To avoid further tempting myself, I didn't swaddle him with kisses for too long. The consequence of staying awake all night hit me after a little while, and I went back to sleep with my head resting on his shoulder. The luxury of lying in his arms felt heavenly, and I didn't wake up again until it was almost noon.
"You can keep sleeping," he said as I rubbed my still bleary eyes and reached for my day robe. "I can get up on my own now if I need anything, and—"
A loud growl of my stomach interjected, and he paused. Then we both laughed. "Looks like it's me that needs something," I said a bit embarrassedly.
Reluctantly letting me out of his arms, he fetched his own clothes that I placed beside the bed last night. "When would you give me permission to start cooking for you again?" he asked. "I'm not the only one that needs to be nurtured back to health. You've grown thin yourself since … since I left."
