“Surely you don’t protect everyone in the company.”
Duke hummed. “I guess not. Just you.”
Nat’s heart skipped a beat. “Because you like having sex with me?”
“Not only that.” Duke’s hand crept over Nat’s hip, covering his entire belly. “You might be carrying something of mine.”
“So you’ll stop if I’m not carrying your baby?”
Duke growled. “Nat.” He moved, sinking human-blunt teeth into the crook of Nat’s shoulder. Nat’s heart stuttered in anticipation. But once again, Duke didn’t break his skin. “I have been claiming you. You have been wearing my clothes. And my scent, and my cum.”
Nat blushed. “I still find that hard to believe. No one wants me.”
“Well, they’ve missed out. Too bad for them.” Duke rumbled, carding his fingers through Nat’s hair. Nat’s sense of smell wasn’t as good as a wolf’s, but he could pick out the traces of Duke’s brimstone scent on his skin, more so with every pass of his hands.
He also noticed that Duke was careful not to touch Wanda.
Because Wanda wasn’t his. And that reassured him—that Duke wasn’t going to steal her away.
“Duke,” Nat said quietly.
“Hmm?”
“Thank you.”
He thought Duke might’ve hidden a smile against his shoulder.
But he didn’t know for sure, because Wanda reached over and stuck her fingers into Duke’s eye.
14
IN NAT’S SECRET HEART
Duke flinched. “Fuck!”
“Wanda!” Nat squawked in horror, yanking her away from his boss. “Oh gods, oh gods. I’m sorry!”
Maybe Duke had changed his mind, and he was going to fire Nat.
Nat hauled Wanda over to the other side of Duke’s bed, looking over warily.
Duke huffed, rubbing his eye. He wassmiling.
“Why are you smiling?” Nat asked.
“Because you’re funny.” Duke grinned. “I have two kids, Nat. They’ve done worse.”
Nat blinked. “They have?”
Well, he knew that children could be little terrors, but... Duke was Duke. He was the big boss. And a firefighter. And a rescuer. He wasfierce.
How could Duke’s children have done worse than poke him in the eye?
“Mallie kicked my shins the other day while she was throwing a tantrum,” Duke said dryly. “She regretted it afterward. And Teddy colored all over the work documents that I was supposed to sign. He was mad that I wasn’t spending enough time with him.”
Nat cringed so hard. “Oh, no.”
But Duke only shrugged. “I would much rather they feel safe with me, able to act out and trust that they’ll still have a place here, rather than them being too afraid of me to be themselves.”
