chapter203

The question caught Suzanne completely off guard. “What?”

Nathan gestured vaguely toward her leg. Since she was wearing a long, modest skirt, she instinctively pressed her knees together, her face burning with sudden embarrassment.

“Nathan! Have you lost your mind?” she exclaimed.

Nathan’s own ears turned a tell-tale shade of red. He maintained a stoic exterior, though his voice was hurried. “I’m not trying to be offensive. It’s a matter of identity. I just need to know if it’s there.”

“Did you... look while I was asleep?” she asked, her voice rising in disbelief.

“I would never,” Nathan countered instantly, his neck now matching the color of his ears.

“Then how could you possibly know?”

Because we grew up together, he thought. Because you showed me once when we were children.

“Do you have it or not?” he pressed, his tone laced with a nervous urgency.

Suzanne looked at him with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. “Why does it matter so much? Do you think you’ve figured out who I am?”

“Who you are?” Nathan repeated, his eyes narrowing.

Suzanne realized she had said too much. She pressed her lips together and looked away, her gaze landing on a bowl of grapes on the side table. “I’ll... I’ll go wash these for you.” She hurried toward the bathroom, using the task as an escape.

The moment the door closed, Nathan grabbed his phone and messaged Cole. “Do you have the DNA results for Sally and the Hoffis family yet?”

Cole replied almost immediately. “Sally is being cautious, but we have samples from her parents. We’re still waiting for a match.”

“Bring the equipment to the hospital,” Nathan instructed. “Find a reason to take a sample from Suzanne. We need to run the comparison now.”

When Suzanne returned, she set the fruit down with a quiet smile. “You should put the phone away. The doctor was very clear about you needing rest.”

Nathan set the device aside and watched her. “Is there something on my face?” she asked, feeling flustered by his silence.

“No,” he said, a small, genuine smile tugging at his lips.

“Do you want some grapes?”

“No, they’re sour.”

“I don't believe you,” she teased, popping one into her mouth. The reaction was instantaneous. The tartness was so overwhelming that her face scrunched up, and she gasped at the sharp, acidic burst.

Nathan couldn't help but laugh—a rare, lighthearted sound. These were the famous grapes from the military base vines; everyone knew they looked beautiful but tasted like vinegar.

“Why didn't you stop me?” she demanded playfully once she recovered.

“I told you they were sour,” he said innocently.

“You should have been more persuasive!” She picked up another grape and leaned closer, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “If they’re so bad, you have to try one too.”

“No.”

“Come on, General. Where’s your courage?” She pressed the grape against his lips.

As her fingertips brushed against him, a sudden, electric tension hummed through the air. For a few seconds, neither of them moved. Suzanne felt the heat rising in her cheeks, her heart skipping a beat at the intimacy of the gesture.

She was about to pull her hand back when Nathan abruptly opened his mouth and took the grape from her fingers. His lips grazed her skin—a brief, deliberate contact that sent a jolt through both of them.

Suzanne retracted her hand quickly, her heart pounding. The room felt suddenly very warm. Nathan chewed the incredibly sour fruit without flinching. His mouth was filled with the sharp, acidic taste of the grape, but looking at the blushing woman before him, his heart had never felt sweeter.