Page 122 of Nanny and the Beast

"Yes, and I'll show it to you if you wear yours as well," I say.

She takes a second to consider the offer. But eventually, she caves.

Thirty minutes later, we're all suited up in our costumes. Rosalie is Hermione Granger, wand and all, and little James is the fluffiest, most adorable T-Rex I've ever seen. When I walk into the kids' room, Rosalie's eyes widen with surprise.

"You look so pretty, Miss Turner," she says.

"Thank you," I say, doing a little bow for her.

I'm dressed as Princess Fiona from Shrek.I hesitated getting the outfit at the store, but I felt like it would be a nice surprise for the kids. I'm not usually one to spend money on frivolous things, but I made an exception for this dress.

"You look like a princess," James says, his eyes twinkling as he takes in my full-sleeved dark green dress and golden crown.

"Iama princess," I say.

There's a lightness in my heart as I say that out loud.

For most of my life, all I've known was the heaviness inside me. Even though I was loved by my grandmother, losing my mother meant that my childhood ended before it barely began.

"Look at my wand, Miss Turner." Rosalie runs toward me to show me the shiny wand she's holding. "Isn't it pretty?"

"It's marvelous," I say.

"If it worked, I would turn James into a real dinosaur," she says, giggling as she circles the wand in front of her little brother.

With each day that passes, I see the light coming back into little Rosalie's eyes. I'm glad that she finally learned to trust me.

"Come on, we're going to be late," I say.

"Late for what?" James asks.

"You'll see," I say.

I take the kid's hands in mine and walk out of the bedroom.

I stop in my tracks. Klaus Sinclair stands before me, looking more handsome than ever in a white button-down. His sleeves are rolled up to his muscular forearms.

Just the act of seeing him feels like a physical caress. His eyes light a trail of fire over my skin as he takes me in.

When his jaw clenches, some feminine part of me purrs with satisfaction.

In true princess fashion, I wore a corset underneath the dress that plumps up my breasts in the scoop neckline. It's a little vain, but I wanted him to look at me in this dress. And now that he is, the heat in his eyes is enough to keep me warm for the rest of my life.

It's enough to set my heart on fire.

"What's going on?" he says, clearing his throat.

"Do you like our costumes, Uncle?" Rosalie asks.

He takes her in. "Wizard?"

She wrinkles her nose.

"I'm awitch," she says. "Hermione from Harry Potter. Don't you remember?"

"How can I forget? It was twenty hours of my life," he mutters.

"Youwere the one who kept watching even after we went to sleep," she accuses.

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