Chapter 165

Maeve's POV

The kiss started slow, Lucas’s lips brushing mine with a tenderness that made my heart swell, his hands cupping my face as if I was something precious.

The garden around us: the lotus ponds reflecting the lantern light, the soft rustle of bamboo leaves in the breeze faded into a distant haze as I melted into him.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer, the Ceylon sapphi