Kitty!” His fingers held firm yet gentle, and his hazel…

““Kitty!” His fingers held firm yet gentle, and his hazel eyes scanned her in one quick sweep. “What in heaven’s name are you doing here? Are you all right?”  Nathaniel peered at her with such unreserved concern her knees turned weak. His freshly shaven face looked smoother and more angled than she’d ever seen it. His gaze threaded with hers, striking down any power she might have exerted to resist him.  Once her mouth opened to respond it refused to shut and her words strung together into a giant, tangled mess. “Nathaniel, please forgive me. Thomas promised you wouldn’t be home and he asked me to deliver your shirts for you since Eliza wasn’t able to do it—and I assure you I wasn’t snooping, I was simply intrigued by your medical books and then when I heard you upstairs I was so startled I dropped your lamp—oh! Your lamp! I’m so sorry, I promise to replace it and your medical books—” “Slow down, Kitty.” Nathaniel’s disarming smile reached out and bathed her distress in its gentleness. “I don’t care about the lamp or the books. I was just surprised when I heard—” He stopped mid sentence and tugged at her hand. A frown pulled at his brow. “You’re bleeding.” Swallowing, Kitty did her best not to think about the warmth of his skin against hers. She felt not even the slightest pain. “’Tis nothing. I shall bandage it when I get home.” “No. We shall bandage it now.” ***””

— Amber Lynn Perry