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Why had he even asked those questions? Why had he mentioned settling down? They had only just met. It was the shifter part of him. Usually, he lived harmoniously with the bear inside him.
But meeting Rhiannon had woken the bear more than it ever had been. It seemed that the bear had been hibernating inside him all this time. The bear had caught a whiff of Rhiannon’s bright, fresh scent, and it had thrown all caution to the wind.
The animal wanted Rhiannon and was demanding that Mars take her right then and there. The beast inside him wanted him to mark Rhiannon while inside her.
And Mars was having a hard time imagining anything else.
The bear wanted Mars to do everything in his power to keep Rhiannon with them forever.
“Why don’t we take the water taxi and see the sights before we call it a night?” Mars suggested after he insisted on paying the bill.
He did not miss the moment of indecision on Rhiannon’s face, and his heart leapt in his chest when she agreed.
“That would be nice.” She smiled at him, speaking quietly.
There were several water taxis on the edge of the canal, and Mars got a private one. He helped Rhiannon onto it, reaching to take her hand.
Bolts of electricity burned through him as he touched her skin. His flesh burned where it touched hers, sending pleasurable prickles straight to his cock.
Rhiannon was in the taxi, looking at him with wide eyes, and he shook himself. Then he followed her in.
Had she felt it too?
“Welcome aboard, folks,” the taxi operator said as they sat. “I’ll be taking you on the Bricktown history tour, and hopefully, you’ll learn something about the history of this city.”
Mars realized then that he had reached for Rhiannon’s hand, and she had allowed him to take it.
As the taxi operator maneuvered the vehicle down the canals, he felt her leaning against him slightly.
The evening air was warm and alive with the fragrances of Rhiannon’s scent, food, alcohol, and blooming flowers.
“I never really see the city like this.” Rhiannon had pulled away from Mars, leaving a cold burning emptiness against his arm.
But seeing her looking wide-eyed at the sights on either side of them made up for it. The taxi operator kept pointing sights out, and Mars noticed he agreed with her.
“Me either,” he admitted, almost reluctantly. When had he actually set foot outside his office or his apartment recently? “I get so caught up in work sometimes.”
“Me too.” Rhiannon turned to him, smiling ruefully. “Sometimes, I work on three or four cases at once. On those occasions, which happen more often than they should, I practically live at the office.”
Mars could not help but marvel at her dedication. And he was starting to understand why Gerri had matched them.
Not only because Gerri, somehow, knew that Rhiannon was his mate. But also because Rhiannon’s work ethic matched his own. He often found himself working as hard as Rhiannon described. There were nights when he slept at the office simply because it was easier.
But hopefully, now that he had found his mate, he could spend less time in that steel and cement building. The bear inside him growled its agreement almost violently. A low rumbling reverberated through Mars's chest when Rhiannon leaned against him again.
The trip came to an end too soon, and Mars was helping Rhiannon out of the water taxi again. He paid the operator and turned to Rhiannon.
“Thank you for the amazing evening.” She smiled shyly.
He had to clear his throat several times before he could speak.
“I enjoyed it too.” The urge to lean in to kiss her was the strongest Mars had felt it all evening. But it would be a stupid move to try and kiss her now. Mars knew that she was still uncertain around him.
“Anyway,” she said, turning to the street. “I have an early start tomorrow morning.” She lifted a hand, and a cab pulled off the main road.
“Wait,” Mars called as she walked away from him. “When can I see you again?”
When Rhiannon turned to him, she looked almost uncomfortable and shrugged reluctantly.
