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.

because they added something

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

forget-me-nots. "Their presence in my life somehow filled the absence

was a prolonged silence between

you

said with

flowers were the

shook my head and looked at him as he stood beside

companions

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

And I found peace in books. I received unadulterated love

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

a deep breath and kneeled in front of the

I pointed towards the other picture window on the other side of the room. "They'll be super happy to be

feel their companionship as well," he said in his deep voice,

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

of us tumbled on the floor as the curtains fell

around my head just in time,

lifted himself off me and helped me out of

the floor, I stared at him blankly as he straddled

said,

later, but I had to turn my head towards the

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

first," he said, brushing off the

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

spot

like this." I slid the pot of forget-me-nots

at him and, with a quick gulp, I told him how to take care of those plants and he literally took notes on

then to check on them for me?" he

lacing my words as I struggled to maintain eye contact

tucked them

eyes followed him as he got

Taking his hand, I

must be your favorite

"My?"

tilting

adored them. They were her favorite flowers,"

'your' favorite

them too," I said. "Uh... what's your favorite