Revenir drippy drip
Hard fingers increased their tension and Corvan deliberately pulled back, lips clinging damply for a moment.
She swayed forward, lost, and then snapped back to reality.

Corvan was not smiling as he looked down at her.
If he had been Danea would have become violent.
Her denial of their shared past is what sustained her in his company.
Having that belief threatened by such a jolt was painful enough and any smug, superior, or otherwise confident behavior would have bit too deeply.
He however was not smug, rather it was his turn to fear.
The hope that had led him to this point floundered under the worry of having rushed too fast; he did not wish to take another step backward.

Slowly his fingers gentled and the trepidation on his face smoothed to expressionlessness.
Danea's features quickly mirrored his own, covering her apparent confusion, and she leaned away as he stepped back.

"My apologies," he stated, though sorry for nothing beyond the worry he caused himself.
"I will leave you to your thoughts," and with that he turned and walked the stairs to places below.

~
So yes, it appears that this will be the romance novel.
Thus I am unstuck from my block but sadly must return to work.