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 your life?" He

and faded away as I

in my life somehow filled the absence

followed was a prolonged silence

you been alone?" He

said with

the companions

at him

companions of

could feel Asher's gaze linger on me as I took in the beauty of

over wrong companionship. And I

your garden," Asher said. "I'll put them back. They aren't

deep breath and kneeled in front of the

to be placed somewhere where they can get more light." I pointed towards the

me make them feel at home? I wish to feel

flowed all around me. Entangled with the curtains, I panicked, trying to find my way out of them when I felt Asher's firm grip on my frantic

the floor as the

in time, preventing it from

and helped me

stared at him blankly as he straddled

saved the flowerpots," I said, cradling the flowerpots against

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

could comprehend what he just said, he got up from me, and

the soil that

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 a few inches away

the spot where I thought

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

those plants and he literally took notes

you stop by now and then to

as

back when he reached out for my hair and tucked them behind my ear. A playful smile

touched my hair, confused. My eyes followed him as he got

palm before me. Taking his hand, I

your favorite

"My?"

nodded, tilting

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

about 'your' favorite

too," I said. "Uh... what's your favorite flower?" I asked,