Leonid lifted his head slightly and brushed aside Charlotte's wet strands of hair with his free hand, revealing her neck and the necklace resting there, embracing her pure white skin.
Skin no one had dared touch before.
He slowly withdrew his hand from her lips, then said calmly:
"Answer me, Charlotte."
"Do I have the right to speak…?"
Charlotte struggled even to voice what she truly desired.
"Of course you do... everyone has the right to say and choose what they want."
Leonid's whispers were as smooth as his gaze and his touch. His eyes shimmered with a soft gleam, different from the coldness he always clung to.
"You..."
Her lips trembled as she tried to speak, and her words choked between her tears.
Charlotte paused, as if her chest couldn't hold what she was trying to release.
Then she continued, her voice shaky:
"If I am to belong to a man... I want to belong to you."
She raised her hand and wiped her tears hastily, before adding in a low voice:
"But I don't deserve you. You're more than I deserve… So, please, if you can, bear with me… bear with my flaws, my endless mistakes."
She fell silent, as if her heart was pounding against her chest.
"That's not true..."
Leonid whispered, then sighed and held her tightly, gently like someone gathering her shattered pieces.
He kissed her forehead softly and said:
"I have my flaws and mistakes too, Charlotte... but that doesn't matter. Perfection never helped anyone... and we don't need it to love or be loved."
He pulled her into his arms until she rose up toward him, her full, wounded lips now just a breath away from his.
"And now you should know… that I belong to you too. I'll be yours alone, my darling."
He whispered it as if pouring a vow into her heart, then smiled and drew her into a passionate, expressive kiss that said all the words they could not speak.
Tears streamed silently down Charlotte's cheeks as the towel wrapped around her body slowly loosened, about to fall had it not been for Leonid's hands catching it just in time.
The kiss wasn't long, but it carried the weight of all their pent-up emotions regret, longing, anxiety... a blend they both drowned in, and in that drowning, found their only salvation.
When Leonid finally pulled away, gently breaking the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers. They shared the silence and breath, as if hiding within the moment from the world.
He smiled faintly, his voice brushing over her cold skin like a warm breeze:
"Seriously… you just can't stop crying."
Leonid lifted his hands gently, cupped her face, wiped her tears with his thumbs, then carefully rewrapped the towel around her body, as if shielding her from everything.
He pulled her to his chest and lay back with her quietly. He rested his head on the pillow, his hand slowly threading through her hair, while his eyes stared at the ceiling, unfocused.
Their synchronized heartbeats and breaths made a warm, gentle lullaby... yet stronger than any words.
A long moment passed in silence, as if time itself had paused in reverence for what lay between them. Then her voice came, a whisper like a plea:
"Can we stay like this… for a long while?"
As soon as Charlotte uttered the words, she clung to Leonid's jacket and buried her face in his chest, as if seeking a warmth only his embrace could provide.
Leonid closed his eyes for a moment, feeling his chest gently tighten, as if her small heart was knocking shyly against his own. He reached for her hair, fingers delicately running through the damp strands, then whispered:
"We can stay like this... for the night, or for a lifetime… if you don't mind the cigarette smell that clings to me."
He was honest perhaps even curious too; had she noticed the smell from the beginning? Had she known?
Suddenly, Charlotte lifted her head and looked into his eyes with depth and calm. She stayed silent for a moment before softly admitting:
"I don't mind… in fact, I don't hate the smell of cigarettes."
Leonid raised a brow, surprised, even sitting up slowly to face her directly.
"Really? But you always complain about it… recoil from it."
He paused for a moment, then added with a concerned tone:
"Have I made you an addict like me?"
"No!"
Charlotte shook her head quickly, denying in a soft voice.
"You're not the reason… My older brother was addicted to smoking way worse than you."
She let out a faint, bitter laugh before continuing:
"He used to smoke constantly under my window. I hated it… but over time, I got used to the smell."
She paused, then raised her eyebrows with mock seriousness:
"But that doesn't mean you should keep smoking. You should quit too."
Leonid gazed at her, tilting his head slightly, a crooked smile playing on his lips.
"Understood. By the way… don't you think it's time you change out of that towel into something warmer?"
He raised his brows lightly and added teasingly:
"Actually, I can't help but wonder… did you come out like this on purpose? Trying to seduce me, darling?"
His words hit Charlotte like a spark, and she blushed instantly, lowering her gaze as her entire face turned red her cheeks, her ears, even her neck.
"I was just joking."
Leonid laughed softly, then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap before embracing her tenderly. He lowered his head toward her neck, burying his nose in her warmth and inhaling her sweet scent.
"Let's forget it… But whatever the reason, you did succeed in tempting me."
He whispered his honest words against her skin, then moved gently, lifting her into his arms with care. He laid her softly on the mattress, positioning himself above her, his eyes locking onto hers as if exchanging invisible thoughts.
"Do you want—"
"Do you want to do it with me?"
Charlotte cut him off with her question, making her skin burn with embarrassment and her dark eyes shimmer like mirrored glass. Leonid had to thank himself for not closing the bedroom curtains otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to see those unhideable emotions.
"That's surprising, but I like it... I love how suddenly you've become bold, even though you're blushing like a tomato."
He looked at her and reached out to gently caress her cheek.
"Are you sure? I mean, are you ready?"
She wanted it with all her heart; at least this way, she could respond to Leonid's sincere feelings.
Charlotte nodded her head as she replied.
"I'm ready… even though I've never done it before…"
Leonid gave a faint smile, then whispered in a calm tone:
"Well, I haven't either… but I was born a man, and I think I've got enough instinct to go on."
Charlotte was about to close her eyes from the overwhelming shyness, but she remained locked onto Leonid's eyes, as if searching in them for the comfort to calm her trembling heart.
Maybe he had seen her before, but that didn't erase the fact that she was shy enough to want to melt and hide under the loose towel.
She said in a soft whisper, low but enough to stir something deep inside him:
"Then… let's discover it together. But close the curtains, please."
Charlotte's words were like a warm breath on a cold night, making the ground tilt slightly beneath Leonid. He leaned in slowly, as if approaching something sacred, trailing his fingers along her jawline, then down her neck, following her anxious heartbeat.
"Consider it done. And for you... I'll be gentle, and I'll listen to everything your body says, and everything your eyes try to hide."
Before rising to fulfill her request, he leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips, like a promise… of a beginning untouched by time.
Leonid stood up slowly and walked toward the window, closing the curtains in silence that felt like a reverent dance for her blossoming emotions.
On his way back, he took off his jacket deliberately, his eyes never leaving her. His gaze was warm, and his smile soft when he noticed her looking away, her cheeks burning like autumn leaves touched by gentle sunlight.
When he returned to the bed, he climbed over her, leaning in gently. His fingertips were light as they touched her skin, like they were feeling the glow. He slid his hand over the towel, then whispered:
"Let me see you… as you are… without shame."
When he whispered those final words, Charlotte felt a soft tremor surge through her. She closed her eyes and surrendered herself.
Leonid pulled the towel away gently, as if uncovering a precious painting from dust. He didn't speak. Words weren't necessary. His gaze alone was enough.
He reached out, touching her waist, then her shoulder, then her cheek, as if feeling her love and letting her feel his. Between their close breaths, he pressed his forehead to hers before kissing her abandoning all shyness.
No matter how intense their passion burns, this is no fleeting moment it is a moment where emotions intertwine with a future cradled by devoted arms.