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Authors: Madelaine Montague
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would hit it off right away.
He saw immediately, though, that he'd completely underestimated Shilo's fear of lycans—mostly because she had been damned good at hiding it right up until this moment.
He needed some breathing room. He'd been in a constant state of arousal since he'd first encountered Shilo. With an effort, he tamped the urge to run and guided her into the living room, dragging her down on the couch beside him. As flattering as he would've found her urge to cling to him under other circumstances, the timing wasn't what he could've wished for, and moreover, he knew damned well he hadn't suddenly become her anchor. She was only clinging to him because he was most familiar.
Resisting the urge to take full advantage and drag her onto his lap, he shifted to put a little more distance between himself and Shilo and smiled at the youngest of the group, a female just learning to walk. She grinned back at him and toddled over to climb into his lap. Shilo and the baby looked at one another with almost identical expressions of wide eyed curiosity and wariness as he settled the baby on one knee.
He found himself fighting the urge, again, to drag Shilo onto his lap. Instead, he curled one arm around the baby to secure her and slipped his other hand to Shilo's back, rubbing his hand soothingly along it—not that it soothed him worth a shit.
He winced as the toddler inadvertently pounded her heel against his erection. He'd forgotten the children seemed to go unerringly for the most tender spots.
"This is Felicity,” he introduced the baby to Shilo.
Shilo smiled at the baby uneasily. “Nice to meet you."
"She doesn't talk yet."
"Oh.” Shilo reddened.
"You aren't used to being around children."
She sent him a quick glance. “Uh ... no."
He smiled with an effort, trying to put her at ease. “They don't bite ... At least, hardly ever."
She turned pale, turned to look at the children crowding around them uneasily.
"That was a joke."
She bared her teeth, but it didn't look like a smile, sidling closer to him when the children edged a little closer to her—drawn, no doubt, he thought wryly, by that wildly appealing scent of hers. Even the children weren't proof against it.
Giving up on trying to maintain any kind of distance, Dante slipped his arm around Shilo's shoulders and drew her closer. Unable to resist, he dipped his head to hers and dragged in a dizzying lungful of her scent. The pungent scent of fear threaded it, tamping his ardor somewhat, puzzling the hell of him. “What is it, baby?” he murmured against her hair as he nuzzled her temple.
She drew back, sending him a startled look.
It was just as well he had both arms occupied, he thought wryly. The urge to drag her even closer and kiss her senseless was so strong he might have done so before he'd had time to consider he couldn't ... not until he knew it would be alright. She sent him a tremulous smile.
"I'm just not used to being around children,” she whispered.
He couldn't help himself. He slipped his hand from her shoulder to her cheek, stroking the soft skin. “Would you be more comfortable at my place?” he murmured—because there was nothing he would like better than having her in his bed, however inadvisable he knew it to be.
She dragged in a shuddering breath, seemed to brace herself. “This will be fine. Really. It's only for a few days anyway...."
Not if he had anything to do with it, he thought grimly, but he forced his lips into a smile he hoped didn't look as feral as it felt. “That's my girl."
She reddened, sent him another doubtful look, and returned her attention to the children, who'd crowded around her.
"What's your name?” the eldest boy asked.
Dante gave him a stern look. “This is Shilo. She's mine, and you'll treat her with respect."
The boy blushed.
Shilo's head whipped toward him, her eyes wide and filled with wariness again.
He bared his teeth at her. “Under my protection,” he corrected himself.
He saw immediately, though, that he'd completely underestimated Shilo's fear of lycans—mostly because she had been damned good at hiding it right up until this moment.
He needed some breathing room. He'd been in a constant state of arousal since he'd first encountered Shilo. With an effort, he tamped the urge to run and guided her into the living room, dragging her down on the couch beside him. As flattering as he would've found her urge to cling to him under other circumstances, the timing wasn't what he could've wished for, and moreover, he knew damned well he hadn't suddenly become her anchor. She was only clinging to him because he was most familiar.
Resisting the urge to take full advantage and drag her onto his lap, he shifted to put a little more distance between himself and Shilo and smiled at the youngest of the group, a female just learning to walk. She grinned back at him and toddled over to climb into his lap. Shilo and the baby looked at one another with almost identical expressions of wide eyed curiosity and wariness as he settled the baby on one knee.
He found himself fighting the urge, again, to drag Shilo onto his lap. Instead, he curled one arm around the baby to secure her and slipped his other hand to Shilo's back, rubbing his hand soothingly along it—not that it soothed him worth a shit.
He winced as the toddler inadvertently pounded her heel against his erection. He'd forgotten the children seemed to go unerringly for the most tender spots.
"This is Felicity,” he introduced the baby to Shilo.
Shilo smiled at the baby uneasily. “Nice to meet you."
"She doesn't talk yet."
"Oh.” Shilo reddened.
"You aren't used to being around children."
She sent him a quick glance. “Uh ... no."
He smiled with an effort, trying to put her at ease. “They don't bite ... At least, hardly ever."
She turned pale, turned to look at the children crowding around them uneasily.
"That was a joke."
She bared her teeth, but it didn't look like a smile, sidling closer to him when the children edged a little closer to her—drawn, no doubt, he thought wryly, by that wildly appealing scent of hers. Even the children weren't proof against it.
Giving up on trying to maintain any kind of distance, Dante slipped his arm around Shilo's shoulders and drew her closer. Unable to resist, he dipped his head to hers and dragged in a dizzying lungful of her scent. The pungent scent of fear threaded it, tamping his ardor somewhat, puzzling the hell of him. “What is it, baby?” he murmured against her hair as he nuzzled her temple.
She drew back, sending him a startled look.
It was just as well he had both arms occupied, he thought wryly. The urge to drag her even closer and kiss her senseless was so strong he might have done so before he'd had time to consider he couldn't ... not until he knew it would be alright. She sent him a tremulous smile.
"I'm just not used to being around children,” she whispered.
He couldn't help himself. He slipped his hand from her shoulder to her cheek, stroking the soft skin. “Would you be more comfortable at my place?” he murmured—because there was nothing he would like better than having her in his bed, however inadvisable he knew it to be.
She dragged in a shuddering breath, seemed to brace herself. “This will be fine. Really. It's only for a few days anyway...."
Not if he had anything to do with it, he thought grimly, but he forced his lips into a smile he hoped didn't look as feral as it felt. “That's my girl."
She reddened, sent him another doubtful look, and returned her attention to the children, who'd crowded around her.
"What's your name?” the eldest boy asked.
Dante gave him a stern look. “This is Shilo. She's mine, and you'll treat her with respect."
The boy blushed.
Shilo's head whipped toward him, her eyes wide and filled with wariness again.
He bared his teeth at her. “Under my protection,” he corrected himself.
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