Alpha's Surprise Bride: BBW Werebear Fated Mate Romance (2 page)

W
ell
, that was certainly a first for me.

Did I really just almost hire a woman only knowing her first name?

What the fuck was wrong with me? That woman was too damn enticing for her own good. My inner animal definitely tried to display its primal instincts. There was too much bullshit going on in my head.

That’s not how I handled my business. I needed to clear my head. I was falling apart, and being in a business that exhausting, I couldn’t let that happen.

There was only one thing I could do, but before that, I had to return to The Grizzly Rose.

“So, Mister Hotshot, did you get what you wanted with that woman,” I heard Earl say as soon as I entered the bar. “Or did I give her up for nothin’?”

He started laughing.

Any other day I would have laughed with him, but for some reason, he irritated the shit out of me that night. I didn’t want anyone talking about Simona like that.

“None of your fucking business,” I lashed out.

Earl’s face changed immediately. He knew right away that I wasn’t in the mood for that kind of shit. I pushed past him, heading straight for the counter.

“Macallan on the rocks in the VIP,” I yelled my order to the bartender and walked away.

The girl behind the counter looked a bit taken aback but got right to it.

The Macallan was the only whiskey I liked, and it was reserved especially for me and kept below the counter. No one else around could afford it and that made me stand out. They already looked up to me; all I had to do was meet their expectations.

I liked it that way. I was and wasn’t one of them. No one in that establishment was as successful as I was – they all lead simple lives. That made me love my clan even more. I did have one thing in common with the people there, though…

As I made my way to the VIP-room, I nodded to several men greeting me. I was in no mood to talk to them. They all knew when to approach me and when to stay the fuck away.

I felt my irritation rise to anger. I just needed my drink and a few words with my business partner, Bradley. He was always in charge on the weekends. He knew exactly who I was and what my reasons for leaving were.

“Any news?” I asked him as soon as I entered the secluded room.

There the music was barely audible, unlike in the rest of the bar. Peace and quiet was exactly what I needed.

I took a seat on the leather couch opposite Bradley just as a waitress showed up with my drink in hand. She placed it on the table and lingered for a moment, staring at me.

How many times had I experienced that before?

Countless, but I wasn’t interested in any woman but one that night, especially a girl with no tits or ass to hold on to. The girl was clearly looking for a ‘fun’ night out and I was just not that kind of man. I was waiting for my one and only, my mate for life.

I took a stiff sip of my drink.

“You can go,” Bradley said and the girl scurried off.

He waited for her to get out of earshot before answering my question.

“All the same, the crew found bits and pieces here and there but nothing much. I still think maybe we should open some new mining sites?” he proposed once again.

He had talked about this several times now and each time we disagreed. What’s the point, we spend millions on opening a new site and still find nothing. Better stay on the safe side and use the mines we have had some luck with. I shrugged and took a sip of my drink. He caught my mood and dropped the topic.

“I need to leave the city. I need to clear my head,” I added as sort of an apology.

That didn’t come as news to Bradley, seeing as I made a habit of visiting the mountains as often as my work allowed. It was the only place I could really feel free. Recharge my batteries, so to speak.

“Sure, go nuts,” he replied nonchalantly.

The man’s tone didn’t give anything away, but I knew he was secretly pleased. There was no cell reception up in the mountains, which meant Bradley could make some minor decisions concerning the business. He wouldn’t dare fuck up because he knew I would hunt him down and make him regret it.

“No fuck-ups, Bradley,” I said as I stood up to leave.

“Have a good one!” he called after me with a laugh.

“Later,” I added, walking away.

Bradley wasn’t one to get insulted easily and that was one thing I liked about him. Running a business with him was straightforward. I trusted him, although he had cost me a couple of million in the past.

I walked to my car, parked behind the bar. I checked the trunk to see if I had some clean clothes. Luckily, my housekeeper had taken care of that so I wouldn’t have to return home before I left – everyone around me seemed to know me a bit too well.

I threw my cell in the trunk and closed it. There was no reason to have it on me since I wouldn’t be using it anyway.

I sat in the car and turned the ignition. I knew that it was at least a half an hour drive – the perfect amount of time to think things through before I let my inner bear take over.

Fifteen minutes later I was still stuck on my first thought.

Why is that woman, Simona, so desirable to me?

Every time I thought about her, even thinking her name made my cock twitch.

What the fuck?

It felt as if she had bewitched me. I watched her in the bar – her round ass swaying from side to side as she walked, hypnotizing all the men behind her. Her full lips and big beautiful blue eyes made her face angelic. Her posture was so confident and sexy. Yet, she seemed so modest and shy.

That was the perfect combination.

No wonder Earl wanted to have some fun with her. It was her lucky day that I was there, Earl wasn’t one to give up easily.

That train of thought made me feel even worse about myself. It was so unlike me to be the prince in shining armor. In any other case, I would have just sent over my security detail to take care of a situation like that. What was it about Simona that made me and my bear so overprotective? That was an unfamiliar feeling for me and I needed to get it out of my system.

I need to get her off my mind.

Luckily, I had reached my destination. I stopped my Range Rover, got out, threw my jacket on the front seat and locked the car. I put the key in the custom-made secret compartment by the wheel arch. I was ready, more than ever before.

I inhaled deeply and smiled as I shifted, letting my body and mind run wild and free.

I
t had been
three days since my last job interview. Thank god for weekends, at least I got a little bit of time to myself. I was getting tired of running around the city, trying to find a decent job.

Over the weekend I had been cleaning, doing laundry, rearranging my magazines, reading books and just having fun all by myself. But, regardless of what I was doing, there was one constant thought haunting me in the back of my mind.

Should I or shouldn’t I meet up with Nathan?

Nathan was a very handsome guy, the kind of man every girl wants at least one night with.

Or preferably more.

Even thinking about him made me flush. I felt a familiar tingle down below, and I was so tempted to call the number he had left me. But the fact that I knew nothing about him was stopping me.

It would be pure insanity,
I told myself, but that inner voice was becoming less convincing by the day.

I had searched his name on the Internet, but I only found out that he was a very successful businessman in the diamond industry. All the articles were strictly about his business. No personal details, no wife, no kids, no gossip, no nothing.

And then it hit me… not knowing him was the
only
thing stopping me, nothing else. But how can you get to know a person if you don’t even try?

My brain started counting pros in favor of calling Nathan. I didn’t have a job and needed one. My savings would only last me another two months or so. And I never wanted to be a waitress again.

I didn’t have a man in my life so there would be no obstacles in becoming some sort of employee for a billionaire – no one to be jealous if it came out that we met at a bar. I had nothing to lose.

I had to at least try and find out what job he was offering me.

Before I knew it, my trembling fingers were dialing the number printed on the black business card. For a few moments, I heard my heart thumping in my ears.

“Nathan Rockwood,” came a sharp introduction on the other side.

He sounded so stern, I almost felt like I was bothering him. All my courage was gone in the blink of an eye.

What the hell am I doing?

“Oh… I… I’m Simona Parker… We met on Friday night,” I tried to find the right words to explain why I was calling.

Now that I was talking to him I felt ridiculous and embarrassed and pretty much wanted to hang up.

“Yeah… in The Grizzly Rose,” he finished my sentence. “Hello, Simona.”

His voice was softer than before, but he still scared the crap out of me, even on the phone. I wish I could have seen his beautiful face – that might have taken the edge off of this uncomfortable exchange.

“I’m calling you about the –” I tried hard not to stutter, but he cut me off before I could finish.

“It’s nice to hear your voice, that’s just what I needed.”

Whoa!

I was so not prepared for a response like that. After what he said, there was an awkward silence on both sides. It felt as if he couldn’t believe he had said it out loud.

“Mister Rockwood?” I asked quietly to reassure myself that he was still on the line.

“For you, it’s just Nathan,” he said, baffling me yet again.

How can one man confuse a woman so much? Why did I have the privilege of calling him by his first name? Or maybe he talked like that to everyone, and I was overthinking things?

Get over yourself, Simona!

“Alright, Nathan, I would like to talk about… umm… the job you offered me –” again he didn’t let me finish my sentence.

“Sure, can we meet around lunchtime? Say, in two hours? We could discuss business then,” he said resolutely.

That didn’t leave me much time to prepare, but since he could possibly be my new boss, I had to try my best. The thought of seeing him in person suddenly got me all kinds of ready to make things work out.

“Okay,” I said slowly, mulling things over.

His quick lunch arrangement made me feel like he was eager to see me too. Was the attraction really mutual? Oh, that would have been fantastic!

“I’ll be waiting for you in Maggiano’s,” he stated.

He was such an Alpha male, deciding everything for me. But the thing was, I really, really liked it. He was so different from the other guys I’d known, and I could make that distinction without even having known him for too long. He was just
that
good at what he did.

“Sure, do I need to bring my résumé or…” this time I didn’t finish my sentence on purpose.

Two can play at this game.

“No,” he said right away, “but bring that beautiful smile of yours,” he added a few seconds later.

I swear he either winked or smiled on the other end. I could sense he was as happy as I was that I had called him.

“No problem,” I said quietly. “See you then!”

“Can’t wait,” he responded in a much softer tone and then hung up.

I felt my attraction for him build by the second. My insides turned with anticipation – I wanted to see him one more time, be near him and feel that energy of his that was so overwhelming and hot. I just couldn’t wait for our lunch date!

I mean meeting.
Meeting
.

In the limited time I had, I managed to take a quick shower, do my hair and make-up and even go through my closet and find the sexiest but still demure enough dress that I owned to be considered suitable for an interview.

First impressions are the most lasting, right? Even though it wasn’t our first encounter, it was sort of my first job interview with him, and I wanted to impress the man.

I booked a cab and it was waiting for me outside. I just needed to put on my heels and I was out the door.

I was truly nervous during my ride to the restaurant, my foot wouldn’t stop twitching. I almost started to regret my choice of dress. Despite my efforts, it was clearly too revealing because the driver kept looking at me in the rear-view mirror. I tried to cover myself up with my jacket, but that didn’t help.

I opened my mouth to tell him off but then realized that we were slowly approaching the restaurant.

A man in a suit was pacing nervously in front, holding his phone to his ear. As we drove closer, I recognized him. It was Nathan, hopefully my future boss. Depending on the job he offered me, of course.

He noticed the car and turned to look at me through the windshield. Our eyes met and I couldn’t look away. Something in his gaze was so sexy. He said a couple more words on the phone and then broke our eye contact to put it away.

The car stopped and I started going through my purse to pay the driver when my door was opened and Nathan leaned in.

“Keep the change,” he said smoothly as he gave the driver a very generous tip.

“Thank you, sir,” the driver replied, looking as surprised as I was.

Nathan reached his hand out to me and I took it, no hesitation. I stood up on my high heels and he leaned in to kiss me on my cheek. Yet another surprise.

He smelled divine.

“You look sensational,” he commented, still close to my ear after kissing me on my cheek.

He inhaled deeply, like the last time we had seen each other, then he slowly pulled away.

“Thank you,” I answered, almost whispering.

I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. My knees were shaking, I felt blood shoot to my face, my heart was pounding – that was the effect he had on me. He came to my side and put his hand on the small of my back.

“Shall we?” he asked, looking at me.

I nodded because I was yet again unable to speak.

At this rate, I was going to have to start learning sign language.

He guided me through the double doors of the restaurant to our private table in the back, away from curious eyes.

“I’m sorry you had to wait for me,” I said as we sat down opposite each other.

I was only five minutes late, but seeing him pace in front of the restaurant had me worried.

“I was here on business anyway so don’t worry,” he answered as he switched his phone to silent mode and put it on the table.

I had already switched my cell off in the cab.

“So, what do you do, exactly? I learned that your business deals in diamonds,” I said, letting the sentence hang between us.

He looked me straight in the eyes, a half-smile twitching on his perfect lips, probably contemplating whether to answer my question or confuse me with another change of pace. He took a deep breath and answered.

“Yes, I’m in the diamond business. That’s a matter of public record. We deal with diamonds from the beginning to the very end of the production chain, from mining to cutting and polishing. Then we sell them at a much higher price than what rough diamonds are worth,” he explained in simple terms.

This was a new side of him – the businessman. So serious and confident, yet very polite and charming. He seemed like the type of person it would be a walk in the park to do business with.

I wonder what kind of boss he is…

“Sounds simple enough,” I replied.

The waiter came to our table and placed two dishes of pasta in front of us. Nathan must have pre-ordered. He waited silently until the waiter left.

“That’s the thing, it sounds simple enough, but once you get in that business you realize that there’s one obstacle after another. But I’d rather not discuss that right now,” he said, deciding to end that part of our conversation.

It seemed that something about his business bothered him, but he didn’t want to talk about it. We tasted our food and it was delicious.

“Tell me about yourself,” he said.

My fork with a mouthful of pasta was mid-air and I lowered it back on the plate. When someone asks about you, you can’t just respond in a few words.

“Oh… okay… umm… I studied at Denver University. I have a PhD in developmental psychology. But I couldn’t find a job in that field so I ended up as a personal assistant in an accounting firm.”

“Why did you leave?” he asked, seeming truly interested.

“Well… my boss wasn’t the nicest person.”

Not to say an absolute asshole.

“What did he do?”

His brows furrowed.

“Well… he… You know what, that was a long time ago and it doesn’t matter now. After that I was a waitress for some time, but that job was not for me,” I offered lightly, trying to change the subject.

“Why not?”

He asked the simplest questions, but somehow I got the feeling they were all trick questions.

“Sometimes some people are just not cut out for some jobs. I can’t explain it better than that.”

I really wanted to be over with the interrogation.

I wasn’t feeling comfortable answering all those questions, but it was a job interview, sort of, so I had to stay polite. We were discussing a part of my past that I would rather not have looked back upon.

“You know your psychology, I can tell,” he said with a big smile on his face.

He did that on purpose!

He wanted to test how far he could push me.

“I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable.”

“A little bit, yes, but it’s okay,” I answered, feeling somewhat lightheaded.

His energy evaded my personal space, and I couldn’t resist it. It was a struggle to focus and keep the conversation strictly about work.

“Do you have something you want to ask me?”

He seemed relaxed and in his zone. He was used to these kinds of conversations. Of course I wanted to ask him something – a million things, about his business and his personal life – but I had to remind myself that it was a job interview and the conversations should be work-related.

“You said you wanted me to work for you,” I stated the obvious.

“I did,” he nodded.

“What would my job be?” I asked.

During this whole interview, it had yet to come up.

“You would be my personal assistant,” he replied. “Although I’d like to have you as my shrink as well,” he said, smirking as he watched for my reaction.

“What would my responsibilities be?”

I tried to act all businesslike. I knew I was only putting up a half-believable show at it.

“I already have two PAs who take care of simple things like bringing coffee, screening phone calls and so on. But you seem too smart for that, so your responsibilities would include researching new mining sites, carrying out specific projects, arranging and attending business travels with me, organizing and attending management meetings and being involved in various decision-making processes, including staff recruitment.”

That was quite a list of important responsibilities. I had to think things through, but I couldn’t decide anything being next to him. It was way too easy to get sidetracked when Nathan’s eyes were blazing into mine.

“That’s a lot of work,” I thought out loud. “I’m sorry I have to ask this, but how much is the salary?”

“Let’s put it this way – I can make you happy in ways you can’t even imagine,” he said with a clever smile on his beautiful face.

His response was so ambiguous that I didn’t quite understand whether he was talking about work or his possible real intentions with me.

Or at least the intentions I
wished
he had with me!

“Can I ask you something, off the record?” I inquired quietly.

“Sure,” he replied, frowning slightly.

“Why me?”

He raised his hand to his chin and started rubbing it with the back of his index finger. His eyes were fixed on my lips.

I couldn’t help but watch. I wanted to lick his chin from the tip of his jaw to his ear. I blushed at the thought. Moments went by and he was still thinking of what to say to me.

“I like you,” he said.

I inhaled sharply. Three little words I was not expecting.

“Plus, I really think my company would benefit from having you on board,” he added after a few seconds. “I would benefit from having you next to me. I’m an excellent judge of character, you see.”

I couldn’t say anything; I was so dumbfounded. I felt the sexual tension between us escalate even though we still didn’t know much about each other.

“I… I have to think about it,” I stuttered and stood up to leave, my pasta still mostly untouched.