Page 17 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Nanny

"Can we go ride the horseys?" Emilia asked.

I sat down next to Lacey and examined Emilia's drawing. It was a mess of scribbles and odd potato-shaped figures with stick limbs, but even I could tell that it was a picture of a small child in between two adult figures. It didn't take a genius to figure out who the three people in the drawing were supposed to be.

"Of course. We can go on a horse carriage ride and even see the big Christmas tree and Santa."

Emilia dropped her pen at the mention of Santa, all thoughts of drawing forgotten. "Santa's here?"

Lacey laughed. "Uh-huh. And all his elves too. You can tell him what you want for Christmas."

"Let's go! Let's go!" Dragging Mr. Snuffles by his ears, Emilia ran to the coat rack and sat down on the wooden bench underneath. She pulled out her snow boots and tried stuffing her feet into the tops.

Lacey giggled at her excitement even as she went to help her with her boots. "Woah, hold on. We have to have breakfast first."

"And then we can go see Santa?" Emilia asked hopefully.

"Yes. Breakfast downstairs first, then we can go visit Santa. I promise," I said.

After breakfast at the hotel restaurant, we walked to the park. Emilia was all too excited to be out after being in the hotel for so long. She skipped and hopped while holding onto Lacey with her left hand and me with her right hand. The shops along the street from the hotel to the park were all festively decorated, and it was nice to disappear into the crowd of people out doing their Christmas shopping.

The town park was full of happy families waiting in line for their children's turn to sit on Santa's lap. A stall nearby was selling roasted cinnamon almonds, filling the air with a wonderful sweet roasted aroma.

Finally, it was Emilia's turn. One of Santa's elves came over to guide Emilia over to Santa. While we waited for Emilia to tell Santa what she wanted for Christmas, a frigid gust of wind blew through. I noticed that Lacey wasn't wearing her scarf today and placed mine around the back of her neck.

She tugged the scarf tightly around her neck and buried her nose in the cashmere as if she was breathing in my scent. Then she closed her eyes and let out a quiet hum of pleasure that only my wolf's sense of hearing could pick up through the noise of the crowd.

A shiver ran down my spine, but it wasn't because of the breeze. There was no way she was drawn to me as I was drawn to her. My cock grew rigid, pulsing with blood as I imagined all the ways I could cover her with my scent. Fill her with my seed. I clenched the edges of my long wool coat around me. There I go again, lusting after my employee like I was a perverted boss. How cliché. What the hell was wrong with me?

Two of Santa's elves helped Emilia off of Santa's knees and held her hand as they guided her over. Emilia grinned at me and then ran toward Lacey.

Enough. I was too old and my wolf's lust was too depraved for a good woman like Lacey. She was too important to me and to Emilia for me to fuck this up because I couldn't resist the temptation of her flesh and sweet scent. I clenched my jaw. All I had to do was make it after the New Year. Once we were back in Huntington Harbor, we wouldn't have to spend so much time together. I would go back to my office and Lacey would be busy with Emilia.

Lacey picked Emilia up as she ran into her arms. "Did you tell Santa what you want for Christmas?"

Emilia nodded. She glanced at me out of the corners of her eyes before shooting a sly look at Lacey. "It's going to be the best Christmas ever."

I paid the elf for the photo and discreetly pocketed the note he handed me with what Emilia told Santa. Next, we went on a horse-drawn carriage ride around the park. Emilia sat sandwiched between Lacey and me. It was both for her safety and so that my lust-addled mind could cool off.

When we arrived back at the hotel, the lobby was packed with people.

"What's going on?" Lacey asked.

I pointed at the sign next to the doorway to the hotel's ballroom. "It looks like an art exhibit." There were men, women, and children coming in and out of the ballroom. "I think it's open entry. Do you want to check it out?"

Lacey glanced longingly at the exhibit. "I don't know. Emilia might be tired."

Two children, a young boy, about Emilia's age, and an older girl, ran out of the exhibit and raced around the water fountain in the lobby.

Emilia followed them eagerly with her eyes as they dashed across the hotel lobby and back into the exhibit room. "Nuh-uh. I'm not tired. I'm a big girl."

Lacey shrugged. "What do you think?"

It was the first time since the death of her mother that Emilia showed signs of any interest in playing with other children.

I shrugged. "Let's take a quick look before we head upstairs."

Dozens of vibrantly colored abstract paintings hung on the walls of the hotel ballroom. In the center of the room, stood various pieces of sculpture, some of them made of metal and stone, while others looked like a giant rainbow-colored sea anemone made of glass.

Lacey held onto Emilia's hand as she headed toward a painting made up of swirling slashes of blue in various shades.

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