Page 105 of Torin

And somehow, impossibly, that person was me.

He waited for me.

The thought sends a rush of emotion through me, so intense I don’t know what to say.

We start walking again, and for a while I’m lost in the thought of it.

“Hell of a meet cute though,” I say.

Torin glances at me. “A what?”

“A meet cute.” I smile. “It’s from romance novels. It’s the moment the hero and heroine meet. The more memorable it is, the better.”

Realization dawns across his face, and he breaks into a grin. “Ours was memorable, all right.”

“It certainly was.”

“I hope it didn’t disappoint you.”

I shake my head. “Not even slightly. It exceeded expectations.”

His eyebrows rise. “You read romance novels?”

“Oh, a guilty pleasure of mine.” I give him a sideways smile. “When the serious stuff gets too much.”

“So, you read about people falling in love instead.”

“Yeah, sometimes.”

“I like that.”

There’s something about the way he says it that makes my heart swell.

He takes another step towards me. “Hannah...”

His smile softens. “I always wondered what it’d be like when I found my mate.”

I hold my breath.

“I sure as hell didn’t imagine I’d have to take out some other guy and protect her from her father.” His eyes blaze. “I can’t change how we started. But I can spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy.”

My throat tightens.

His grin returns. “And if our first meet cute wasn’t everything you’d hoped for...”

A laugh escapes me.

“...we’ll just have another one.”

“Another meet cute?”

“Every week.”

I shake my head, smiling. “You can’t be serious.”

“Completely serious.”

“You’ll stage a different first meeting every week?”