Page 19 of Bad Wolf's Nanny
Dane was leaning against the edge of the sofa, coffee mug in hand, wearing that infuriating half-smile that made it look like he was always in on a joke you didn’t know the punchline to.
“I didn’t realize you were the muffin fairy now,” he said, gesturing toward the table.
“I didn’t realize you were invited,” she replied.
“Aw,” he drawled, “miss me already?”
“Not in the slightest,” she sniffed, taking a pointed sip of her tea.
He leaned a little closer, lowering his voice so only she could hear, “You keep scowling at me like that, love, and people are going to think we’re flirting.”
Lola sputtered into her cup. “Then you’d better back off before someone gets the wrong idea about you.”
His grin widened. “Worried about my reputation, huh?”
“I’m worried aboutme, actually. I like to keep my IQ above room temperature.”
Cassie choked on her tea.
Dane chuckled, clearly delighted. “You’ve got claws after all.”
“I’m a wolf,” she muttered, more in an attempt to convince herself than anything else.
His gaze flicked over her, slow and assessing, as if he were seeing her for the first time. “Yeah,” he said finally, “I’m starting to believe that.”
And with that, he winked, turned, and strolled back toward the coffee table, leaving Lola blinking after him, her mouth half-open, like someone had just unplugged her brain.
“So,” Cassie whispered. “Thatjust happened.”
“I hate him,” Lola said.
“Uh-huh.”
“I do.”
“Of course.”
Daisy patted her hand, “Welcome to Silvermist.”
***
Lola decided that silence was going to be her best friend for the remainder of the morning. Hopefully, if she didn’t say anything, she’d just turn invisible, and nobody would have anything else to say about her and Dane.
Not that there was anything else to say. Of course, there wasn’t. The mere suggestion was absurd.
Blessedly, her plan seemed to work, and the conversation gently drifted between various topics. Before she knew it, the women were standing and hugging each other, making plans for next time. Lola found herself pulled into several embraces, and she did her best to make her smile warm as she was made to promise that she would come to more pack activities.
And she would. Just not…all of them. She had a job to do, after all.
As she stepped outside into the cold, she immediately regretted not bringing gloves. The chill bit into her fingers, but it was easy enough to ignore through the post-social adrenaline.
She’d survived.
More than that, she’d actuallyenjoyedherself. At least a bit.
“Well, well,” a voice drawled from behind her. “If it isn’t the muffin fairy herself.”
Lola sighed without turning. “Shouldn’t you be off…I don’t know…growling at squirrels?”
