Page 7 of The Bear's Perfect Mate
But Sophie knew better. Men like Nero Thornberg—handsome, charming, talented—were exactly the kind she needed to avoid.
No matter how perfect their jewelry was or how sincere they seemed, she wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. Her brand was all about keeping things simple, after all. And nothing complicated a simple life faster than a broken heart.
Chapter Three – Nero
That did not go well,Nero’s bear said. As if Nero could not see that for himself! But he refused to be beaten.
She did call us interesting,Nero replied, trying to take something positive from the conversation.
No, she said it was interesting to meet you,his bear corrected.And since no one has probably ever fallen at her feet and made a fake proposal...
You think that’s what she meant by interesting?Nero groaned inwardly. What was he supposed to do now? He didn’t want to come over all pushy and overbearing. But the thought of the day ending like this, of never seeing her again, was too much to bear. There had to be a way of putting this right. Of making her see he was a good guy, someone she should take a chance on. Yet there was something in her expression when he had dropped to one knee and presented her with the ring that said she was hurting. A deep emotional hurt. And he had made it worse.
Nero backed away as Sophie was surrounded by a group of fans, all chatting away to her as if they were her best friends. She certainly had a way with people.
Okay, time to regroup,Nero’s bear said.Time to find Finn and get all the information on her background that we can.
Nero took one last look at his mate and turned around, sensing his brother over by the wedding cake exhibitor.
I could just use the internet,Nero said as he wove through the crowd to Finn.
Yes, but the thing with the internet is it’s filled with gossip. How are you supposed to know what is true and what is fake?his bear asked.
You have a point,Nero agreed.But I also don’t think that Sophie had opened her heart to Finn and told him her life story.
“Nero,” Finn said through a mouthful of wedding cake. “Try some. It’s incredible, made with our very own Bear Creek mountain honey.”
“I’m not hungry,” Nero said, even though his stomach still felt hollow.
“Mauve, don’t listen to him. Give him a taste,” Finn said, waving his fork at Nero.
“Here, Nero, it’s guaranteed to make you feel better,” Mauve said, handing him a slice.
“Thanks,” Nero said, as he looked at the incredible cakes on display. “Did you make and decorate all these?” He nodded at the cakes, admiring the three-tiered masterpiece adorned with delicate sugar pine trees and a miniature Bear Creek mountain range circling its base. Beside it stood a more traditional white cake with cascading edible wildflowers in the colors of a mountain sunset. Another displayed hand-painted scenes of the vineyard, complete with tiny sugar grape clusters.
“I did,” Mauve said. “I can create pretty much anything.”
Nero nodded. “They look amazing.” He took a bite and savored the taste. “And taste amazing, too.”
“Does that mean you’re going to order a cake from me when you marry Sophie Truro?” Mauve asked.
Nero nearly choked on his cake, much to Finn’s amusement. “Did you...?” Nero asked Finn.
Finn shook his head. “No, Mauve here has seen enough shifters and their mates together to recognize the signs.”
“Yeah, I mean, the drooling was a giveaway,” Mauve said.
“I did not drool,” Nero insisted.
“If you say so.” Mauve winked and then moved to talk to a prospective client.
“So, how is it going? I saw you talking to Sophie,” Finn asked.
“Not great,” Nero said. “I wondered if you might help.”
“Hey, I got you two together, didn’t I? What more do you want from me?” Finn laughed, but his expression softened when he saw Nero’s face. “Okay, okay. What’s the problem?”
“She thinks I’m some kind of social media prankster who deliberately set her up. And when I tried to explain, she shut me down.” Nero stabbed at his cake with the fork. “There’s something else, too. When I was talking to her, I sensed...pain. Recent pain.”
