Page 8 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Maid

"Mute," I snarled, stalking back to my office. The door slammed behind me with a satisfying bang, but it did nothing to block herscent. I dropped into my chair, pulling up the code for my latest project. The cursor blinked accusingly.

"Initiate debug sequence," I muttered, trying to focus. But the letters swam before my eyes, transforming into her smile, her laugh, the way her hand had brushed against mine when she'd handed me coffee yesterday. A growl of frustration ripped from my throat as I deleted an entire block of perfectly good code.

"Dammit," I hissed, running both hands through my hair. "Get it together, Nightfang."

A soft knock shattered my resolve. "Mr. Nightfang? I made some coffee, if you'd like some."

Her voice was gentle and warm, wrapping around me like a caress. I pressed my forehead against the cool wood of my desk.

"I'm busy," I managed, hating the way my voice cracked.

"Oh." A pause. "Well, I'll just leave it here then. It's the special blend you keep in the top cabinet. I noticed it was your favorite."

Of course she had. She noticed everything, this maddening woman who'd invaded my life with her cheerful smile. Who'd somehow managed to find my favorite coffee beans when even I couldn't remember where I'd stored it.

"Fine. Leave it," I bit out, not trusting myself to say more.

I listened to her retreat, counting her steps until they faded. When I finally opened the door, the coffee waited on a small tray, arranged with precise care. The rich aroma hit me the moment I stepped closer, dark and earthy with hints of chocolate and spice. Next to the cup lay a small sticky note, its edges slightly curled, her handwriting neat and precise:

"Even grumpy bosses need caffeine. - Nina"

In the corner, she'd drawn a little angry face, its expression a caricature of my perpetual scowl. The absurdity of it made something in my chest tighten, a strange warmth spreading through me despite my best efforts to resist.

I stared at the note, the stupid little doodle mocking me with its accuracy. Her care was infuriating. Why did she have to be so thoughtful? So observant? She'd noticed my coffee, prepared it perfectly, and left it here with a note that somehow managed to be both playful and kind. Her handwriting was like her, precise yet somehow playful, each letter carefully formed but flowing with natural grace. The little doodle should have been insulting. Instead, it awakened a strange sensation, so foreign that it took me a moment to recognize it. Joy. When was the last time anyone had dared to tease me? To see past the power and the money and the carefully maintained facade of control? My wolf huffed in satisfaction. She saw us, truly saw us, and wasn't afraid.

I took a sip, closing my eyes as the familiar taste rolled over my tongue. Perfect. Of course it was perfect. Everything she did was infuriatingly, wonderfully perfect.

I glanced at the security feed one last time. My wolf stilled, wholly focused on her, its intensity a fire that threatened to consume me. My heart pounded, a relentless drumbeat that drowned out the hum of the monitors. My skin felt too tight, my breaths coming in shallow bursts. I was in serious trouble.

The realization hit me like a punch in the stomach. When had I become so weak? Years of carefully constructed walls, of keeping everyone at arm's length, and this slip of a woman had managed to crack my defenses with nothing more than a coffee and adrawing. My father wasted no time in teaching me that feelings were a vulnerability that needed to be squashed. But for the first time, I wondered if he'd been wrong. If this ache in my chest wasn't weakness at all, but something else entirely.

Chapter 5

NINA

As I wiped the last window, I caught my reflection in the gleaming surface, my hair was neatly pulled back, and I was wearing my usual uniform, a gray T-shirt and comfortable jeans. It had been one week since I started working here and not only had I not broken anything yet, but I still hadn't run out of the building crying. I allowed myself a small smile.

After my latest overture with coffee and another handwritten note, Dean had finally granted me access to his office. I felt a small surge of victory when I found his own note in the kitchen this morning, requesting that I tidy up his private domain. Progress with Dean Nightfang was measured in microscopic steps, but I'd learned to celebrate even the smallest wins.

I hummed under my breath as I navigated the controlled chaos of Dean's desk. Mysterious gadgets blinked and whirred at me, their purposes as enigmatic as their owner. A sleek silver device pulsed with blue light when my feather duster came near it.

"Careful with that one," Jenkins warned. "It's sensitive to static electricity. Mr. Nightfang spent three days recalibrating it last time someone disturbed it."

I pulled back quickly. "Thanks for the heads up. Any other temperamental tech I should know about?"

"You missed a spot," Jenkins claimed, his artificial voice tinged with what I swore was amusement.

I rolled my eyes, warmth spreading through my chest at our familiar banter. "You know perfectly well I didn't, Jenkins."

"Perhaps. But watching you double-check is oddly satisfying." There was almost a fondness in his tone that made me smile.

As I moved a strange-looking device, something caught my eye. There was a small symbol etched into its base, like a stylized wolf's head. A shiver ran down my spine, though I couldn't say why. Before I could examine it closer, the elevator dinged.

I turned, expecting Dean's familiar brooding presence, but instead found myself face-to-face with a stranger who had the same strong jaw and tall frame. He had Dean's eyes, but they were dark as the midnight sky instead of light. This person had to be related to Dean. Where Dean radiated controlled power, this man's energy was wild, dangerous. His smile was too sharp, too practiced, like a predator sizing up its prey.

"Well, well," he drawled, stalking forward with fluid grace. "What do we have here?"

The hair on the back of my neck stood up, but I forced myself to stand tall. "I'm Nina Sorenson, Mr. Nightfang's housekeeper. And you are?"

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