He was a tough man, one not easily swayed or complimented, but he glanced down for a moment as he smiled shyly when she seemed very enthusiastic about calling him handsome “I-I am alright” He was embarrassed easily and Cece was even better at embarrassing him than most people. He shrugged and looked back to her face “I have not found the right woman” He could have been easily married at seventeen if he had simply married the first woman who interested him and he had women interested him throughout his lifetime, but none had made him feel in love and he was not the kind of man to marry for the sole purpose of marrying. He wanted to be happy with whoever he chose as his mate and for now he was rather content in just living his life alone and working every second of the day.

He swam after her and caught her arm, grinning in his triumphant in grabbing her so quickly. When she came close to him he felt his heart hammer in his chest and his body reacting eagerly to hers. She was so close, so very, very close and it absolutely murdered him. Hawke had never wanted a woman as badly as he wanted her, but he felt too uncertain and shy to do anything about it. Women always flirted and advance don him first, he had never been the one to move first. He frowned when she said she was cold and he glanced back to shore before her “We should get you out and dry” But his eyes came to hers and he gazed at her, realizing in that moment how close she truly was. He swallowed hard and glanced down before taking in a breath and looking back up to her “I…hope you do not mind me saying this and I do not say it with any impure intention behind it but….you are breathtaking, Cecelie” He murmured.

The right woman would be just around the corner for Hawke. “You are wonderful, and a sight for sore eyes. You will find someone.” Though the idea of Hawke finding that someone made Cecelie stiffen with a strange feeling of jealousy. He deserved to be happy! So why was she jealous? She began to understand why he had seemed upset when he showed up at her door thinking that she was involved with the baker.

Dry off? No, it was too soon to get out of the water and dry off. Instead of arguing with the soldier she gazed upon him, feeling as though she was in a trance by being so close. She could feel the heat from his body even in the cool water. Her fingers moved and felt his muscle beneath them, and the way he looked at her made her heart thump. The words that left him next made her pause, staring at him wide eyed for a few seconds. It felt like her heart skipped a beat when he spoke. Suddenly her eyes were closed and one hand slid up to the side of his neck, and beyond her own belief she was kissing him! Shy, virgin Cecelie was making the first move! Her mouth pressed to his and she felt so enraptured in the kiss that she forgot to breathe. For the first second she froze, then gave a very tiny amount of passion before pulling away from him and looking at him like a child who got caught coloring on the wall. “Hmm…” She made a small sound while staring at him, then quickly leaned in and kissed him again before letting go of him entirely and swimming towards the shore. Yes, kiss him and run away, Cecelie. That’s always a good idea.

He did want to find someone, he wanted to be married and have a family and experience that in his life….and Hawke felt perhaps he had found the right woman to do that, but he was uncertain if she wanted him or that kind of life at all and the woman in question was currently very, very close to him in the water right now. Cece was a free spirit…would she want to be tied down in marriage and children? Hawke wanted that, he did not want to sacrifice it, but he was thinking of these things without even knowing if she wanted him to begin with.

The look she gave him made him nervous, like she might slap him or knee him in the groin for being so bold. He hadn’t known what possessed him but he had said the words none the less and now he couldn’t take it back. He never, ever ever expected in a million years for her lips to press against his…but it happened and he found himself staring at her before his body kicked into gear and wondered why the hell he was floating there like a dumb log. He didn’t touch her the first kiss though he did return it after a few seconds of shock, but the second time she leaned in to kiss him he raised his hands out of the water and cupped her face. He had dreamed of kissing Cece, but those thoughts were nothing as intoxicating at the real thing and as quickly as it had started it was over and she was swimming away.

He stood there stunned, wondering what had happened before turning and letting her get a head start and have her space before following her to shore “I-I am sorry” She had kissed him first, yet he felt the need to apologize for kissing her.

Cecelie did want to be married. Perhaps she didn’t think about marriage so much as she thought about a man coming along and sweeping her off her feet. A man who would make her swoon and feel giddy every time she saw him. These were not the sort of men that typically resided in the Eder Kemo and left half dead flowers on her door step. No, the man she wanted hadn’t given her any clue he was interested… until now. And now she had gone and kissed him like some sort of stupid girl; or worse case scenario he would think she was a whore.

Yet he had cupped her face. He was stunned the first time, but the second time around he cupped her face.

She stood once her feet had a solid reach to the sandy ground and hurried out of the water. It splashed around her and her white undergarments clung to her tan, chilled skin as she moved. It took a few seconds for her to realize he was speaking to her and she turned back to him, brushing her wet black hair back. “Why?” She asked softly, tilting her head to the side before she began to laugh. “I am the one who… who bombarded you, and you still apologize.” For a moment she stood and laughed, placing her hand over her eyes in embarrassment with her giggle. She shook her head after a good laugh and picked up his armor, then walked it to him. Again the girl had the confidence to stand close as she held it out, her eyes trailing up his body when she looked up to him. “Don’t apologize, Hawke.” Don’t apologize for something you enjoyed is what she wanted to say, but was too shy. Instead she lifted his armor and stepped closer, pressing herself to him with only his armor between them.

He reached shore a few moments after she did and walked out, the water heavy as it dripped off of him but he ignored it and the cold he felt from stepping out of the water. He didn’t understand women, sure she had kissed him first but then she had just walked…swam…away from him, so perhaps she hadn’t meant too? Did he somehow pressure her without meaning too? Maybe she had tested him and she hadn’t wanted him to kiss her back. Poor man was clueless and he just never wanted to upset her. When she asked him why he frowned and looked confused “I…do not know” Well he did but he didn’t want to list all the reasons why he was apologizing because they’d be there forever. When she laughed he relaxed and chuckled a bit shyly.

“You did not, bombard me, not at all” Bombard sounded negative and it certainly had not been a negative experience. He ran a hand through his hair and watched as she picked up his armor and brought it over to him. “I apologize because I…I just wanted to make sure I didn’t…influence you or…force you…or…” His brain was starting to die out again with her so close. He took the armor but didn’t put it on, instead he set it down and hesitantly, gently, put his hands on her arms and ran them up and down her arms gently as he gazed at her “Cecelie” He started slowly “I…I want to tell you that…” He sighed and looked down “I am not good with words…”

Cecelie felt as complex as she was appearing. She really was not a difficult woman, but tonight she felt her heart jumping all over the place. Mostly it jumped toward Hawke, and how badly she wished he would bring her a flower, or hell even a button he found on the ground, and ask if he could court her.

“I kissed you.” She said with a shy smile. “I wanted to. I could not help myself.” She crinkled her nose as she felt a blush reach her ears and the young woman glanced away with a deep breath. The touch to her arms sent a shiver down her spine and she looked back to him with an interested expression. “Is that all you want to tell me?” That he as not good with words? She reached up and touched the side of his face, trailing her fingers down to his neck. He deserved someone to be sweet to him, and she began to wonder if anyone was ever so gentle with him. Surely there were women before, but he said he had not seen many... Her free hand lifted and she looked forward, admiring his chest before touching it gently. Though every time she reached to touch it she hesitated in the slightest, then boldness would overcome her.

He nodded and grew a bit bashful when she mentioned the kiss “Yes…you did” He said slowly and looked back up into her eyes And I kissed you in return” And that’s where he was worried, if she hadn’t wanted him to kiss her. Women were complicated he knew and he never knew what to expect. Many times they seemed to want things one way yet they didn’t and he felt like he was constantly walking on glass with Cece because he was always worried in hurting or offending her. He smiled and his eyes lit up “I…have wanted to kiss you for-“ He laughed at himself and how nervous he was “Ages” He was terrible with expressing himself, as a soldier expression was not needed but with a women it was all you could use.

He chuckled “No…no I…that’s not what I want to say. I wanted to say-“ What did he want to say? He wasn’t exactly sure. He leaned his face into her touch and sighed. He needed to be brave, he just needed to say what he wanted too and if she rejected him then she rejected him but if she didn’t? It would be worth it to be brave. He took her hands so he wouldn’t be so distracted and kissed her hands as he gazed at her “Cecelie, I have very strong feelings for you. I think you are beautiful on your skin and in your soul. You mean…so very much to me”

They were both so shy it was a surprise that they even got anywhere with each other. Cecelie wasn’t a woman who compared men to one another often, but the baker was so bold. Maybe that’s why she didn’t like him and why she was so fond of Hawke. It also helped that Hawke was sweet, and kind, and very easy on the eyes… but she was getting beside herself.

Ages. He had wanted to kiss her for ages, so why hadn’t he? She tilted her head curiously, rubbing her finger gently as he turned his head into her hand. “You should not hold back your desires around me.” Oh, no that sounded so terrible… She blushed and laughed. “I … I want you to be yourself and speak freely, soldier.” She teased to lighten the situation. When he finally did express himself Cecelie was left speechless. She stared at him for what felt like an eternity, trying to imagine what to say.

At first she opened her to speak, then stopped herself to choose better words and laughed softly, feeling like she could fly away with all the butterflies that were in her stomach. “You make me weak in the knees, Hawke. You are the only man I trust… the only person I trust with my whole heart.” She touched his face and chest, then leaned up and touched her nose to his but held back from kissing him. “You make me so nervous.” The words left her lips in a warm whisper against his before she kissed him and hid her nervousness well with passion.

He understood what she meant by desires, but that didn’t mean it didn’t stir his body. He wanted to be himself as well but, with her he just wasn’t sure who himself was. He was used to being a soldier, stoic and in control with only his duty to think of, but with her he always felt nervous and like a boy who had never known a woman in his life. He wanted to be with her, but he wasn’t sure how that was done. Of course he knew how but he didn’t know how to do it himself….his poor brain was just very overwhelmed and confused “I want too” He replied softly but that was easier said than done, but somehow the words blurted from him without even thinking. He just spoke from the heart, the one thing he hadn’t been paying much attention too. He had been using his brain too much, and his brain liked to overthink when his heart just…did.

When she stared he was afraid. Even with her kissing him and touching him he still felt like there was a chance she would reject him. When she expressed herself however he released a breath of relief and smiled, feeling such joy to hear she felt the same for him. He chuckled with a light in his eyes “You make me nervous” He shared how she felt, but when her lips found his again he slipped his hands gently on her face and kissed her back.

It was a relief to hear that Hawke had feelings for her. All
this time she had been trying to catch his eye while still remaining a lady and thinking he had no interest in her! He was a good soldier and good at hiding how he felt, she had to give him credit for that. Now that he had revealed how he felt she felt more enwrapped in him than before, knowing she was one of the few to see his true emotions.

Even soldiers could be made nervous, and the words left a
smile on Cecelie’s lips even as she kissed him (though that smile quickly changed to passion in the kiss). His hands on her face made her heart thump harder in her chest and heat rush to her cheeks. The rest of her body, however, shivered with a mixture of delight and the cold reaching her skin. Goosebumps
trailed over her honey colored skin and she pressed herself against him for warmth. Her hands slid down his chest and around his side then eventually to his back, all the while she kissed him. She could have stayed like that forever
had it not been for the sound of footsteps not too far off in the woods and she turned her head away to look out.

“We should go.” She said quietly as she looked off into the
woods, her body still pressed against his for a short time before stepping back. She moved then to put her shoes and dress back on, glancing over her shoulder at Hawke with a sultry but playful smile, then bit her lip gently and turned away.

He hadn’t meant to hide his feelings, he really hadn’t, he just had never known how to approach her with how he felt. But now? Now it felt so silly! It had been so easy to just express himself and even easier to kiss her, so he felt embarrassed for being such a child before and holding back. But the past was the past and Hawke did not like thinking of the past. The important part was he had expressed his feelings and she had in return, and they both felt the same. The kiss was even better than he had dreamed off and his heart, which beat normally so steady even in a fight, was rapid in his chest. He was enraptured in her, but he too heard the footsteps and raised his head, glancing around and getting tense and alert.

After he scanned the area around them protectively he nodded. He gave her a smile and gave her one more quick kiss before placing his armor and sword back where it belonged. What now? He felt he should be telling her more or doing more…but he had hit a wall again. He had told her how he felt, but he needed to continue that, didn’t he? Sometimes Hawke wished he would have had a father to have taught him these things as a boy, but he had only ever been taught to fight and survive. Once he was redressed he went to her side and gently took her hand to leave with her before someone caught them. He did not want anyone to spread rumors of her.

Growing up Cecelie had little practice with boys. She grew
up in a traveling family with the same boys at all times. There were only two close to her age, and even they had been a few years older than her and she hadn’t quite blossomed until it was nearly around the time her mother died. They showed interest, but she always rejected it with playful banter. She rejected all men except the one who took her hand by surprise after she had dressed.

She squeezed his hand and smiled, her knees feeling weak at
the show of affection. As they walked through the woods she had a strange feeling in her gut that they were being watched, so she stayed quiet and close to Hawke. Once they reached town hurried to her home rather than letting go of his hand (as most sneaky women would have done – Cecelie wasn’t one to care). “Stay with me.” She said as she unlocked her door and gave his hand a small tug to follow her inside. “Keep me safe. I don’t want to be alone tonight.”

He felt the same as they walked, looking around and over his shoulder as they walked but he wondered if he was just imaging it…but Hawke had not been raised to merely imagine things and he kept a firm hold on her hand. He had assumed he would walk her home, kiss her goodnight and bid her farewell until another day, but as they reached her home she urged him to stay. Immediately he told himself no. It had been a bit different when they were merely friends, but not that some intimacy had blossomed between them he thought being alone with her in her home was not a good idea. He trusted himself but…he was still a man who was very attracted to her.

“Cece…” He started unsurely, glancing around before back to her. It was hard to tell her no…he never wanted to deny anything that she wanted. She won him over by asking to keep her safe and he sighed, smiling softly and he nodded and stepped inside her home. Truth be told he didn’t want to leave her yet, not when the feeling of her lips still lingered on his mouth.

The little Nanite girl was glad that Hawke didn’t argue much. When he started to hesitate and said her name she had given him a little pout to help win him over. Once inside she locked the door and made sure that the windows were all covered with curtains. “Would you like a change of clothes?” She asked, walking around him and letting her hand trace over his stomach as she circled him then headed to her bedroom. “I want to change. Make yourself at home, Hawke.”

A few minutes later Cece emerged from her bedroom in a long, flowing cream robe that tied around her waist. She fingered through her hair to help dry it and smiled at Hawke, handing him a change of pants just incase he didn’t want to sit in damp ones all night. “Here. These should fit.” They once belonged to her father. After she set them on the arm of the couch she went to and retrieved two large glasses of wine and handed one to him, sipping on her own glass. After taking a rather large sip to help calm her nerves she set the glass down and placed her hands on her lap, feeling like a silly little girl all over. “I... Thank you for staying…” She crinkled her nose a little, then laughed and smiled. “I feel so silly that you make me nervous now. You are the same man I know, my friend, but I am not sure how to talk to you now.” With that she laughed and took another large sip of her wine, turning away from him a little so he wouldn’t see just how nervous he made her.

Oh she pouted…like he could ever win against that pout, he just turned to mud. He could say no and stand up to absolutely anyone, even the Queen, but Cece? It seemed impossible. He stepped inside and enjoyed the little warmth that being indoors gave him before glancing over to her “I am fine” He needed to keep his clothes on, that was the most important part of this. He didn’t care about being dripping wet, he’d dry off, he just wanted to not take off any clothes while in her home. When he hand moved over his stomach he felt his muscles contract in response to her touch, his body feeling like it was lit up on some sort of crazy energy that he couldn’t reign in.

He was going to sit but remembered he was wet and decided against it, instead he merely stood near the couch with his arms crossed. When he saw her come back in a robe he felt his jaw go slack and he stared for a moment before looking down to the floor. Why was she wearing that? She was trying to give him a heart attack, that could be the only explanation. When she showed him the pants he smiled but shook his head “I’m fine” Keep your clothes on. He had to stick to his rule. He then took the wine but didn’t drink from it either, feeling too nervous to attempt swallowing anything. What she was wearing was very, very distracting. “Of course” He murmured before he laughed “I…feel the same” Everything was different now, it was a whole different path that he wasn’t sure how to take. “If, If I make you nervous I can leave” He motioned to the door, not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

It would appear that Cecelie wasn’t the only one feeling out of sorts with the new emotions that were laid out in front of them. They had been there all along, but it had been so much easier to hide and play child’s games to get his attention than it was to admit to him and kiss him, then try to hold a conversation with him after.

“Don’t be silly. I enjoy your company as I always have and always will.” She watched him stand for a few moments before laughing and standing up herself to go to the bathroom and pull out a towel. When she returned she looked to Hawke with a playful smile. “Here. Now you may sit since you will not change your pants.” She folded the towel and set it down on the couch. “Are you afraid that I might bite?” Cecelie asked and touched his arms to relax them then slid her hands into his. “You seem tense now...” The young woman asked quietly, looking him over before stepping closer and her body brushed against his. One hand then trailed up his chest all the way to his cheek just before she stood on her tip toes and kissed him. To her this all felt fairly innocent. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted him to look at her and enjoy the way the cream robe flowed over her skin like honey. She wanted his attention, but she wasn't thinking as a man. She wasn't aware that little teases and kisses led a man to want more than just a kiss or a tease (well, she was aware, but she wasn't thinking that far ahead).

He looked sheepish when she brought out the towel and placed it on the couch “Thank you…” Sure it was silly to not just go and change but, with her in that robe he just felt it was safer to make sure he stayed clothed at all times. He was about to relax and sit down when she touched him and sucked his attention back to her. He chuckled and looked down, trying to not behave like a virgin little boy but it seemed quite hard not too “Of course not” He wasn’t afraid of her, he just…was afraid of himself and that his male hormones might get ahead of him. Of course he was tense, the woman he was attracted too was wearing a robe and touching him alone in her home. He was tense in so many, many ways.

To him, it wasn’t innocent at all. The few other women he had slept with, this was how it started. He knew Cece wasn’t some sexual tiger but, she was sure doing a good job at pretending to be one. He kissed her in return, his hands tentatively sliding over her sides as felt the silky fabric move against her skin. But he felt himself get more heated and he broke the kiss and took his hands off of her and stepped back, sitting down like he had initially planned. He needed to behave. He couldn’t forget that.

The soldier was acting so strangely now that they had told each other how they felt. It put the normally bubbly and secure Cece on edge and she felt unsure of herself like a young school girl with a crippling crush. As his hands rubbed the silk robe against her skin she found herself pressing her body against his, liking the way the soft fabric rubbed her skin.

After the kiss broke little Cecelie was left standing still feeling like a cartoon with birds flying around her head. She looked down to him as he sat, her lips pouting slightly after he had pulled away from her. Not giving him much time to be far from her she stepped closer again and ruffled his hair only to smooth it over again. “You are acting peculiar, soldier… we should try our nightly rituals.” Whenever Hawke came over Cece would almost always do the same thing. She would feed him, then butter him up and get him talking to relax the soldier. “Tell me about your day. How many men did you put in their place, and how many damsels did you save?” But this was no ordinary night. She was left with the taste of his breath on her lips and the warmth of his hands on her sides, and all she wanted was more. She wanted his hands on her again, it had felt so nice… “If you don’t want to talk I could always finger paint on you.” The young Nanite girl laughed as she sat down close to him, her thigh touching his own and she toyed with a clasp on his armor before resting her hand ontop of his leg.

If only she knew what she did to him. She stirred his body and though it felt like good stirrings, Hawke didn’t want to be feeling that way in the situation they were in. Feelings were magnetized now that they had admitted they cared for one another, and if knew raw feelings like this could get out of hand and lead to things too quickly. He gave her an apologetic smile “I do not mean to behave oddly” He really didn’t, he just wasn’t sure what to say or do and so that made him feel erratic. Maybe if she was wearing actual clothes he’d feel better, but her robe was very distracting. Did she not realize that wearing what she was and touching him the way she was made him…react? When she suggested their regular routine he nodded. That sounded good, something familiar and normal to get things back on track.

He chuckled “It was rather a quiet day actually, thankfully” He preferred quit days. He didn’t want to fight and save people, because that only meant there was trouble and danger for others. The finger paint idea just put images in his head, images that as a gentleman he rather not have but he merely chuckled to try and bypass it. He looked down at his lap until she sat next to him and his body tensed. He watched her hand be placed on his leg and he swallowed hard before looking up to her. The cooking part was supposed to be first…right? Yet here she was sitting very close to him.

The strange way Hawke was acting put Cecelie on edge. She watched him and noted his shorter responses, wondering if it was something she was doing. Was it something she wasn’t doing? She tilted her head while watching him, not bothering to make idle conversation from the short answers he gave her. Instead she tried her usual playful approach to things and touched his side lightly to tickle him with a smile.

Playful as she may have been she still didn’t realize what she was doing to him. When her arm moved her robe came open a bit more in the front, exposing a hint of the curve of her chest. “Today I took the kids for a picnic to enjoy the warm weather, then we read outside.” She rarely referred to them as students; her nature was to see them as her own children. She placed her hands on his lap to prop herself up closer to him, her lips lingering just in front of his. “And I told them the story of a brave soldier.” Innocent Cecelie Atreyu kissed the soldier, adjusting her hands on his lap to better prop herself up in a playful way when her hand brushed against something. She knitted her brows in the kiss and reached her fingers over the hard lump, her head on cloud nine taking a little longer to realize what she was touching. When she finally did realize she had been feeling Hawke’s package she tore herself off of him and scooted far back on the couch. Clutching her robe tightly shut she stared at his chest then glanced down to his lap, only to cover her eyes bashfully and turn fifteen shades of red. “Hawke I… I’m sorry, I did not… I …Why? I... How--” She fumbled over her words and felt her heart trying to beat it’s way out of her chest. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry!”

Normally he thought Cece being playful was cute, like a kitten and he enjoyed it. But this time? This time the playfulness might as well have translated into her giving him a lap dance and strip teasing with how very alert his body was. Good God, why didn’t she put on clothes? A real dress, instead of what she was wearing now. It added with the playing just made his skin hyper sensitive, every little touch or brush just sent his body reeling. His eyes went down to look at her chest for a moment then up to the ceiling like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. He normally listened to every word Cece said but this time he couldn’t concentrate on a single word, all he could focus on was keeping his body and breathing steady. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy…her hands on his legs was doing things to him that should not be done and when she kissed him he tried to relax and enjoy it.

And he did enjoy it just…too much enjoyment then normal enjoyment. When she brushed against him he froze, hoping she didn’t notice anything but then she grabbed at it and he literally jumped ten feet in the air and shot off that couch like lightening. She had touched his-! He paced around, his own face as red if not more red than hers in utter embarrassment. She had felt his….and knew he was…he had never been this embarrassed in his entire life. He felt like some ugly, rampaging man with no control! His heart beat fast and he just felt so embarrassed he just glanced at her “I…I…” He motioned to the door then walked towards it. He had to go and take a cold bath. Go jogging. Something, anything, to get out of this traumatizing situation.

She had not only touched his manhood, but had taken the time to feel it too. The heart attack that as clear as day when he jumped up and off the couch made her feel like a loathsome little troll who had tried to get her way and failed. Maybe he wasn’t that interested in her. Maybe he thought she was ugly. It would seem so with the way he jumped off the couch and ran away from her.

Her delicate hand continued to cover her eyes as she listened to him pace and stammer. It was all she could do to not cry, so instead she began to laugh. Her hand still covering her face and her other one quickly came up over her mouth as she laughed quietly, her body shaking slightly from the motion. She drew in a breath and covered her face more naturally. “Oh, Hawke!” She laughed and wiped a tear away from her eye. “You must think I’m a whore!” It was hilarious! Cecelie continued laughing so uncomfortably before she stood and was finally able to look at him. “The way you jumped away so quickly…” She giggled out another breath. “I’m sorry that I… that I rubbed your…” Her fingers curled in and she blushed, looking to the door. “You can go.”

He felt humiliated. He felt like a dog. Here she was trying to be…semi innocent and just kissing him and he was reacting like some ogre! He had embarrassed her which embarrassed him and didn’t want her to think he was some randy stallion who couldn’t control himself. He was at the door ready to flee when he heard her laughing and he paused to glance back at her curiously, wondering why she was laughing. At him? His inability to control himself and behave like a boy? His eyes widened at her comment and he shook his head quickly and stepped towards her “No! No of course not!” He exclaimed “I do not think so ill of you what’s so ever! You must think I am…” He couldn’t even find a word that would sit well with him.

He looked down bashfully “I…I am sorry that you…that you had to feel…” That she realized how aroused he was and that she had felt it. She hadn’t even know, and he had mortified her. Her mentioning rub just made the feeling came back strong and he held back a groan. When she told him he could go he nodded obediently “Of course. I will go. I apologize. I…I did not mean…” To be totally turned on and unable to resist her. He turned away again and went back to the door.

After all the embarrassment for accidentally feeling him up Cece began to remember what she had been taught about men. He wouldn’t have just naturally come to be the way he was, it was what she was doing, or maybe what she was wearing. At that thought she looked down to herself and realized she wasn’t being very modest around Hawke, but he had just seen her in her underwear! How was the robe different?

Hawke was the sort of man she wanted to be her husband some day. She wanted him to feel comfortable enough to be like that but this first time had been very, very awkward. Through all of these thoughts she took a breath to collect herself then smiled at Hawke, still feeling pink in the face. “I did not mean to put my hand there… that was very bold of me… it was an accident.” She blushed some more. “But I… I am flattered...” She crinkled her nose with her smile, feeling excited and impish. When he turned to go to the door she walked to it and stood in front of it, changing her mind. “You don’t have to leave. I would feel bad touching you and then making you leave.” Like he was the whore. The statement made her laugh and she stepped closer to him to touch his arm. “There’s no reason to be sorry. Please sit and relax, and I will make you dinner.” Just as Cecelie stepped closer to him to brave the bulge in his pants and kiss him anyway there was a crash outside and yelling from men and she froze in her tip toes nearly brushing against him. "Animals." She frowned.

It was a very large combination for Hawke’s reaction, from how he felt from her to what she wore to what she did and the privacy that they had that had made his body feel a bit too comfortable with being aroused. The swimming had made him just as nervous and aware, but coldness and the fact they were in a very open public space hadn’t given him the same effect that this more intimate setting had. He didn’t blame her, not at all! It was his fault for, well, having it be there like it was…she was an innocent victim in the situation. “No, please, please, it is not your fault…it’s not!” It was his fault for being an apparently sex crazed animal. Sweet Cece was not to blame for his animal behavior.

When she stopped him he looked down, his face red as if he had crisped out in the desert sun for days. She was flattered? Why did that embarrass him even more? He laughed and shook his head, running a hand through his hair. Cece’s logic always made him laugh, he never understood it. When she stepped closer he looked up at her and was surprised after that unceasingly uncomfortable situation she still wanted to get close to him and tease him. If he didn’t know better, Cece was a secret lady of the night, she seemed to do it better than the woman on the street he typically encountered and she didn’t even need to be dirty about it to grab his attention. He didn’t think staying was a good idea after the fiasco, but he didn’t even get to sputter out words when he heard the commotion outside. He froze and looked over to the window, listening for a moment before gently moving Cece aside and drawing out his sword “Stay inside. Go back in your room and close the door”