Chapter Twenty – Matt
“It’s a good thing I don’t have a shift at the restaurant today,” Matt said, dropping a kiss on Tessa’s head as she lay in his arms in his bed while the sun rose higher in the sky.
Tessa stretched languidly beside him, her gaze drifting toward the window where sunlight streamed through the curtains. “I can’t remember the last time I stayed in bed so late.”
“Me neither,” Matt said with a contented sigh. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this peaceful, this complete.
It’s because our mate is here, his bear rumbled happily inside him.
“Although I should get back and check on Rachel,” Tessa said, though she made no move to leave the warm cocoon of blankets.
We could keep her here forever, his bear suggested.
“Can I make you breakfast first?” Matt asked, hoping to delay her departure even a little longer.
“I’d like that.” She leaned forward and kissed him softly. “And I’ll do the dishes from last night.”
He chuckled, remembering the abandoned plates still sitting on the table. “So you said you didn’t remember making love in the kitchen, but you do remember we never got around to doing the dishes?”
“I have a selective memory.” She slid out of bed and padded toward his closet. “Can I wear one of your shirts?”
Matt couldn’t help but agree. “No,” he said, tucking his hand behind his head as he admired the curves of her body in the morning light. “I want you to walk around naked. Because, believe me, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”
She looked at him over her shoulder, a smile playing on her lips. “You’re biased, since I am your mate.”
He nodded, drinking in the sight of her. “I am biased, but even if I wasn’t...”
His bear purred with satisfaction. She understands what being our mate means.
Matt slid out of bed and went to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind. She leaned back against him, resting her head on his chest. He couldn’t resist kissing her mouth, his hand cupping her breast.
“You are insatiable,” she murmured against his lips.
“I have a lot of time to make up for,” he replied, his thumb brushing across her nipple.
“You mean you have been saving yourself for me?” she asked, her tone teasing but her eyes curious.
“In a way,” he replied, feeling the truth of it deep in his bones. “As a shifter, you get to a certain age and know that no woman is ever going to satisfy you like your mate.”
“That’s so sweet,” she said, turning in his arms to kiss him properly. “And sad.”
“But you are here now,” he said, reaching past her for a blue shirt, one of his favorites. “Here, this one.”
She accepted it with a raised eyebrow. “So you want me to cover myself up now?”
Matt smiled and said, “I think it’s best if we are ever going to leave the bedroom.”
Tessa slipped on the shirt that skimmed her thighs, and he pulled on a pair of clean jeans and a T-shirt. The blue fabric looked even better on her than he’d imagined, making her skin glow. He couldn’t stop staring.
She caught him looking and smiled, a hint of shyness creeping into her expression. “What?”
“Nothing,” Matt said. “Just admiring the view.”
His bear rumbled appreciatively. She looks perfect in our clothes. Marked with our scent.
Matt silently agreed as they made their way downstairs. The kitchen was exactly as they’d left it last night—dishes abandoned on the table and wine glasses half-empty. The memory of what had happened instead sent heat coursing through him.
While Tessa began gathering plates, Matt pulled eggs and bacon from the refrigerator. The domesticity of the moment struck him—his mate moving around his kitchen as if she belonged there, because she did. His bear practically purred with contentment.
“I was thinking pancakes,” he said, reaching for the flour. “Unless you prefer something else?”
“Pancakes sound perfect.” Tessa stacked the dishes by the sink. “I haven’t had homemade pancakes in ages.”
That’s unacceptable, his bear grumbled. Our mate should have pancakes whenever she wants them.
Matt smiled to himself as he measured ingredients into a bowl. “Well, you’re in for a treat. Family recipe.”
“Is there a secret ingredient?” Tessa asked, turning on the water to rinse the plates.
“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret anymore.” Matt winked at her.
She laughed. “Fair enough.”
They moved around each other with surprising ease, as if they’d been sharing a kitchen for years instead of hours.
Matt whisked the batter while Tessa loaded the dishwasher, their bodies occasionally brushing in the small space.
Each casual touch sent a spark through him, reminding him of their night together.
“Coffee?” he asked, nodding toward the machine.
“Please. Strong as you can make it.”
Matt grinned. “A woman after my own heart.”
She’s already claimed your heart, his bear reminded him smugly.
When the coffee was brewing and the first batch of pancakes was sizzling on the griddle, Matt wrapped his arms around Tessa from behind, burying his face in her neck to breathe in her scent mingled with his own.
“You smell like me,” he murmured against her skin.
Tessa leaned back into his embrace. “Is that a shifter thing? Being so... scent-oriented?”
“Mmm-hmm.” He pressed a kiss below her ear. “Our sense of smell is much stronger than a human’s. Even in this form.”
“What do I smell like to you?” she asked, turning her head to meet his eyes.
Matt inhaled deeply, considering. “Sunshine. Warm honey. Something floral I can’t quite name.” He kissed her again. “You.”
“You say the sweetest things.” She reached up to touch his face. The moment stretched between them, intimate and perfect.
Until his bear nudged him urgently. The pancakes are burning.
Matt jerked away with a curse, lunging for the spatula. He flipped the pancakes to reveal their blackened undersides and grimaced.
“Sorry,” he said, scraping them onto a plate. “Got distracted.”
Tessa laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “I think that was my fault.”
“Worth it,” Matt said, flashing her a smile as he poured fresh batter onto the griddle. “I can make more.”
This time, he managed to focus long enough to produce a stack of golden pancakes. He arranged them on plates with the bacon he’d cooked, then poured them each a mug of coffee.
“Let’s eat outside,” he suggested. “It’s too nice to stay indoors.”
Tessa nodded, gathering silverware and napkins while Matt carried their plates. They settled at the small table on his back deck, the morning sun warming their shoulders as they ate.
Matt watched Tessa take her first bite, satisfaction flowing through him when her eyes closed in pleasure.
“These are amazing,” she said after swallowing. “What’s in them? Cinnamon?”
Matt tapped the side of his nose. “That’s for me to know.”
She pointed her fork at him. “I’ll figure it out eventually.”
“I’m counting on it,” he replied, the words carrying more weight than they should have for a conversation about pancakes.
They ate in comfortable silence for a while, enjoying the food and the view of mountains rising behind his property. Birds called from the trees at the edge of his yard, and a gentle breeze carried the scent of pine and wildflowers.
“It’s strange,” Tessa said finally, setting down her coffee mug. “Twenty-four hours ago, I had no idea shifters existed. Now I’m having breakfast with one.” She shook her head, looking bemused. “And I’m apparently his mate.”
“Did I move too fast?” Matt asked, suddenly anxious. His bear tensed within him.
“No,” she said quickly, reaching across the table to take his hand. “Just... this is not what I expected when I came to Bear Creek.”
Relief coursed through him. “Life rarely goes as planned.”
“True.” She squeezed his fingers. “For once, it’s better.”
Matt lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. His bear rumbled happily inside him.
Tell her, his bear urged. Tell her we want her to stay forever.
Not yet, Matt cautioned. One step at a time.
They finished their breakfast as the sun climbed higher in the sky. Matt couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this content, this complete. This was what had been missing from his life. This woman. His mate.
As they carried their empty plates back inside, Matt realized with a pang that she would be leaving soon. Going back to Rachel’s. Did Tessa still think of her life in Bear Creek as temporary? The thought made his chest tighten uncomfortably.
She must have sensed his shift in mood. “What are you thinking?” she asked as she rinsed their plates.
Matt hesitated, then decided honesty was the best approach. “I’m thinking that I don’t want you to go.”
Tessa turned to face him, her expression serious. “I have to check on Rachel.”
“I know.” He stepped closer, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I just... I’ve waited so long to find you. Being apart, even for a few hours...”
“I’ll come back,” she said softly.
“Tonight?” Matt asked hopefully.
Tessa nodded, a smile spreading across her face. “Tonight.”
Matt pulled her into his arms, his heart so full he thought it might burst. He buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent, memorizing it to carry him through the hours until she returned.
And when she did return. He would convince her to stay. Forever.