Page 11 of Legends and Longing

The man had a lot of invisible and still obvious limits…like refusing to go into the diner once he’d been classified as Team Badass kind of limits.

“This is not you oversharing or asking personal questions. This is a mate situation. That trumps everything else.” His logical tone and even voice were making it hard to remember why I’d been panicking to begin with. “So we’re going to try again.”

Hugh let out a soft sigh, doing his best not to stand out. “But I’m going to start by reminding you that Professor Zorin was startled and curious. He was not horrified or offended.”

Snorting, he rolled his eyes. “He’s basically a brand-new diner man.”

Okay, I could see his point of view on that.

I’d basically been talking myself in and out of that position for the past hour as I’d done my best to stay as far away from him as possible, so it was nice to hear someone logical point that out. “It’s…it’s a lot to process. I can understand that.”

And it was kind of cute as long as I didn’t overthink it.

He’d kept asking Toman and eventually Wren questions about everything from spankings to the definition of diner men, and when I forgot how much I was worried, he made me want to giggle.

“Yes, but they’ve got a mate who’ll be able to help them process the new information.” He was so confident about that I almost asked who was going to help them.

Me.

I was supposed to help them.

“I’d also like to mention that mates are always compatible.” His dry tone made me think he was having a diner men flashback and a silly part of me wanted to giggle again. “You just don’t understand how that will look at the moment.”

My mates were aliens who’d never heard of happy spankings, much less Daddy stuff and wonderful things like that.

Mates.

I had two of them.

“The grumpy one hasn’t reacted at all.” It might be a good sign. Maybe? “He…he looks calm.”

That would have to balance out the professor, right?

Hugh sighed again. “Calm is a good thing in that type of relationship.”

Hopefully?

I wasn’t going to ask how long he’d been thinking about those kinds of relationships to be able to have opinions.

Swallowing hard, I nodded slowly and kept my thoughts on my own issues. “And…and I don’t need a mate that’s as…well…I’m not looking to have a mate that’s just like me.”

Jumpy.

Easily overwhelmed.

Little.

Barely holding back laughter, Hugh pressed his lips together for a few seconds. “Mates generally balance each other out.”

As he seemed to take that in, he let out a dramatically deep breath and frowned. “That means mine is going to end up very…excitable.”

Oh.

That.

He.

“Mates are always compatible. You’re right.” He definitely needed the reminder too, and it got a hint of a smile from him that made me realize he was actually handsome when he wasn’t growling at everyone.