The garden unfolded before me, aglow with hundreds of candles that burned like captured stars. Their golden light spilled over blooms and leaves and stone until the whole cavern shimmered, as though heaven itself had lowered a constellation into the earth.
It was otherworldly. It was breathtaking. It was paradise.
I could hardly breathe.
When I looked at Lucien, his eyes had gone darker—hungry, devouring me in the flickering glow. His gaze lingered on my lips, searing, as though he could taste me already.
We stood so close his scent wrapped around me—spiced, woody, mingling with the sweetness of flowers. The pull was magnetic, irresistible.
“I need to kiss you,” he whispered.
Lucien’s hand found mine, his palm warm, strong, steady. The contact sent a shiver racing through me. “Say so
