Live a little. He’s hot as hell. When was the last time you got laid? Properly? Don’t question this so much. You’ve got to have some fun.

Why was her mother’s voice playing in her head? Sage growled, mumbling to herself to stop.

“Stop?”

She pressed her lips together and gave him a confused look. “No, we can keep going.”

“What do you do for a living?” she asked, then frowned. “I mean, shifting alone isn’t a full-time job, is it? Not that I know much about your kind. Reysha called you a pride leader, but I’m not sure what that entails.”

“Pride leader. It means my people come to me for guidance. I handle issues with other prides and any problems within the pride. In your human world, you have a sheriff or police officer of high rank? I’m my pride’s sheriff position.”

“Oh. I didn’t realize that. Do you have a salary?”

His loud chuckle shocked her and made her stare at him. The sound was sexy as hell and she hadn’t expected it. “No. There’s no salary for pride leader. I also have a family business I handle. A lot of us have our own businesses or several of my pride members work for my ski resort on the other side of the mountain.”

She glanced at him sharply, almost tripped on a rock, but he was there holding her steady. “A ski resort? I…wow.”

He grinned. “I know. You didn’t expect me to own that type of business.”

Heat flooded her cheeks. She turned to peer at the moonlit walkway. “Sorry. I know better than to assume things, but you just don’t give the people vibe. I took you for a guy that likes to work with an axe. Maybe taking down trees or something.”

As they walked farther down the walkway, solar lamps illuminated the path until it opened to the edge of a cliff. They could see the city far below. Tiny lights from homes and buildings danced before them.

“Want to sit?”

She nodded and he helped her down. Then he was right there next to her, his arm brushing hers.

“I am pretty solitary,” he started, his gaze on the city lights before them. “But the resort was built by my parents. After college, they liked all my ideas to expand and make it family friendly. It created more jobs for the pride members. It also allows me to live on the mountain.”

She sighed, looking out at the view. “This is really nice. Quiet. Where did you go to college?”

“New York.”

She gasped. “Good god! That’s as far away from quiet as you’d ever get. Why there?”

My father went to New York University. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps. I agreed, but didn’t realize how crazy busy the city is.”

“I bet. I’ve been several times for work. It’s one of those places that gives me anxiety just walking down the street. I felt like I was late and needed to hurry. Even when I was just out for a walk,” she laughed. “Was it hard?” she asked. “I know tigers are solitary creatures. Did you miss being on the mountain when you were in college?”

“It was very hard. I learned a lot, but I missed the tranquility and quiet of the mountain. It’s why the pride lives on this side of the mountain and most cabins are distanced from each other. We all need our space.”

“My sister lives on a mountain now.” She missed Zuri, but she loved how happy Zuri was, so she didn’t begrudge her the distance.

“You mentioned that at dinner. You and your family are close?”

She grinned. “You could say that. I live with my mother.” Then she laughed. “According to Mom, I should be married with kids, or at least having a crazy amount of sex at this age.” Fire flamed her face. She pressed her lips together and closed her eyes, wishing the ground would open up and swallow her. “You didn’t just hear that.”

He chuckled and cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Do you want to be married with kids, or having crazy amounts of sex?”

Yes, please. “Um, I’ve always wanted to get married and have kids. I just don’t want to settle for some half-assed relationship,” she told him, ignoring the sex part of the question.

“What do you mean half-assed?”

“I want the man I marry to love me not just with words. I want him to show me. I don’t want to wonder if I’m enough; I want to be sure I am. I want trust in my relationship and I want to feel cherished. My father loved my mother so much. All through my childhood, I saw them give all of themselves to make the other happy. I thought that was a perfect relationship. Oh, they argued and had disagreements, but they never lasted and soon they were back to being a team. I don’t know,” she shrugged. “I think I must want things that don’t exist, because I’ve yet to meet a man willing to go the distance to prove he cares.”

He was quiet for a moment. “I don’t understand human males. Ensuring a mate feels loved is a need for shifters. For both the animal and human side.”

“Shifter mates are lucky. Humans don’t know a lot of things,” she sighed. “Everything is a game of chance.”

He curled his hand over hers, lifted it to his face and kissed her palm, giving her butterflies in her chest. “That’s the difference between shifters and humans. We don’t play games.”