Page 47 of A Delicate Conquest

Mavrel reached down and found the black silken belt. “Allow me.” In a practiced series of movements, he tightly wrapped it around his torso several times, covering the waistband of his trousers and holding them in place.

Effectively wrapping himself up in a neat silver-and-black package.

Bea pressed her hand against the lean, chiseled planes of his stomach, running her fingers over his warm skin.

He shuddered. “Don’t.I could lose control again.”

She wasalmosttempted. “You have that much stamina?”

“For you, always.”

Stars. What have we gotten ourselves into?

She suspected she was just beginning to realize how glorious they could be together, and it made her delirious with excitement. “We’d better go before we end up missing the entire event.”

Mavrel let out a soft huff of amusement as he picked up her dress. “Allow me.”

“Oh.” Bea took the hint and lifted her arms above her head. Being so tall, it was easy for Mavrel to slip the garment over her shoulders and tug it down so it sat in all the right places. He smoothed down the slinky fabric, caressing her curves, sliding his hands over her ass, making Bea aroused all over again.

Really, this man was going to be her undoing.

She couldn’t imagine how different her life was going to be now.

He zipped her up and attempted to tuck a few stray braids back into her bun.

Bea shook her head and unwrapped her hair, pulling out the pins that held her updo in place.

Her long braids cascaded down, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from Mavrel.

“They’re very intricate,” he marveled, his voice filled with curiosity. “Is there some sort of human significance to this style?”

Bea ran her fingers through the tiny braids, which had taken hours upon hours to complete. “My natural hair is intricate in itself—fine and tightly coiled. These kinds of styles developed out of necessity—to protect hair like mine—but they’ve also become a form of self-expression, a celebration of what nature and my ancestors have given me. And, of course, because it looks good.” Bea smiled, feeling proud and appreciating his genuine interest. She ran her fingers through his moonlight locks, combing out soft tangles, smoothing them to silky perfection. “Much like you wear your hair long and loose, or some of your people grow your horns to their full extent, hmm?”

“I see.” He kissed her again, this time on her lips. “There’s so much I have to learn.”

“Same here. But we have a lot of time, don’t we?”

“That we do.”

He took her hand and led her out of the room, through the magically unraveling doors, and back into the vast hall. The crowd had thinned a little, people dispersing to the various displays and exhibits that lined the vast hall.

With Mavrel at her side, Bea felt ecstatic, proud, and a little naughty. She quickly looked him up and down and then did the same with herself.

They looked polished, neither of them with a single hair out of place. Would anyone suspect that they’d just made passionate love inside the damn anatomy exhibit?

What kind of crazy exhibit was that, anyway? Who in their right mind thought that locking two people in a room with detailed holographic explanations of Kordolian…anatomywas appropriate in any way, shape, or form?

It was ludicrous, and the more she thought about it, the warmer she felt inside, her arousal glowing like slow-burning embers. Bea was pretty sure the heat in her cheeks and ears wasn’t going away any time soon.

She looked around, hoping to spot Clarissa, but her friend was nowhere to be seen—no doubt, she was busy spending time with her dashing Kordolian companion.

Mavrel squeezed her fingers. “Are you hungry? There’s a food station over there. We’ve catered for human tastes, but there’s also Kordolian food if you’re curious enough. Although the variety in our cuisine isn’t nearly as elaborate or wide as that of your human food.”

At the mention of food, Bea’s stomach growled.

Mavrel’s soft chuckle reminded her that Kordolians possessed sharper-than-normal hearing.

“Can’t hide much from you, can I?” she grumbled. “Actually, I wouldn’t mind a bite. Why don’t you serve me something? I wouldn’t mind trying Kordolian food, actually. I bet very few humans have had the chance to try it.”

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