Page 120 of Wisteria and Cloves
I nearly choked on my tea and set the cup down quickly, laughing despite myself. “You are absolutely the worst.”
“I try,” he said with a wink. “But really, if you want to reschedule, we’ll understand.”
I paused, considering. My body did ache, yes—but not in a way that demanded rest. The ache was a reminder. A good one. “No. I want to meet with Mara. I want to know how we’re going to handle this. I feel… ready.”
“Good,” Nicolaus said, offering a quiet nod of approval. “Then after breakfast, we’ll go over the documents she sent last night. I’ve already flagged the most relevant sections.”
“You haven’t stopped working, have you?” I asked, arching a brow.
He gave the faintest smile. “I took a break to make your tea.” My heart gave a little tug. They all had their ways of showing care—Julian with his grounding presence, Christopher with humor and warmth, Miles with unspoken steadiness… and Nicolaus, always noticing the little things, anticipating needs before I voiced them. I hadn’t asked them to give me this space, but they had, without question.
"That's a significant break by your standards," I teased gently, surprised by my own boldness.
A hint of warmth touched Nicolaus's eyes. "Perhaps I'm learning to prioritize differently."
The moment between us lingered, something tentative and new. I'd never seen Nicolaus truly relax—his analytical mind seemed to run constantly, cataloging and processing. But therewas something softer in him this morning, as if Julian and I crossing that threshold had shifted something for all of them.
Christopher slid another plate of French toast onto the island. "Miles, stop hogging all of Lilianna's attention and eat before it gets cold."
"I wasn't hogging," Miles replied mildly, but he shifted slightly, giving me space while somehow still remaining close enough that I could feel his warmth. "I was appreciating." The distinction sent a pleasant shiver through me.
"And what exactly are you appreciating?" Christopher asked with a playful smirk, sliding into the seat on my other side.
I felt myself caught between them, not uncomfortably, but with a heightened awareness of how different each man was. Miles's quiet intensity on one side, Christopher's playful energy on the other.
"Everything," Miles said simply, his gaze sliding over me again before returning to his plate. The single word carried weight that made my cheeks warm.
"You're making her blush again," Nicolaus observed, though his own eyes lingered on my face with subtle interest.
I took another bite of French toast to hide my smile. "I'm beginning to think you all enjoy that a little too much."
"Guilty," Christopher admitted cheerfully. "You're beautiful when you blush. Though lately, you're beautiful all the time."
I rolled my eyes at the flattery but couldn't suppress the warmth spreading through my chest. "You're all going to give me an ego at this rate."
"Good," Miles said quietly, his fingers brushing mine as he reached for the honey. The brief contact sent electricity up my arm. "You should know your worth."
The simple statement hit deeper than any flowery compliment could have. I looked down at our hands—his tan and strong, mine smaller and pale—and felt something shift inside me.These men weren't just flattering me; they were helping me see myself through their eyes. Eyes that found me valuable, desirable, worthy of love.
Before I could respond, the front door opened, and Julian's familiar footsteps echoed through the hallway. My heart immediately quickened at the sound, my body responding to his presence even before he appeared in the kitchen doorway.
He looked impeccable as always in his dark suit, but there was something different about him this morning—a satisfied ease in his posture, a subtle softness around his eyes that hadn't been there before. When his gaze found mine across the room, the intensity in his hazel eyes made my breath catch.
"Good morning," he said, his voice carrying a warmth that seemed meant just for me, even though he addressed the room. "I see everyone's making themselves comfortable."
"We're just having breakfast," Christopher said innocently, though his grin was anything but. "And admiring how well-rested Lilianna looks this morning."
Julian's mouth quirked as he shrugged out of his suit jacket, draping it over the back of a chair. "Is that so?"
"Very well-rested," Miles confirmed, his voice dry but eyes amused. "Almost glowing, one might say."
I felt heat rise to my cheeks again as Julian moved toward me, his presence filling the kitchen with something electric. Without hesitation, he bent down and pressed a kiss to my temple, lingering just long enough to breathe in my scent.
"Good morning," he murmured against my skin, just for me to hear. "Did you sleep well after I left?"
"Yes," I whispered back, acutely aware of the others watching our interaction with barely concealed interest. "Though I missed having you there when I woke up."
Julian's eyes darkened at my admission, his hand coming to rest possessively on my shoulder. "I had to take care of somethings related to your parents' latest attempt at interference. But I'm here now."
