Page 58 of Torin

“That’s it?”

“What else would there be?”

“I don’t know.” Her mouth twists. “Apparently my education in bear mating customs has been a little unreliable.”

Despite everything, I laugh.

“So, what do you do when you meet her?”

My bear perks up, but I ignore it. “Try not to scare the hell out of her, mostly.”

That gets a smile. “And then?”

“Get to know her. Spend time with her.”

“Kiss her?”

“Eventually.”

“And do you kiss women who aren’t your mate?”

“No.”

“Never?”

“Never.”

She goes quiet, and I can almost see her working it out.

“So, when you tried to kiss me...”

“Yeah.”

My bear immediately starts up.

Tell her.

Not now. She’s spent the last twenty-four hours escaping a bear who decided he had a right to her. I’m not about to follow that by announcing she’s my mate.

Hannah drains the rest of her iced tea. “Don’t you at least need to know whether she’s a good kisser?”

It takes me a second to catch the hint of a smile.

“Guess it can’t hurt.”

She sets down her glass and shifts closer.

My bear goes wild.

Mine.

I shut it out and wait.

Hannah reaches up, her fingers brushing through my beard, and I stay completely still as she leans toward me.

Her lips touch mine, light and careful. She pulls back almost immediately, smiling.

“Hannah—”