Page 11 of Bear Boss’s Mate (Pleasantville Shifter #1)

BOTH AUSTIN AND MARCY made themselves comfortable on the couch and angled themselves to face one another. The chemistry between them had been strong all evening, and Austin found himself even more interested in Marcy after spending the last few hours alone with her.

He was glad to learn that she, too, wanted to have a large family. The idea of his mate and his future children living in the house he’d built filled him with joy. His fingers itched to reach out and touch her. To stroke her cheek. Her hair. Her soft skin. She was perfect for him.

His perfect mate.

Lost in her expressive eyes, he wondered if he’d be able to stop at just one kiss. With the way his inner bear had been roaring to get out all night, he wasn’t so sure. Marcy looked down at her lap for a moment and back at him, licking her delicious lips.

“I’m glad you trusted me enough to come back here,” he joked. “You seemed to be avoiding me since you started working for us.” He winked and reached out to touch Marcy’s hand. The sizzle of energy between them only reaffirmed what he knew. What his bear knew. She was his mate.

Mine, his bear roared .

She responded by stroking his hand with her fingers. “I wouldn’t have come back here if I didn’t think it was safe.”

Austin scrutinized her. If she wasn’t scared of him. Then what was it that kept her away? “So, why have you been avoiding me?” he asked.

Marcy blushed and looked away.

Austin reached out with one hand and turned her chin to face him.

She shrugged. “The truth?” asked Marcy, raising her brows.

He dropped his hand into his lap. “Always.” Her scent was intoxicating, and he was finding it hard to sit still.

“I find you. I mean... seeing you. The way you are. You are a bit distracting .” She drawled the last word.

His mouth twitched while his eyes fell to her lips. He loved the way the corners of her mouth curled when she spoke. Austin noticed she was much more chatty when it was just the two of them, and she didn't seem shy at the restaurant.

She looked like she was enjoying herself, much to his relief.

“I am having a great time getting to know another side of you.” He took a sip of wine.

She wrapped a curl around her finger. “I’m enjoying getting to know you as well. You’re not as scary as I thought you were the first time I met you,” she simpered.

Austin laughed. “You were scared of me?”

Her head bobbed.

He shook his head. “My God, when I saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I’m sorry that I came across as scary.” He remembered his first impression of her and how he’d known at that moment that she was made just for him.

Marcy’s nose crinkled. “I would never have guessed that. I figured I would be the last person to be your type.”

Austin ran his fingers along her hands, enjoying the sensation. “I’m serious. In fact, my bear, and I think you are pretty spectacular.”

Marcy laughed and flipped her hair off one shoulder. “Yeah, right,” she scoffed.

Sparks between them filled him with anticipation and excitement. He wished he could just tell her everything right now. But he knew it was too soon to say anything about her being his mate.

Meanwhile, the urge to kiss her caused his breath to quicken. He knew with certainty that one day he would have her in his bed. But right now, kissing her would have to soothe some of his desire for her. He began to wonder if bringing her home was such a good idea.

He leaned forward, placing his palm against her cheek. “Do you mind if I kiss you?”

Marcy’s eyes dropped to his mouth, and her pink tongue darted out to moisten her lips.

She tilted her head and leaned into him.

Her soft lips brushed against his with a slight hesitation.

He stroked her cheek with his thumb, then buried his hands in her soft curls.

Marcy’s lips parted, and their kiss deepened.

Their tongues touched in a blaze of heat and passion. Marcy moaned against his mouth, pushing herself even closer. Her fingers raked through his hair, tugging it between her fingers as though she were starved for him.

He ran one hand down her back, pulling her to him, crushing her breasts against his chest. Her hardened nipples poked through her dress, driving him wild. The scent of her desire made his cock harder than steel.

A few more moments passed before he pulled away from the kiss and looked into her eyes to see hers blazing with heat.

Her chest heaved while Austin’s heart thumped against his ribs.

God, how he wanted her.

The corners of her mouth curled. “I really wanted to kiss you, too,” she said.

He drew his lower lip between his teeth while his bear thrashed around inside him, begging to do so much more than kiss her. He pushed back at him, telling him to calm the hell down.

Austin smoothed some hair off Marcy’s face and leaned toward her again, taking a moment to inhale her incredible, unique scent. “You are so beautiful.” He couldn’t stop himself from kissing her cheeks before sliding down to her lips and tasting her once again.

She responded with the same level of heat she did on the first kiss. She whimpered, pushing up against him. Without breaking the kiss, he moved them both so that they were now lying on the sofa.

He placed a hand around her waist and she responded by putting one arm around him, continuing to press herself against him.

Austin slid his hand along the side of her dress, stopping to caress her sizable breast, eliciting another moan of delight from her.

He yearned to show her how much she meant to him.

But he knew he had to be careful not to push her.

They continued to make out while he fondled her over the top of her dress.

She suddenly slid one of her hands to his face, briefly touching his cheek, then sliding her hand off him to her side.

There was a change in her just before she pulled back from kissing him. Biting her bottom lip, she looked at him with glistening eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Austin asked, shocked at the sudden change in her. What had he done wrong? Why was she upset? He let her go, and they both sat upright next to one another.

“I can’t do this.” She sat back, pointing at the space between them. “I want to. Desperately. But I can’t.” She frowned.

His heart squeezed tight. He sat back, placing his hands on his thighs, continuing to look at her. “What do you mean? I thought you wanted to kiss me?”

Marcy swallowed. “I did. I do. It’s just... I can’t sleep with you. It’s too soon.”

Austin’s jaw tensed. “Marcy, I’m not expecting anything from you. That’s not why I asked you back here.”

“You don’t expect it?” she eyed him.

He shook his head. “No, I mean, I want to be with you. But I would never take advantage of you or any woman like that. I’m sorry if I came across that way.

I only wanted to know what it would be like to be close to you.

Tonight was never about taking you to bed.

” He was regretting having kissed her at all.

Marcy’s face reddened. She glanced at him and pouted.

Austin studied her. “Is there something else going on? Have I done something wrong?” His heart was pounding so hard he thought it would explode from his chest. He had waited so long to meet his mate. It was hard to wait much longer. But he would. If that’s what she wanted.

Marcy reached out and put her hands on his. Her brows pinched. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to get hurt. I’m scared.”

He took her hands in his. “I would never hurt you.” He pressed his lips tight. He’d screwed up. Somehow, he’d made her afraid of him. The thought made his stomach tense.

Marcy’s voice caught as she spoke again. “I hope you understand. I love my job. I don’t want to jeopardize it. I really like you, a lot more than I should.” Her voice sped up as she spoke. “But we barely know one another. I usually am not so forward on first dates—”

Austin interrupted, putting a hand out to touch her cheek.

A smile tugged at his lips. “Your job is not going to be affected by our dating. That’s not how this works.

You are a valuable employee that we don’t want to lose.

I like you very much too. I want to get to know you better.

I moved too fast tonight. I’m sorry. I never meant to upset you. ”

His chest hurt. He needed her, not just physically, but in every way.

She was his mate. He knew it deep within.

He also knew he couldn’t force her to do something she wasn’t ready to do.

“It’s okay. It’s not like I tried to stop you. I’ve wanted to kiss you all night. If we continue...” She shrugged and looked away.

He got the awful sense she had just talked herself out of being with him. He would just have to prove to her they were destined to be together.