"She deserved a courtship, deserved to know him, to come to feel affection if not love for him before he bound her to him. A human. A mortal. It was wrong. It was dangerous. He gently placed her on the cushions. "I got a little carried away, Raven. It will pass soon. Let me get you a drink of water." Raven watched the flames in the fireplace, drifting a little while she waited for him. She didn't see him enter the room, but the flames leapt and danced as if a sudden draft had fed them. She blinked and there he was, tall and handsome, like some hero in a storybook. She smiled at the fantasy. Mikhail wrapped his arm around her shoulders, partially holding her up while she drank. "You really are extraordinary," she murmured, uncertain whether she was dreaming or not. "It is good you think so," he pointed out. "Since I wish to spend time with you." She frowned at him. "I think it could be a little dangerous spending time with you." He smiled at her, his black eyes catching the warmth from the fireplace. She couldn't help herself; she reached up to trace that incredible smile with the pad of her finger. Who had a mouth like that? Who had such white, perfect teeth and such beautiful eyes? "You should be pretty with all those lashes," she murmured, still not certain if she was dreaming. "But your face is a little too rugged to be feminine." He caught her fingers and bit gently on them. "I'm thankful for that, at least."