The Reception: Aric, Elizabeth and Open
He was too close, he knew it. The temptation to press his mouth against the soft skin of her neck was nearly his undoing. "Beggin' your pardon lass, but you've never had me where you really want me - and we both know it."
Work. This was a job. He never got distracted on the job. He took a step back to put a more conventional distance between them, though he hated the necessity of doing so. He let the appreciation for her appearance show on his face so there would be no confusion about what he meant. "The problem isn't in my ability to focus, just in too tempting a view."
He hesitated, bring his hand up slowly, brushing his fingers over her cheek - allowing some of the vulnerability he felt to be seen if she was willing to look for it. A risk, but only a small one, and one he thought perhaps worth taking. "Sometime I think you could make me forget the rest of the world if you tried."