Page 29 of Bear and Book

That dragged a reluctant laugh out of me. “I don’t mope,” I said.

“Leo, you moped when the bakery’s espresso machine broke. For a week.”

“That was different,” I pointed out.

He grinned, but it faded quickly. “Look, you seem happier when you come back from seeing him. Even tonight, when you’re all broody, you still look more alive than when you first moved here. So yeah, I like Elias. But I’m telling you now. Pace yourself. And maybe figure out what you’re doing before you do something that scares him off.”

I didn’t answer right away. I wanted to argue, say I knew what I was doing. But the truth was, I didn’t. Not really.

When I first met Elias, it had been simple: he was gorgeous, grumpy, and needed help. That lit up every instinct I had, both human and bear.

But somewhere along the way, it stopped being about proving myself useful. I liked being around him, even when he was prickly, even when he was quiet for hours.

I liked how his laugh felt rare enough to be worth chasing. Yeah, I wanted him. The kind of wanting that made it hard to sleep sometimes.

But Cassian was right about one thing. Elias wasn’t ready for everything I wanted to give. So I went to bed that night with my bear grumbling in my chest, pacing behind my ribs.

We didn’t like waiting.

* * *

The next two days were quiet. I told myself I wasn’t going to text Elias first. That if he wanted space, I’d give it to him.

That lasted maybe twelve hours before I caught myself checking my phone more than I checked the oven timer at the bakery.

Nothing.

I told myself that was fine. That Elias was probably busy fixing whatever storm damage was left in the shop. That maybe he was sorting through books and needed the silence.

But by the second night, I was restless enough to consider “accidentally” walking past his street. My bear liked that idea a little too much, so I forced myself to focus on work.

Which is why it knocked me sideways when my phone buzzed late the next morning and his name lit up the screen.

Elias: Can you come by this afternoon?

I stared at it for a full five seconds before I realized my thumbs weren’t moving.

Me: Yeah. Everything okay?

There was a pause. I could picture him frowning at the screen, deciding how much to say.

Elias: I wanted to talk. And I owe you an apology.

An apology. My bear perked up, suspicious but hopeful. We didn’t care much for apologies in the abstract, but from him? That was something.

Me: I’ll be there.

I didn’t tell Cassian before I left, partly because I didn’t want him to smirk knowingly, partly because I wasn’t sure what I was walking into.

But as I headed down the street toward the bookstore, I realized my shoulders were looser than they’d been in days. Even if this didn’t turn into what I wanted, he’d reached out.

That meant maybe, he wasn’t running, And my bear? He was already imagining the next kiss.

Chapter 9

Elias

I had rehearsed what I was going to say at least a dozen times before Leo showed up.