Having her body pressed up so closely against his own felt like it was simultaneously the most thrilling and most natural thing in the world. God, it had been so long since he'd had such extreme human contact, and even though it was all mostly through clothing, he could feel the heat of the bodies even through all the layers of fabric between them.
With his hand now in the way, he moved to wrap her up in his arms in return, not caring a jot for the moment that one of them lacked a natural hand. After the fire, he had quite quickly come to believe that he would never know intimacy or a woman's touch again. How wrong he was - and how still he knew that there was nothing of pity or sorrow in Marian's actions.
Her groan echoed through him, and as she pulled back an inch he gasped, a few shaky breaths following as he realised he was pleasantly light-headed. He quirked an eyebrow at her question, a small smile playing on his lips. He was sure the gentleman was meant to ask such questions, but he didn't feel emasculated by it. Rather it served as a reminder of her good character and conscience. "Oh, God no," he assured her, with absolutely no doubt in his tone. "You were certainly not alone in being constantly plagued by less than innocent imaginings," he told her. He hadn't expected it would follow on so quickly from the kiss, but he was in no way complaining.