Page 35 of Nanny's Mate

They walked side by side up the driveway.

“What now?” Mike asked, still avid about being involved in some capacity.

“Now we wait for Tristan’s word. He’s going to talk to this Parnell guy. Then we can make our move."

Mike still felt like Nate was being intentionally vague, but there was no point in going on. They went back inside, picked up the kids, and softly placed them in the back seat of Nate’s minivan.

After they said their goodbyes, with Beatriz placing gentle kisses upon each child’s forehead, Mike and Beatriz returned to the kitchen to clean up. Mike was quietly ruminating.

“You wanted to go with him, didn’t you?”

Beatriz washed dishes while Mike dried them. He was taken from his thoughts when his mate spoke. He looked her over before replying, noting the way the sundress hugged the contours of her waist, her ample breasts plump and teasing with a tasteful peek of cleavage. A slit revealed the soft skin of her thigh, creamy and calling to him.

She turned off the water and turned to him, scowling playfully. Her voice returned to that smokey, low timbre that drove him wild.

“What are you thinking about, baby?”

He threw the hand towel onto the counter and grabbed her by the hips, slipping his fingers beneath the dress he’d been eyeing all day. Beatriz moaned with surprise as he brushed his lips along the fragrant nape of her neck.

“Do you think you were going to get away with wearing this dress? And not have me fall to my knees for you?” he growled.

Beatriz purred beneath his touch, her body stiffening with intense need. All thoughts about the drug problem flew out the window, replaced by a dire passion that didn’t make it to the bedroom.

TWENTY

BEATRIZ

Beatriz woke with the sun sneaking under the bottom of the curtains. A golden aura that signified something deep in her soul, a truth that she wasn’t entirely able to accept.

After making love the night before, Beatriz tossed and turned. It wasn’t the sex that made her feel torn, of course. That was always transcendent and outstanding. It was what came before the lovemaking that gave her pause.

Mike had been physically upset the entire time that Nate had gone back to the club. She and Karla had distracted themselves with the kids and even put on a movie while they slept.

Beatriz had tried to cuddle into her mate, but he was a million miles away. At first, she was engulfed by jealousy. Why would her mate want to be anywhere but with her? Then she took a step back in her mind and realized that duty was a big part of who Mike truly was.

And that was something to admire. She had met him as a loyal enforcer for the Wolfe family. If their matehood couldn’t take him from that, then nothing would.

The sex had reassured her of his affection, but once the afterglow had worn off, she lay in bed with his naked body swathed around her, a sense of guilt looming.

As sunlight trailed further into the bedroom, Beatriz mused over an inconvenient truth. The Wolfe family, more than ever, needed someone like Mike. They needed a dedicated enforcer, someone who was intelligent and thoughtful. Their name was being threatened, their reputation, and their safety.

She loved that he was willing to drop everything for her, but was that right when people’s lives were on the line? She felt she needed to share Mike’s greatness with the world rather than hog it all for herself. Even if the pain stabbed deep in her heart, knowing she could never truly keep him as her own no matter how much she wanted to.

It would be selfish for her to continue taking his attention the way she had. Before they met, he could be counted on. With her in the picture, he would always have one foot in the Wolfe arena and the other, always considering Beatriz and her safety.

Beatriz blinked a few times, her eyes glazing over. She gazed at her mate, sleeping soundly. He was so damn beautiful. And he would belong to her forever.

But from a distance.

Beatriz rose from the bed and searched for her clothing. They had made their way into the bedroom for a third round, and they had already been naked. She took her robe from the back of the door, slipped an arm in, and began to turn the doorknob with delicate fingers.

“What are you doing?”

Beatriz shook. His voice vibrated through her like thunder.

She turned to face him, which was something she hadn’t been planning on doing. Was it cowardly, or was it practical? Tucking herself away at dawn and blending with the shadows. She was doing it for his sake and for the sake of the entire Wolfe family, and that included the precious triplets.

Blue Creek wasn’t going to be her home. Beatriz was doing everything she could to delay the cracking of her heart.

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