Page 2 of Monochrome (ORCA #4)

CHAPTER

TWO

ETHAN

“Oof.”

I looked up from where I was studying my hand, trying to understand why it felt like an electric shock every time I touched Julius Hunter, just in time to see him stumble back a step, and my heart dropped into my feet.

It was bad enough he thought I was doing a shit job running my family’s company and that he thought someone who worked for Grove Core could have taken advantage of my sister’s death by doing something that would damage the corporation, but now he would know without a doubt exactly how unprofessional things had gotten around here.

He would know he’d hit the nail right on the head, that I was a shit CEO and a shit replacement father.

He would know I was barely holding it together.

“And who are you?” Julius asked, picking up my nephew, who’d barreled into the room like the tiny tornado he was.

But to my surprise, Julius barely batted an eye, settling Jude in his arms so they were face to face.

“I’m Jude. Who’re you?” My nephew crossed his arms over his chest and stared Julius down like he hadn’t just run into him.

“Hi, Jude. I’m Julius.”

“Why are you in here? This is Unca E’s office.”

Julius smiled at him, and my heart moved from my toes into my throat as I watched Jude interrogate Julius.

“I was just having a meeting with your uncle, but I was on my way out.”

Jude put his hands on Julius’s shoulders and squirmed in Julius’s arms to look around him, his dark brown eyes landing on me and going wide when he saw the scowl that was no doubt on my face.

I walked around Julius so Jude couldn’t avoid looking at me.

“Jude, what are you doing here?”

My nephew didn’t respond and hid his face in the crook of Julius’s neck.

“Mr. Lin, oh my gosh. I’m so sorry to bother you.” Ellie, one of the members of the on-site daycare staff, appeared in the doorway, her cheeks flushed and her eyes frantic.

“Jude ran off when we were coming back inside after the park, and I—” Her gaze fell to where my nephew was perched in Julius’s arms. “Oh, thank god.” One of her hands flew to cover her heart, her relief at finding my wayward nephew obvious.

“It’s all right, Ellie.” I couldn’t blame her.

Jude and Lily had driven off three nannies in the last year, and when the third quit last month, I didn’t have the energy to go through trying to find another, so I’d enrolled them in the on-site daycare, but Lily and Jude were masters of evasion, and like most panda shifter cubs, they were insatiably curious.

This wasn’t the first time—nor was I foolish enough to think it would be the last—that one or both had made a break for it from the daycare center.

When they got caught in the elevator trying to get to my office on the top floor of the building, I decided to move down to the same level as the daycare.

“I’m so sorry again, Mr. Lin. I’ll just grab him and head back. I’ll make sure they don’t bother you again.” Ellie came into the room and stood in front of Julius, holding her hands out for my nephew.

“Come on, Jude. Let’s go play.”

“No!” Jude burrowed farther into Julius’s arms, hiding his face, and I sighed.

Julius looked my way, but it didn’t seem like he was asking for help.

In fact, he looked amused and completely comfortable with the tiny four-year-old terror in his arms, and Jude was clinging to Julius like a koala.

Jude clearly had no boundaries and no problem being held by a literal stranger.

Maybe we needed to have another talk about stranger danger.

Not that I thought it would do much good.

Turning to Julius, I held out my arms, hoping Jude would climb into them.

“My apologies. They’ve been a little clingy since… well, you know.” I avoided talking about my sister as often as I could, but it was hard to ignore the twins’ cries when they woke up with bad dreams, crying out for my sister.

“I’ll take him.”

“No!” Jude screamed again, his chubby arms wrapping around Julius’s neck and holding on for dear life.

Julius patted Jude’s back.

“Hey, bud, can I make you a deal?”

Jude’s face appeared from Julius’s neck, his stare cautious as he considered Julius.

“Maybe.”

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.

For four-year-olds, Lily and Jude were whip smart, and watching the intent way Jude studied Julius’s face, looking for any sign of deception, I could swear I was looking at the future CEO of Grove Core.

Assuming I could ensure it survived that long.

And assuming Jude and Lily didn’t battle to the death for the title.

“I have to go to another meeting in a little bit, so will you let me take you back to the daycare? I bet your sister is waiting for you.”

Jude’s little eyes narrowed as he mulled over the proposal.

“Will you carry me?”

Julius nodded.

“If that’s what you want.”

Jude bit his lip, then unwrapped one of his little arms from around Julius’s neck and held out his hand.

“Deal.”

That time I couldn’t hold back my laugh, and when Jude and Julius both sent serious looks my way as they shook hands on their deal, I coughed to try to cover it.

For a second, Ellie, Julius, and I just looked at each other, then Julius cleared his throat.

“Um, I’m not sure where I’m going.”

The sight of Jude in Julius’s arms was doing weird things to my heart and apparently my head, and I shook it, trying to clear the suddenly vivid image I had of Julius and me raising the twins together.

What the actual hell?

Clearly, lack of quality sleep was making me delusional.

“Ellie, you can head back.” She nodded and ducked out of the room.

Turning to Julius, I said, “I’ll lead the way. Let me just grab your bag for you.”

“Thanks.”

I picked up Julius’s bag and moved past him and out the door.

He and Jude fell into step beside me, and Jude waved to everyone we passed like he was a prince being carried through his kingdom by a royal servant.

For his part, Julius seemed to be enjoying the whole thing, smiling wide as Jude waved.

“You’re really good with kids.”

He turned my way.

“Thanks. It’s my first time.”

“Your first time what?”

“My first time hanging out with a kid.” He chuckled.

“Then again, I did grow up with Cal for an older brother, and he’s basically a giant child even now, so maybe I have more experience than I thought.”

“You don’t have any nieces or nephews?”

He shook his head.

“Nope, not yet. Probably one day. My money is on my brother Quin and his mate, Dimitri, caving first.”

I’d heard what he said, but my mind got snagged on the word mate, and it echoed around in my head.

Mate, mate, mate. Before I could process my reaction, we reached the door to the daycare, and a piercing wail cut through the comfortable silence between us.

“Lily!” Jude squirmed in Julius’s arms as I used my badge to open the door, and we slipped inside.

The second the door was closed, Jude launched himself out of Julius’s arms, hitting the ground at a run, making a beeline for where my niece was red-faced and wailing, fat tears streaking down her cheeks.

Jude patted her shoulder and whispered something in her ear, and the waterworks immediately ceased like they’d never even happened.

Jude grabbed Lily’s hand and tugged her over to the play kitchen in the corner, like Julius and I weren’t even there.

Ellie hustled over. “I’m so, so sorry. I promise it won’t happen again.”

I laughed.

“We both know that’s not true.”

Ellie flushed red.

“They are a handful.”

“I know. I’m pretty sure I’m the one who should be apologizing.”

She looked at where the twins were arguing over a toy frying pan near the kitchen, Lily coming out victorious and smacking Jude’s shoulder with it, which prompted him to grab her hair and pull, and then they were rolling on the ground, scratching and clawing at each other.

Ellie sighed. “I’m going to go break that up before there’s bloodshed.” She sprinted across the room, and Julius and I were left alone.

Julius’s phone vibrated, and as he pulled it from the pocket of his suit jacket, I took a moment to study him while he was distracted.

He was incredibly good-looking, all tall, dark, and handsome.

His hair was a little longer than mine and just a touch unruly, though I didn’t know if that was natural or if he just styled it that way.

He had well-groomed stubble on his chiseled jaw, and he wore his suit incredibly well, the tailored lines highlighting the breadth of his shoulders and his tapered waist. He was wearing a white shirt and no tie, the top buttons undone to reveal a small vee of bronze skin.

His lips were full and rosy, and he had one of the most beautiful smiles I’d ever seen.

In a word, he was heart-stopping.

The kind of handsome that didn’t feel real, that I wouldn’t have believed existed if he wasn’t standing in front of me.

He tapped the screen, silencing the call, and slid the phone away.

When his gaze swung to me, I almost got caught staring.

“I really do need to get to another appointment.”

“Oh, right. Let me walk you out.”

“That would be great. Thanks.”

I used my key card to unlock the door, and we returned to the hall, the din of the daycare muffled behind us.

“Thank you for dealing with all that. I apologize.”

Julius shook his head.

“Don’t. That was fun. He’s a cute kid. They both are.”

“I think that’s the only reason I haven’t put them on the front lawn with a sign that says free to a good home .” I hadn’t meant to say that, and I looked at Julius to see if he thought I was a complete asshole for even thinking that, let alone saying it out loud.

But he was looking at me with sympathy instead of judgment in his eyes.

“I can’t imagine what you’re doing is easy.”

“God, no.” The backs of my eyes stung, and I blinked and looked away.

“I thought Harvard was tough, then I became a single parent of two four-year-olds, and I’m pretty sure I’d rather take an endless stream of finals.” I sighed.

“I don’t mean that. I love Lily and Jude. It’s just…it’s a lot on top of everything else.”

Maybe Jude and I had more in common than I’d thought.

We both seemed to trust Julius more than we should, having just met him.

I hadn’t had anyone to talk to about everything I was dealing—or rather not dealing—with, and it was nice to have someone to listen.

Maybe Julius being a stranger made it easier to open up, or maybe it was just something about him that had me spilling my guts on the bamboo flooring of the lobby.

“Yeah. I get that.” Julius held out his hand, and I took it.

He gave it a squeeze, but when I let go, he still held it out between us.

“Uh, you still have my bag.”

“Oh, shit. Sorry.” I slid the strap off my shoulder and passed it over.

Our fingers brushed as I handed it off, and that same arc of electricity shot through my palm, up my arm, and across my chest. It also must have fried a few of my synapses, because words I hadn’t intended to say tumbled out of my mouth.

“I’d like to take you up on your offer to take a look at our investments. Can you come back tomorrow?”