Watching Dakota's retreating back, Curtis let out a lazy chuckle.
He watched her disappear around the corner of the hallway before slowly retracting his gaze, repackaging the gift box, and standing up with the cake in his arms.
After Dakota returned to her room to fetch the candles, she came back out.
Pushing the door open, she saw Curtis, the tall man leaning casually against the wall, holding a pink box in his arms.
The pink ribbon, quite uncharacteristic of him, was loose, presumably to make it easier to open later.
"Shall we go?" Curtis tilted his head, indicating.
Dakota was extremely reluctant deep down, but she still huffed, "Fine, for the sake of it being your birthday!"
Curtis casually curled his lips.
Not bothering to refute.
Clearly, she had specially prepared a gift for him and wanted to celebrate his birthday but was too proud to admit it.
He had already figured it out.
But Dakota really didn't mean it that way; she merely felt obligated due to their 'plastic' marriage and years of acquaintance to prepare a gift for him.
She followed Curtis reluctantly.
She could faintly hear Jasiah and Noe bickering like kids coming from the beach.
For some reason, Dakota felt a sense of shame.
It was as if she was being lured into his room for a secret rendezvous, hiding from their three friends outside.
But Curtis seemed to be in a good mood.
He stood in front of the room, holding the box, and slightly sidestepped to hand it to Dakota, "Help me take the keycard out."
Dakota was about to reach out,
but then she suddenly realized it was inappropriate.
After all, the keycard was in his pocket, and the action would look too intimate, "Get it yourself!"
"No hands free." Curtis lazily turned his head to look at her, sounding completely reasonable.
Dakota ignored him, "Then I'll hold the cake for you."
Saying that, she reached out to take the cake.
But Curtis dodged away, then teasingly raised his lips, "Mrs. Pineda gave it to me, I can't bear to let it go."
Dakota: "..."
"Curtis!" Dakota gritted her teeth, "This kind of love-struck behavior really makes me think you have a crush on me!"
"Oh." Curtis didn't deny it, "Then that's it."
Since Mrs. Pineda was too shy to admit her crush, he, as a man, would take the initiative.
Dakota: "..."
She never expected Curtis to say something so shameless, and she looked at him with a complex expression.
And she began to regret for the umpteenth time not flushing him along with his summer homework down the toilet back then!
Dakota took a deep breath.
She kept reminding herself:
Birthday boy, birthday boy, birthday boy...
A birthday can't turn into a memorial day...
Kill him another day, kill him another day...
Kill him another day!!!
Finally, Dakota managed to suppress her anger.
Swiftly, she reached into Curtis's pocket and fished out the keycard.
"Beep—"
The door opened immediately.
Not taking any advantage whatsoever.
Curtis couldn't help but internally "tsk," seeming dissatisfied that no advantage was taken.
But Dakota didn't bother with him, waiting for Curtis to finish his birthday wish ritual so she could return to the beach to take pretty photos with Lailah using fairy lights.
Curtis placed the cake down.
Then he turned around.
"Slap—"
Curtis pulled the keycard away from the sensor, plunging the suite, which had just become bright, back into darkness.
Dakota's heart leapt unexpectedly.
She wasn't afraid of the dark.
After all, she often stayed home alone as a kid, and if she'd been afraid of the dark, she probably would have gone crazy back then.
But with her vision obscured,
Dakota felt a bit anxious, so she called out tentatively, "Curtis?"
"I'm here."
A deep, solemn voice sounded in her ear.
The magnetic, low voice was reassuring, accompanied by the sound of a lighter wheel spinning, a single yellowish candlelight flickered on in the darkness.
Dakota turned her gaze following the sound and light source.
She saw Curtis taking a lighter from the entrance, using its flame to illuminate a small area of the room.
The light wasn't very strong.
Curtis's jawline was sharply defined, and combined with his somewhat mischievous eyebrows and eyes, he appeared especially rebellious and carefree under the interchanging light and shadow.
Maybe it was because of the darkness,
Dakota subconsciously became reliant on the light source.
Thus, when she met Curtis's gaze, her heart raced uncontrollably for a few seconds.
"Scared?" He looked at her with lowered eyes.
Dakota huffed, hurriedly turning her face away to hide her emotions, "How could I be scared? I just didn't expect you to suddenly turn off the lights."
Curtis let out a careless chuckle.
He took the lighter to the cake, sitting cross-legged on the carpet lazily, "Isn't it necessary to turn off the lights to light the candles?"
Dakota: "..."
Though it made sense, she didn't particularly want to admit it.
Curtis slowly took the candles and nodded towards Dakota, "Sit down."
"I'll stand and wait for you to make your wish." The inexplicable fluttering earlier made Dakota want to leave soon.
But Curtis lifted his eyes.
His naturally captivating eyes gazed straight at her, "The birthday boy says sit down."
Dakota: "..."
Alright, alright, the birthday boy is king.
Dakota sat opposite him unwillingly, but Curtis patted the space beside him, "Come sit here."
Dakota: "..."
This guy really has so many demands!
Dakota lifted her dress and moved closer to Curtis reluctantly, intending to keep some distance, but unexpectedly felt a force around her waist.
Curtis reached out his arm and pulled her.
He pulled Dakota to his side and gently clasped her slender waist with both hands.
Dakota was effortlessly lifted by him.
The next second,
She was held in Curtis's arms, with his arms around her, sitting in front of him.
