"How can I resist?" Laurent rested his head on his hand, lips tilted slightly in a coy smirk. "A literate beast. You must absolutely be given the opportunity to prove yourself."

There was no guarantee that there wouldn't be critical jeers--in fact, it was almost inevitable. "Tomorrow, then," Laurent said, rising to his feet. Their dinner tonight had been less of a disaster, at least. So, the Beast wanted to be a man.