She placed her hand on his chest. He was delighted, but showed it only in the way the corner of his mouth twitched up. A bold gesture while they were still in a hallway that could feasibly be accessed by any of the guests. Given their last private encounter, he had expected he would have to be the bolder of the pair of them, so this was a pleasant surprise. Perhaps she intended to be bolder for the rest of the night, too.

"If what you're after is a gorgeous spot, we'd better take the scenic route," he said with a sly smile. He lead her further into the depths of the house, towards a staircase that was typically only used by servants but would serve to ferry them efficiently up to the top floor, where they could then get to the roof. Just before reaching it he raised his free hand and gently touched her earlobe just above her earrings. "I like these," he said — pretense entirely. He had only wanted an excuse for his next move: to kiss the space just below on her neck.

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