Any smart retort was swallowed by her inability to take a substantial breath. He was close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off of his skin, and she closed her eyes long enough to force air into her lungs.

"Yes," she croaked after a moment, gazing up at him, and there was a part of her that felt like that was a lie. She'd only known him a few days, but she felt like she'd met him long before she'd looked down at him from that building. "Now, Captain Harkness, what, exactly, are you intending to appraise in this meeting?"