Chapter 403

Nicole and the family chef acted as though they hadn't noticed the quiet exchange between Kieran and Lila, but listening to their playful banter, they couldn't help the smiles that crept onto their faces. Out of the corner of her eye, Nicole saw Lila standing at the sink, holding a tomato in each hand, her head lowered as she rinsed them under the running water. Her face was flushed, a shade redder than the tomatoes she held. The water flowed over her slender, pale hand, gliding like a stream over polished jade at the bottom of a clear spring, radiant after years of refinement. "Is the water too cold?" Kieran asked, stepping closer behind her. His long, defined fingers reached into the stream of water. For just a second, Lila felt as though she were enclosed in his arms. Realizing Nicole was still nearby, Lila quickly stepped to the side, putting space between them as she shoved the tomatoes into his hands. "I used warm water. It's not cold," she said hurriedly. Before she cou