If it was even possible, Caleb's cheeks grew even more scarlet and warm when Lorelei came over and plopped herself down in his lap. He smiled and nodded, and with a glimmer of confidence, he gently pulled Lorelei's hand to his left cheek and put her knuckles against the skin.
"Do you think you can cool them down a little?" his weak smile grew shy, and he realized only a moment too late how stupid what he said was.
But hey, she was a daughter of Khione, and he's seen her use her magic.
He wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her to him, moving his legs so that she was in between them. (He didn't mean to get her leggings dirty -- as much as Caleb loved Lorelei, there was a rock under the leg she was sitting on, and it hurt.) Lorelei's legs were draped over his left leg.
He always felt like an ox compared to Lorelei. While she was small, thin, and graceful, he was huge, bulky, and clumsy. He hoped that he wouldn't hurt her in any way. Every single time he touched her, he made sure it was gently. Although Lorelei was the toughest girl he knew, he also knew that he was much stronger than her.
He was so scared of hurting her.