It wasn't so much that Jack bristled, but that he was unprepared. Without his walls and his games he had no way of knowing if he could respond. Some inbuilt self depreciation, not even half as confident in himself as he'd ever make out that he was.

His eyes ducked a moment, half lidded, and then back to her. If she might notice it, she might detect the minute shifting of the muscles in his arm, tense and the forcing himself to relax.

He looked to her again and nodded, just slightly.

"Yeah," he said, and he even tried to smile.

He continued to look at her though, not closing his eyes or turning away. "Where should you be?" he asked. Because he knew, a woman such as her had a calendar that was rich and full, and there was little time for being secreted away with him.