It had seemed inconsequential and harmless at the time, and when she finished speaking, she turned toward him. Suddenly it was intensely clear how close together they were. His nose nearly touched hers, and he could smell the perfume on her so powerfully that it made it hard to think for even a moment. "Good work," he said softly. It was good work. With just that, he could get back to work, and take care of all of it. He knew it made things more difficult for him, but if he knew what he was up against he knew he could do it. The weight that had been sitting on his chest for the past two days was gone, now, and he could feel it making his knees into jelly. He took in a deep, unsteady breath. There was that scent again, that incredible flowery smell. Before he could think, his arms were around Mary's waist and he was pulling her up out of the chair and into him. He looked at her for a long moment, trying to stop himself, but he didn't want to stop.
