Page 23 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Maid

"I was coding! And they were from different days," I protested, but her laugh made my heart skip. Even my wolf loved that sound, perking up like a puppy at the mere hint of her joy.

She shifted on the couch, tucking her feet under her like a contented cat. Her shoulder brushed mine, and my nostrils flared involuntarily. Each inhale made my canines ache, and the urge to mark and claim her grew stronger with every heartbeat.

The instinct to claim warred with a deeper, more unsettling emotion. Fear. Not of her, never of her, but of what she represented. Hope was dangerous in my world. Hope made you vulnerable, gave your enemies leverage. I'd spent years building walls, creating systems, protecting myself from exactly this kindof attachment. But Nina had walked through every defense like they were made of mist, and now I couldn't imagine rebuilding those walls even if I wanted to.

"You're doing that thing again," Nina said, tilting her head.

"What thing?"

"That intense stare, like you're trying to solve a puzzle." She poked my chest playfully. "It's a little unnerving."

I forced myself to blink, to look away from the pulse point at her throat that beckoned my wolf. "Just thinking."

"You know, for someone who created such a snarky AI, you're awfully serious."

"I wasn't always." The words escaped before I could stop them. Something about her presence made me want to share the darkness I'd kept locked away.

The warmth in her eyes undid me. There were no calculations, no hidden agendas. Just pure, genuine care that made my practiced defenses crumble. My wolf recognized what my human side struggled to accept. She saw us, truly saw us, and stayed anyway. That simple acceptance was more addictive than any drug.

"Tell me?" She reached for my hand.

I stared at our joined hands, her delicate fingers interlaced with mine. How could something so simple feel so right? "My family, they're not good people, Nina. The Nightfang name carries weight in certain circles, but not the kind anyone should be proud of."

"Is that why you hide away up here?" Her voice held no judgment.

"Partly." I traced patterns on her palm, gathering my courage. My wolf urged me to trust her, to let her in. "I built this company to be everything they're not. Legitimate, beneficial to society. But they see it as a betrayal."

Nina shifted closer, her warmth seeping into my side. "Is that why Rafe was trying to sabotage you?"

"Rafe always wanted to be our father's favorite." Bitterness crept into my voice. "When I left, it should have been his chance." I swallowed hard against old pain. "But our mother still thinks I'll come back and take my rightful place in the family business."

"Which is?"

"Nothing legal." I met her eyes, searching for fear, but finding only curiosity. "They're organized crime, Nina. The kind that makes headlines when things go wrong. I couldn't be part of that."

She squeezed my hand. "So you chose a different path."

"I chose to be alone." The words tasted like ash. "Safer that way. For everyone."

"And how's that working out for you?" A hint of challenge colored her voice as she shifted to face me fully. In the dim light, her green eyes sparkled with determination.

My lips twitched despite myself. "Not as well as planned, apparently."

She smiled, the sight making my wolf strain against the chains of my self-control. "Good."

My muscles coiled tight with restraint, every fiber of my being hyper-aware of her presence. The slight shift of her weight made the leather creak, the sound unnaturally loud to my sensitive ears. Her breathing had grown shallow, her pulse jumping visibly at the delicate hollow of her throat. Heat radiated from her skin, calling to me like a beacon.

Nina's cheeks flushed pink. The sweet scent of her arousal mingled with her natural fragrance, hitting me like a shot of whiskey, intoxicating and dangerous.

"Dean?" Her voice came out husky, uncertain.

I squeezed my eyes shut. "Give me a minute."

"No." Her hand found my jaw, surprisingly steady. "Let me see."

"You should be afraid of me," I whispered, even as I leaned closer. My wolf's instincts screamed to claim her, mark her, make her ours.

"I'm not."

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