Offered to the Triplet Alphas

Chapter-48. Flowers

[Xanthea]

Asher remained silent, contemplating me as though he were drinking in every minor detail of my face.

His gaze turned stoic as they skimmed over the flowers.

"Let's just say... I've found a new hobby," he said.

I tried to read his eyes, his face, but failed. Except for the soft warmth in his eyes, I couldn't get a glimpse of his soul or his thoughts whatsoever. "Hobby of collecting flowers from the earthly realm?" I asked.

Asher looked at me with a faint smile and gave a curt nod.

"Hobby of collecting flowers from 'your' realm," his voice was just as caressing as the breeze flowing around us.

I couldn't tell if my heart skipped a beat at the way he said those words or at the way he held my gaze and I felt lost and found at the same time. "Oh!" I briskly averted my gaze as soon as I realized he had somehow seized my breaths and stolen words right off my lips.

With a quick gulp, I cleared my throat.

"Makes sense," I smiled awkwardly. "Umm. There... there are many other beautiful flowers in my realm."

I was breathing, but there was a pleasant suffocation in my chest, something that made me breathless, as if I had just run a hundred miles.

"Is that so?" he peered at me.

Gathering whatever courage I could amidst my pounding heart and heating cheeks, I looked into his gray eyes. But that was a wrong decision, a very wrong decision. Asher stepped closer to me.

"I wanna know the names of all the flowers you like. Every single one of them."

With a gentle touch, he delicately scooped a few strands of my hair, cradling them between his fingers.

The intensity of his gaze was far beyond my endurance. My chest heaved faster as I turned around and nervously ran my eyes over the flowerpots.

I could feel his body heat on my back, and I knew he was standing closer.

"Umm. Well. There are many... umm... roses, tulips, peonies, lavender, daisies, carnations, dahlia. There must be thousands of them and each with hundreds of varieties," I said in one long, cold breath. "My house would be too small to collect them all, right?"

I looked at him.

"Well... you can collect the flowers that mean something to you. Which you think might add value, beauty and positive energy to your house," I said.

He looked in deep thought as he glanced at the flowerpots.

you choose these two flowers because they added something to

us faltered and faded away as

"Their presence in my life somehow filled the

was a prolonged

long... have you

said

flowers were the companions

head and looked at him

were the companions of

I took in the

And I found peace in books. I received unadulterated love

have taken them from your garden," Asher said. "I'll put them back. They aren't happy to be

took a deep breath and kneeled in front

where they can get more light." I pointed towards the other picture window on the other side of the room. "They'll

at home? I wish to feel their companionship as well," he said in his deep

way out of them when I felt Asher's firm grip on my

both of us tumbled on the floor as the curtains

just in time, preventing it

off me and helped me

at him blankly

I said, cradling the

His laughter faded away a few seconds later, but I had to turn my head towards the bed

he just said, he got

the soil that

past my nipples. I took a silent gasp, shutting my eyes when he withdrew his hand from me. "The flowers..." he whispered, dropping his gaze to my parted lips, which were just

them at the spot

be better like this." I slid the pot of forget-me-nots in jasmine's shadow. "How

and, with a quick gulp, I told him how to take care of those plants and he literally took notes on his phone. "Although... this

now and then to check on them for me?"

my words as I struggled to maintain

flinched back when he reached out for my hair and tucked them behind my

followed him

me. Taking his hand, I

be your favorite

"My?"

tilting

my mother adored them. They were her favorite flowers," I said, smiling at the

'your'

too," I said. "Uh...