In this moment.
With him.
I slide my gloved hand into his bare hand and he just holds it like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
“So, do you let your bear wander around out here?”
I’m so curious about that grizzly bear. I want to know everything about him. I saw it inadorable modeeating that candy cane and infreak out modecharging at the officers, butwhat’s in between? What does it do? What is living with him like?
“This is his territory,” Boone says in that deep raspy voice I’m quickly getting addicted to. “I let him out and he wanders all over these mountains.”
“And you just… watch? From inside?”
He nods. “Yeah. I watch and experience the world through his eyes and nose and other senses.”
“What’s that like?”
He thinks about it for a moment, taking his time which I love. There’s no rush with Boone. He doesn’t use a lot of words, so each one is carefully chosen and deliberate. It’s so different from the men at the station with their pretty looks and their loose mouths that won’t stop running, spewing every thought that comes to their head, even though they should probably keep ninety-nine percent of those thoughts to themselves.
“I guess it’s like putting on a VR headset that lets you smell every scent in the forest.”
“Is he like… dangerous to me?”
The fierceness in his eyes as he looks at me makes my pulse race. “Never. He would die protecting you, Veronica. You’re his mate too. You now have a thousand pound grizzly bear who would kill anyone who threatens you.”
“Oh,” I say, taken aback. “I’m not sure if I need that, but good to know, I guess.”
He smiles at me. “You’ll see. You two will be good friends.”
I drop my eyes to the snow, thinking about that. I never thought I’d be friends with a grizzly bear. I don’t even know what that would look like. Although, I am pretty curious about it.
“He’s the one who never gave up hope that you’d show up,” he says with a heavy sigh. “He never stopped believing.”
“And you?” I whisper. “Did you stop believing?”
He takes a few deep breaths as we walk up the mountain. The only sound is our footsteps.
“I did,” he finally says. “I gave into cynicism and doubt. I guess I had convinced myself that I didn’t want you.”
“Oh,” I say.
He stops and turns to me, takes my hands in his. The loving look he gives me makes my knees wobble.
“I was wrong,” he says with an undeniable certainty in his tone. “My grizzly was right. I never should have doubted fate. Look how perfect you are, Veronica. I can’t believe you’re real.”
Our eyes are locked on one another. I can’t look away.
The air between us crackles, thick and hot despite the cold.
We move together, our bodies taking over. Our souls are on the same wavelength. Our hearts speak the same language. I melt into his big arms and drop my gaze to his sexy mouth. I love his lips. I love his beard. I love his eyes. I love his nose.
He lets out a deep moan as our mouths come together, him dipping down, me stepping up. When our lips touch, it’s like a flood of warmth bursting inside me.
His kiss is soft and gentle at first. Sweet and romantic for such a big powerful man. I can tell he’s being gentle with me, scared he’s going to be too rough and hurt me.
But I’m his mate, and I can take it. I want to feel him losing control.
I slide my tongue into his mouth with a hungry moan, grabbing his flannel sweater in my fists as I pull his body against mine.
