You drafted my heart - Nika Mühl (Eng. version)

Chapter 36 - my real victory

NIKA'S POV

The automatic doors of the lobby slid open, and the warm air of the hotel wrapped around us. The noise of the party was already spilling in from afar—loud music, animated voices, laughter—but none of it could compete with the feeling of Olivia's hand perfectly fitted in mine.

I could still feel the vibration of the court in my bones, the taste of sweat mixed with victory, and the image of my girlfriend lifting the trophy was etched in my mind like a movie I never wanted to stop watching.

We walked side by side across the carpet toward the banquet hall, and the moment we stepped through the door, we were swallowed by hugs, shouts, and flashing cell phone cameras.

"You were incredible!" someone shouted.

"MOP!" another called out, pointing at Olivia.

Everyone wanted to talk to us—coaches, teammates, friends, family—but in that moment, I wasn't ready to share Olivia with anyone. And before any hand could reach out to pull her away from me, I laced my fingers with hers again and tugged her toward a corner.

"Babe, what is it? Where are you taking me?" she asked, laughing, trying to match my quick pace.

"It's nothing. I just want to get away from everyone for a minute."

We slipped into the side hallway that led to the restrooms. The sound of the party became muffled there, replaced by a quiet broken only by the faint echo of the music. I pressed her back gently against the wall, and for a moment, I just looked at her.

"What is it?" she whispered, still smiling.

"I need this before the world steals you from me for the rest of the night." I cupped her face in both hands and kissed her.

It wasn't rushed, but it was intense. Our lips met firmly, and I felt the immediate warmth of her mouth, the faintly salty taste of post-game skin mixed with the sweetness of the gloss she had already smudged during the celebration.

"You're kissing me like..." she murmured between breaths, "...like you're never going to see me again."

"And what if I told you I want to kiss you like it's always the last time?"

My left hand slid to the base of her neck, feeling the shiver run across her skin, while my right stayed cupping her cheek. Olie answered the kiss with the same hunger, her fingers tracing my waist before catching on the hem of my shirt, tugging me closer.

"I can't believe you dragged me here just to kiss me..." she said, her lips still brushing mine.

"Would you rather I waited until everyone grabbed your attention and I was left just watching you from a distance?"

"No." She smiled, biting my lip lightly. "I like this better. Always like this."

When our tongues met again, the world around us went silent. The distant echo of the party faded, leaving only the muffled sound of our shared, hurried breaths.

"Congratulations, champ," I whispered, my forehead resting against hers.

"You're a champ too, my love. And..." she took a deep breath, as if trying to hold back a smile, "...thank you for pulling me out here. I needed that."

"So... should we go back?" I asked, even though I didn't want to let go of her.

"After one more..." She grabbed the back of my neck and kissed me again, slower this time, as if she wanted to stretch the moment until the very last second.

Only then, with our smiles still pressed together, did we return to the party. But I knew no song, no toast, no camera flash could ever outshine what had just happened in that hallway.