Page 25 of Pretty Lies & Ugly Truths

“Oh my God,” she mutters under her breath.

When she turns her back to me at the sink to wash up, I use that moment to discreetly rearrange myself in my jeans.

“Here.” I grab a dish towel out of the drawer, handing it to her.

“Thanks,” she says, giving me an embarrassed smile before using it to dry herself off.

The smile slips from her face as she looks wistfully at the ruined cup of yogurt now in the trash. “That was going to be my dinner.”

“You were gonna eat a cup of yogurt—for dinner?” I ask her, unsure if I need to be concerned about her diet as well as her safety.

Although she is rather petite, she doesn’t appear underweight. Her perfectly round ass and full hips more than speak to someone with a healthy appetite.

A single cup of yogurt is not enough for dinner, especially, since I know she hasn’t eaten anything all day.

“Well…” she says sheepishly, “it’s not exactly what I wanted, but there isn’t much else for me to choose from.”

“What are you talking about?” I open the refrigerator confused. I know for a fact it was almost full just yesterday. There’s no way it’s already empty.

Sure enough, I find several types of cold cuts, chicken salad wraps, soups, pastas… I look back at her questioningly, but her gaze drops to the floor as she picks at the skin around her nails—a habit I’m beginning to hate because she seems to only do it when she’s either anxious or afraid.

Closing the door, I step to her taking her hands in mine as I lean down, forcing her to look at me. “What’s going on?” I ask her. She chews on her bottom lip and is quiet so long, I begin to worry.

“I…I don’t eat meat,” she says quietly, and all the blood drains from my face.

I wrack my brain, thinking back to all those times I watched her and I can’t remember ever seeing her eat anything with meat in it.

Come to think of it all she ate yesterday was some buttered toast and fruit.

Christ! How could I be so fucking blind?

She must be starving.

I need to feed her.

“Go get changed,” I tell her.

“What? Why?”

“Because, I’m taking you to dinner.”

She just blinks those big emerald eyes at me while wearing an adorably puzzled expression.

“You need to eat,” I tell her. “I was just coming to tell you I had to go into work for a few minutes anyway. You can come with me. Once I’m finished, we can get dinner and pick up some groceries on the way back.”

“Oh no, you don’t have to do that. I’ll just stay here. I’m not that hungry anyways,” she says, but the growling of her empty stomach betrays her in that moment.

I lean in close to her—so close, she has to tilt her head all the way back to meet my eyes, baring her neck to me, the perfect picture of submission.

My fingers curl into tight fists at my side as I fight the urge to wrap my hand around the creamy expanse of her throat and bring her mouth to mine.

“Don’t lie to me. You haven’t eaten since yesterday, and it’s my fault.” My voice comes out low and gravely. “Now go and get changed. Let me feed you. Please.”

I don’t miss the way her breaths come shallow or the rosy flush that creeps out across her chest. She swallows hard, the movement breaking through the spell, and severing the connection.

Remembering myself, I take a step back.

“Plus, you’re my responsibility, and I would rather not leave you here alone while I’m gone.”

---