Page 57 of The Bear's Perfect Mate
Sophie turned, gathering her hair. The cool heart touched her skin, warming almost instantly.
“There,” he murmured, his breath against her neck.
She crossed to the mirror. The pendant nestled perfectly at her throat, catching the light with every breath.
But what struck her most was the reflection staring back: no longer anxious, but calm and ready.
Nero stepped behind her, their eyes meeting in the mirror. He rested his hands lightly on her shoulders, and Sophie leaned back slightly, feeling the solid strength of him supporting her.
“Perfect,” he murmured.
Sophie turned in his arms, tilting her face up to his. “Kiss me,” she said, no longer caring if he smudged her makeup.
A small smile curved Nero’s lips as he leaned down, one hand rising to cup her cheek with exquisite gentleness. His lips touched hers in a kiss that was tender yet charged with emotion. A physical affirmation of the pledge he had just made.
Sophie kept her eyes closed for a moment, savoring the sensation. When she opened them, Nero was watching her with such open adoration that it nearly took her breath away again.
She straightened her shoulders, feeling a new confidence flow through her. “I’ll wait for you downstairs,” Nero said as he dropped a kiss on her shoulder.
“I won’t be long.” Sophie slipped her feet into the borrowed heels that matched her dress, took one final glance in the mirror, and nodded at her reflection, her eyes drawn to the ruby heart.
“From Our Heart to Yours,” she muttered as she touched her fingers to it.
Dragging her gaze from the mirror, she gathered her small evening purse, checked its contents one last time, stepped into the hallway and made her way downstairs.
Nero stood near the front door with his back to her, but he seemed to sense her approach and turned to watch her. Heat flared across her skin at the way his eyes devoured her body. How easy it would be to reach for his hand and pull him into her arms. To abandon their planned evening at the restaurant and tumble into bed instead.
But that was not going to happen. Not now… But afterward…
“You look amazing,” he murmured as he picked up her shawl and wrapped it around her shoulders.
“So do you,” she replied, her fingers tracing the buttons of his waistcoat.
“We should get going,” Nero said, though his eyes held a promise for later that made her pulse quicken. “Everyone will be waiting.”
Sophie nodded, her hand instinctively touching the necklace at her throat. The weight of it felt right, like it had always belonged there. Like she had always belonged here with him.
And she knew in that moment, no matter what, she always would.
Chapter Twenty-One – Nero
“We’re here,” he said unnecessarily, as he parked the car in its usual spot next to the hacienda. “I thought it might help calm your nerves if we walk through the vines. But if you would rather, I drove closer to the restaurant…”
“No,” Sophie said, covering his hand with hers as she half-turned to look at him. “A walk is exactly what I need.”
Nero offered his hand, and she took it without hesitation. He led her between two rows of vines that seemed to close in around them, giving them a few minutes of privacy.
“These vines have been here for generations,” Nero said softly, his thumb tracing circles on the back of her hand. “My grandfather planted some of these rows. Then my parents added more. Then my brother Philip worked on developing grapes with specific traits, specific flavors for his blends.”
Sophie ran her free hand along the rough bark of a vine. “There’s so much history here.”
“And now you’re adding your chapter to it,” he replied.
They walked unhurriedly, savoring the quiet moment before the evening’s festivities. For Nero, the sensation was surreal, walking this familiar path he’d walked thousands of times, yet everything felt new with Sophie beside him. Since he’d left to live at The Lookout, his visits to the vineyard centered around family gatherings or wine tastings, but tonight, the focus would be on Sophie’s culinary creations.
Sophie moved nearer, her dress swishing softly around her legs as she leaned against him. Nero slipped his arm around her shoulders, drawing her to his side.
“I’m not sure I could have done this without you,” she whispered.
