Billionaire Bear Brotherhood Box Set

by Lily Cahill

  Everett had been working out of his office, and although she told herself it was a relief not to have him as a distraction, poking her, and asking her opinion on something every thirty minutes, she felt like there was something missing--like someone had come and taken all of the art and picture frames out of her office and she was working in someone else's space. Other than the short-tempered orders over the intercom, she'd barely interacted with him.

  She watched the clock turn the minutes too quickly as she raced to finish up her work for the evening. She'd brought a change of clothes into the office and was going to meet Nick directly after work. After how sweet he'd been over the last week, she couldn't say no when he asked her out to dinner. Even if it was a Tuesday. As tired as she was, it was good to have Nick as a reason to stop working for a minute.

  At 7:14 she grabbed her dress and ran to the women's bathroom to change. It was more tasteful than the one she had borrowed from Gina, but it still accentuated her assets.

  The cream dress popped against her tanned skin, and the V-neck top accentuated a rounded swell of breast without being too risqué about it. It clung in at the waist and flared out at the bottom, hugging her in all the right places. She slung on a pair of tan heels, touched up her makeup, glossing her lips and smacking them together. She tousled her hair, trying to bring the curls from this morning back to life a bit. It wasn't perfect, but it was more "her" than how done up she'd been on their first date.

  Catie hurried back to her office to stash her work clothes and dashed toward the elevator. She hoped she wouldn't run into anyone. She didn't want to answer any questions. Catie shifted back and forth in her heels, waiting for the elevator. She hadn't said goodnight to Everett. The realization of how far they'd drifted in only a matter of days stung.

  She pressed the button for the elevator again and waited, checking her watch repeatedly. 7:26. She was going to be late. Even if she took a cab, she wasn't getting across town in four minutes. Nick had been amazing, planning this date, keeping her company during lunch--she hated how one-sided this budding relationship was becoming.

  A whistle pierced the quiet office behind her.

  "Catalina Flores, you sexy fox. Where are you headed?" It was one of the boys from accounting. She'd been the one to hire him, and he'd risen in the company, getting two promotions in three years. Her hires were like her little ducklings--even if this particular duckling had just called her sexy. Her heart swelled with pride when they did well.

  "I'm going on a date."

  "Another date?" This time the voice came from behind her. It was Everett.

  Catie whirled around, only to catch Everett taking in her outfit. She blushed furiously and dropped her eyes.

  "Same guy?" Everett asked.

  "Same guy. Did you need something before I left, Everett? I'm running late." Catie peeked up to see Everett's smile fall. But after the shitty week she'd had dealing with the last-minute launch details, finalizing the lawsuit with Mandy's attorney, and Everett's foul attitude, she wasn't ready to take up their old, easy banter so easily. Maybe Gina was right. Maybe Everett really didn't appreciate how hard she worked.

  The elevator pinged and Catalina hopped on. "Gotta go."

  Everett stuck his hand out, keeping the doors from closing. He got on the elevator with Catie. Catie frowned. He wasn't in an overcoat, he didn't have his laptop with him. What was he doing?

  The elevator jostled a bit, then started its descent.

  "Who is this guy that has you so dressed up?" Everett leaned back against the side of the elevator and folded his arms over his chest.

  "You've met him," Catie said, tersely.

  Everett pushed himself upright, his eyebrows crawling high. "Wait a second. Is it the guy who keeps showing up here with lunch?"

  The elevator stopped, and two people got on.

  "Yeah," she said, her voice low.

  "The one with the spiky hair and all the muscles?" Everett was making no attempt at lowering his voice. The conversation was anything but private. "I thought that was the sandwich delivery guy."

  "Very funny, Everett." Catie glanced at the other two on the elevator, an older man in a double-breasted suit and a middle-aged woman. Her cheeks burned hot.

  Everett squished his features together. "That guy?"

  The way he said it made Catie lift her chin. What was it to Everett Bowen who she dated. It wasn't his business, and it sure as hell wasn't anyone else but hers in this elevator. "What's wrong with him?" Catie's hands were on her hips--her defensive stance.

  "He's just so ... tan."

  "I'm tan."

  The elevator stopped again, letting on three more people. Catie was shoved closer to Everett, so she had to tilt her head to look up at him. But now he had her temper up, and she wasn't about to back down from this argument.

  "No, you are gorgeously, naturally brown. He is like, kind-of-orange-but-definitely-way-too-tan-for-January tan."

  Gorgeously? Where did that come from?

  "I think he's cute."

  "Really? You're into that? All that bulk. It's so showy. What was his name? Nate?"

  Someone behind Catalina coughed.

  "Nick."

  "What number date is this?"

  She thought about it. She didn't know if their lunch dates counted. Or if their first date even counted since it had been interrupted. If she lumped all the informal lunches into one date, that'd make this .... Catie didn't want to respond. She knew exactly what Everett was going to say.

  "It's number three, isn't it?" Everett whistled, and the man in the double-breasted suit wheezed out a laugh that turned into a cough.

  "Yeah, I guess."

  "Third date." Everett's eyes bugged out and he nodded knowingly with the suited man. "That's a big one. That's the big one."

  "Stop it. It is not."

  "Oh, yes it is. The first date, you're trading résumés, making sure the other isn't a serial killer. The second date, you're deciding if you really like each other. Testing out the chemistry. If you go on the third date, that means you've passed the chemistry test and now you're ready to get into the lab for some real experimentation, if you know what I mean."

  An older lady tucked in the corner behind Catie couldn't quite cover her snort of laughter. It just made Catie more flummoxed, and she pressed a hand to her temple. Everett was giving her a headache.

  "You get in the lab on the first date," she shot back. "So, no offense, but I don't think you know what you're talking about."

  "I do know what I am talking about. Don't I?" He posed the question to the rest of the elevator.

  It took them a second to respond, but one by one they nodded and shrugged. Behind Everett--who looked like he was holding very tiny court--the doors slid open to the lobby. People squeezed past him, but Catie felt glued to the spot.

  "What do you even know about this guy?" Everett demanded. "Is he good enough for you?"

  "I'm not talking about this. I'm late." Catie forced her feet to move and stepped past Everett and into the lobby. After the closeness of the elevator, the coolness was refreshing.

  Behind her, the elevator started beeping an alarm. Everett stood in the door and refused to move. "Are you going into the lab with him?" Everett asked, ignoring the buzzer.

  She smacked his hand hard, and he withdrew just long enough for the doors to start closing. "Catalina!"

  She waved at him as the doors closed, finally allowing herself to smirk.

  "Catalina!" she heard him say again as the metal finally clinked shut.

  Catie heard the elevator start to make its way back up to the twentieth floor, and for a wild moment she had the urge to run to the next elevator and follow Everett up to the office. But then she remembered Nick waiting for her, and she turned away.

  The middle-aged woman from the elevator was right behind Catie, and she eyed Catie up and down."I don't know why you're going out when you have someone that cute trying to keep you in. That tan gentleman must be quite the
looker."

  #

  Catie flagged down a cab and rushed in, spilling out the address all in one breath. Did this count as the third date? Had they tested the chemistry? They'd kissed a little on the street corner after Nick had brought lunch by last Friday. Did that count? She slid over to the middle seat and tried to check on herself in the rearview mirror. Christ, why was she letting Everett get into her head? She didn't have to sleep with Nick if she didn't want to. Or not sleep with him if she did want to, just because Everett said she was going to.

  Catie dug through her bag and reapplied some gloss to her lips. Did she want to sleep with Nick? The thought hadn't occurred to her, which was probably not a good thing. But now that she was thinking about it, it seemed kind of nice. Nick had been a perfect gentleman. And he was hot. Very hot. Definitely in that muscly, gym rat way.

  The cab pulled up in front of the restaurant Nick had made reservations for, and Nick was waiting out front. Just like the gentleman he was. He was breathing into his hands, his breath pluming out in frigid clouds.

  She bolted out of the cab and into Nick's arms. "I'm so sorry I'm late," Catie said in a rush of words. She looked up at him, felt his strong arms around her waist, and tumbled against his lips. She kissed him on the mouth and let her hands wrap around his hard biceps. Startled at first, it took him a second to respond. He tightened his grip around her waist and indulged in the kiss.

  "If that's what I get when you're late, you can be late all the time." He smiled down at her and took her hand in his--leading the way into the restaurant.

  #

  Catie fidgeted through dinner. Nick was nice. He was incredibly nice, but the fleeting surge of emotions she'd felt during that kiss outside had ebbed. Was "nice" enough to build a relationship on? Even worse, she wasn't sure she was ready to go to bed with him and they were at a fancy restaurant. If she ordered the cheapest thing on the menu, would she feel less obligated to go home with him? Even thinking that way made her stomach twist. Why was she always letting Everett get in her head. Here she was with a gorgeous guy, and her boss was still in her head. Lurking around and making her second guess herself. Maybe she did want to sleep with him. Had he thought of that? Maybe the third date expectation was a good thing.

  She hadn't slept with someone in far too long.

  Nick reached across the table and wound his fingers into hers, caressing her index finger with his thumb. He'd been saying something, but Catie hadn't been listening. She smiled and nodded.

  "I'm so glad you agreed!" Nick was beaming, like she'd just given him the moon.

  Shit, what did she just agree to? Maybe she agreed to go home with him and this internal debate could be over.

  The waiter brought over a starter of butternut squash soup, and Catie's and Nick's hands broke apart to let the waiter place the dishes down. Shaved parmesan, chopped walnuts, and a toasted slice of baguette garnished the top of the soup. Catie was starving and happy to have something to focus on other than Nick and their after-dinner plans. She took a bite of the soup--the savory with the sweet combined to be a perfect bite.

  "And don't worry. My parents are going to love you. They love everyone."

  Catie choked on her soup. His parents? How the hell had they entered the conversation? She coughed hard and sent soup spittle flying out of her mouth, orange flecks landing on the stark white linen tablecloth.

  "No. I mean they're going to love you because you're easy to love," Nick's voice had gained an octave, and he sputtered on his words. "I mean you're great and they get along with everyone. They're excited to meet you."

  Dabbing at the orange spray on the table, Catie was nodding her head. She had no idea what to say. She'd thought she'd been agreeing to sex, not meeting his parents. They seemed to have skipped several steps in this nascent relationship, and they weren't even on the main course yet. Catie opened her mouth, searching for something to say. "I'm sure they're wonderful." She took a deep breath and smiled at Nick, regaining some of her composure. "When do you want me to meet them?"

  Nick's entire face seemed to relax all at once, the awkward strain replaced with calm bliss. "Tomorrow night?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders with careful nonchalance.

  "Tomorrow?" Catie's voice issued much higher and louder than she'd been expecting.

  "I mean, if you're not busy."

  Catie focused on refolding her napkin, casting about for an excuse, but none came. "I'm free," she finally said, when the pause had drawn out between them.

  Sweat beaded on the back of her neck, and she suddenly felt like the restaurant was too hot. He'd given her an out. She should have taken it. Now that she agreed, the excuses flowed through her mind like missed opportunities. I have to work. I'm visiting a friend out of town. I have a cooking class. She focused on her food. The same soup that had been so appetizing moments before now seemed thick and too heavy to swallow.

  Chapter Eleven

  Everett

  The elevator doors closed, depositing Everett back into the headquarters of Bowen Enterprises. But he felt restless and unsatisfied, and he didn't think work would help. He ran his hands into his hair, holding them on top of his head and staring at the ceiling. The office felt quiet, even though there were still plenty of people here working late.

  What he wanted was to chase Catalina down and convince her to come back to work, back to him. Things had been so chilly between them this last week, but there was a moment in the elevator that had sparked with the same heat of their normal relationship. God, he'd missed that so much.

  On an impulse, Everett jammed his finger against the elevator button. He tapped his foot impatiently and checked his watch. Maybe if he ran, he'd catch her outside the building.

  "You need something, Mr. Bowen?" One of the women from marketing bustled by, a stack of press packets for the launch held against her chest.

  Everett's shoulders slumped. What was he thinking? She'd be at least a block away by now, and what would he say if he even found her? Don't go on your date. Come back to work. It sounded terrible even in his head. Everett turned away from the elevator as the doors slid open.

  "No, Meredith," he said. "I'm fine." Everett regarded his employee. Her hair was pulling loose from her ponytail, and she looked tired. He wasn't the only one putting in long hours before this public launch. "But you should get home, rest before all the craziness this weekend."

  Meredith smiled. "I could say the same for you. My assistant and I are just finishing up these press packets, then we're out of here."

  Everett nodded and started back down the hallway for his office. The lights were dimmed in the main office area, just a few doors still open and showing activity. Back in his own office, Everett leaned back against the door and let his eyes fall closed for a moment. Catalina invaded his mind. That stunning cream dress, her glossy hair smelling faintly of oranges. He wanted to feel her body under his hands, he wanted to ....

  Everett's eyes flew open, and he shoved away from the door. Work. He wanted to work.

  On top of the speech draft sat one major source of his dissatisfaction. The public launch of the H2 solar tiles was being held in a converted warehouse sitting in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge. After the speeches and press demonstrations, the launch would transition into a black-tie evening affair, with all light provided by the solar tiles installed on the roof two months ago. The VIP guests had all received physical invitations to the event, many of them B3 members and vital contributors who'd given Everett and his brother the capital they'd needed years ago. And nearly all of those invited were attending. But one invitation had been returned unopened.

  Everett picked up the heavy linen envelope and stared at the name: Liam Bowen. His own damned brother had not even opened the invitation to the launch of something he'd cared deeply about. A stamped "return to sender" obscured Liam' name. Jesus, what had happened to Liam? Everett tossed the returned invitation into the trash and then kicked at the wastebasket. Everything seemed to be stacked against
him--the silence from Liam, the lawsuit from Mandy, the strain between him and Catalina. But Everett was determined to make it work. He believed in what he was doing--believed with all his heart that these panels could change the energy industry. They could change the world.

  He just needed one thing to go his way this week. He'd hoped it would be Catalina, but their relationship seemed even more broken than before. Jesus, he screwed up with her. And even worse, he didn't know how to make it right.

  Everett tried to go over his speech, but his mind wouldn't let go of Catalina. She was out with that guy right now. That too-orange, glorified delivery guy. He was probably taking her to a restaurant in Times Square, the schmuck. Everett pushed away from his desk and started pacing.

  He was being unfair. Catalina deserved a break and a good guy. She worked her ass off--her amazing, ample ass--and she didn't have a billionaire dating service at her fingertips. But he couldn't stop thinking about this date. This third date. What were they doing right now? Had they skipped dinner entirely to go home together? The idea drove Everett mad.

  He'd just pulled out his phone and was about to text Catalina when his email pinged.

  The Billionaire Bear Brotherhood had found him a new potential match. Shifters that procreated without their mate didn't make more shifters. B3 supposedly set up tons of bear shifters with their one true mate, but Everett was starting to doubt that they had any expertise at all. He had been on hundreds of dates and each time he went to bed with them it was the same old disappointment. You were supposed to feel an instant connection. Everyone said there was no way to miss it. Once you slept with your soulmate you knew without a doubt that was the one person in the world for you. But Everett wondered if he could have missed it somehow. Or if he just didn't have a mate.