Page 16 of The Bear's Perfect Mate
“You shouldn’t sell yourself short,” Finn said warmly. “Take the credit. You’ve earned it.”
She dropped her gaze, her fingers tightening slightly around the neck of the wine bottle. “Thank you. Really. I appreciate the invitation. This whole trip... It’s been exactly what I needed,” she said, then bit back the words she wasn’t ready to share. “There’s something about the mountains, the forests...they’re inspiring.”
“They are,” Finn said with a quiet chuckle. “They’ve inspired my family for generations. Hence the vineyard.”
Sophie turned the bottle in her hands, admiring the label—elegant peaks silhouetted against a dusky sky, the lettering etched in gold. The vintage promised notes of blackberry, oak, and “the essence of mountain air after rainfall.” It was romantic. Evocative. Almost magical.
“Would you like to visit the vineyard?” Finn asked.
Sophie’s guard snapped up. Had Nero put him up to this?
“I don’t think I’ll have time,” she said lightly, keeping her tone friendly.
“Pity, my brother’s mate...partner.” He hesitated and then went on. “Cassia is the one who suggested I ask you to come to the expo, and I know she would love to meet you,” Finn replied.
“Oh.” She smiled wistfully. In truth, she would like to see the vineyard. But it was better to keep her distance. “Another time,” she replied. “I need to leave tomorrow.” That was not exactly true. Now, things with Tito had ended. She didn’t need to be anywhere as long as she fulfilled her contract to create the remaining recipes for his book.
But the more distance between her and Nero, the better.
“Well,” Finn said with a hint of disappointment, “it’s an open invitation. Whenever you’re ready.”
Sophie clutched the wine bottle a little tighter, feeling its comforting weight in her hands. “Thank you,” she said sincerely. “And thank you for this. I’ll enjoy it tonight.”
“It was good to meet you.” As Finn walked away, Sophie once again found herself wondering if she was making a mistake. The thought of visiting the Thornberg Vineyard stirred something within her.
How would it feel to have that sense of connection? To the land, to the mountains…to a man. She longed to set down roots, make a family… Maybe that was why she’d clung so tightly to Tito for so long. She’d mistaken the hope of belonging for love.
That was why she had to step back now. To stop herself from repeating the same mistake.
And that was what she was in danger of doing. She was trying to mend her broken heart, her broken dreams, by moving on to the next man. Specifically to Nero, who seemed to offer her everything her heart desired.
Listening to him talk about the vineyard and his family’s roots had tapped into her longing.
But before she could move on, she needed to give herself time to heal. Time to process what had happened.
With a sigh, Sophie gathered her things. The expo was winding down, vendors beginning to pack up their displays. Her last demonstration, a lavender honey panna cotta, had gone surprisingly well despite her distracted state, and several couples even requested the recipe for their weddings.
Back in her hotel room, Sophie kicked off her shoes and placed the wine bottle on the small desk by the window. The bouquet Finn had given her—wildflowers in shades of blue and purple—went into the bathroom glass for now. She’d ask reception for a vase later, but for now she wanted a nice soak in the tub.
Sophie went to the bathroom and ran the water, pouring in a generous amount of the complimentary bubble bath. Steam rose in fragrant clouds as she uncorked the wine and poured herself a generous glass.
She paused to inhale the wine’s aroma, then took a slow sip. The taste barely registered before an image of Nero filled her mind. In her fantasy, he was stripped bare to the waist, the sun caressing his honey-toned skin, as he worked between rows of lush vines.
“This is ridiculous,” she told herself firmly, taking another sip of wine. “You barely know him.”
Yet something about him had gotten under her skin in a way no one else ever had. Not even Tito, whom she’d dated for nearly a year. How was that possible?
Sophie slipped into the bath, letting the hot water envelop her tired body. She tried to push them aside, but the day’s events circled back over and over… Nero falling at her feet, the ring box, the viral video, his gaze that seemed to see straight through her.
This would not do. Tomorrow, she would leave Bear Creek behind. And somehow pick up the threads of her life.
The warm water lapped at her chin as reality crashed back in. Tomorrow meant returning to the mess waiting for her back home. Tito’s cookbook deadline was looming, and she was still contractually obligated to develop and test his not-so-simple recipes. A bitter irony not lost on her.
Sophie took another long sip of the Thornberg wine. She could already picture Tito’s smug face when she returned, pretending nothing had happened between them. As if finding him with Jules hadn’t shattered everything.
Jules. The thought of her former PA made Sophie’s stomach clench. The woman she’d trusted with everything, her schedule, her home access code, her professional secrets. All the while, Jules had been sleeping with Tito behind her back.
How long had it been going on? Months? The entire time Sophie had been secretly dating Tito? Sophie closed her eyes as pieces started falling into place. All those late-night “emergency meetings” Tito had insisted on. The way he’d been so adamant about keeping their relationship private, claiming it was “better for both their brands.”
