She hadn't expected that. His words, those kind words with so much heart to them. She didn't expect his little speech about how good she was for him and she certainly didn't expect him to call her beautiful. He had no reason to. It was already more than decided that she would stay with him. The words weren't needed to make her stay in his bed that night. The way her hands were exploring him should've been proof enough of that. And yet he had. And she knew, almost instinctively, that this...whatever this was, was about more than sex. He cared for her, he wanted this to be good for her, and it meant more to her than she knew how to say.
Pulling back, she met his eyes, searching them with her own. "I never did anything you didn't earn," she told him softly, letting her fingers trail lightly through his hair. Long hair had never been a thing for her, but it worked on him. It was impossibly soft and set off the light blue of his eyes. She liked it. "You were scared, and confused. Sometimes I wonder if that's changed all that much. You deserve whatever your heart desires. And if it's me..." She wasn't sure what to say to that. It sounded so...relationship-like. Yes, she wanted to be wanted. She cared so much for him, wanted only the best. But she wasn't sure she was ready to put that part of her life behind her and step into this new one. All she knew for sure that she wanted was to keep hearing his voice, to keep feeling the touch of his lips and his hands.
She slid her own hands along the length of his chest and around to his back, finally beginning the painstaking process of undressing him. She wanted to touch him and to see him and it was taking far too long, but she also wanted this to be good. To be something she could remember if he realized how foolish this had been the next day. And if he wanted to make sure she was contented, then she'd get the pleasure she'd been denied by the Seal's foolish ways. Different man, yes, but no less special to her. She kissed him softly and whispered, "You really think I'm beautiful?"