Page 191 of The Cowbears of Curvy Bear Ranch

Ugh, his bear could be such a bratsometimes.

She stirred beneath him. He carefully rolled onto his side next to her, never letting more than a breath of air getbetweenthem.

“Roll over,”hesaid.

“Again?” She raisedabrow.

“No, not again.” He laughed. “I want to cuddlewithyou.”

“Most men don’t want tocuddle.”

“Most men are morons,” he said. “Now, roll over so I canholdyou.”

After she’d turned her back to him, he scooted up against her. He stroked the curve ofherhip.

“You’re so sexy,” hewhispered.

“Flatterer.”

“I mean it.” He paused, trying to find a way to ask her what he really wanted to ask her. Would she consider staying? Was his bear getting excited over nothing? Did they have any kind of futuretogether?

He rested his palm on her hip, unable to give voice to any of the questions bouncing around inhishead.

“It’s so strange,” she said. “I came here looking for my mother, and she completely rejected me. But you, a complete stranger, took me into your life withouthesitation.”

“Maybe I sensed the bear inside you and I was drawn to that,”hesaid.

“Is that a thing? Can you sense it when other people arebears?”

“No. If it was, I would have realized you were a shifter a lot sooner.” He chose his next words carefully. “Have you heard about fatedmates?”

“If it’s a bear thing, then no. I don’t knowanything.”

“Shifters believe that there is one special person out there for them, someone they belong with, someone who they want to commit themselves to for the rest of their lives,”hesaid.

“Like soulmates?”

“Yes.”

“It’s a romantic idea, but what happens if your mate lives on the other side of the country? Or the other side of the world? How will you find eachother?”

“That’s where the fate part comes in,”hesaid.

“I don’t know if I believe in all that. It soundsimpossible.”

“What if it wasn’t?” heasked.

“Then it would be magical,” she saidwistfully.

His heart thumped in his chest. He wanted to tell her that he thought she was his mate, but what if he was wrong? Or what if she was too distracted by what was happening with her mom to thinkaboutlove?

Love?Ohcrap.

She’s our mate.His bear danced around his heart like a fool, but the more he tried to make him stop, the more he danced.Damnbear.

She yawned and nestled against him. Within minutes, she fell asleep. So much for laying his heart bare for her. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but he couldn’t stop thinking about what everything meant. If they could just get her mother into a safe situation, maybe his mate would be more open to the ideaoffate.

He wasn’t going to give up until he’d convinced her that she belonged with him. Although he’d tried to protect his heart, he knew his bear wouldn’t lie to him. And if he was really being honest with himself, he’d acknowledge the one thing that scared him more than anything else in the world—he was falling in lovewithher.

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