Page 16 of Bear Boss's Mate
Standing in the middle of her living room, she began to fidget with her hands. Austin checked his watch. “We should go now if we’re going to make our reservation. Are you sure you’re still up to going out?” He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and peered into her eyes.
Marcy was touched by the tenderness his eyes reflected. “I’m okay to go. Besides, I’ve been looking forward to it.”
She’d spent a couple of hours preparing for their date and didn’t want to postpone it. Especially now that she’d seen another side to him. No one had ever come to her defense before. Ever. She beamed a toothy grin.
“So have I,” he said, as the corners of his lips curled.
THE RESTAURANT WASa lot fancier than any Marcy had ever been to in the past. When they arrived, the host welcomed them and sat them at an intimate corner table away from the windows.
Once she and Austin had a couple of glasses of wine and ordered their food, both of them began to open up more with one another. As she nibbled at her first course of butternut squash ravioli, Austin asked her questions about her life.
“Have you always lived in Pleasantville?” he asked, digging into his own plate of food.
“I’m from out west. Washington State, actually. I moved to Pleasantville six years ago after university. I can’t imagine living anywhere else now. I enjoy it here. I’m a small-town girl originally, so it’s the lifestyle I prefer. What about you?” she asked, taking a sip of her wine.
He grinned from ear to ear. “Born and raised in Pleasantville. My family goes back several generations in this area. Most bear shifters tend to stay close to their clans. Bern and I have known each other since we were cubs.”
Marcy tilted her head. “I know little about shifters. I never met any when I was growing up. What’s it like?” she played with the stem of her wineglass, stroking it from top to bottom with one finger.
Austin glanced at her hand movement and swallowed hard. Marcy stopped what she was doing and put her hand on her lap while a tinge of pink colored her cheeks. Austin smirked before taking a drink of wine.
“What’s what like? Shifting or being a bear?”
“Both. Does it hurt?” She winced at the thought.
“A bit. The first time I shifted, it hurt like hell. After a while, you don’t notice it so much. My bear’s side is just another partof me. I was born like this, so I can’t compare it to anything else. Does it scare you? The fact that I am a bear shifter?” He eyed her.
Marcy finished her first course and put her fork down. She dabbed her lips with the napkin. “No. Not at all. I find you... I mean, it’s fascinating.” She studied Austin for a moment before asking, “Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”
“Go ahead.” His lips curled. He took another fork-full of pasta, clearing his plate for the next course.
Marcy twisted her mouth up in one corner, then asked, “Do you date a lot of human women? Or do you mostly date other shifters... like you?” She took a sip of wine, and Austin topped up her glass again.
“There aren’t many single female bear shifters left in our colony here. In the past, I’ve dated only human women.”
Marcy took another sip of her drink. “Have you dated anyone else from work?”
Austin laughed and glanced down for a moment. She thought she’d heard his cell phone buzzing. They both ignored it.
Austin looked back at her with a smile. “You’re referring to Sheila. And the answer is no. I haven’t dated her. She just refuses to take no for an answer.”
“Sounds a bit like Mick.” She chuckled.
With an intense gaze, Austin asked, “can I askyoua personal question?”
She smoothed her hair. “Of course.”
“What happened with Mick?”
Marcy shifted uncomfortably in her seat and began running her fingers over the smooth stem of her wineglass once again. The liquid courage was working. She wasn’t sure how much she wanted to reveal to him.
After pausing a moment, she settled on telling him the truth. “We hung out a couple of months ago. I only went out with him a handful of times. I never wanted to go out with him in the firstplace, to be honest. He bugged me until I gave in. Boy, do I regret it. He became possessive right away. It got so I couldn’t talk to another guy at work.” She cleared her throat, pausing.
“When I ended our friendship, he didn’t take it well. Then one night, he hit me. No one had ever done that. I mean I dated jerks before, but that was not something I was equipped to handle. We worked together and my boss blamedmefor the way Mick treated me. I quit my job so I wouldn’t have to see him every day. Mick didn’t get the memo because he kept harassing me. He believes we had something we didn’t. I couldn’t bear to have him touch me. But he acts like I am his property. I hate him.” Her eyes burned with tears, and she looked down at her plate.
“I’m sorry.” Austin narrowed his eyes. A muscle in his jaw twitched, and he shook his head.
Marcy continued. She couldn’t stop herself once she began explaining. It felt good to talk to someone else about it besides her friend Amara.
