Elara stared at him suspiciously watching as he walked closer to her, reducing the space between them. He had somehow made the room feel smaller than it actually was. Something about the way he pinned her down with his eyes made her think that he felt like a predator and viewed her as a prey. He placed the bag on the table with a soft this,the faint aroma of food reaching her nose.
"I brought food. Figured that you might be hungry after… you know… standing for hours" Lucian said,his voice low and smooth. He collapsed into the seat beside her desk without waiting for her to offer her a seat.
Elara's spine stiffened. She needed to be careful around him. Around everyone related to him. Around everyone in the world. "That was so nice of you but I'm fine, Thank you" she replied immediately crossing her arms over her chest staring at him sternly. She wasn't going to let him win whatever game he was playing with her.
Lucian tilted his head, studying her with an unreadable expression before letting out an amused chuckle. "It's actually very rude to reject a kind gesture, don't you think? Well, you actually have to eat" he responded casually brushing the single strand of hair from his face. "Unless you don't mind us being here all day,that is"
As if on cue,her stomach chose that moment to betray her with a loud growl that echoed in the empty classroom. Heat rushed up her neck and she wished for the ability to disappear so that she'd save herself from this embarrassing moment.
Lucian's smile widened slowly across his face,his eyes glinting with wicked amusement. "Awww… Miss Rivers, what a bad, bad liar you are. You look like you have just been caught doing something you're not supposed to" he murmured,each word leaving his mouth slowly. The way he spoke felt as though he was slowly peeling off each layer of her skin with frightening ease.
She settled back down on her seat embarrassedly, schooling her expression as she reached for the bag. There was something written across it but it was too faint for her to read. She opened it to reveal a hot container of stir fried noodles with tender pieces of chicken. There was a side vegetable dish in another container and she knew that she wasn't going to touch that container as she hasn't always been a fan of vegetables on any other dish.
She muttered a barely audible, "Umm… thank you" before picking up the chopsticks.
She tried to focus on using the chopsticks correctly, desperately trying to ignore the heated gaze coming from the side of the table. He seemed to track every movement she made, from how she swirled the noodles to her raising it to her mouth.
She burned her tongue with the first bite but she didn't care. She let out a moan of approval as the flavour exploded in her mouth. She knew that this wasn't like the regular one she usually bought. The last time she had eaten was yesterday afternoon and the savoury flavour tasted like a piece of heaven. Even though she tried to distract herself, it was particularly difficult to ignore the way his gaze seemed to trace every feature on her face. He was like a heavy weight pressing against her chest.
She was halfway through the meal when she realised that she hadn't bothered to ask him if he was hungry too.
Her brows knitted. Is she supposed to? It was only polite she asked despite the fact that he had bought it. It was an unspoken rule that she at least extended the gesture back. She hesitated contemplating if she should ask or not but finally cleared her throat. "Are you… hungry too? Do you want some?"
She had expected him to shake his head or smile at her question, maybe even tease her too. But instead, Lucian leaned forward on his chair placing his elbow on the table as he responded with an infuriating smile. "Well sure. Thank you"
She stared at him as though he had suddenly grown a second head,her chopsticks still hovering in midair. "Really?"
"Yea,sure. I'm actually very hungry. Skipped breakfast today because I was in a hurry to get to school" he replied without hesitation,his lips twitching into the faintest grin.
Her frown deepened. She couldn't help but think how shameless he was eating the food he had offered her. She wondered why he hadn't gotten a second plate for himself if he really was hungry. "Is there a problem?" He asked innocently,one brow arching. "You offered"
She shook her head. He really was shameless. She slid the container towards him anyway, her eyes narrowing as though daring him to say anything funny. But to her surprise,he pushed the plate back to her his fingers brushing hers with a deliberate slowness that sent a shiver up her arm.
"I'd rather you feed me, Miss Rivers," he said.
Elara blinked at him partly in disbelief partly in amusement. She couldn't help but smile at how audacious he was. "Why should I feed you? You're not a child… but a fully grown adult so…" she responded, rolling her eyes as if the thought of feeding him was ridiculous itself.
Lucian pressed his lips together in a pout making him look boyish which was a contrast to his sharp and handsome face. She resisted the urge to reach towards him and pinch his cheek.
"You can be very difficult" she muttered to herself before scooping up a piece of chicken with the chopsticks. "Okay. Whatever you say. But it's just this bite. If you're really hungry then you must head to the cafeteria. Don't say I never did anything for you."
Lucian leaned forward slightly, his eyes never leaving hers. Something mischievous crossed his eyes before it was quickly replaced with something dangerous.
She raised the chopsticks towards his mouth,her hand steady trying not to let it drop on the desk. He parted his lips as though wanting to bite the chicken but then at the very last second,he tilted his head slightly, missing the chopsticks and closing his lips on the softness of her hand deliberately sticking his tongue out to lick her skin.
Her breath caught. She pulled her hands back, glaring at him.
Lucian leaned back in his chair,his eyes glittering with satisfaction. "Mm" he hummed in a lazy tone. "The most delicious I've ever tasted."