Chapter 53: Prove it
Kael’s grin faltered, coffee sloshing slightly as he set the mug down with a soft clunk.
He gulped, throat tight, caught off-guard by the shift—her flush, her unflinching stare, the sudden heat in the air.
The Haven’s cozy hum—the sizzle of cooling eggs, the faint drip of the coffee maker—felt stifling now. His mind scrambled, quips evaporating as he met her gaze, unsure if she was serious or yanking his chain.
Rhea tilted her head, damp hair brushing her shoulder, her spoon tapping the table once, twice—a quiet, expectant dare. Kael’s pulse quickened, his usual swagger nowhere to be found. This wasn’t the morning he’d planned.
Prove it," she said again, softer, the words a smoldering ember.
Her spoon clinked beside her discarded mask, forgotten, as she leaned forward, damp hair framing her face.
Kael’s hazel eyes flared, locked on hers from his seat opposite, probing for a bluff he couldn’t find.
"You’re serious," he growled, voice thick, hands gripping the table’s edge until his knuckles bleached.
"Dead fucking serious," she shot back, lips curling into a smirk, her blush spreading like wildfire.
She shoved her chair back with a screech, stalking around the table, closing in until her scent—pudding, soap, a bite of smoke—hit him like a drug.
Kael surged up, meeting her head-on, his hand snagging her waist—testing, then clamping down.