The heat in his skin was starting to dissipate and he was starting to recover. Noble left one of his hands resting on her shoulderblade, which felt like safe territory. That could have been — well. They could have gone too far. Certainly it had been too much. And they still had utter privacy, which didn't help matters, because technically all of that was still an option. He shifted his weight back and forth between his legs, hoping to cause the situation in his trousers to dissipate more quickly.

"I love you," he said, rather than address the remaining tension in the air.

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