Fifty-nine - Are you ready?

"Do you have an idea why I like you?" Nathaniel suddenly dropped that startling question just when Chloe was contemplating whether to crush the chicken bone in her hand. So far, nothing had happened. They just ate and stared out at the scenery ahead of them.

Chloe did not find it annoying but actually relaxing. But his question... It made those thoughts come back again.

Trying hard to not look like a tomato, she gently placed the thigh bone on the cleared plate on her laps. "Well..." She snuck a look at him, he didn't seem like he planned to look away even for a minute. "I don't."

A small chuckle came from him before he left his seated position and stretched along the mat, his arm supporting his head. Still maintaining that cool look as he looked into her eyes with some kind of gentleness, he blurted, "Me neither."

"Huh?"

"It is crazy, isn't it?" Nathaniel blinked thrice- she counted it as his response bugged her. "I know it goes crazy in here..." He tapped the spot where his heart is supposedly set. "But I don't know why exactly."

Chloe stiffened at his words making it hard to form a sensible response. Did he really feel that way?

Shaking his head slightly, his eyes narrowing like he was trying to evaluate what he just said, Nathaniel soon let out a small groan before continuing. "Is it your mysterious eyes or your scent? Is it the way you are not scared to talk back or the innocent look on your face when I tease you?"

A loud sigh came. "Chloe, I really don't know."

"Nathaniel..." Chloe finally found a word but it emerged with emotions tagging along. They were feelings she found strange, they were not like the ones she had been battling with.

"Are you done eating?" Disappointment befell her as she realized that topic had been swiftly closed. As she nodded to his question, he sat up again and got the plate on her laps laying in a corner within seconds. Then, he shifted closer, she could feel his warmth strongly embracing her from that distance.

His eyes smiling beautifully, he went on to get the hat on her head off, his hand playing through her hair gently.

Chloe swallowed hard as the gentle look on his face became hard with intent.

"Uh... Hmm..." she struggled to utter.

"You know what I think?" he huskily asked and Chloe felt something move inside her. "I might not know why I like you, but I like liking you. I know I can't help it because..." He accompanied the suspense in his voice with his hands going on to cup the sides of her face as if he wanted to ensure she had her eyes on him all the time. "... I tried to run away once but I came back. To you."

The way her heart was racing...

His thumbs now running over her skin, adding fuel to the want within her, Nathaniel said nothing more. And that made her wonder if it was her turn to respond... to give him an answer. What could she say?

Did she really know how to class the way she felt? Did she even know what to term her feelings as? In order to take a minute to ponder on the questions, she made her eyes reluctantly tear away from his insistent gaze. As she looked towards the sun which was wearing a darker shade, making the grasses seem like something almost surreal. The cool air around also blew on them and they seemed like dancing creatures.

Back to her thoughts, Chloe realized she could not find answers. Not when all she could see was those blue eyes. Calling and teasing her.

Just when she was about to give in to the moment totally, Nathaniel drew back a bit and had his legs stretched beside her, his hands falling back to support his body. "Let's talk about you Chloe."

"Uh?" She hated how dumbfounded she was sometimes. "Yeah..." The earlier moment wouldn't still leave her head. "There is nothing much to know about me."

A look of interest came onto his face. "Then tell me the little there is to know. I want to know."

"Well uh..." A trip to the past at that moment wasn't so good. It was certain she would think of that person. "I grew up in a quiet town with my brother and when he left me, I moved to the city in order to support myself."

A part of her hoped her wouldn't ask further questions.

His head swung to a side. "You once said you have no parents." He more of said than asked. "Did they leave you like your brother did too?"

Her head came up instantly and she let a small frown settle on her forehead. Did he know about his death? And how?

"Oh." His head gave a small nod. "Back at the hospital, you kept muttering about your brother. I guessed he is already... dead." His came out gently at the last word, he certainly didn't want to say it like he was some cold hearted person who wouldn't give her a care about how she feels.

Then, he questioned his theory and gave a look asking if he was wrong.

Sighing, she replied, "When he died, I felt instantly alone." And angry.

"My brother made me feel so good about myself when he was around."

"Don't worry, I will take care of you from now on."

She threw him a look. "Don't."

"What?"

"Don't try to be cheesy. It doesn't suit you."

As Nathaniel wore a large grin, the atmosphere changed, the incoming heaviness got chased away. "So, Chloe... Does being serious suit me instead?"

She shrugged, her hands running through the length of her gown. "Well... It does make you look sexy."

"Sexy?" He looked very amused and Chloe instantly felt silly. And hot. As she resisted the urge to show how much she was affected by the way his eyes shifted by fanning herself, he said, "Who knew you thought I was sexy?"

Fighting with an incoming smile, Chloe looked away, feeling even hotter.

"What else does Chloe think I am?" The amusement in his voice was not one to be doubted. "Chloe?" he called again.

"I..." Her eyes fell on his lips and she blurted out, "Gorgeous." The look in her eyes definitely changed and he noticed it. Chloe could feel intent coursing through her veins. She wanted Nathaniel no doubt, she could no longer ignore the little voice inside her begging for something to finally happen.

"What else?" She thought she imagined it but he really had moved closer to her just at the moment she slightly shifted forward.

"Hmm?" Not willing to miss any opportunity, she reached out and held the side of his face. "Tell me Chloe," he urged the unresponsive woman and she had her face leaning towards his.

"Nathaniel?" she called as her eyes began to dart between his mesmerizing eyes and his fiery lips.

"Yeah?" An arm of his extended, held her by the waist and drew her closer. Chloe who had already forgotten why she said his name blinked furiously for a second. How would she even be able to recall when his even his aura was distracting? So... she abandoned that train of thought and picked up a new one.

"I think I like you," she said to the man, her fingers dancing over his skin.

"We should do something about that, don't you think?" He pulled her even closer. "I like you, you like me..." He completed his heart flipping statement with a smile that made her grow a big tug on her lips.

"What should we do about it?" she decided to play along.

" Hmm..." Her chest was almost touching his, his legs were almost wrapping around her. "There is this one thing I promised you last time..." Her body almost jumped as something did a back flip within her chest.

Placing her slender hands on his chest which she couldn't wait to see once she got the shirt on him off, she said, after a small gulp, "You did mention something."

"Chloe..." He moved closer and she knew how crazy she was about him. Just his closeness made her run wild inside. "You must have had troubling sleeping after that day, right?"

"Uh-"

She felt his heat more as the side of his face came into with hers. Slowly, he rubbed her skin with his and she felt a small shudder. That move felt so... comforting.

"Then..." The way his voice resonated through her body... Her eyes just had to close to relish the wonderful thing it did to her. As he moved closer to her ear, his heavy breath fell on her skin and that added to the list of things that was driving Chloe to a point of extreme need for pleasure.

Swinging her hair to the side, Nathaniel held a mass of her hair with a hand, exposing her ear and craned neck.

"Nathaniel!" She held on to his shoulders tightly as he strongly sniffed the skin exposed. The air he exhaled tracing its way to somewhere, it first circled a spot he seemed to know made her react. And she did react. Her eyes closed, she enjoyed how pleasurable his action was.

"Then..." he continued his words from earlier, his lips finally approaching her ears. "Shall I help you take your mind off the thing that has been troubling you?"

" H-here Nathaniel?" she asked, her eyes snapping open instantly. She had imagined they would go back to the house to continue whatever happens. But being out there...

"Yes." He went back to caressing the side of her face with his. She could imagine his eyes being closed and she could not help but smile. Drawing her closer into his chest once more, he said, "No one comes here. It's just you..." He planted a small kiss behind her ear. "... and I this evening." Then on the spot on her neck he was previously torturing with his breath.

"Hmm..." she let out a small sigh of pleasure as his hand found her thigh and he gave the thick skin a light caress to her liking.

"So..." His mouth was still to her ear. "Are you ready?"