[ His smile remains in place as he surveys her. ] Like you, I am certain that when the time is right, everything will fall into place exactly how it should. Surely K'thisru will catch someone's eye, or the other way around.

Perhaps G'raha will be that someone, or perhaps it will be someone she has not even met yet. Either way, I am certain it will be quite an exciting time for both you and her.

[ He continues to hold her, realizing not for the first time just how much he likes having her in his arms. He keeps one hand positioned where it is, while the other reaches over to her ear so that he might begin to stroke it.

And when her fingers curl into the shorter hairs at the base of his neck, a shiver climbs up his spine. He is no more sensitive to touch than anyone else, and yet there are certain places that she has found that render him quite relaxed indeed. The back of his neck is one such place, and now it is his turn to have to fight to remain focused and not distracted. ]

Especially those. [ He knows it might not be becoming of someone in his position to tease her the way he is, but he finds that he cannot quite help himself. Of course he knows full well that he means to not cross certain lines, not yet, but he can still have a moment of levity without fear that she will be offended by it. ]

But I suppose that I best save some of those for our first night as a married couple. I would hate to disappoint you, after all.

[ And try as he might to keep a straight face so that he does not give away the ruse, the corners of his mouth twitch in spite of himself. ]