Ari heard the whisper, words blurred but just barely understandable. It gave her a tiny thrill to hear them, one that she could not fully understand. It was a nebulous promise at best, for sometime in the unknown future, but even so, the fact that it has been spoken at all, even with uncertainty, was thrilling in its way. It was probably the first real concrete confirmation that perhaps this was moving somewhere in the right direction, even if slowly, in fits and starts. And the next word, spoken with more surety and a fair amount of amusement seemed to indicate that Aspel hadn't quite discarded the idea of finding someplace appropriate to leave a mark altogether, either. That was a thrill of its own - and Ari was certainly planning on doing all in her power to encourage the notion.
For a short while, she focused on their kisses, deeper and somewhat hungrier than when they had started, tongues tangling as her hand continued its exploration. But then, Aspel's choked-off whimper as the kiss broke, and the glance down at her hand and its ministrations... but no word to stop, so she repeated the motion, teasing through the tunic with light, insistent touches. This whole thing would have been even more satisfying if she weren't at a bit of an odd angle, but remembering what had happened the last time she had straddled Aspel's lap - so very good, but then, so very not at the end - and stayed where she was. But the hand which had been tangled in Aspel's hair did come down to join the other after a moment, skimming down the other woman's neck and dipping to run over her ribs before settling to give the other breast the same sort of attention as the first.
At the feel of the hand on her back, she leaned forward to give Aspel better access for whatever it was she wanted to do, using the opportunity for an experimental nibble at the other woman's collarbone. Her hands, now trapped between their bodies, continued their stroking; she increased the pressure ever so slightly, adding a small but perceptible squeeze. "Tell me... if you want me to stop," she murmured against Aspel's skin; a sacrifice if she'd ever made one, but she was trying to be careful and not too demanding, and though she knew Aspel was quite capable of voicing her opinion, the offer seemed like it should be made nonetheless. Aspel had not delineated her boundaries quite so clearly, after all, though Ari had some ideas from other things that had been said.