Page 23 of The Bear's Perfect Mate
This was dangerous. So very dangerous.
Keep it simple, Sophie. Wasn’t that what she had always told herself?
But looking back, her relationship with Tito had been complicated from the outset. All that skulking around so that people did not know the truth. He’d claimed it was to protect their privacy, to keep their relationship special and intimate. “Let’s keep this between us for now,” Tito had whispered, kissing her neck in that way that made her knees weak. “The media will turn it into a circus.”
And she’d believed him. For months, she’d sneaked around, canceled plans with friends, and manufactured excuses about why she couldn’t bring a plus-one to events. All the while, he was sleeping with Jules behind her back.
The realization hit her like a physical blow. Nero was watching her, concern etched across his features, and suddenly she couldn’t breathe. The kitchen felt too small, the air too thick.
“I need to work on my recipes,” she said and then turned around and bolted for the door, needing to put some distance between them. She needed to keep herself safe.
But safe from what? From falling in love?
Because with Nero…that might be the simplest thing of all.
“Sophie?” His voice behind her was soft. Concerned.
She turned. He stood in the doorway, giving her space, but his worry was clear.
“I’m sorry,” she said, embarrassed by her sudden flight. “I just...needed some air.”
“Did I say something wrong?”
“No,” she assured him quickly. “It wasn’t you. I was thinking about Tito and...everything.”
Nero nodded, understanding softening his expression. “Would you like me to leave you alone for a while?”
The offer was so considerate, so respectful of her boundaries, that Sophie felt something inside her crack open.
“Actually, I think I’d like to see your workshop. It’ll help take my mind off…things,” she said, surprising herself. “If the offer still stands.”
His face brightened immediately. “Of course. It’s just across the way.” He gestured toward the larger building she’d noticed earlier.
As they walked together, the mountain air cleared her head. Nero kept an easy distance—close enough that she could feel his presence, but nevertooclose.
If she had to describe Nero in food terms?
He was comfort food. The kind you craved when the world felt uncertain.
Reliable. Trustworthy.
Simple in the best possible way.
Chapter Nine – Nero
How he wished he could chase her sorrow away.
How I wish I could tear a strip off this Tito person!His bear gnashed his teeth, hating to see their mate upset.
Violence is never the answer,Nero reminded his bear.
Don’t be too sure,his bear muttered.
But Nero certainly did not want to dwell on violence now, not when he was about to show his mate his workshop. Because showing her his workshop and sharing his work with her would reveal a part of himself to his mate. It would give her a glimpse of the man he truly was, the man beneath the waistcoats and awkward smiles.
“Come on,” Nero said, leading Sophie toward the workshop. He balanced the coffee cups carefully as he reached for his keys, anticipation fluttering in his chest.
The heavy wooden door swung open with a familiar creak. Nero stepped inside and flicked the light switch. Warm amber light bathed the space, revealing a room that looked like it had been plucked from another century.
