Chapter 29: Nathaniel

After an eternity of lavishing attention on her neck, her ears, and the delightful dip between her collar bones, he returned to her lips, gentling the kiss until he pulled away, touching his forehead to hers instead. He rolled to one side, propping himself on one elbow to look down at her, running his hand from her shoulder, down her arm, until he found her hand, loosely draped across her belly. “Lel—”

Whatever he’d planned to say was interrupted by the noisy grumbling of her stomach, and she giggled even as she flushed with embarrassment. He smirked, but without a word, reached over, grabbed the nearest plate and inched it closer, before breaking off a morsel of meat from the thick slice she’d prepared from him, and feeding it to her. She watched his face closely, still pink, her expression apprehensive, but she accepted the bite anyway and chewed carefully. He studied her as she swallowed, admiring the scattered freckles across her nose, the strands of flame-red hair that fell across her forehead, the muscles moving in her neck as she swallowed. He continued feeding her, stealing the odd bite for himself, both of them lying in complete silence, never looking away. When both plates were empty, he pushed them away, kissed her softly, and then struggled up to his knees beside her.