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“What’s a heart-match?” Whatever it meant, she liked the term. It was sweet.
“I’ll explain it when we can talk in private.”
She exhaled and then smiled at the sweetly sincere way he was looking at her. “Let’s go get the keys from my sister and then we can talk somewhere.”
He put his arm at her back and led her through the crowd until they reached the booth where Duke and Ree were making out.
“I need to get the car keys to my sister,” Ree said.
“I’m right here,” Mercy said, thinking that she and Barron had excellent timing.
“Oh!” Ree’s cheeks were flushed. “Do you want me to take you home?”
Duke snarled, and the sound sent a note of fear down her spine. Barron moved until he was standing partially in front of Mercy, and she found the protective move endearing.
Mercy put her hand on Barron’s back. “Hell no!” she said to Ree. “Barron told me who you were with and said that it appeared you wouldn’t be heading home with me tonight, so I came to get the keys.”
Ree’s cheeks darkened further. “Geez. That is decidedly uncool.”
“Nah, it’s awesome,” Mercy promised.
Duke made hard eye contact with Barron. “Mercy’s important to my mate, and that makes her important to me. Am I making myself clear?”
“Of course,” Barron said. “On my life, I’ll see her home safely.”
Mercy fanned herself with a grin. “I freaking love shifters.”
Ree pushed the keys across the table and told Mercy to text her in the morning.
“Don’t do anything I would,” Mercy said, winking as she tucked the keys into her pocket and waved. Barron led her away from the booth, but instead of heading toward the door, he directed her to the counter.
He waved at the man who’d served them earlier. “Titus, this is Mercy. Sweetheart, this is Titus – he’s the co-owner of the bar with Duke and also part of the pride.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said.
Titus nodded. “You, too.”
“I’m going to take my break early,” Barron said.
“Sure thing.”
Barron led her down a hall past the bathrooms and toward a door under a bright red exit sign. He pushed it open for her and she saw picnic tables set up underneath an awning. “This is for employees,” he said as he gestured to a table away from the door. “I was hoping it was empty so we could talk.”
As she sat next to him, she texted Maisie and explained she’d found someone nice to talk to and would see her later. After getting a thumbs-up emoji in response, she smiled and put her phone in the back pocket of her jean skirt.
“I want to ask you something,” she said.
He was straddling the bench, resting one arm on the worn tabletop and holding one of her hands. “You can ask me anything.”
“What did you mean when you said Duke and Ree were heart-matches?”
“We’re lion shifters. My people find our mates one of two ways – a heart-match, which is akin to love at first sight, and a mate-match, which is an arranged mating through a matchmaker.”
“I didn’t know people still used matchmakers.”
“I don’t know about humans, but there are shifter groups that do.”
She looked at their linked fingers. His skin was a little tanner than hers, his fingertips calloused, his hand dwarfing hers. She was short and curvy, and she felt entirely petite next to his broad shoulders and muscles on top of muscles.
