Page 20 of Bear with Me
I wasn't letting him off the hook that easily. "Explain."
"Yes, my bear thinks you're my mate. You smell like my mate. You taste like my mate. I wanted to rub against you even when you were a jerk on the plane."
"Ugh. Don't remind me." It was my turn to lean against his chest with a sigh.
"You're my mate."
"What does that mean for you, exactly?" I couldn't quell the hope rising in my chest, so I hoped Ollie had a reality check for me.
"When a bear meets their fated mate, the relationship lasts a lifetime."
I groaned. "Why are you saying everything I want to hear?"
"I am?" He grabbed my chin and forced me to meet his gaze. "You want a mate?"
"I've always wanted a mate," I admitted. "That's not the problem. I'm a fucking mess. That's the problem."
He frowned. "I don't exactly have my shit together, either."
"Are you good at your job?"
"The best."
"Have any roommates?"
"No."
"Neither do I, but that's because he's moving out at the end of the month. I bet you own your own home."
"Yes," he said with a snort. "Not because I have loads of money. I inherited a vacant timber lot from my grandparents and built my cabin myself."
"You're still doing way better than I am. I'll be unhoused if I can't find a roommate."
"I have a mother-in-law cabin on my property. You could live there."
I blinked. "You just met me."
"True, but I'm a brown bear shifter, and you're human. Even if you came at me with a shotgun, I could crush you before you did too much damage."
The image of me coming at anything with a shotgun was so absurd, it made me laugh. "Okay, so you're invincible, at least, to little ol' me, but aren't you worried I'll embarrass you with my shitty personality?"
"I already told you." He leaned forward and kissed the tip of my nose. "I've seen you on a bad day, and that only makes me like you more. Together, we can have fewer bad days."
I liked the sound of that, I did, but, "I came here to work on me."
"I know." He tugged me back into the hallway, switching our positions so he blocked the bedroom door. "That's why I'm going to shift and leave you alone for a few hours."
"Hours?" I glanced out the back window. A spiderweb of frost glazed the outer surface, making it impossible to see. "Won't you get cold?"
"I'm a bear." He cupped my face with both hands and kissed me with a tender press of his lips against mine. "I'll be fine. You work on you, and I'll be back for a quick shower before lunch."
I started to ask if he wanted breakfast, but then I saw the dirty dishes still on the counter. He'd already had cookies and milk.
Once he disappeared out the back door in all his naked glory, I decided to do the same. It was the true breakfast of champions, if those champions had won the challenge of keeping their bear mate away while they figured their shit out.
I was a winning team of one. If the prize for giving in was Ollie, it felt more like the losing team.
CHAPTER 11
