Page 25 of The Hummingbird’s Gift

“And speaking of, what was this about the kitchen that you didn’t mean to tell me?”

Oh. He’d hoped Tier had forgotten about that. “I just… thought a lot about it. About feeding you in my kitchen. That probably sounds dumb.”

Tier pressed his thumbs to Ro’s lips. “It doesn’t sound dumb at all. A lot of my fantasies start with you bringing me food.”

Ro rolled his eyes. “That’s because I’m always bringing you food.”

“Yes, and I enjoy it every day. I know that it’s important to you, too.”

“Yeah, I guess it is. I like the idea of making something with my own hands that becomes part of your body. It feels like… a gift, I guess. Or a connection.”

Tier gave him a quick, but passionate kiss. “That’s beautiful. Tell me more about food. What else do you imagine?”

“I mean, like, sometimes it’s naughty stuff.” That got a chuckle from Tier, so he kept talking quickly. “But usually it’s just normal stuff. Like sitting at the kitchen table together. Or, um, if I came to visit you in your office and I sat on your lap while I fed you.”

He slapped a hand over his mouth as soon as he said it. That was somehow worse than the naughty things. Usually he was so calm around Tier, even when he was feeling shy, but today all sorts of things were flying out of his mouth.

“I mean,” he continued, “I know I’m too big to actually sit in your lap. And feeding you would be weird.”

“You’re banned from saying that word. Bring the tray over here.”

Instead of heading for the table, Tier walked over to a large, plush armchair and pulled up a side table beside it. He sat down first and patted his lap.

“I’m too heavy,” Ro disagreed.

“Come here,” Tier commanded.

Reluctantly, he complied. He knew this wasn’t going to work out. “I could, um, kneel instead.”

Heat flared in Tier’s eyes. “We will definitely be coming back to that later. But right now, I want you on my lap.”

Ro sighed. He wasn’t even sure how this would work. But he let Tier pull him around until his back was against one arm and his legs dangled over the other. Ro’s butt nestled between Tier’s spread thighs, so that he was supporting Ro but not bearing all of his weight.

“Now,” said Tier, looking deservedly smug, “you were going to feed me?”

“I mean, is that…” He cut himself off before he said the word again.

Tier chuckled. “Nice save.” When Rohahen didn’t move, he added a little nudge. “Those pancakes look awfully tasty.”

Ro leaned, only slightly awkwardly, to drizzle honey on the first one. He pressed it to Tier’s lips, and he took a bite, leaning his head back in an elaborate moan.

“Is it really that good, or do you just do that for show?”

Tier chuckled. “A little bit of both. They are delicious, like everything you make. But I know that you watch me eat and it used to feel like as much flirtation as I would allow myself.”

“Oh,” Ro breathed. He hadn’t realized that, but it was really sweet now that he knew.

Tier grabbed Ro’s wrist and guided the pancake toward Ro’s mouth so they could share. The cornmeal cakes were small, so he finished it off. A bit of honey dripped down his fingers and Tier licked them clean.

It was sexy and intimate, and he couldn’t begin to understand why it felt so thrilling to serve Tier this way. “Another one?” he asked.

Tier nodded. They repeated the ritual, and this time Rohahen let the honey drip down his fingers on purpose.

“So,” Tier spoke up after the third one. “What else do you imagine when you’re thinking about feeding me?”

Now that he was sitting on Tier’s lap, he felt a little more comfortable sharing, though the bashfulness lingered. “Do you want to hear a dirty one or a clean one?”

Tier chuckled. “How about one of each?”