[He let out a puff of air that wasn't quite a laugh. Still, that description of Alex was completely stupid, and anyone who would think that about the woman currently lying in his arms was a complete moron. Tiny, he supposed would work, feisty was an understatement, but Alex wasn't pretty. There was no way that he could think of her as just 'pretty.' No, Alex was an exceptionality all her own. Alex was more expressive than anyone had any right to be, and it somehow fit everything that she was, encompassed her entirely in the only term that would work for her. Alex.

This assessment was another hidden thought. Pushed so many times into the back of his mind and locked away that he couldn't count anymore. Richard had always thought she was interesting, but it'd taken a few months to realize she was exceptional, and a few years to know she was more than extraordinary, she was blinding.]

Or poorly, depending on if you're trying to chase escaped confessed murderer and mental patients.

[He began stroking her back lightly as he thought of another way to bait her.]

How about reckless conclusion jumping Alex Reagan?