"Really?" he asked me softly. The light in his eyes seemed to brighten so much I felt strong emotions well up in the pit of my stomach.
I nodded, emotions clogging my throat. "Yes, really."
He took a step closer to me while pulling me into him with his forehead leaning into mine. "Oh, Leilani," he breathed against my lips. "The things I'd do to make us an eternity."
His lips lightly brushed against mine and softly and feathery they were barely there until he dipped his head, fully pressing them against mine. I slowly closed my eyes, my mind floating away with whatever these beautiful feelings I felt taking over me were.
A soft moan reverberated from the back of my throat, my lips pliable and parting to move in perfect harmony with his.
He seemed to savour every second diligently no matter how hungry every movement of his lips against mine felt. I could clearly understand the words he couldn't tell me with his mouth—the words his actions told.
I love you too Nikolai Coleman. I'll take care of you too. Till the light leaves my eyes.
We pulled away moments later, breathing softly. He took my hand in his, guiding me forward up the main pavement.
The Elite Resort had to be his biggest project, something I'd witnessed him pour his entire heart into. I couldn't count the sleepless nights he'd had and the number of meals he'd missed trying to replicate the images in his head although I'd done my best to make sure he was well rested and well fed.
All his effort hadn't gone to waste. Things had drastically changed since my last visit here. At that time, I'd been wowed by the progress and everything in general and the way things had positively transformed to near completion took my breath away.
I playfully nudged him with my elbow, prompting him to look at me.
"I'm proud of you," I told him, continuing down the pavement while my eyes roamed around the vast place. "Everything you've achieved is stellar and I know the world's going to love this place when it opens up."
People had to appreciate him for being the main brains behind the project. Of course, he'd done it with a team of other brilliant people, but he'd been their leader. He deserved the praise.
"I hope they do," he responded with a rather soft sigh.
I held onto his hand a little bit tighter, perhaps as assurance everything would work out in his favour and his hard work would pay off. He deserved it more than anyone else I knew.
We were headed towards a tower, probably the tallest building on the part of the resort I'd seen so far apart from the hotel which was still under construction and targeted to be the resort's tallest building.
From the tower's majestic lighting, I could recognise it although I'd seen it from a different angle initially.
"These are the lights we saw on the cliff that other night, aren't they?" I asked Nikolai, mesmerised by the gleaming lights as we reached what I presumed to be the tower's main elevator.
Nikolai hummed, nodding. "They are and right now," he said, stepping into the elevator and gently guiding me inside, "I'm taking you up to the top of the world."
I smiled at him, joining him inside. The doors closed and Nikolai stood behind me, his hands wrapped around me.
The elevator went up and I felt even more mesmerised by the view. With the elevator's glass walls, I could see everything outside the tower within my field of vision.
The higher we went, the more I could see and the better I could appreciate the resort's aesthetic appeal.
"How beautiful," I murmured, slightly tilting my face so I could look at his. "Everything looks so beautiful, Nik."
His grip on me grew comfortably tighter, the tip of his nose digging into the skin of my neck. "So breathtaking," he hummed, softly kissing my neck. "How enchanting."
I wasn't sure if we were complimenting the same things but I let it go, distracted by the delicious sensations flowing through my body the closer he stuck to me and held me the way he did.
Within a minute, we reached the floor right below the highest floor and Nikolai guided me out. We walked right into a room with dimmed, soft lights and in-built aquariums on either side of the entrance.
I couldn't help getting closer to lightly tap on the glass, triggering hurried movement from the fish close to where I tapped.
I smiled even wider. "You love the ocean," I commented, looking at him. "You have a whole ass giant aquarium in your penthouse and here's another one."
"There are more all over the resort for people like me," he softly chuckled, casting his eyes to the aquarium. "They have a calming appeal to my senses I find extraordinarily serene."
I understood what he meant and his sincere feelings. Perhaps that was why sometimes when he came home late from a long day, I'd find him sitting on the staircase with the lights off, his head leaned against the aquarium. Sometimes he'd even doze off there before I'd wake him to sleep in his bed.
I loved learning all these small yet important details about him.
We walked further inside the room to the centre where a table was set in a romantic theme. He dragged a chair backwards for me and I sat before he pushed the chair back in.
Shortly after, he sat across the small round table, facing me and a few people came in, serving us food.
Nikolai and I had shared multiple meals, most of which we made together but tonight was different. We weren't just eating and merely hanging by the thread of an undefined relationship.
We had clear intentions with each other and we were consciously stepping into something we'd been tiptoeing around for months.
We were dating each other and having our first date date. Of course, in my head, I'd seen myself all dolled up in fancy clothing and makeup and wearing some strong scent, but he'd already seen me in all that.
Right now, this was me in a form I preferred calling my most natural—raw and authentic and he still looked at me like I was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen.
We weren't talking much—just eating and gazing at each other in comfortable silence. We complemented each other perfectly well in our little world with no one but ourselves to care for.
For the first time in weeks, I found myself blocking out all the noise and thoughts and leaving out only him. No one was worthy of disturbing a moment so magical.
Nikolai and I were done eating a full-course meal within forty-five minutes. He walked with me out of the room to the bottom of the staircase leading to the last floor of the tower.
"We have to take the stairs for this one," he said, holding my hand. "Is that okay?"
I nodded, wrapping my hand around his. "Of course."
Nikolai took the first step forward onto the staircase, the step instantly lighting up.
I hesitated moving forward, just looking at him as I felt my eyes begin to soften.
"Come on, Leila," he encouraged me, softly brushing the pad of his thumb against my knuckles. "I've got you."
I thought this would be a walkover for me—a piece of cake—but my feelings proved me wrong.