Though he knew what his touch was doing to her, it wasn't necessarily Cole's intention to lull her into a desire so great that she would willingly accept whatever he had to say — although, he probably wouldn't have regretted it much if it'd had that effect. He could read the brief confusion in her eyes, felt the way her psyche pulled back warily, but he didn't withdraw his hand from hers, and the light, steady brush of his skin across hers continued as he gave her time to work her way to whatever conclusion seemed most likely in her mind. That was, at least, until she finally shared what she was thinking.
Attraction and longing had a way of justifying even the worst behavior once one was caught in its grip, but Willow continued to surprise him. His bark of laughter was startlingly loud, but warm and rich, full of honest enjoyment. Once the initial bout of humor had passed, Cole sobered, though a wide smile of amusement continued to curve his mouth. As he seemed to contemplate her words, the seconds ticked by slowly before he lowered his head in a brief nod — just before turning his head in what could have been construed as a slight shake. His blue eyes met hers and he arched a brow. Did she really not know who he was? It boggled the mind, but Cole supposed it was possible...if not probable. "I wouldn't consider my service to be that highly classified, but I have relied on the use of disguises every now and then."