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I see him for who he really is now. He’s the silent protector, a dark guardian angel, a man who would do absolutelyanythingfor the people he loves.

He got attacked by my stalker in the middle of the night. Instead of getting rid of me like he should have for the kids’ safety, he amplified every protective measure.He never told me how much stress he was under even though it wasmyproblem.

When he saw Adam again at the ice rink in Chicago, his entire mood shifted. I could sense that something was troubling him, but hedidn’t let me worry about it.

Even after our big fight, he kept the promises he made. He made sure that my grandmother received the treatment she needed. He didn’t throw me out of his house even though he had every reason to.

That’s just the kind of man he is.

He’s sweet, dependable, and so completely selfless in his love.

“I wasn’t there for my sister when she needed me, Emma,” he says. His eyes are cast low now. He won’t even look at me. “She was going through so much at the time,but I made her feel like she couldn’t confide in me. I was a terrible brother.”

“That’s not true,” I say.

I get down on my knees to look at him.He looks so tormented right now, like he’s trying to pull himself together even though everything in him wants to break apart.

“You’re human, okay?” I say. “It’s human nature to change and grow and evolve. It’s human nature to make mistakes and learn from them. You can’t go back and change the past, so youhaveto allow yourself to move forward.”

He shakes his head. “Sera was hurting. And I didn’t even know about it until it was too late.”

I see that Klaus isn’t going to forgive himself for this overnight. But I’ll be there for him until he does.

I reach up and press my lips against his. I taste the salt from his tears. I taste his remorse and his melancholy.

I’ve found a home in him, and I want him to have a home in me.

He cups the back of my head, deepening the kiss. His lips open against mine, making everything inside me burn. He groans against me, not breaking the kiss as he lifts me and lays me down on the bed. His weight settles on top of me, stealing the breath from my lungs.

“You should be scared of a man like me, Emma,” he says. “I’m no good for you.”

He’s wrong about it.

“You’re all I want, Klaus,” I say.

“I’ve killed men with these hands,” he says, dragging his hand down my breasts and waist. He cups my hips, holding me possessively. “I’m no Prince Charming or knight in shining armor, Emma. I placed cameras in your room to watch you sleep.”

It’s the wrong reaction to have, but I arch into his touch, grazing my hard nipples against his chest.

“I have recorded footage of you getting dressed in your bedroom,” he says. “There was this one morning you did yoga in your little shorts. I must have watched that clip at least a hundred times.”

The way I react to his admission is shameful.

I’m wet and sticky between my thighs. I spread my legs wider so he can settle in.

“I crossed the line one too many times, little darling,” he says. “You were doing such a good job as the nanny, and I was violating your privacy. But you can’t really blame a man for wanting this. I mean, look at you.”

His hand closes over my breast and squeezes hard, trapping my nipple between his fingers.

“This body was made to make a man lose his mind,” he says.

“Which video was your favorite?” I ask, biting down on my bottom lip.

His eyes are nearly black with desire now. His snarl is menacing as he watches me squirm underneath him.

“It’s hard to choose, there were so many,” he says. “The yoga one was definitely top three. But if I had to pick a favorite, it would be the one where you were horny in your sleep. It was the early hours of dawn. The morning light fell on your skin as you writhed in bed. You spread your thighs and touched your little unfucked pussy. Right before you were about to come, you moaned my name.”

Heat rises up my cheeks. “I don’t remember this.”