“Yes, Mr. Hill. I feel you.”
“Of course, if you’d prefer, I can forget about the Ursa staff and take a better look at your organs. You seem healthy. How would you like to join Mama Bear out there?”
John’s organs seemed to shrink away at the idea. “Please, don’t. I’ll do whatever you want.”
Hill let him go and smiled. “Wonderful. Don’t disappoint me.” He patted him on the cheek. “And don’t forget the photos of Elaine Gleason. Now get back to work.” He waved him off.
Vadim slugged him on the shoulder. “You heard Mr. Hill. Get lost.”
His eyes red and blurry, and his heart racing, John ran from the office and out onto the street.
The glass eyes of the stuffed animals followed him.
* * * *
“Ohmigod.” Fleur groaned. “More coffee, please. Do you people always eat this early?” She held out her empty mug.
“Life with kids,” replied Elaine. “No sleeping on the job.”
The day before the grand re-opening, Connor grabbed an early breakfast with Elaine and the kids at the resort pub. Jani and Fleur joined them, but Fleur looked as if she would rather have had a late brunch. Connor grabbed the coffee pot left by the waitress and refilled Fleur’s mug, laughing when she downed the hot liquid right away. “What are you guys going to do when you have kids? Looks like you’d get those early morning feedings, Jani.”
“That’s what my little wolf princess thinks.” Jani tweaked Fleur’s nose. “Little does she know I had a special clause put in our marriage contract. It clearly states she takes all the morning shifts and all diaper duties with any future offspring.”
“I didn’t sign a contract.” Fleur gave him a playful shove. “You’re too slippery. I know better than to sign anything you’re written.Offspring.”
When Jani drew Fleur in, kissing her slowly, Elaine glanced in their direction but then turned away.
Connor’s mountain lion sniffed her and voiced a low “ouch” sound, the same sort wild mountain lions used to announce their presence to other cats. The creature purred, as if trying to say, “Look at me!”
Stop it. She has enough to worry about without you drooling over her.
He didn’t understand it. His cat had never paid Elaine much attention before. All of a sudden, it couldn’t get enough of her. No doubt it had just seized on his intention to help Lloyd’s widow and had gotten confused.
Yeah. It was the cat’s fault he couldn’t get her out of his head.
“Connor?” Elaine held out a platter. “More bacon?”
She smiled and somehow his world brightened. Her blue eyes twinkled for the first time in so long. A beam of sunlight shone through one of the windows, landing on her hair, making the blond strands glisten. She licked her lips, quite innocently, and it was all he could do not to gawk at her mouth.
That mouth. Why did it seem perfect for kissing all of a sudden? Her bottom lip, fuller than the top one, was so fleshy he wanted to bite it. He wished he could run his tongue over the bow of her top lip.
Perfect.
What was happening to him?
“Connor?”
“Yeah, thanks.” He grabbed a couple of rashers and shoved them in his mouth, chewing rapidly. Maybe if he ate more meat, he’d stop thinking about what it would be like to nibble her lips. As he swallowed, he stared at his plate, trying to stop his head from reeling.
It wasn’t working. His head spun.
Get a grip.
Another female voice chimed in. “Connor?”
“What?” His response came out almost as a shout. Embarrassed, he looked up, only to find Marcelle Burgess standing at their table.
“Why are you yelling?” asked Elaine.
