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.

two flowers because they added something to

awkwardness between us faltered and faded away as I felt a little more comfortable in

forget-me-nots. "Their presence in my life

followed was a prolonged silence between

long... have you been alone?" He

said with

were the

my head and looked at him as he stood

the companions

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

my peace over wrong companionship. And I found peace in books. I

have taken them from your garden," Asher said. "I'll put them back.

and kneeled in front of the

"They just need to be placed somewhere where they can get more light." I pointed towards the other picture window on the other

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

of them when I felt Asher's firm grip on my frantic wrist from over the curtain. "Stay still,"

tumbled on the floor as the curtains fell

my head just in time, preventing it from colliding with

off me and helped me out of the

at him blankly as he

saved the flowerpots," I said, cradling the flowerpots

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

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

off the soil that had spilled onto the shirt I was

my nipples. I took a silent gasp, shutting my eyes when he withdrew his hand from me.

at the spot

shade so they'll be better like this." I slid the pot of

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

by now and then to check on them for me?" he

as I struggled to maintain

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

eyes followed

palm before me. Taking his hand, I got

be your

"My?"

tilting his

They were her favorite flowers,"

'your' favorite

them too," I said. "Uh...