Daemon moved suddenly, the motion abrupt and quick, and then he was sitting up, leaning just as close as they had been when Renji had collapsed on him.

"No," he remarked, his voice a low purr as his golden gaze narrowed on Renji's face. "If I were trying to do that, I would have kissed you again."

Then his lips quirked faintly into a semblance of a half-smirk, half-smile. "And no, I can't do that. I'm afraid it's an unfortunate side effect of becoming someone I regard highly."