Page 141 of Nanny and the Beast

I'm shocked that he even remembers this. I only mentioned it to him once.

"I don't need seven million to open a bakery," I say. "It's too much money. I can't accept it."

He stalks toward me. There's danger swimming in his eyes. I see fractured visions of everything we did last night. I hear the echoes of all the filthy things he whispered in my ear.

He stops when he's inches away from me. He cups my cheek and tips my head up to meet his gaze.

"You're my girl now," he says. "Get used to having nice things."

I can't handle it.

After all this time of him treating me like I was a nuisance in his life, I wasn't expecting to see this side of him. I didn't expect the intensity of his feelings.

"There's not a single thing I wouldn't do to make you and the kids happy," he says.

I can barely breathe now.

"Klaus, I—" I can't bring myself to finish the sentence.

My emotions are raging like a wildfire. I don't want us to burn out.

I know that his intentions are pure, but I don't want him to think that I want him just because he's wealthy.

"I'm used to doing everything on my own," I tell him. "This is weird for me."

"This is new for me too," he replies. "I've never been in this position before. I never...cared this much about another person. You don't know all the ways you have bewitched me, Emma. For the first time in ages, I woke up excited for the day. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but I haven't felt this way since before the war. And it's all because of you."

I want to tell him that I feel the same way about him, but I'm all choked up.

I used to pray to God for something like this. I used to wish upon every star that a day would come when I would feel safe in the world again. And my wish came true in the form of this man standing before me.

When I'm around him, all the anxiety I usually carry around just melts away.

His hand slips into my hair now, tugging on it possessively.

"Tell me what you're thinking," he says.

"I was afraid you would be different in the daylight," I say. "I'm glad you're still the same man you were last night."

"I told you my deepest, darkest secrets," he says. "That means that you're my best friend now."

Something starts glowing in the center of my chest.

"I guess you're my best friend, too," I reply.

"Don't tell Alaric. He'll die of jealousy," Klaus says.

He crowds me against the door, pressing his body against mine. With every breath I take, my nipples drag against his chest. His hard length swells against my belly, turning my insides into molten lava for him.

"Cherry-red lip gloss," he says. "You knew exactly what you were doing, didn't you?"

His hand encloses around my waist and drags it up my ribs until he's palming my tits. His thumb brushes against my nipple, bringing my body to life.

"And these tits," he says, tugging on my nipple. "You wanted me to notice them, didn't you? You wanted to drive me insane."

The way he switches from sweet to wicked is giving me whiplash.

"I don't know what you mean," I say.

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