Page 24 of Bully Wolf's Nanny
And if Nicolas’s flaring nostrils were anything to go by, he was acutely aware of it, too.
His fingers flexed around her arms, his muscles rippling.
“I’m sorry, I—" she managed to stutter, “I came down to get some…some water!”
He didn’t reply. It was as if he hadn’t heard her at all.
“Nicolas,” she whispered, her body frozen between running away and launching herself at him. He seemed similarly torn, although something in his gaze told her exactly what would happen if he gave in.
No. No, this couldn’t happen. It couldn’t.
She took a sudden step backwards, pulling out of his grasp. Slowly, his arms fell back to his sides, but his face didn’t so much as twitch. If anything, he looked more predatory, more ready to give chase if she chose to flee from him.
So she backed away slowly, her eyes trained on him, her footsteps trembling.
Deep within her, her wolf howled in disappointment. It was almost enough to unbalance her entirely. How long had it been since she’d felt her wolf within her?
She did flee then. She turned tail and ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Only when she was safely in her room, chest heaving as she braced against the heavy wooden door, did she let herself breathe.
He didn’t follow her.
Chapter 8 - Nicolas
“Again, we’re all so delighted to have you back, Nicolas. Things just weren’t the same without you!”
Nicolas hummed in agreement, only half paying attention to his overzealous chief financial officer in favor of rechecking the contracts they were sending out to a series of small but, given more time to grow, potentially threatening companies across the country. Luckily enough, Nicolas had never come across a rival he hadn’t been able to buy out. Flash enough cash and the founders of any growing competitors were all too happy to sign over their firms.
It also probably helped that he had a reputation for being somewhat ruthless in his business practices. If a company refused to sell, he would simply buy out its entire supply chain and choke its lifeblood until its shares were driven into the ground and he could buy it out for decidedly less.
“I mean, this merger idea with Harper Inc! What a way to break into the European market! You’ve only been back three weeks and already our share prices are up again!” Leonard rubbed his hands together, his small eyes crinkling in delight.
“You were right, Leonard,” Nicolas said, his fingers drumming against the desk, “I’d been gone too long.”
Leonard pushed back from his chair with the contented sigh of a well-fed cat, rising to amble to the floor-to-ceiling windows of Nicolas’s office on the sixty-eighth floor, towering well above New York City. The sun was setting, the twinkling lights of the metropolis sparking to life, the city that never sleeps ready to roll over into night.
“We just need to get you all moved in and settled here so you can be in the office more often! It’s so good for morale—"
“I already told you,” Nicolas growled, leaning back in his chair, “I’m not leaving Silvermist. That’s where my daughter is. Where my pack is.”
Leonard deflated slightly under the weight of Nicolas’ glare, his hands folding over themselves. The man had not gotten where he was for any particular ruthless business acumen. Many would gladly kill for his role, but Nicolas had no patience whatsoever for posturing alphas with a point to prove. He wanted only the best. And when it came to the financials, Leonard Lewis was the best.
The fact that he was a human only ever bothered Nicolas when it came to the pack. Leonard had never understood why Nicolas refused to move away from Iron Walker territory. He thought that since Nicolas had managed college away from pack borders, there was no reason he couldn't move to New York City for his career.
“Of course,” Leonard said, sitting back down, “sorry, of course. You have to think about your daughter. How is the new nanny? Living up to expectations?”
The comment was utterly innocent, but at the mention of Daisy Nicolas couldn’t stop his jaw from clenching slightly.
Daisy had been working for him for a month now, and truth be told, he couldn’t even remember life before she had arrived. She was an absolute natural, managing both Thea and Gracie with energy and kindness, keeping both girls entertained and happy from dawn until dusk. Even when Nicolas had to travel to the office for a few days, members of the pack would message him that they’d seen Daisy in the park with the girls and all three seemed to be having the time of their lives. They’d talk about how lovely Daisy was, what a good idea the nanny agency had been, what a sweet girl he’d found.
Nicolas already knew that. He’d known it from the moment she’d walked into the office. She was perfect to look after his daughter.
But that didn’t mean it hadn’t been absolute torture for him as well.
Ever since he had gifted her the piano, ever since she had nearly collided into his chest, her pink lips parted, her cheeks flushed, he couldn’t get her scent out of his mind.
It was driving him crazy.
The worst part was, she didn’t even know it. She breezed through his house, her perfume lingering on the air, with gentle grace and innocence. She played the piano. She sprawled across cushions in front of the fire, reading the girls a story. She baked them all goddamn apple pies.
