Too much. It was too much, and he knew it, and should have known it and stopped himself. But disuse had not made his impulses more disciplined. If anything, isolation had eroded the temperance age should have brought. He'd upset her. Or repulsed her. Or...
But she hadn't pulled away. Just stared at him with an expression half as distressed and twice as charming as he felt.
"I'm sorry," he said quickly, thinking he should move away and not doing it. His metal hand rose defensively. "That was... I'm not... Look, I haven't spoken to a women in years, much less touched... I mean, I didn't mean that, either. Not... ohhh, kriff."
He stopped himself, took a breath, and with his other hand patted the seat beside him.
"You'd think I was a teenager," he mused, shaking his head. "I suppose there's no denying I have... feelings for you." He peered at her closely. "And I can't pretend you don't, even if I can't quite understand it. I'm notoriously bad at holding back or doing anything by half-measures, but don't worry. I think diving into something like that would kill me, at this point."
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But she hadn't pulled away. Just stared at him with an expression half as distressed and twice as charming as he felt.
"I'm sorry," he said quickly, thinking he should move away and not doing it. His metal hand rose defensively. "That was... I'm not... Look, I haven't spoken to a women in years, much less touched... I mean, I didn't mean that, either. Not... ohhh, kriff."
He stopped himself, took a breath, and with his other hand patted the seat beside him.
"You'd think I was a teenager," he mused, shaking his head. "I suppose there's no denying I have... feelings for you." He peered at her closely. "And I can't pretend you don't, even if I can't quite understand it. I'm notoriously bad at holding back or doing anything by half-measures, but don't worry. I think diving into something like that would kill me, at this point."