The sound of his laughter was endearing and she found herself relaxing a bit. The feeling of embarrassment for what she’d done was slowly seeping away with the redness from her cheeks. He’d said he liked her behavior, something she hadn’t been expecting. A short thank you tumbled from her lips as well and she leaned into his sudden caress, enjoying the contact he made with her.
“You’re welcome.” She bit her lower lip, twiddling her fingers for a moment as though she were wondering just what to do with them. Finally deciding to rest them upon his shoulders, she smiled at him. “You wouldn’t want to try that again, would you?”
Hakuba let himself look at the hands on his shoulders, movements subtle, though his smile quirked at one corner. Bemused, he tilted his head at her, searching her face for a hint of her demeanor or experience. There was no denying that Mouri Ran had several qualities about her that made her absolutely attractive, but he couldn’t help wonder if she was also just a little too naive for him.
Then again, everyone was at some point in their lives. She was vetted around crime scenes, clearly brave enough to kiss someone who was nearly a perfect stranger, and experienced enough with her craft to defend herself whenever necessary. The things he’d heard about her held up well in person. Even so, he felt like a wolf preying on an innocent lamb.
“Try it again?” he asked, voice soft and interested, keeping his gaze locked on her face as if she were the only other person in the world. “A kiss, you mean? I couldn’t deny such a request from you, if that is what you truly wish, Mouri-chan.”