Page 60 of A Delicate Conquest

The way she was dressed now was such a contrast to her bold glamour at the Cultural Event, and yet she was no less stunning.

Sunlight filtered through the windows on the far side of her dwelling, framing her in a halo-like glow.

His mouth curved into a smile before he even realized it. She was justsoradiant. “Hello, Beatrice.”

“Why don’t you come in?”

At her invitation, Mavrel stepped across the threshold and into her small human space. As the door closed behind him, he felt as if he’d stepped out of the vast Universe into a world of her creation.

A safe, enchanted place, away from the harshness of the Universe, her dwelling was unlike anything he’d ever seen before. The furnishings appeared old—they were constructed from organic timbers and fabrics. Soft mats woven into intricate designs covered the hard tile floors. Pictures adorned the walls, depictions Mavrel couldn’t even have fathomed, for they were unrealistic and brightly colored, the lines distorted and swirling, strange hand-created renderings coming together in the most unlikely of ways to create a cohesive whole.

Almost every part of every wall was covered in these pictures. Some were contained within square and rectangular frames and sealed behind glass. Others were unframed, the images rendered directly onto coarse, tautly stretched material.

She’d arranged the images in an order that probably made some sort of sense in her human mind, although Mavrel couldn’t decipher it.

Greenery was everywhere, with plants in decorative clay and porcelain pots adorning shelves, tables, and corners.

He inhaled deeply, savoring the delicious aroma of spices and cooking. Like most Kordolians, Mavrel had never been one to appreciate the act of consuming food—he’d considered it little more than nutrition and sustenance—until he’d visited Earth.

Humans had shown them how to enjoy food. Mavrel had learned that even simple meat could be enhanced with the addition of seasonings and spices.

Based on the mouthwatering smell, he was pretty sure Bea had prepared some sort of meat.

Caught in a state of blissful sensory overload, he was nearly brought to his knees when she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

He embraced her back, wrapping his arms around her neck, slipping one hand down the elegant curve of her back.

She tilted her face upwards, lips slightly parted, in a demure yet explicit invitation.

There was no force in the Universe that could have held him back from kissing her then. His lips pressed against hers, and he tasted warmth and spice.

She kissed him back tenderly, hungrily.

“I missed you,” she whispered, running her fingers down the lapel of hiskashkan.“Since then, I’ve thought about you every waking minute of every day.”

“You could have called me sooner,” he rumbled, helpless to do anything but hold her in his arms. “I would have come in a heartbeat.”

“I know, and I’m sorry for making you wait. It’s just that, from a human perspective, what happened between us on the Fleet Station was so impossible, so improbable for someone like me to experience or even comprehend that I just needed a little time to process it all. It isn’t that I didn’t want to see you. I just needed to feel a little in control of my life. I hope you can understand.”

“I understand that humans are complicated beings,” Mavrel replied softly. “And that this is a drop of time compared to what I want to have with you. Andweare a complicated entity, us Kordolians, and our arc through the Universe hasn’t been a smooth one, so it’s perfectly understandable that you’d have such thoughts.”

“I…” She blinked, her dark eyes filling with deep emotion. “I had a sense about you from the start. Anyway, it’s okay. I’m all good. I’ve spent the last three days pinching myself over all ofthis, but I had a chat with Clarissa, and that helped to ground me. It’s probably a good thing you and your friend snagged both me and my good friend at the same time. We’re basically partners in crime.”

“You arenota criminal,” Mavrel protested, unable to stand the thought of her doing anything cruel or illegal.

Bea laughed, and the rich sound of her voice filled him with relief and desire. “Figure of speech. It’s just a human saying. It means Clarissa and I got into this together, and we’re going to be there for each other.”

“I am… pleased that you have a friend to confide in.”

“And much, much more. I have you now.” She stroked his cheek with such gentleness and reverence that Mavrel almost felt unworthy. “Are you all right, Mavrel?”

“Me?” He blinked in surprise, unused to the notion of anyone asking such a thing. How very human of her. “What makes you ask?”

“Just a feeling.”

How very perceptive of her, almost preternaturally so. Were all humans this sensitive to thoughts and moods?

No. It was just her. She was exceptional.

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