With Tory in his arms, Pierce grinned down at her, and she smiled back.

“I wasn’t expecting you,” she said.

“I said I’d see you later,” he shrugged.

“Later is kind of a vague term, though,” Tory countered.

“I want to see you whenever I can,” he admitted. “Is that clearer?”

“Not really, but I’ll take it,” she laughed.

“So, how was your day? Your last class seems to have gone well, at least,” Pierce said.

“Yeah,” Tory chuckled. “I was nervous as all hell, but working with kids turned out to be a lot more fun that I would have thought. I recalled how my first teacher helped me find my passion for dance, so that inspired me.”

“They’re lucky to have a teacher like you,” he replied. “Even if you don’t think so all the time.”

“I’m getting there,” she smiled.

Wrapping his arm around her waist, Pierce led her toward the door. The first day on the new site had gone well, and now that he was back with his mate, his good mood was only getting better.

“Come on,” he said. “Let me take you to dinner.”

“Again?” she arched a brow at him. “You do this whole dating thing differently around here.”

“You wanted me to wait three days to call you or something?” he laughed. “Like I said, I want to see you whenever I can.”

“Hey, no complaints here,” she replied, raising her palms. “But I don’t think I’m dressed properly.”

He looked down at her long skirt and button-up blouse, modest yet still emphasizing her lush curves. In his opinion, she looked good in everything, and nothing at all.

“You’re not dressed properly for a home-cooked meal?” he asked.

Tory’s eyes widened just for a second.

“You’re taking me to your place?” she questioned, as they walked down the halls of the dance studio toward the exit.

“If you don’t mind doing without candles and flowers on the table, then yes,” he shrugged.

“I do not,” she replied. “It’s the company that matters most, anyway.”

Pierce grinned, taking her hand in his as he led her out and toward his truck parked at the curb.

“I couldn’t agree more,” he said.

* * *

With his signature dish ready on the table – baked pasta with cauliflower and bacon – Pierce poured Tory a glass of wine before they took their seats. He had already given her a quick tour of his small house nestled among the trees on the outskirts of town, and was more than pleased to have her all to himself.

He had turned off his phone as soon as he got off work, to make sure there would be no distractions. And there was good reason for that. Bonnie had been bombarding him with calls and texts all day. Since she had apparently changed her number, he had answered one of those calls before he could have known better.

It seemed running into him had reignited something in Bonnie, and she was insisting they needed to meet to talk things through. After their last chat went around in circles, Pierce wasn’t exactly excited about that, and told her as much.

He wanted to focus on his relationship with Tory, not chase ghosts of relationships past.

Tory scooped a mouthful of pasta onto her fork and took her first bite. She appeared surprised as she looked at him, her brows raised.

“Wow,” she said. “This is really good.”

“You thought I lived off take-out and instant noodles, didn’t you?” he grinned.

“No,” she scoffed, but it didn’t sound very convincing. “Even if I did, I’d still be impressed, though,” she added, sipping her wine.

“My mom taught me a thing or two about cooking,” Pierce replied. “I’m an only child, so she had to impart her wisdom on someone.”

“I’m an only child, too,” Tory said. “Are you still close with your parents?”

Pierce hesitated for a moment. He had already avoided this topic once, and didn’t want to make Tory feel like he was hiding something from her. The truth was going to come out sooner or later, and he found himself wanting to tell her everything about himself.

“My mom moved away a little while ago,” he admitted. “There were too many memories here after my father passed away. She moved to Miami to be closer to her sister.”

Tory put her fork down, stilling.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” she said.

“Thank you,” Pierce nodded. “He was sick for a long time, so it wasn’t sudden, but it was a blow, nonetheless. My dad and I didn’t always see eye to eye, but I loved and respected him. He left me his construction company, and now I’m just trying to make him proud.”

“I’m sure he was always proud of you,” Tory replied.

“I guess,” he replied with a weak smile. “He always told me I could do more… I think now I’m finally starting to believe him.”

Studying him from across the table, Tory reached for his hand, covering it with hers. Pierce had no doubt that the sympathy and affection in her eyes was genuine.

“As you should,” she said simply, holding his gaze.

“Anyway,” he replied, changing the subject. “This pasta is one of my mom’s secret recipes. I thought it was time to share it with someone.”

Tory squeezed his hand before pulling away. Grinning, she tilted her head at him.

“Are you telling me you haven’t wooed other girls with this secret weapon of a dish?” she asked.

“No,” he replied honestly. “I don’t think I’ve ever cooked for anyone but myself.”

Her eyes widened at that.

“I’m honored to be the first, then,” she said. “Even though I’m not sure why I deserve the privilege.”

“Isn’t it clear by now?” Pierce asked. “I’ve been working hard to win you over ever since we first met.”

“I think it’s working,” Tory laughed. “You keep feeding me like this, and I might never leave.”

“That’s the goal,” he blurted out, not really thinking the words through.

Giving him a curious look, Tory scooped more food into her mouth. For a moment, Pierce leaned toward regretting what he had said, but the bear inside him pushed against that. She was his mate, and she deserved to know exactly how he felt.

“I hope you know you’ve come to mean a lot to me,” he started, gauging her reaction. “And that I take this relationship seriously. I don’t want to rush you or pressure you or anything, but I had to put it out there.”

Tory seemed to think that over for a moment.

“You keep surprising me, you know?” she finally said. “I didn’t come to Black Oak looking for anything but a fresh start at a new job, and then you came along. And now everything is so confusing. Because I feel the same way. I really want to see where we can take this.”

Pierce couldn’t help the smile that took over his face. He hadn’t expected to hear exactly what he wanted to hear, but he sure as hell wasn’t complaining about it. This day was turning out to be one of the best in a long time, and in that moment, he could see his future unfolding in front of him. And Tory was a part of it.

They finished their dinner, going into more detail about their day at work. Pierce refilled their glasses, and as they moved onto the couch, he took the opportunity to learn more about Tory’s life in New York.

She told him about her troupe, the friends she had made, the boss she hated… But as her story came to the part of her leaving her old job, she fell silent for a moment.

“You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to tell me,” he said, noticing her glancing down at her leg.

Her scars were hidden again, but he was well aware they were there, and that Tory still had some hang-ups about them. She gave him a smile, pulling her feet onto the couch. Pierce nestled closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“I was walking home from practice one night when it happened,” she said. “I had barely stepped onto the road when a car came barreling around the corner, brakes screeching… It was all over before I could even really react. The paramedics said I was lucky I wasn’t more seriously hurt,” she added, with a laugh that sounded hollow.

Pierce was quiet as he held her, waiting for her to gather her thoughts.

“I have a metal plate in my knee now. I was diligent in my physical therapy, did everything the doctors told me, but in the end, it just wasn’t enough. Even after today, where I mostly watched other people dance, my leg aches. But I don’t feel as angry as I did anymore. It feels like I have a purpose again.”

Kissing the top of her head, Pierce’s bear let out a little growl. To have Tory share her feelings with him was a big deal, and not something he was taking lightly. More than ever he was sure that stumbling into his mate would have a happy ending.

“You’re going to fit in great here, and have a happy life,” he told her. “You’ll see.”

Tory twisted to look up at him, a soft smile on her face.

“I think I might believe you,” she said.