"No." Again, there was the urge to sigh. Why did she always have to look like a frightened rabbit? He was not scary. He didn't yell at her. He was nice to her when he saw her. By and large, he left her alone. So why did she have to give him that look?
He moved closer, slowly so she wouldn't become even more afraid, until he was close enough to reach forward. Gently grasping the book, he tugged slightly to remove it from her grip. "Please, allow me."
Felix smiled. He'd been told more than once that he was especially charming when he smiled. "I have longer arms, I can reach the shelf without using the ladder." His expression turned slightly more serious. "You shouldn't be climbing the ladder, you know. Not in those slippers. They aren't good for, well, much of anything besides walking up and down the halls. On the carpets, not the stone. Are those new bows on them?"
Truthfully, he had no idea if they were new or not, but women seemed to like it when fripperies were noticed. Maybe if she was happier, she'd look less like she was holding her breath.