Chapter 47

“How about a date, gorgeous? I promise to show you a beary good time.”

“I do believe I have an urgent appointment to clip my nails tonight. So sorry.”

—“The Courtship of Arwen Mercant: A Story of Death Stares, Irresistible Charm, and a Romantic Night in Jail” as told by Pavel Stepyrev

AT AROUND THE time that Yakov was falling back into a restless sleep, Pavel carefully unwrapped himself from around a sleeping Arwen and sat up to grab his glasses off the shelf next to the bed. Then he picked up his extremely high-spec organizer.

Produced by one of Kaleb Krychek’s companies, it wasn’t yet on the market and Pavel had bitten his tongue rather than ask Silver to use her connection to her former boss to get Pavel an early copy.

There were some things a good clanmate just did not do. No matter how much it pained his tech-adoring heart.

Then Ena had given it to him as a birthday present. “Arwen suggested a technological item when I asked him for ideas,” the matriarch of the Mercant clan had said. “I assumed you wouldn’t yet have had a chance to purchase this.”

Pavel had been dumbstruck. Not only because of the coveted device in his hands, but because Ena had thought to get him a gift at all. “Thank you,” he’d finally managed to say.

A steely-eyed look. “You make Arwen happy, and you’re strong enough to save him from his own soft heart.”

As far as compliments from Ena went, that was on par with being invited to the Sea House for dinner. Which Pavel had also now survived.

“Pasha bear?” A sleepy mumble as Arwen turned to curl himself around Pavel hip and leg.

His heart, it went all mushy. Every fucking time.

Petting his lover’s naked shoulder until Arwen’s breathing turned deep and even again, he pulled up the notification that had woken him. He’d set the notification to ping at a wavelength that wouldn’t wake Arwen.

The results scrolled across his screen.

Medical jargon.

Didn’t matter. He didn’t have to know what it all meant. He just needed to find it. “Pasha, you’re a genius,” he muttered.

“Yes, you are,” mumbled Arwen before falling back into sleep pressed up against Pavel.

Stupid smile on his face, Pavel leaned down to kiss Arwen’s silky black hair. “I love you, you sweet, smart, and oh-so-sexy Psy.”

Then he flexed his fingers and got to work.