Chapter 72 The Arboretum

• Mira followed Lucian down the quiet hallway, her pulse hammering with a mixture of nerves and wonder. His hand rested lightly on her lower back, steady but not possessive, guiding her toward a heavy door at the end of the passage. She had been tense the entire drive, twisting her fingers and biting back questions she was too shy to ask. Now that she was inside his world, her curiosity kept warring with her apprehension.
• “Arboretum? Aren’t gardens supposed to be outside?” she asked, almost laughing at the strangeness of it all.
• Lucian’s lips curved into a knowing smile. He stopped before the door, his dark eyes catching the light in a way that made her shiver. “Some are,” he said, and with a flourish he swung the door open.