Ashen stepped back toward his desk, forcing himself to breathe. His self-control was fraying by the second, and the last thing he wanted was to scare her off with how much he wanted her.
Lumina stayed where she was, standing still for a moment, before her fingers brushed the edge of the table. She followed the faint scrape of wood until she found the chair, pulling it out with a quiet dignity and sitting down.
Stella had already set the breakfast neatly. The room fell silent, broken only by the faint crackle of the fire in the corner.
Ashen sat opposite her, picking up the jug to pour tea into her cup, and she snorted with her hands folded against her chest.
"You don't haven't…."
"I want to," he cut in.
He set the cup gently in front of her, his fingers brushing hers just long enough to make her breath catch.
She took a sip in silence, trying to calm the pounding of her heart. She had come here angry, ready to argue, but now she found herself disarmed by his care.
