It took a moment to drag Liliana's attention from that wandering hand back to his words, because she quite liked the arguments it was making against the sanctity of plans, surprises, and common decency.

"Mmm? Oh yes." Her voice was once more filled with the smug satisfaction of someone who had pulled off quite the little coup. "Well, first I realized that after that setback, the last thing you would expect was for me to double back and try it again, which made for a lovely smokescreen against you figuring it all out, and I had already engaged a far better teacher available than Dean."

She didn't use the usual scathing tone she often did when talking about him; without his help, however grudgingly and ungraciously offered, today would not have been possible.

Her smug smile only widened. "Prompto was very kind. He showed me what to do and how things worked and answered my questions and then it was simply a matter of practice."

A finger trailed down his chest, lingered at the waistband of his pants, and then slowly drifted back up. "Do you truly think I'd allow my plans to be stymied by squirrels? I was, one might say, dead set on making this happen for you."