Page 58 of Sweet Heart for the Bear

I shove against his chest, and this time, he lets me go. His hands drop away, and to my surprise the loss of his touch is like an unsettling shock to my nervous system.

But I force myself to ignore it.

I scramble off of him, stepping back like distance will make this make sense.

“Are you making fun of me?” My voice comes out uneven, thick with something raw I don’t want to name.

Horace’s brows snap together, his expression one of pure frustration. “No! Why would you even think that?”

But he can’t be serious.

Not about any of it.

But most especially not aboutthat.

About being a Shifter.

The jerk.

He simply can’t be what he’s saying he is.

I turn on my heel, grabbing my phone off the counter with shaking fingers. My thumb flies across the screen as I type out a frantic text message to my sister.

Me:

Come get me. Bring clothes. Shoes. My car. I need to leave.

“Carina, please. Just listen?—”

“Listen?” I whip around, my breath coming too fast.

“To you what? You telling me you turn into a Bear! That we’re supposed to be together because we have some magical connection or something?”

“Yes! That is exactly what I’m saying!” He takes a step forward, and I instinctively back up.

I don’t want to hear this. I can’t hear this.

My hands are trembling as I storm into his bedroom, the overwhelming scent of him filling the space, wrapping around me like a snare I can’t escape from.

“What are you doing?” Horace asks, watching me with an unreadable expression.

He scratches his head in a way that should be illegal.

Why does he have to look so damn adorable while ruining everything?

I yank open his drawers, shoving things aside, suddenly furious.

At him.

At myself.

At the fact that he is so damn cute and such an ass at the same time.

“I’m trying to find something to put on,” I snap, not even looking at him.

“Slow down,” he says, his voice low and soothing, like he’s trying to calm me. “Please, just let me explain.”

“No,” I bite out, slamming a drawer shut. “I am not listening to you make a joke out of what I thought was a really nice night.”

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