Verity had honestly been on the verge of returning his kiss to try and get him to stop. She was a little afraid that if she refused his advances, he'd kill her. But when he pulled back and excused himself, she blinked up at him. It was confusing, but a bit of a relief.
He wasn't going to kill her yet. She was holding her breath until he was at the stairs, and then she started to breathe again, tears escaping her eyes. She was alive.