Nat stared at the screen. He didn’t think CEOs even ordered their own food. Then he shook himself, because—clothes buying.
He scrambled to get ready. He checked Wanda to see if she needed a diaper change, then checked his inbox for any urgent emails. He told Hubrie about the clothes and lunch.
“Ah.” Hubrie smiled widely. “Go on, go have a good lunch with Hell Master. I’m fine with taking over.”
“Thanks,” Nat said, profusely grateful.
It was when four minutes had passed, and he’d gotten Wanda strapped into her portable car seat, that he heard heavy footsteps in Duke’s office.
He straightened in anticipation, Wanda’s car seat bumping against his legs.
The door opened.
Wanda’s eyes began to glow white.
7
CROUCHING RACCOON, HIDDEN BABY
Nat almost swallowed his tongue.Raccoon shifters didnothave glowing eyes.
He dropped to his knees and shoved Wanda’s car seat under the desk—because that was the first hiding place he could think of.
“Nat?” Duke asked.
“Uh, sorry! I—I dropped my eyeball!” Nat cringed so hard. “I mean, my eyeliner!”
“I didn’t see any makeup on you,” Hubrie said with an odd inflection to his tone.
“I dropped my balls,” Nat groaned. Then he thumped his head against the back of his desk. Wanda’s eyes were still glowing. She smiled and grabbed his shirt, and he asked the gods why this had to happen on his first day of work.
“I think your balls might be intact,” Duke said mildly.
Nat’s face felt like it would burn right off.
He took a deep breath and shook himself. He was the CEO’s assistant. He couldn’t afford to pull things like this.
“Just a moment,” he said.
With a large handkerchief, he fashioned a hood around Wanda’s head. And he backed out slowly, dragging the car seat with him.
When he turned, Duke’s eyes jerked up to his face.
“Did you, uh, find my balls?” Nat asked. Then he could’ve smacked himself. His job was to help Duke unload, not proposition him at inconvenient times!
Duke glanced at Nat’s hips. “I don’t think you need me to show you where they are. But I’m positive there’s an outline of them.”
Nat blushed so hot, he couldn’t look at Duke.
Hubrie didn’t make any attempt to hide his snickering. Duke shot him a mildly annoyed look.
“Let’s get going,” Duke said. “We don’t have much time.”
Nat slung Wanda’s diaper bag onto his shoulders and grabbed her car seat.
It was an awkward ride down the elevator, partly because Duke kept glancing at Wanda’s new hood.
“What is that for?” Duke asked.
