Read Online The PlayBear Billionaire: A Bear Shifter Romance by Maria Amor - Free Book Online
Authors: Maria Amor
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contained, already showing a 5 o’clock shadow halfway through the day.
“Good to see you, Alex,” Eric said, sitting down at the table. Alex felt a deep wave of dislike and animosity; his animal instincts twinged at the scent of Eric’s pheromones—something off about the other man’s scent. Alex realized that Eric was projecting a dominant tone, and one that made him immediately want to challenge the man, right then and there.
“Good to see you too, Eric,” Alex said, suppressing the territorial flash of anger that washed through his brain. “Being CEO of a company seems to agree with you.”
“You’re looking a little tired, maybe you’d be better off in a less onerous position.” Alex began to smile. Eric had never been—of the two of them—properly suited towards being in a dominant position; the cockiness he was displaying now was clearly an affectation, and one he wasn’t comfortable with.
“Just been busy, is all. You wanted to discuss our separate businesses.” Eric picked up a menu and looked at it briefly. There were three options—all three of them vegetarian, as befit the animal rights platform. Alex was far from excited by the selections; he had long ago come to the conclusion that he would not deny the omnivorous nature of either his human or his bear essence. But he could tolerate a vegetarian meal every once in a while.
“Lasko Corporation is going to buy you out,” Eric said simply. “We’re going to take all of your business—we’re on our way already—and then we’re going to buy up your company when it’s barely worth the price of its real estate.”
“Never going to happen,” Alex said with a shrug. “You don’t have the resources to outcompete us.” He had, after Eric’s call two weeks prior, put measures into effect that would ramp up development into new areas of business, and would increase the existing areas of business that Oberon Industrial had under its purview.
He was confident that there was little Eric could do to realistically bring Lasko up to speed—not with the size of their company as it presently existed, not with the resources they had available to them, and certainly not with their history in the industry.
Eric would have replied; but Daphne approached the table, and Alex felt a flicker of a smile curling his lips. Something flitted through Eric’s green eyes, but Alex didn’t notice. He could only take in the scent of Daphne floating towards him, the sight of her curves draped in the dress he had bought her for the occasion—over her protests. “It’s a fancy luncheon, you should look your best, and this particular design is amazing on you,” he’d said.
“I see your friend made it here,” Daphne said, her smile flicking from Eric back to Alex. Alex glanced at his former friend and business partner and saw the appreciation in Eric’s eyes. A low growl—lower than Daphne’s ears would be able to make out, but enough for Eric to hear—sounded in the depths of his throat; a warning, a noise that he had never made in his life.
The sound surprised him. He had heard it before from other bears, wild and shifter alike—it was the sound that a male bear made in laying claim to his mate, deterring another bear from attempting to mate.
Before he could think about the instinctive reaction, Alex realized that Eric was talking to Daphne, saying that he appreciated the work that Alex had done with ARC so much that he was interested in becoming a spokesperson as well. “But only if I could have you as a handler—you seem to be keeping Alex in line so well.” Alex heard the noise leaving his throat again and coughed to stop himself.
“Well Alex is the only spokesperson I’m working with,” Daphne said, giving him a quick, secretive smile. Alex returned it as moderately as he could—knowing that Eric was watching, that Eric would find a way to turn it to his advantage. Alex hurried Daphne away as quickly as he could, his mind spinning.
“Good to see you, Alex,” Eric said, sitting down at the table. Alex felt a deep wave of dislike and animosity; his animal instincts twinged at the scent of Eric’s pheromones—something off about the other man’s scent. Alex realized that Eric was projecting a dominant tone, and one that made him immediately want to challenge the man, right then and there.
“Good to see you too, Eric,” Alex said, suppressing the territorial flash of anger that washed through his brain. “Being CEO of a company seems to agree with you.”
“You’re looking a little tired, maybe you’d be better off in a less onerous position.” Alex began to smile. Eric had never been—of the two of them—properly suited towards being in a dominant position; the cockiness he was displaying now was clearly an affectation, and one he wasn’t comfortable with.
“Just been busy, is all. You wanted to discuss our separate businesses.” Eric picked up a menu and looked at it briefly. There were three options—all three of them vegetarian, as befit the animal rights platform. Alex was far from excited by the selections; he had long ago come to the conclusion that he would not deny the omnivorous nature of either his human or his bear essence. But he could tolerate a vegetarian meal every once in a while.
“Lasko Corporation is going to buy you out,” Eric said simply. “We’re going to take all of your business—we’re on our way already—and then we’re going to buy up your company when it’s barely worth the price of its real estate.”
“Never going to happen,” Alex said with a shrug. “You don’t have the resources to outcompete us.” He had, after Eric’s call two weeks prior, put measures into effect that would ramp up development into new areas of business, and would increase the existing areas of business that Oberon Industrial had under its purview.
He was confident that there was little Eric could do to realistically bring Lasko up to speed—not with the size of their company as it presently existed, not with the resources they had available to them, and certainly not with their history in the industry.
Eric would have replied; but Daphne approached the table, and Alex felt a flicker of a smile curling his lips. Something flitted through Eric’s green eyes, but Alex didn’t notice. He could only take in the scent of Daphne floating towards him, the sight of her curves draped in the dress he had bought her for the occasion—over her protests. “It’s a fancy luncheon, you should look your best, and this particular design is amazing on you,” he’d said.
“I see your friend made it here,” Daphne said, her smile flicking from Eric back to Alex. Alex glanced at his former friend and business partner and saw the appreciation in Eric’s eyes. A low growl—lower than Daphne’s ears would be able to make out, but enough for Eric to hear—sounded in the depths of his throat; a warning, a noise that he had never made in his life.
The sound surprised him. He had heard it before from other bears, wild and shifter alike—it was the sound that a male bear made in laying claim to his mate, deterring another bear from attempting to mate.
Before he could think about the instinctive reaction, Alex realized that Eric was talking to Daphne, saying that he appreciated the work that Alex had done with ARC so much that he was interested in becoming a spokesperson as well. “But only if I could have you as a handler—you seem to be keeping Alex in line so well.” Alex heard the noise leaving his throat again and coughed to stop himself.
“Well Alex is the only spokesperson I’m working with,” Daphne said, giving him a quick, secretive smile. Alex returned it as moderately as he could—knowing that Eric was watching, that Eric would find a way to turn it to his advantage. Alex hurried Daphne away as quickly as he could, his mind spinning.
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