He gives her a squeeze back because Rhoda he is not stupid.

He leads her down the halls and to the maintenance bays, around technicians who looked quizzically at them both but didn't say anything, towards the elevator, up the lift, and directly into Striker's conn-pod.

He's careful with her, telling her to step up once they're inside. Only once the door is shut does he pull off the blindfold, and wait for the reaction.