Wolf with Benefits
Page 16

No, Toni told him firmly. You can beat up Kyle, of course . . . he clearly needs it. But Im working to ensure Oriana doesnt get any eating disorders. So no comments on her being too skinny or too fat. You can, however, tell her that she seems dumb compared to the rest of the family and that her eyes are too close together.
Oh! And her nose is pinched?
Absolutely.
The pair laughed and Toni felt so much better. Coop wasnt only another sibling, he was one of her best friends. They were only three years apart, so Toni didnt have to take care of him as much as she had the others, and that maternal thing had never really kicked in. Instead, theyd spent a lot of time getting into trouble and pissing off Coops piano teachers. Like their mother, Coop was another child prodigy. The first of the Jean-Louis Parker siblings, but not the last. Yet for whatever reason, he was also the most normal. He seemed to take after their mother the most, with very few signs of OCD, no extreme arrogance, and no penchant for setting fires.
Funny thing was, of all their siblings, Cooper had the most reason to be arrogant. Tall and incredibly handsome, with the body of an Olympic diver, brown eyes, and shoulder-length black hair that had hints of gray, white, and gold, Coop was an international superstar. Those who didnt even like classical music came to see him perform. His concerts were always sold-out affairs no matter what country he was in, his audience always filled not only with the wealthy but the powerful. Dignitaries, royalty, politiciansall came to see Tonis younger brother play piano. Then there were his CDs and DVDs, which had made her brother independently wealthy. And yet, at the end of the day, Coop was still a jackal. And that meant his family continued to be the most important thing in his life.
So when Coop was home, he helped Toni with the other siblings as much as he could. Just like their sister Cherise, who came four years after Coop. But his talent kept him on the road a lot and having him home was a wonderful treat for Toni. Because Coop got it. What was it? She couldnt say . . . she just knew her brother got it. And she adored him for that.
You tired? she asked him.
Wide awake. Why?
Daddy brought me a TV and a shitload of DVDs.
Coop sat up in his seat. You think he has Anne of a Thousand Days in that pile?
Tonis eyes grew wide. If theres a God in heaven . . .
That was the other thing she liked about her brother. They both had the same taste in movies and TV. A geeky taste, but still . . .
Okay. So maybe this summer wouldnt be so heinous after all.
CHAPTER FOUR
Ricky Lee had fallen asleep on the couch while watching TV, but he wasnt annoyed when a young pup woke him up by tapping on his forehead with a tiny little fist.
Morning! the pup said with a whole lot of doggie cheer. The moms aremaking breakfast. Do you want them to include you?
Depends. Whats for breakfast?
The pup leaned in and whispered, Waffles, I think. Because youre here and Aunt Jess likes you, which she says is surprising because your sister still gets on her d-word nerves. But I wasnt supposed to have heard that part.
Ricky snorted and whispered back, Well, Im glad you told me. I like to know everyone is happy Im here. And I love waffles. So yeah, Im up for breakfast.
Okay! the pup cheered and charged out of the room.
Chuckling, Ricky swung his legs off the couch, stood, stretched, and yawned. Then he gave himself a good, once-over shake and headed to the kitchen. The wild dog adultsmale and femalewere busy getting the kids fed. The wild dogs always fed their pups before they ever ate. Honestly, nothing entertained Ricky more than to watch the wild dogs and lion males dining together. Lion males did not wait for anyone before they ate, and in the wild, Ricky was sure that always held true. But here in Manhattan, with the wild dog Jessie Ann in charge, the lion males had learned to wait their turn or suffer her wrath. Of course, her wrath mostly involved lots of yelling, threats, and nipple twisting, but whatever she did, it was effective.
Morning, yall.
Hey, Ricky! Jessie poured him a cup of coffee and handed it to him. Sleep well?
Yep. Also got to watch a Xena: Warrior Princess marathon on DVD. Which one of yall is the big fan anyway?
The adult wild dogs shrugged and said in unison, All of us.
Of course.
Im going to go out on the stoop for a bit, he told Jessie Ann.
Thats fine. Well call you when were done feeding the kids.
Scratching his head and yawning again, Ricky made his way down the hall, out the front door, and sat on the fourth step of the stoop. It was real early for most wolves. Theyd get up to go to work on time but not just to greet the day. They were mostly nocturnal. But Ricky liked early mornings, even in New York City. The sun just coming up and the people usually friendly. So sitting on that stoop, drinking that coffee, and waiting on his waffle breakfast was what hed call a good way to start off the day.
Actually, he really couldnt think of things getting much better . . .
Toni was up, dressed, and walking down the stairs by six the next morning. Her appointment with Ulrich wasnt until around ten, but she was used to getting up early because of her siblings. Mostly, because classes started very early in the day and she needed to be around to mediate and moderate. Already, she could hear Kyle and Oriana arguing about which of them was more important and more talented, and which should be allowed to use one of the rooms on the first floor as their art studio /practice room.