Stars Waited Above Empty Streets by Lorin Wren 154

Chapter 154 Unexpected Kisses 

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The room had emptied out completely. In the vast, hollow space, only a handful of shadows stretched thin beneath the overhead lights. 

Keith unclasped the flower from his lapel, rested it in his palm, and extended it toward Ava. He blinked at her with a mischievous glint. “Then allow me, my princess, to present a knight’s tribute.” 

He offered the flower as if it were his heart, watching as warmth crept into her cheeks under the intensity of his gaze. Ava was easily flustered; straightforward sweetness always threw her off. 

She reached for the stem, but the instant her fingers touched it, he closed his hand around her wrist. 

Keith leaned down and brushed a kiss against the flower in her grasp. His voice dropped, rough and gentle all at once. “Congratulations on your coming–of–age, my princess.” 

Ava’s scalp prickled. She was so rattled that her earlobes burned bright red. 

Ryan watched with clenched teeth. Holy on the surface, absolute incubus behind the scenes–flirting nonstop, anytime, anywhere. 

Mason, on the other hand, looked amused. He touched the flower pinned to his own chest and kept his eyes fixed on Ava’s expression.” 

Knowing how easily she got embarrassed, Keith didn’t push further. He chuckled softly and stepped away. 

Mason then approached, perfectly composed, and handed his flower to Ava. Seeing no tricks coming, she finally relaxed. 

She hadn’t even finished letting out her breath when Mason grabbed her wrist and gave a sharp tug. Startled, Ava collided straight into his chest. Mason laughed. “Ava, are you throwing yourself at me already? I’m honored.” 

Ava covered her aching nose with one hand and twisted his waist with the other. “I’ll show you what honor feels like!” 

Mason pulled a dramatic face, still joking. “What is this? Are you trying to kill your husband?” 

Her frown deepened, and she tightened her grip. 

To Mason, it felt less like pain and more like a feather brushing his heart–an unbearable, sweet itch spreading through him. He quickly surrendered. “Okay–stop, it seriously hurts.” 

Ryan snorted internally. Hurts? Please. You’re loving this. 

Ava finally released him. “You hit my nose.” 

Mason lowered his gaze to her small, straight nose. “Did I? Let me take a look.” 

Before she could react, he leaned in and kissed the tip of it. 

Ava’s eyes flew open. Completely unprepared, she froze. 

Chapter 154 Unexpected Kisses 

Mason flashed a grin. “You still owed me a kiss from lunch. I’m just collecting.” 

Ava didn’t know how to respond. 

Laurent’s expression darkened. “Mason, that’s enough.” 

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Only then did Mason retreat, smiling like a rogue, even swiping his fingers across his lips as if savoring the 

taste. 

Laurent removed the pink rose from his chest, stepped forward, and gently tucked it into Ava’s hair beside her pearl comb. “Happy coming–of–age. You look beautiful tonight.” 

Ava lifted her gaze to his sharp profile. “Thank you.” 

“Do you like the gift I gave you?” 

She looked straight at him. His eyes were vast, like endless space, blazing with a heat that seemed to have no limit. One glance felt like molten lava pouring into her chest. 

Her gaze drifted downward–from the proud line of his nose, to his lips, then to his throat. His Adam’s apple shifted beneath the edge of his uniform collar with each breath. 

“I love it. Jane said it’s extremely rare. Why give it to me? I’m not an Awakened.” 

Laurent’s fingers brushed through her hair. “You’re my wife. There’s no one else it should belong to. It’s hard to obtain, yes, but it’s worth it. Even if you’re not an Awakened, it’ll still protect you.” 

Ava looked back up at him, lips parting. After a moment, she said softly, “Then I hope that no matter what missions you take, you always return safely, that everything goes smoothly for you. Cherish your life.” 

Laurent gave a quiet hum. In all his years skirting death, no one had ever told him to cherish his life–not his father, not his mother. Only his wife. 

His body tensed. “Okay. I promise. Ava…” 

The rest never left his lips. He lowered his head and pressed a careful, restrained kiss to her hair. My love… 

Ryan’s stomach churned. His brows rose while his teeth ground together. These guys really know how to seize the spotlight–absolute professionals. 

A Rank Triple–S mental power user with twin elemental powers–lightning and metal–rarer than rare. A living weapon who could take down two Rank Triple–S mutants on his own. There was no way he’d get himself killed; mutants ran the moment they saw him. 

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