" The devil took hold of her tongue. There was no other explanation for it.
"Behoove," she said.
The angle of his mouth leveled out, and his voice turned exceedingly, dangerously soft. "Yes. Behoove."
She opened her mouth. Shut it. Opened it again. "Don't say it."
Gray-green eyes narrowed, daring her to cross the line.
---
A sense of peace and contentment filled him. He loved music, and he loved to dance. Teaching Tess to waltz was going to be a pleasure.
A half an hour later, he had revised his opinion drastically, as she stepped on his foot again. Instantly, they both stopped moving and glared at each other.
"Young lady, you are not an elephant," he told her. "Kindly refrain from imitating one."
---
"We can work it all out over time. Agreed?"
She might not know where they were going, but it was definitely a step to the right direction.
Taking a deep breath, she nodded. "Agreed."
His expression turned serious, and he eased away from the wall. Without his body weight pinning her into place, she had to force her own shaky limbs to support her.
Sliding his fingers lightly down her arm, he took her hand.
"Come make love with me," he said.
After all of that - after taking the time to create an understanding that was filled with respect and that gave her a sense of safety - how like him to make everything so classic and direct, and simple.
She tightened her hand in his. "Yes."
---
"What's she like?" Gavin's tone was elaborately non-chalant.
Defiant. Devious. Delicious.
He didn't say any of those adjectives aloud. Instead, as his silence grew too long and Gavin lifted up his head to look at him curiously, he finally settled on "Unforgettable. "

― Thea Harrison , Night's Honor (Elder Races, #7)