I need you to move your hands. Of course that was the case - he needed her to remove what was currently impeding his ability to help her with what she had asked of him. And yet her breath hitched in her throat and she found herself frozen as she met his eyes: tender, warm and brown like honey. She could see the reflection of the fire flickering in his eyes. Or...was that something else?

Wordlessly, feeling pinned down by his gaze, she moved her hands from her chest and held them slightly aloft to allow the corset to shift as he reached out; but not before one of her hands brushed against his skin. She jumped slightly, and quickly averted her gaze. Her breath felt short in her chest, and she wondered when the room had started to feel so stuffy. He had moved closer, but despite his height she didn't feel as if he were intruding. No, certainly not intruding. Did she want him to be nearer, was that it?

Mabel looked back up at him, searching his expression for some sort of sign. Sign of what, she hadn't the faintest idea. But she wanted to see something there.

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