Page 33 of Arctic Panda's Secret Mate
“Do that,” Haisley encouraged.
“I’m a shifter,” Tristan said seriously, gazing down at her. His eyes were very dark, but they had interesting flecks of color in them. “I have a panda bear in my head and can change my shape to his.”
“You showed me,” Haisley said, nodding. “And it’s pretty hard not to believe it after seeing it. Also, it’s apparently not a full moon thing like with werewolves. Does the moon haveanythingto do with it? Like it is stronger then?”
“No. Nothing moon related. But we do know certain things, and one of those things is when we meet our soulmate.”
Soulmate had a better ring to it than just mate, Haisley thought. “Tell me more,” she said, wondering if she sounded too hopeful.
“I knew the moment I saw you that you were the one for me. The only one, forever.”
The one?Forever?“Where does free will fit in with the idea of mates?” Haisley wondered out loud.
“I guess that depends on you,” Tristan said, and to Haisley’s thrill, he reached out and touched her cheek.
It felt like electricity, like every nerve in her face came alive at once. Haisley suspected that she was blushing, butit feltbetterthan blushing. Was it magic? Or just that she wanted him so much?
“I’m not going to do anything you don’t want,” Tristan said quietly, but his hand didn’t leave her cheek. “You don’t have to hit me with a cookie sheet. You just have to tell me to go, and I will.”
“I don’t want to tell you to go,” Haisley said swiftly, and she reached up to catch his hand under hers. “I want…I want…”
There was no time to wonder who leaned in first, Haisley only knew that his lips were on hers, and her hands were slipping up around his shoulders.
“This isn’t…a promise,” she said, when she had breath for it. The fanciful description of swollen lips seemed apt after his kiss; her lips really did feel hotter and larger. “I’m not saying no, but I’m not sayingforever. Not yet.”
“I’m here for three more days,” Tristan said hoarsely. “Give me those days to convince you.”
“Yes,” Haisley agreed. “Yes, to that.”
Then she was pulling his shirt off over his head the way she’d been dying to since he took it off to show her his panda, and he was even better underneath than she’d remembered. It was delicious running her hands over all the knotty muscles and velvety skin.
She wasn’t sure how he got her shirt off, but she wasn’t sorry, and they kissed and caressed until Haisley was actually wondering how hygienic it would be if he took her right there on the kitchen floor, because she wasn’t sure she would make it anywhere else.
A soulmate.
Haisley could believe it, the way that Tristan made her body sing with his fingers, like he knew exactly where she most wanted to be touched. More than that, shelikedhim. She could imagine a future with him. He was handy andhelpful, quiet and nice—all the things she would have listed in the perfect life partner. And on top of that, he was magic, and he made Haisley feel like maybe she waspartof that magic.
“My room?” he suggested.
The reminder dampened Haisley’s ardor. “I’m not supposed to be here.” She shyly suggested, “My room?”
It was closer anyway, and once the invitation was made, she couldn’t take it back—and didn’t want to, anyway.
29
TRISTAN
Tristan’s bear was ecstatic.
Mate! She’s our mate! We’re invited to her den!
Tristan was mostly distracted by peeling Haisley, layer by layer, out of her clothing. Every exposed piece of skin was a new treasure, one he wanted to linger over and adore. Best of all were her hisses of pleasure and sighs of delight when he found something she particularly liked.
They stumbled their way out of the kitchen into the dining room, knocked into the chairs and table, paused in the hallway to kiss more, and crashed loudly into her door when it didn’t open at first.
“Hang on,” Haisley giggled. “I didn’t actually prepare for guests.” She opened the door and stood aside, panting a little. Her apron was off, and her shirt was unbuttoned to her belly button, revealing a plain, pale bra and a lot of hypnotizing curves.
Her room was tidy but cluttered, with bookshelves that at first glance had mostly cookbooks. An open door suggested an en suite bathroom, and the curtains were all pulled tightly closed. A few dirty dishes were stacked ontop of a minifridge with a roll of paper towels and an insulated flask.
