Page 46 of A Delicate Conquest

With a man who, until not too long ago, had been a complete stranger.

The rules of human dating didn’t apply here. She’d very quickly realized that she would have to adjust and make a quick decision.

No, she didn’t feel coerced.

No, she wasn’t being manipulated.

Yes, her body’s reaction to him had acceleratedeverythingand made the impossible possible.

No, she wasn’t having second thoughts.

Could she make this work?Yes.

Based on what she’d seen, heard, and felt,yes.

“Beatrice,” Mavrel murmured, rolling the syllables of her name over his tongue in his unmistakable Kordolian accent, making it sound rare and lyrical.

Her heart fluttered. The pit of her belly dropped—in a good way. “Hmm?”

He stroked her hair, fingers dancing through her ultra-fine braids. “You understand what this means, yes?”

“I think I do.”

“You humans might call it obsession, but to me, it’s perfectly normal. I consider you mine. To that end, I would destroy anything or anyone that threatened to take you away from me. I would see you happy at all costs, to the point where I might risk stifling you. Once I set my mind on a goal, I tend to pursue it to the exclusion of all else.” The look in Mavrel’s amber eyes made Bea’s heart skip a beat. His presence was overwhelming. It was only now that she truly saw the intensity behind his deceptively laid-back facade.

That was a mask, a necessary layer.

Thiswas the true Mavrel.

“If I ever gettoo much, you must tell me at once. You must push back. Scream at me if you must. I would never, ever hold it against you. You are the one person in the Universe I would allow to get away with anything.”

Bea laughed softly in wondrous disbelief. “That’s almost unfair. You make it sound like I can get away with whatever I want. I assure you, I can be an outspoken bitch, and if you ever upset me, you’ll know about it. But don’t wrap me up in cotton wool and treat me like I’m perfect because I’m far from it. I can get obsessive, too. I get lost in my art projects and can have a terrible sense of time. I can be impulsive, overly emotional, and way too trusting.”As I am now,she thought giddily.

“None of those things are a problem to me, and you aren’t wrong to trust me,” he said softly as if reading her mind. “If onlyyou could understand what I’ve fought, what I’ve come from. This is the Universe I wanted—to be able to have this freedom.” He leaned in and gently kissed her on her cheek tenderly, patiently, without any of the frantic urgency that had consumed him before. “I know it’ll take some time. So, let us continue this courtship. I’ll meet you on your turf next.”

Not realizing that she’d become tense, Bea relaxed, allowing her body to melt against his. “That would be good. As I mentioned before, I’d like you to come visit me in a few days.”

“I’ll be there.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” Although she enjoyed socializing, Bea rarely invited people to her home. That space was reserved for those she felt closeness with—old friends and relatives.

It would be interesting to see how Mavrel reacted to her human space, especially with what she was planning.”

“Then, shall we continue?” Mavrel gestured toward the doors. “I’m feeling much more sane now—enough to tolerate being your guide without losing my shit.”

Bea laughed. “Let’s do it. I’m curious to see who else is here. Do you think the infamous former general will be there?”

“Tarak?” Mavrel frowned, looking mildly irritated. “Probably. He’s been difficult lately, on account of the fact that his mate’s pregnant again. If I see him, I’ll introduce you.”

“You’re on a first-name basis with the Big Boss? I’m impressed. You must be pretty high up in the hierarchy.”

“Not really,” Mavrel grumbled, although his frown evaporated, and he almost looked pleased. “I’m just a person who can fulfill his very specific instructions—one amongst many.”

“You’re just being modest now, aren’t you?” Bea sat up amidst the aftermath of their lovemaking: finery strewn across the floor and sofa, shoes tossed aside, hair disheveled. Mavrelwas somewhat dressed, his trousers having been pushed down to his knees, his boots still on his feet. “Stand up, big fella.”

His eyebrows went up in surprise as he rose to his feet, automatically extending a hand to help Bea up.

Still naked, she reached for Mavrel’s trousers and pulled them up, pressing herself against him as she tried to fix the waistband.

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