The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word RELISHING
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
R
E
L
I
S
H
I
N
G
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Loving" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case loving = relishing.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does RELISHING mean?
RELISHING verb- To taste or eat with pleasure, to like the flavor of
- To take great pleasure in.
- To taste; to have a specified taste or flavour.
- To give a taste to; to cause to taste nice, to make appetizing.
- To give pleasure.