Page 29 of Lavender and Honey

When the desserts arrived, the rich aroma of cinnamon and baked apples filled the air. Elias's eyes lit up as he took in the golden-brown crumble topping and the scoop of vanilla ice cream slowly melting on top.

“It smellsamazing.” I muttered and Elias gave a laugh quickly agreeing.

"It tastes even better," Elias said with a grin, picking up his spoon. "Here, you should have the first bite."

He carefully scooped up a perfect bite— a mix of warm, spiced apples, crisp crumble topping, and creamy vanilla ice cream— and held it out to me. For a moment, I froze, caught off guard by the intimacy of the gesture. Sharing dessert was one thing, but being fed by Elias...

I glanced quickly at Finn and Lucian, but neither seemed bothered by Elias's actions. In fact, Finn was watching us with a soft smile, while Lucian's steel-grey eyes held a hint of amusement.

Taking a deep breath, I leaned forward slightly and accepted the bite. The flavors exploded on my tongue— the tartness of the apples balanced perfectly with the sweetness of the crumble and the richness of the ice cream. I couldn't help the small sound of appreciation that escaped me.

"Good, right?" Elias asked, his honey-warm eyes twinkling with delight.

I nodded, swallowing before I spoke. "It's delicious," I admitted softly. "Thank you for suggesting it."

Elias laughed, taking a bite himself, “I am glad you trusted me to try it. Desserts with apples in them are a favorite of mine.”

As we continued to share the dessert, I found myself relaxing even further. The conversation flowed easily between all four of us, touching on various topics from art to local events. Even Lucian, who had been mostly quiet during dinner, joined in more.

When the waitress came back with the check, I didn’t even get to make a comment before Lucian gave his card to the waitress who gave a smile before leaving to go get them checked out.

Before I could protest Lucian gave me a look making me snap my mouth shut with a click. He gave a small laugh, “Don’t worry about it. Take it as a thank you for letting me crash your dinner.”

I nodded, feeling a bit guilty. This is the second time my meal has been paid for in the last week…but from the pleased looks on all their faces, they wouldn’t let me pay even if I tried arguing with them.

I would let it go…for now.

Chapter Nineteen

As we stepped out of the café into the cool evening air, I felt a mix of contentment and nervous energy thrumming through me. The meal had been unexpectedly pleasant, pushing me gently but persistently out of my comfort zone. Lucian's presence, which had initially intimidated me, had become almost comforting by the end of the evening.

"Thank you for joining us, Lydia," Lucian said, his deep voice warm as he turned to face me. "It was a pleasure to finally meet you."

I nodded, offering a small smile. "Thank you for dinner," I said softly. "It was... nice." The word felt inadequate to describe the evening, but it was all I could manage.

Elias beamed at me, his honey-warm scent wrapping around me like a comforting blanket. "We're so glad you enjoyed yourself.”

I gave him a smile, “Thank you again. I think I am going to head home now. I am tired and I think I did more socializingthan I normally do in a week.” I really had. I tended to not have long conversations with anyone but Avery. Usually at my store the conversations last maybe thirty minutes and that is the longest it has gone. This had been almost a whole afternoon if I counted the time from when Elias and Finn arrived at my store to now.

Elias's face fell slightly at my words, but he quickly masked it with an understanding smile. "Of course, it's been a long day. Do you need a ride home?"

I shook my head, "No, thank you. I live close by, just a few blocks away. The walk will do me good."

Finn stepped forward, his green eyes warm but concerned. "Are you sure? It's getting dark."

I felt a flutter of warmth in my chest at their concern, but I needed some time alone to process everything that had happened. "I'm sure," I said softly. "I appreciate the offer, though."

Lucian nodded, his steel-grey eyes studying me intently. "Very well. But please text Elias when you get home safely."

I blinked in surprise at the request but nodded, “Though…I would need his number to do that.” I felt my cheeks heat at the casual way of asking for Elias’s number.

Elias held his hand out, a cheeky grin on his face, “Phone please.” I fished my phone out of my coat pocket and handed it over to him. As I handed my phone to Elias, I couldn't help but feel a flutter of nervous excitement in my stomach. This was another small step, another way of opening myself up to these men who were quickly becoming important to me.

Elias's fingers moved swiftly over the screen, his honey-warm scent spiking slightly with what seemed like happiness. When he handed the phone back to me, I saw that he had not only added his own number but Finn's and Lucian's as well.

"There," he said with a soft smile, his hazel eyes twinkling, “Now you can let me know when you're home safe." He paused, a hint of hesitation in his voice. "And maybe... we could text sometimes? About the project or... anything, really."

I felt a flutter in my stomach at his words. The idea of texting Elias, of having a direct line of communication with him, was both thrilling and terrifying. But I found myself nodding before I could overthink it.

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