The fact that Gwenaëlle just rolls with Stephen’s insane pivot of topic, drifting back to plainly discussing work even with her naked in his bed— it’s another thing he likes about her, so very much.

But the subject is genuinely interesting to him: skullduggery and secrets and skulking about on rooftops. “I expect asking for a favour’s the wrong way to start off a new connection. But at least it’s a cracking open a door. And I suppose Rome wasn’t built in a…” he pauses, eyebrows crinkling, “Minrathous wasn’t built in a day? Is that a saying here? Anyway. You get the gist. Potential. It’s something to build towards.”