She hadn't turned away. That was the first thing he realized. She hadn't turned away, hadn't looked frightened or angry. Hesitantly, he turned his head back to look at her. He wanted to see if that was just a fluke due to shock or if she actually didn't mind. When she stayed put, he finally relaxed, letting out an audible sigh of relief and shifting back around to look at her. The news about there being a book was absolutely important, but there was something else he wanted to get to first. "Thank you, Claire," he told her, a genuine smile passing over his face. "You are very kind."
Now for the business about the book. He leaned back a bit on the stairs, propping himself up on his elbows. It looked a little comical given how large he was, and he knew that. He wanted to seem as nonthreatening as possible. "A book?" He couldn't help but chuckle a little at that. "A book." He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about it. Admittedly, he was ashamed of many of the things he'd done in his conflict with Victor, but if it could provide entertainment - and perhaps a warning - for others, then at least something good came out of it. "Thank you for not dancing around the issue, Claire. Did you enjoy the book?"