Crystal Hearts

Chapter 10. Cooking together

"I can try, though. Why don't you go sit at the table, and I'll cook for you?" Crystal suggested with a smile.

"How about we cook together?" Ashter countered, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Just then, someone burst into the kitchen with a tray. "Here's your breakfast, sir."

Crystal jumped, startled. "Oh my God, you startled me... I thought we were alone."

Ashter's face darkened as he turned to the intruder. "You bastard, how dare you startle her like that!"

The man looked taken aback. "Sorry, sir."

"Ashter, it's okay. You don't have to talk to him like that," Crystal said, taking the breakfast from the man's hands.

"I'm sorry. Just... give me this," Ashter said, his anger still simmering as he accepted the tray.

Crystal took a deep breath. "Ashter, calm down. You don't need to react like this. It's not like I'm in any danger."

"If you were in danger, the least you could expect is for me to be calm," Ashter said, his frustration evident.

Crystal's eyes softened as she looked at him. "You ordered this and wanted to pretend you were cooking for me. That's a little shallow."

Seeing him like this she kissed him on his cheeks. She knows how Ashter is completely devastated by seeing those wounds on her hands. He can't help it his anger is envelopeing him but he is manageing to keep his cool.

Ashter's heart ached at the thought of her past, and he struggled to keep his anger in check. He sighed, his expression softening. Seeing her concern for his anger, she leaned in and kissed him gently on the cheek again making him relax and changing his mood a little.

"Let's make something together," she said, but then she glanced at the clock. "Oh no, it's already nine! I should have been at the office by eight-thirty..."

"Or else what will happen?" he teased, trapping her gently between his body and the kitchen counter, his right hand resting beside her head, while his left hand brushed her hair back.

"Or else my boss might fire me," she said with a playful grin.

"What if he doesn't want to fire you?" Ashter asked, his fingers caressing her hair.

"I don't know... he's kind of crazy, you know," she said, her expression making Ashter's desire for her grow stronger.

"What if he's crazy about you? What if he's madly in love with you and wants your presence all the time? What if he wants to kiss you, to taste your strawberry lips, to protect you at any cost? What if seeing you at your worst breaks his heart, and he just wants to hold you and never let go? What if he can't bring himself to fire you?" he said, his lips trailing down her neck to her cleavage.

Crystal paused, absorbing his words, her heart racing. "If that's the case, I want to be late every day."

Ashter kissed her again, his voice filled with emotion. "I love you, Crystal. I love you so much I can't even explain."

"But we've been dating for only one day, sir."

"I don't care. I've loved you for ages. I waited for you to return to my life. I wanted to find you, but I didn't know how you looked or anything about your family. I'm sorry I didn't try harder. If I had known what your father did, I would have given everything to find you," he said, his voice cracking with raw emotion.

"It's not your fault." She assured him.

Crystal sighed, pulling him into a tight hug. "You wanted to cook together. Let's do it."

"But seriously do you know how to cook?" She asked again.

He chuckled, the sound vibrating through his chest. "I can manage a few things," he replied, giving her a playful smirk.

"Teach me," she whispered, her voice soft but filled with determination.

Ashter raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? It might get messy."

Crystal nodded eagerly, her earlier shyness fading away. "I want to learn... with you."

With a tender smile, Ashter guided her to the kitchen counter. They spent the next hour cooking together, laughter filling the kitchen as they fumbled their way through the recipe.

Despite the mess and a few burnt edges, the final dish was perfect in their eyes. As they sat down to eat, Crystal couldn't help but feel a warmth in her chest that had nothing to do with the food in front of her.

It was a warmth that came from knowing she was loved, truly loved, for the first time in her life. And as she looked across the table at Ashter, she knew that this was only the beginning of something beautiful.

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