"Possibly. I suspect you'll rise to the occasion, though." And she'd expect him to, little by little.

Hawke shook her head with incredulity, though she did not contest what he had to say. If he wanted to handle it, who was she to stop him? She'd done enough protesting before at the restaurant about the consequences this would bring them both. If he was prepared for the risk, then so be it.

The tingle that came from his reciprocation wasn't from the brandy, she could tell that much. She leaned back into his fingers when they kissed and even when they parted, cheek against his. Her arm went up across his shoulders and kept him there, the gesture oddly gentle for all of her previous innuendo. A slight turn of her head granted her access to nudge the side of his jaw and press another kiss there, smiling.