Page 79 of Sweet Heart for the Bear

My Sweetheart.

My Bear chuffs inside of me. My beastly side is just as enamored. She has his fealty, and it means the world.

My woman is protected. Loved. And so damn precious to me.

We’re insidePizza Girls, of course. It’s where Uzzi and I always have our meetings about work. HisDate to Mateapp is really taking off and I’m stoked to be part of it.

The pizzeria is blowing up, and I couldn’t be prouder.

Not that I’ll ever say that out loud too often—Carina already refuses to let me do anything remotely financial to help. Apparently, being mated to a grizzly-sized businessman doesn’t mean she’s suddenly cool with me throwing money at her problems.

Not that she has any problems. Because she’s a damn powerhouse.

Still, I’ve found other ways to make myself useful—sneaky, indirect ways that won’t trigger her “I can do this myself” speech.

Like referring her pizzeria to a few Shifter-run businesses I know.

Okay, maybe more than a few.

Her list of corporate accounts has quadrupled, and she has no idea why.

I mean, she suspects, but she hasn’t called me out on it yet. And I, for one, am keeping my mouth shut because, honestly?

It’s adorable watching her try to figure out how a dozen suddenly pizza-obsessed companies just happened to find her all at once.

Taking care of her isn’t even a question.

It’s instinct.

It’s need.

It’s the bare minimum for a mate as incredible as her.

And as for the business?

I’ll help where she lets me, which is mostly by eating an absurd amount of pizza and making sure she actually sleeps instead of trying to do it all herself.

Now that she’s finally agreed to move in with me, Carina’s been able to take the early shift, which means her sisters get more time to focus on school instead of burning themselves out at the shop.

It’s a win-win.

For all three sisters.

And for me.

It means I get to wake up to my mate every single morning and let me tell you—there is no better way to start the day than with my Sweetheart. My beautiful Carina.

It’s everything I ever wanted and more.

Her happiness.

The way our lives fit together so seamlessly.

The balance she brings to me and my beast.

I plan to ask her to marry me soon—and I need her to feel secure enough in the pizzeria that she feels good about leaving when I ask her to run away with me for a while.

Because when I put that ring on her finger, I want to take her on a proper honeymoon.

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