Alfred nodded, and moved closer on the bed so that he could get to the knot in the back. His fingers felt clumsier than they should have, given how experienced he was with knots — but to be fair, he wasn't typically working with tiny satin strings like this. That was probably all it was, because, oddly enough, he wasn't nervous about getting her undressed. Part of that thing about her, he supposed, that made him comfortable saying all sorts of things he didn't normally say.

He was sitting behind her on the bed when the corset came off, and he was in no particular rush to see her breasts. This was less about sex and more about intimacy — the tenderness and richness of this moment. He traced the vines on her back with light touches from both hands. There was a dahlia on her side, and his hand lingered there for a moment.

"This one's edible, in case you ever needed to know," he joked lightly.