Cougar's Luck (Pacific Northwest Cougars Book 2) (5 page)

F
inally reaching the front drive
, Joseph parked the car and both men got out. The front door swung open and an older couple came out, huge smiles on their faces.

“Everett! We’re so glad to have you here! We’ve been trying to get your family down here for a nice long visit for so long. I’m Grace, this is Russell, and you are most welcome in our home.”

Everett was engulfed in a huge hug by Grace, while her husband stood back and laughed.

“What can I say, she gets tired of seeing my old face and loves meeting new people.” Russell held out his hand to shake. “Sorry to hear about your brother’s mate. We will help in any way we can.”

“Appreciated,” Everett replied, shaking his hand. “I’m glad I can be of some help to you and your business. I have to say the accommodations are very comfortable. You might have to kick me out when I try to stay.”

“Oh, we will keep you, you are just adorable! You aren’t mated are you?” Grace asked after she’d let go of him.

“Grace! What a thing to ask, he’s just a cub. Stop trying to match off your daughters. They are doing just fine,” Russell admonished. There was still an indulgent smile on his face though.

“Piffle, I’ve met his mother, I’m a just a kitten. Oh, no offense dear. Your mother is like a tigress when it comes to matchmaking. I’m in the junior league compared to her.”

Everett laughed, she wasn’t wrong. “I’ve told her many times she should start her own business. She won’t be happy until she’s got us all mated and making her grandbabies.”

“Oh yes, I heard you’re a new uncle. Congratulations!” Russell offered.

“Thank you, we are very excited. I thought I’d swing up there and meet the little cub before heading home. I can’t wait to see how cute a bear cub must look shifted,” Everett laughed.

“Oh, your mother must be in a tizzy, I love it!” Grace tittered.

Everett couldn’t even be mad at her, his mother was in a tizzy and he was enjoying it too.

“Yes, we’ve been instructed no teddy bears. I, of course, managed to find him little PJ’s with trees and bears on them. I figured that didn’t break her rules,” he said laughing.

“Why don’t you come in for a drink and we can keep chatting,” Russell suggested.

Joseph called out a “See you later” then hopped back in the vehicle.

Walking into the icy cold air conditioning, Everett thought he’d never get used to the quick climate changes around here. He looked around at the opulent interior. It was all very stylish and obviously cost a mint, but it still looked comfortable and lived in.

“So I hadn’t heard what your sister had. Boys are so much fun, what did she name him?” Grace asked, directing them out to an outside patio. There were enough lounge chairs and couches for a few dozen people. The air was back to hot but with the overhead fans turning it kept the easy bake oven feeling minimal. There were even misters set up for the really hot days.

“Ice tea okay?” she asked, as Everett took a seat.

“Sure, of course, that would be great Mrs. Klein.”

“Oh, please, call me Grace or mom,” she finished with a wink.

“Seriously, Grace, leave the poor boy alone. The only child he’s met is William, and I don’t think he swings that way,” Russell snorted.

“Hmph, can’t blame me for trying,” she said, handing Everett his drink.

Clearing his throat, as he did not want to delve into that subject, he answered her previous question.

“They named him Kingston. King for short, of course. Apparently there is a town close by that holds some significance to them named Kingston. .They thought it was fitting.”

“Oh, how sweet. Well, hopefully we’ll get to meet him some day. I do so love babies,” Grace crooned.

“She’s trying to build an army, don’t let her fool you, Everett,” Russell said, giving him a wink.

“Am not! I just want my kids happy, and if they are happy, they make babies. They make babies, I get to spoil them. It’s a win-win for everyone,” Grace said with a dramatic sniff.

“You have a few already, don’t you?” Everett asked, cautiously.

“Only four! Can you imagine, all my kids and I only have four grandbabies. It’s a shame I tell you. It should be a good dozen by now.”

“I’m going to have to build a bigger house,” Russell groused.

“If you do, you do,” Grace said to him, then turned back to Everett. “So, I don’t know if you know, but we serve your family’s wine in our hotel. People absolutely adore it. We even serve it here at home. I love a nice Pinot with dinner. By the way, I hope you like barbeque.”

“Sounds great, love grilled meat, who doesn’t? I didn’t know about the wine, honestly I stay on the technical side of things at home,” he admitted.

“So how are things at the hotel looking? I haven’t had a chance to catch up with Will yet,” Russell asked.

Setting his drink down, Everett sat back. “Really well. I believe that the company you hired is doing an amazing job. No cut corners, the systems they are installing are impressive. The back-ups of the back-ups are excessive by most standards, but in your case is the minimum you should expect. The security for the building and for your home here will be just as secure. I do think you should consider a retinal scanning system for your pack when entering. Faking a shifter eye would be beyond hard to do and would let your pack know they’re safe when they came here.”

Russell sat quietly contemplating this. Grace also waited patiently knowing after years together her husband was formulating an answer.

“I think that is an excellent idea. Go ahead and inform the security company I want that installed ASAP with you overseeing it.”

“Well that was easy,” Grace said standing. “I’m going to go check on dinner and see if my wayward children will be here before dark.” She excused herself and headed into the house.

Everett and Russell switched the conversation from security to football, as Everett waited to hear back from his brother.

“
M
om
, I will be there. I can’t make dinner, but I’ll catch up with the pack when I can slip out,” Layla said, as she signed off on some forms one of her employees was handing her.

“This is important Leelee, the pack likes when we are all present,” her mother admonished her.

“And I said I would be there, even if I have to abandon the club and let the tourists take over. There will be anarchy and they will drink us dry, but for you, anything,” she replied sarcastically.

“Layla Simone, don’t be snotty. Just be there. Oh, by the way, I met Everett Hayes. He’s very cute, I think you would make a great couple,” her mother said in a sing-song voice.

Layla pulled the phone away from her ear and proceeded to thump it against her forehead. The pain was minor compared to her mother’s matchmaking. “Well, you better put in a direct call to the fates, since they are the ones that decide on mates. I’m sure when they find out it’s Grace Klein calling, they will rush to do your bidding.”

“Now you’re just being rude. Fine, I’ll see you tonight,” her mother said on a sigh.

“Yes you will, goodnight mom,” Layla said, hanging up the phone before her mother could sigh again.

The club was slowly picking up, the early crowd of tourists that would probably be in bed by eleven tonight were trickling in for a pre-dinner drink. The club didn’t really start hopping until those people were sound asleep.

Layla was feeling good today. True, her sleep was disrupted all night by thoughts of a man she hadn’t even seen fully. She was able to resist not looking up his photo online. She didn’t need any more fodder for her brain to think up naughty things. The ones she did dream about were enough. Hot sweaty bodies, muscles rippling, crashing orgasms. It was delicious, but not great for her rest.

She was pretty sure she came in her sleep Which isn’t a bad thing, just crazy. She woke up once and decided she wasn’t going back to sleep until she took care of business. Enter B.O.B. her trusty multi-speed sidekick. After a marathon session where even her cat was exhausted, she fell back asleep.

Now she was more than a little nervous meeting Everett Hayes. You know when you meet someone or worse work with someone that your brain for some reason inserts them into a sex dream, then you see them the next day? That kind of nervous. The please don’t let me blush and look guilty kind of nervous.

Heck, there was a good chance one they were all shifted and running tonight she wouldn’t even meet him. Yeah, that could work. Can’t be mortified and about thinking about a stranger’s penis if you never actually met them face to face right?

There was no helping it, she was obligated to be there. Besides, maybe they’ll become fast friends and some day far down the road she can tell him about the time she had a sex dream about him and they could all laugh about it.

Sure, great plan.

Looking down at her phone, she saw she had seven messages. Seven. They were all from Vincent, she knew. Every time his number rang she silenced her phone. She knew she would have to listen to them to erase them, but she wasn’t up for it. The business relationship she had been building was not worth this hassle.

As she stared at the phone it rang again, seeing it was again Vincent calling she decided to pick it up to tell him off.

“Layla Klein,” she answered professionally.

“You think you can ignore me, bitch?”

This was shouted over the phone. The second it was, her cat reared up in her mind and wanted out to draw some blood.

“Excuse me?” she answered, her voice shaking with fury.

“You know who I am Layla. You shouldn’t ignore more. Bad things happen to people who ignore me,” Vincent threatened.

“Don’t you dare threaten me, Vincent. We do not have a relationship outside of business. We are not dating and I do not have to respond to your incessant messages. I’ve asked you to stop sending me flowers and gifts multiple times, we are not dating. But you keep doing it. I’ve tried to be subtle, but it seems like I’m not getting through to you.”

“I’ve spent an ass load of money on you, don’t you think I deserve something for that?”

“Uh, how about a thanks, but no thanks?” she smarted back.

“Oh, your new boyfriend is the only one you’re willing to spread your legs for. What did he give you? Jewelry? I can give you jewelry if that will pry those legs apart for me. I’m sure it will be worth it, whatever the price.”

Ugh, he was disgusting!

“Vince you’re a pig. I’m done, don’t ever call me again. Don’t send me anything and don’t you dare step foot in my hotel ever again.”

Layla said this calmly and firmly so there would be no mistaking her sincerity. Then she hung up. Swiping her phone back to contacts, she blocked his number. Once that was done, she called security and informed them that under no circumstances was Vincent Domolo allowed in the hotel. She then called the front desk and gave them the same speech. They would forward the information to the valets and bellhops since they were her first line of defense against vile Vince.

She decided this was a situation that needed to be sent all the way to the top so she grabbed her things and took a stroll to her brother’s office.

Smiling at the receptionist she cocked her head to the side towards the closed door and was told.

“He’s alone and somehow I’m sure he knows you’re here,” the human receptionist said, with a laugh.

Layla was still polite and knocked, but she didn’t wait for an answer. Striding in she shut the door behind her, walked up to the chairs facing her brother’s desk and sat down. Kicking off her super cute silver slingbacks, she propped her feet on his desk, ankles crossed, and waited for his highness to acknowledge her.

“Your feet stink, runt.”

That was all she got from the man whose eyes hadn’t left his computer screen as she made her entrance.

Layla took a sniff. “No they don’t. I just had a pedicure. They are perfectly perfumed and pampered, thank you very much.”

Her brother snorted. Nice.

Finally, he turned to her and his eyes scanned her. “You’re pissed.”

Well, he was right about that.

“More than,” she replied.

“Staff?” he queried.

“No, Vincent Domolo. He called me a bitch. Go beat him up for me,” she said with a pout. She crossed her arms over her chest and stuck out her lower lip. Her big brother should be jumping at the chance to defend her honor.

“Hmm, although I’d love to beat him up for you, Leelee, starting a war with the Domolo family is shockingly not on my to-do list,” her brother said wryly.

“But Willy, he’s not getting it! I told him off tonight and warned the staff. He’s creepy and ewwy.”

“I don’t think ewwy, is a word, runt.”

“It is now, I’m sure his picture is in the dictionary next to it,” she huffed.

“I’ll spread the word, we can give a heads up to the rest of the pack tonight. I’m guessing mom has already called you?”

Her brother smiled at her knowing good and well she’d called.

“I told her the same thing I’ll tell you, I will be there eventually. I thought running the club might be a priority for me.”

“You pay a manager I believe, why don’t you occasionally let him manage? You’re here all the time Leelee. Take a breather, you’re young, enjoy life a little,” Will said.

Snorting, Layla shook her head. “Thirty-eight is not young, need I remind you. I’m lucky I’m shifter or I’d be officially on the shelf. A spinster, only good for becoming a school marm or opening a cat lady store.”

“A cat lady store?”

“Yeah, you know, a place for people to buy cat junk. Cat afghans, pot holders, little kitties that bobble on your dashboard,” she explained.

“Yup, you’ve cracked. You need a vacation. Why don’t you schedule some time off? Go somewhere, do something. I bet I can get Grandpa to order you to,” he said and he meant it.

“Don’t you dare sic our alpha on me. I’m a grown woman and can make my own decisions.” Layla huffed and folded her arms again. Realizing this put her in the petulant child pose, she dropped her arms.

“I would only do it for your own good. The club is a huge success, the hottest place on the strip and that is all because of you. Take a rest, come back refreshed, maybe you’ll have some major epiphany to keep it hopping for another ten or twenty years,” he said with a wink.

The club was a money maker, not that the casino didn’t always win, but side businesses like the club and spa were frosting on the proverbial cake.

“Maybe you’re right. It also might give this whole Vincent thing a chance to die down. Fine, I’ll talk to Taylor about picking up more time so I can go on vacation. Maybe Montana, that would be a change.”

“Uh, I’m thinking somewhere more relaxing. Tropical, drinks on the beach, no internet,” he said pointedly.

He had her there, anywhere in the continental United States and she’d be able to easily check in on work and the club.

“Fine,” she sighed dramatically.

“Like pulling teeth with you, runt. Alright, I’m off to catch dinner with mom and dad. Everett is already there and we are going to go over the security before our run.” Will stood up and came around the desk. He dipped a finger under Layla’s chin. “No worries, Vincent won’t be a problem, I promise. Make arrangements for your vacation and I’ll see you tonight.” He dropped his finger, leaned over and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

God, her big brother was awesome. Now that he’d stopped giving her wedgies and torturing her Barbie dolls that was.

Standing up, she wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a big hug. He returned it.

“Now go, I’m very important and busy,” he commanded, smiling down at her.

“I’m going, I’m going,” she said as she grabbed her shoes and turned walking out the door. A vacation wasn’t the worst idea. And there would be no Vincent to muck it up. But where to go?