[ The joke prompts a laugh, and the shiver prompts Bastien to move his knee to straddle his thighs—above them, no spine-misaligning pressure—to apply a little more pressure and speed up and down the length of his spine while he spreads the oil, trying to generate warmth. ]

Mm. And I am not usually so rude, even to people I don’t like. Maybe it was like that because you are so important to me now. My mind couldn’t imagine being indifferent to you. It had to pick something stronger.

[ A pause to rub his thumbs on either side of the base of his neck. ]

And you know—when you went all keen-eyed and started writing in your shorthand? I was so mad, in the dream, but thinking about it now, that was very sexy of you.