Any way to move 2 bytes in 32-bit x86 using MOV without causing a mode switch or cpu stall?

Question

If I want to move 2 unsigned bytes from memory into a 32-bit register, can I do that with a MOV instruction and no mode switch?

I notice that you CAN do

Answer 1

stick to 32 bit mode and use 16 bit instructions

mov eax, 0         ; clear the register
mov ax, 10-binary  ; do 16 bit stuff

Alternatively I guess I could move 4 bytes into the register and then somehow CMP just two of them

mov eax, xxxx ; 32 bit num loaded
mov ebx, xxxx
cmp ax, bx    ; 16 bit cmp performed in 32 bit mode