The Alpha's Brother

Chapter Two

Caroline pulled off her apron, huffing softly as she stuffed it into her bag. The Aurora Country Club was always busy, especially during brunch hours, but she had been run ragged through lunch and happy hour. She tugged at the neck of her high necked black chef coat, then dropped her hand down to undo the buttons. She pulled it off and replaced it with her sweater, then slung her bag over her shoulder.

"Hey, I'm glad I caught you before you left." A smooth, masculine voice sent a shiver down her spine, and she quickly turned around to face her boss. He smiled, flashing perfectly straight white teeth. "How was your first day?"

"Oh, it was great." Caroline said nervously, her gaze dropping to the floor. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear that had fallen loose from her low bun during the rush. Taking a deep breath, she looked back up at his face. "Everyone was really nice and accommodating, but I have to get used to bossing people around."

He chuckled softly, sliding his hands into his pockets. "It can be daunting at first, but once you get into the swing of things, it'll come easy. Your references had nothing but great things to say about you, so I'm sure you'll do fine."

She nodded, feeling the seed of confidence take hold of her chest. It wasn't a lot, but it was a start. "Thank you, I appreciate it." He made her nervous. He oozed confidence, had an undeniable swagger, and he looked at her with his cool grey eyes that made her feel like he was looking through her. She didn't know if she was scared of him or attracted to him, but she knew she didn't want to be either.

"It's nothing. And if you need anything, don't hesitate to let me or anyone else in upper management know. I'm usually only around once a week or so, but I always like to come and check on new hires. I like to make sure my staff is doing their best." His eyebrows perked just slightly as he studied her, and she suddenly felt naked, like he was judging her every move.

"O-okay, Mr. Towers. I will. Thanks." She paused, the connection suddenly clear in her head. "Are you related to the Mr. Towers at the elementary school?"

His eyes narrowed and the corners of his lips twitched, as if they wanted to frown but decided otherwise. His smile recovered and he nodded his head slowly. "Kane is my brother. Why, do you know him?"

Caroline shook her head quickly. "No, I don't. I just ran into him this morning when I was..." She stopped herself and looked down at her watch. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I have to go or I'm going to be late." She took a step towards the door. "Thank you so much for this job, and taking the time to make sure I was okay." She smiled apologetically and waved a hand, a gesture he casually returned.

"Don't forget to check your schedule on the way out!" He called after her, a sentence she barely registered as she practically tumbled into the dining room, people already starting to sprout up at tables in anticipation of the dinner rush.

It was 5:46. She had to pick up Chase at 6:00, but the club was, understandably, in the country, and it took nearly a half hour to get there. Caroline ran to her car, throwing her things haphazardly into the back seat as she slid inside and started the car. It roared to life and then she roared out of the club parking lot, just narrowly missing a Lexus that was a hundred times nicer than her own Honda Accord.

Time ticked by faster than she wanted as she hit red light after red light. After the fourth one, she fumbled for her phone, scrolling through the contact list until she got to the school number. She put it on speaker and tossed it into her lap as the light flicked to green. "Come on, come on..." She mumbled to herself, the cars in front of her practically crawling to a start.

"Derek P. Vassily Elementary, this is Mrs. Deacon, how can I help you?" A bubbly voice answered on the other end, sounding equal parts tired and distracted.