She was a little dumbfounded. Cordial she'd hoped for. Charming in the best-case scenario. But sincerely complimentary hadn't been on her radar. She replayed his response in her head but still didn't hear any snide tone. His expression had slipped from neutral to something a bit more focused. It didn't appear cruel, mocking, or even patronizing. Was it sincerity? She realized she'd been staring at him for too long. He was inspecting her in return.