“I notice everything, Hawthorne.”
“And what else have you noticed about me, Warden?”He rises from his chair, moving closer to me.
“You say my title when you’re trying to provoke me.”
“That’s hardly incriminating and extremely obvious.”
“You say ‘you're fine’ to almost everything, even when you’re not.” I open my mouth to disagree, but he cuts me off, his arms landing on either side of the workbench, barricading me in.
“You tap your fingers on your leg when you’re trying not to argue. You apologise to the plants when you trim their leaves. You bite your bottom lip when you’re nervous. You hold your breath when you’re aroused and you hate blueberries with a passion.”
My eyes remain fixed on his.
There is nowhere for me to go, his shadow enveloping me.
I swallow thickly, my cheeks turning red.
“Careful, Elodie.”
His mouth is so close to my ear it sends shivers down my spine. “That blush of yours is giving you away, and if you keep looking at me like that, I’ll stop noticing things and start taking them instead.”
My heart beats loud against my ribcage.
I close my eyes, letting my breath hitch in a way I know makes his pupils blow wide. I can feel the tension in his arms.
His body coiled tight.
“You’re right, Warden.” I whisper, my voice dropping to a low, honeyed thrum. I lean in, brushing my lips against his ear, mimicking his own move.
He goes deadly still.
Pressing my knee just a fraction firmer against him, I feel him shudder. His grip on the workbench tightens until his knuckles turn white.
“But it would seem you’re the one clearly frustrated here. Wouldn’t you agree?” I pull back just enough to catch his gaze as I let the question hang in the air, looking down to where my knee is brushing against him. His eyes are dark with hunger, jaw clamped so tightly the bone looks ready to snap. I brush past his arms, stepping out of them before grabbing my notebook.
“Now, if you don’t mind, I have work to do. I need to save your kingdom, remember?” I smirk at him. Walking away to the other side of the glasshouse, he remains in complete stillness. The further away I get, the more my breathing picks up. Wiping the sweat off my palms onto my overalls, I shake with nerves and adrenaline. I bury my face in my hands, trying to figure out what the hell just happened.
Whoever that version of myself was, I don’t recognise her.
But the look on his face makes me think I want to.
Chapter 20
Elodie
I wake early, anxiety clawing at my throat. I’m not entirely sure if I’ve even slept, especially after the heated exchange with Rowan in the glasshouse.
Screw it, I need to check if the seed has grown.
Slipping out of bed, I tug on some shorts and a long top before slowly checking the main sitting area. The room is completely dark, the only light seeping in from the moon high in the sky. I tiptoe towards the door, stopping when the floorboards creak. Wincing as I check Rowan’s door before continuing towards my exit.
“Did you skip the section on stealth attacks, Hawthorne?” Rowan’s voice causes me to lose my balance, my hand landing on my chest as I breathe heavily to catch my breath. “Or did you assume my ‘frustration’ had made me go deaf?” he smirks at me, crossing his arms in front of him. With a heavy sigh of defeat, I tilt my head at him.
“I didn’t expect you to be sitting in the dark like a creep,” I whisper.
“I didn’t expect you to try to sneak out in the middle of the night. Where are you going, Elodie?” he asks me, his tone sincere. There’s no use in hiding anything.
He would find me either way.
