Chapter 470: If You Need It

Cecilia, ever mindful of Martha's wishes, was even more determined to honor them now that Martha was ill. She rose, escorted Nathaniel to his room, and helped him try on the clothes she had bought. They were mostly casual, making them easy to wear.

“Take off your clothes,” she instructed. Cecilia then laid out the new garments, arranging them neatly. As she turned to offer one to Nathaniel, she was startled. Her pupils dilated.

“Y–You… why did you take off all your clothes?”

The man before her was completely nude, his physique impeccably proportioned. His muscles were firm, his abs a well-defined eight-pack. Flustered, Cecilia quickly averted her gaze, her face burning.

Despite having borne Jonathan and Elliot and carrying Nathaniel’s child, their intimacy had been infrequent. While she had returned and acted maturely to secure Nathaniel's seed, he had always been the one to initiate their encounters. Nathaniel, strikingly handsome and always composed, was quite content with his physique.

“Didn’t you buy me underwear?” he asked.

Cecilia, too shy to look at him, stammered, “I didn’t buy you any underwear, so hurry and put some on.”

“I took it off so quickly I’ve forgotten where I put it,” Nathaniel replied. “Could you help me find it?”

Cecilia suspected he was doing this deliberately. Wishing to end this quickly, she searched through the discarded clothes for his underwear. Before she could find it, Nathaniel leaned in from behind, causing Cecilia to stiffen. A wave of heat seemed to surge through him.

Cecilia felt something pressing against her and her face flushed deeper. “What are you doing?”

Nathaniel immediately stepped back. “I thought you might have trouble finding it, so I planned to look for it myself. It wasn’t on purpose.” His voice was strained, his ears burning.

Cecilia quickly found the underwear and handed it to him, urging, “Put it on quickly!” Nathaniel complied. Dressing him felt awkward.

“I’ll hand you the clothes, and you’ll wear them as I instruct,” she said.

“All right,” he replied.

Nathaniel was increasingly confused by Cecilia. Upon her return, she had seemed to throw herself at him. Yet now, even after his sacrifice of dignity, she remained unmoved. Were her pregnancy hormones fluctuating, or had he lost his charm? The latter possibility soured his mood.

Cecilia handed him a shirt. “Feel this? This is the front.”

“Okay,” he replied, putting it on.

Despite the winter chill outside, the room felt surprisingly warm. Nathaniel possessed a naturally model-like physique, but his movie-star good looks ensured he looked striking in anything he wore.

“All right, it fits. You can take it off now,” Cecilia said.

Nathaniel shed the shirt far quicker than he had put it on, then seized her wrist. His voice was a low rasp. “Cecilia, do you remember my proposition from last time? If you ever need it, tell me in private.”

How could she forget? Her heart tightened, her voice trembling. “I don’t remember.” She intended to end the conversation there.

But Nathaniel pulled her into his arms. “If you need it, just let me know. We’re married, after all. It’s completely normal for us to do such things.”

Cecilia was surprised by his repetition. She tried to pull away. “I don’t have such needs.”

“But I do,” Nathaniel’s voice was deep and magnetic.