The thought that he might mean the former made her heart do a little tap dance against her chest wall. Unfortunately, she wasn’t certain that his expression supported that theory. She managed a smile. “There is that,” she responded. He rose, extending his hand. “It is not much to see, now, but I will show you around, if you like.” She placed her hand in his, not because she needed the help getting up, not because the response was automatic, but because the offer of contact was irresistible. His hand was warm and strong and well formed. It dwarfed hers as it closed around it. It was odd how such a simple thing could be so pleasurable. She was sorry when he let her hand go. Since he settled it lightly in the small of her back to guide her, though, she thought it was a fair exchange. It was still contact, and it made her a little breathless. She was sorry he removed his hand once they’d left the council chambers and headed down a wide corridor. “This place is huge,” she murmured as she stared down the long, long corridor, glancing around in search of the lights and discovering she couldn’t actually see any fixtures.
