"Those things are better experienced with a friend," she repeats and sighs softly. Her voice goes quiet, intimate, and she continues stroking her fingers along his cheek gently. She loves Charles, she does, but sometimes he can be about as blind as a bat and she wonders that he hasn't realized what he's said yet.

"I know all about the 'responsibilities'. As for someone I trust, well, there is only one person I trust and I have a feeling he's not interested." She tries to quash the warm feelings that his leaning into her produce and remind herself that he doesn't see her that way, that he will never see her that way. All she does is look to see how embarrassed he is talking about sex with her to see the proof of that.

"I'm beginning to think that I'll take what I can get. Like you. Are you trying to tell me you know most of the girls you pick up at the pub? Because I can promise you that you don't even if it might seem like it until the next morning."

She closes her eyes and rests her forehead against his. She wants sex, of course, but taking what she can get? That's a lie. She wants the romance. She wants to be someone's everything. She wants the kind of unconditional love that Charles gives her without it being a duty. She knows Charles loves her, but she suspects that part of it is that he feels responsible for her. She doesn't want someone to feel like they should love her. There's been an ache in her chest since Charles arrived, but before it was a purely emotional thing. Now that ache is beginning to get strong enough to be a tangible force that she can actually feel, that actually hurts.

She tries not to think about how very close he is as she whispers, "Don't you ever want...more?"