Page 108 of Bad Wolf's Nanny

Her cheeks heated, and she bit her lip, resisting the urge to swat him again. “You know what I’m talking about.”

“Actually,” he said, picking her up in one swift motion, ignoring her shrieking and flailing as he carried her through into his bedroom, “I’m not sure I do.”

“Put me down! Dane, Daneput me down now, or so help me I’ll—oof!”

Dane had thrown her rather unceremoniously onto the bed, a wicked grin curving over his lips. She pushed up onto her elbows, glaring at him with all the imperiousness she could muster, “That isnotwhat I meant, and you know it!”

“I’m not sorry,” he purred, stalking forwards and climbing onto the bed, leaning back on his calves as he undid the laces of her heeled boots. She hitched in a breath as he pulled them off, his fingers lingering at the delicate skin of her ankles, rough and tan against her pale flesh.

Then, without warning, he grasped her legs and pulled her towards him, landing above her with his hands braced on either side of her head, thick muscles caging her in.

Warmth blossomed down her spine, and she fought to keep her expression angry.

He chuckled, low and dangerous, reaching over to smooth the crease between her eyebrows with the pad of his thumb. “Still not sorry.”

“You should be,” she sniffed, “throwing me about like I’m a sack of grain. It’s undignif—mmph!”

He caught her lips with his, swallowing her protests as he kissed her soundly enough to make her toes curl and her mind go blank and fuzzy. She sighed, relaxing into him as he pressed her down into the mattress, her fingers tangling in his dark hair.

She could feel his grin, triumphant and smug, but couldn’t find it in herself to care, too lost in the all-consuming heat of his lips.

He began to pull away, and she made a small sound of protest, glaring up at him as he grinned with pure masculine pride down at her. “Still mad?”

“I will be if you don’t carry on,” she said, leaning up to nip at his jaw, a thrill rushing straight to her core and the deep growl of desire from him.

“Dangerous game to play, sweetheart,” he said, his pupils blown so wide they looked back, “aren’t you scared of the big bad wolf?”

“No,” she said, surprising herself with how soft her voice was as she reached up to caress his jaw, “not even a little bit.”

He swallowed, and a moment passed between them, charged with something warm and loving and real.

“What is it I said?” he whispered, his voice rough, “on the battlefield?”

She searched his face, a familiar pit of anxiety welling in her stomach, but she pushed it away.

She would not be scared of her feelings. Or his. Not now.

“When you were facing Red Teeth,” she said slowly, “I’m not sure if I heard you right…I…everything was kind of swimming and fuzzy and strange. Like I was underwater or something.”

A growl ripped from his chest, not one of desire this time, but pure animalistic fury. She hushed him gently, stroking his face, pressing her body into his. The rumbling continued, vibrating against her, but he calmed.

“Anyway…you were facing him. Yelling at him. And you asked where I was. You were angry that he’d hurt me—”

“Aye, I was fuckingangry—”

“Let me finish,” she said, pressing a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth. His lips tightened, but he nodded at her to continue.

“You said…at least, Ithinkyou said…”

“I said he hurt mymate,” Dane snarled, and a small blooming warmth spread in Lola’s chest.

“That’s it,” she practically squeaked, “you…you called me your mate.”

“That’s because you are my mate,” he said, his forehead dropping to hers, “and I was a fucking idiot for not accepting it sooner. But you better believe I know it now. You’re mine, Lola Devereaux. You, Sam, that baby in your belly. You’re allmine.”

Her breath hitched at the ferocity of his words, tears welling in the corners of her eyes. “You…you mean it?”

His eyes blazed with heat. “Every word of it.”