. I was afraid...to get you in trouble with the Crimson Wolves. But you...you actually went around the clubs looking for me, looking for...trouble.” She shook her head. “You shouldn't...”
He took her hand and squeezed it. “If I hadn't found you tonight, I would have carried on looking, searching, my whole life,” he said softly. “You are my m—” Blowing out a breath, he amended quickly, “Friend.”
“You are a true friend, Dalton. A real friend.” She laughed suddenly. “And I met you on that dating site. Wow.”
“Wow, indeed. I have to thank Cole. My Alpha signed me up for that dating site.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Long story. You'll meet Cole soon. He'll be happy to tell you the story of how he met his mate, Abby.”
“Let me guess. They met through the dating site.”
“Bingo.” Dalton turned to grin at her. “Welcome to the family, Joyce!”
CHAPTER SIX
The doorbell jangled again. “I'll get it,” Dalton said when Joyce hurried out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. Strands of red hair were coming loose from her thick braid and she had flour on her face and marinating sauce on her sleeves. But to Dalton, she'd never looked lovelier and sexier.
He had moved Joyce into his house just last night, and she had gotten up bright and early this morning and started on her chores straight away. By mid-afternoon, every item in his bungalow shone and sparkled.
Dalton scowled when the doorbell sounded yet again. He almost regretted inviting his brother and cousins over. Well, technically, he didn't. They invited themselves.
Dalton had initially planned on spending the evening alone with Joyce, but when the phone rang and Joyce dutifully answered with “Dalton Jameson's residence”, his younger brother, Tony, had spluttered into the phone before slyly inviting himself and his cousins over for dinner.
Dalton knew what they were up to. They were here to see Joyce. He had told them that Joyce was his new housekeeper, but they didn't believe him. He should have known that he couldn't hide anything from them. His brother and cousins knew him better than he knew himself.
“All right, all right. Stop the racket already,” Dalton grumbled as he opened his automatic gate. They'd taken a leisurely walk to his house since they all lived on the same street. Tony rushed towards the house with his mate Terri, their faces glowing with excitement.
“Where is she?” Tony aske
d, craning his neck.
Cole and Abby grinned as they came up to him. “So you've found her, eh?”
“I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about,” Dalton said with a straight face.
With a baby in each arm, Brad looked every inch the proud papa bear. “She's your...” Brad began but Dalton coughed loudly enough to drown out the rest of Brad's sentence.
“Housekeeper,” Lisha supplied, giving her husband a look.
“Right.”
The rowdy group crowded past Dalton and swooped into the kitchen, startling Joyce into dropping a spoon. “Oh, I...”
“You must be Joyce,” Tony grinned. “We've heard so much about you!”
Joyce blinked. “You have?”
“No, they haven't,” Dalton said firmly. “Tony's exaggerating.”
Abby, Terri and Lisha went forward and introduced themselves and their mates. Joyce warmed to the females immediately, and when she saw Lisha's twins, she exclaimed delightedly, “Oh my! They're gorgeous! I'm all stained and sweaty from my cooking right now, but after I wash up, can I...”
“Of course,” Lisha smiled. “Daren and Rita love to play! I have to warn you though. They're very strong despite their size.”
Joyce laughed. “I'm not going to wrestle them.”
“But they love wrestling!” Lisha answered, chuckling. “They wrestle with their dad and uncle all the time.”
Joyce glanced back at the stove and oven. “Maybe you'd like to wait in the hall,” she suggested, swallowing nervously. “I'm afraid dinner won't be ready so soon. I was expecting Dalton's guests to arrive at seven. I still have to...”
“We're not his guests,” Tony quipped. “We're his family.”
“We're not here just to eat, you know,” Abby added. “We're here to spend time together, cook together, and enjoy the company, the food, the gossip...”
Terri laughed and rolled up her sleeves. “Come on, we'll tell you the latest news in the clan as we cook. Those bears are always up to something. Oh, oh, oh, I think I know who Connor has his eye on,” she said in a stage whisper.
A Mate For The Bear: BBW Paranormal Alpha Shifter Romance (Bear Brides Book 4) Page 3
