Deeper Healing

45| Searing Heat

Leilani Edwards

Nikolai and I slowly walked up the stairs in his penthouse, our held hands in comfortable silence.

After a long day of constant overthinking, worrying and depending on his words and gentle embrace for my peace of mind, this serenity felt like a well-earned reward where I could shut out the rest of the world and just think of our little world.

I found the in-built aquarium most mesmerising at this time of the day, especially with the lights as dim as they appeared now. The visual appeal was ocean-like and aesthetically pleasing. 

It resembled a world I could never have, where everything was just beautiful and powerful enough to elicit feelings of warmth and safety inside me.

Leaving the penthouse was going to be hard though I wasn't sure if it was about these four walls or the man holding my hand and smiling at me so softly it melted every worry and insecurity in my bones to nothingness.

I had planned on tonight being a lazy night indoors, doing whatever felt comfortable enough but the plans had drastically changed when Nikolai told me about Alexander's promotion and his party which he was hell-bent on missing.

I'd been stubborn, pushing him to attend for at least a few minutes and show up to show his support which he'd secretly shown from the second the application window was opened. 

He'd eventually agreed, but on one condition that I went with him and somehow, in the heat of the moment, I'd agreed without giving it much thought.

Now that I carefully thought about it, it'd take me ages to find the perfect outfit to blend in with the elite and feel comfortable plus I'd be showing up with the Nikolai Coleman. 

The last time we'd attended an event together, we'd ended up in a popular magazine and sparked dating rumours which subsequently led to Blake publicly identifying me as his niece.

I didn't care that much about harmless rumours that weren't blown out of proportion. What I did care about was my current reputation and how that could taint Nikolai's social image. I didn't want to end up being the cause of chaos in his already conflicted life.

We reached the top of the staircase and I looked up at Nikolai, wondering what I could say before going to my bedroom while he went to his.

I ended up just looking at him silently, his gaze so enchanting I couldn't control the thoughts racing through my mind or the feelings bubbling in my chest that I'd been holding back for longer than I imagined.

Nikolai held onto my hand tighter, pulling me towards him. "Come on," he murmured.

"Nik, I haven't found something to wear yet and we leave in an hour," I reasoned with a soft smile.

He still pulled me towards him and grasped me gently by my waist before he began guiding me towards his bedroom. "You don't need to find one, hopefully. I got you a dress I think you'd look lovely in. Will you try it on for me?"

I put my hand on top of his around my waist from the back, lacing our fingers as I nodded. "Sure."

He'd been very busy for the past couple of days and I never thought he'd have time to do anything outside work or the investigation he was carrying on my behalf. When had he found the time to buy a dress?

When we reached the door to his bedroom, he opened it and guided me inside by the small of my back, my eyes instantly glazing over his personal space.

I'd been in here a few times, but every time, I fell in love with his style and orderly way of organising things. Everything was in place and the aesthetic had him written all over it, his scent wafting in the air and wrapping around me like a blanket.