The next morning, Anika woke up and marveled at the beauty of the place again.
She got up to look outside the large glass wall, overlooking the beautiful ocean outside. It's the first time she sees one.
At night it was breathtaking, but in the morning, it was been more enchanting. She stared fascinated; her hand placed on the glass.
She suddenly felt arms wrapped around her waist, a kiss damping the sides of her neck.
"Do you like to play in the water?" Leon asked her, still in his bed voice.
Anika happily turned to face him and nodded.
Leon smiled and pinched her cheeks.
"Okay, after breakfast. Let's eat." He said as he took her hand and went to the kitchen.
Anika followed and remembered something.
"Wait, I'll text Esther first. I haven't talked to her properly since yesterday," She hurriedly said and got out of Leon's hold.
Watching his wife hurrying back inside the room, Leon shook his head and just headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
............................................................................
Esther was dressed carefully in the mirror, putting more thought than she normally would.
She stood up and put on a beautiful shade of lipstick on her lips. Her phone suddenly rang on the table, and she saw it was Anika calling.
She answered and put it on speaker.
"Hey, Anika. I was just getting ready to go there right now." Esther said as she fixed her lipstick.
"Oh, Esther, we are not at home," Anika's soft voice informed.
Esther froze upon hearing this.
"What? Where are you?" She can't help but ask, inside her heart, she was annoyed and disappointed.
"We're in the Maldives! It's so beautiful here! Have you been here yet?" Anika happily taled.
With these words, Esther was suddenly hit with a realization.
It seems, this is a honeymoon phase?
Her heart was filled with bitterness.
"Not yet," She answered coldly. She hadn't been to the Maldives, but she knew how beautiful that place was, a must on a travel bucket list.
Esther was unresigned and felt she would be eaten by jealousy. Ever since she had that idea formed, it took root in her heart and was slowly on the way to obsession.
She was excited to see Leon and put to place her plan.
But it was actually ruined when she hadn't even started.
"Well, I'll take a lot of pictures and bring them home to you. And also, lots of gifts!" Anika happily continued.
Esther rolled her eyes and threw the lipstick back on her box. She took her phone and slumped back on the bed.
"Yeah." She responded unexcitedly.
Anika, on the other side of the call, thought maybe Esther was still sleepy, so she didn't disturb her any longer and bid goodbye.
Esther hung up the phone and stared at it for a while. She then opened a photo she had recently saved, it was from the internet.
The handsome and refined man sat magnificently and pridefully in his seat, his eyes filled with tenaciousness and self-confidence.
She stared at the photo, engrossed.
Until she pulled it close to her chest and whispered in a daze.
"Leon..."
.....................................................................................................
Anika put down her phone and happily waddled to the kitchen. When she arrived, she saw Leon cooking with an apron on.
She happily ran to him and hugged him on the back.
Leon turned and smiled at his coquettish little wife. Raising his head, he patted her head.
"It's almost ready." He said, pertaining to the breakfast.
Anika let go and took the plate from a nearby table, standing cleverly beside Leon.
Leon took the plate and served the food. Placing the breakfast on the table, Nanny Rose arrived with Adelaide already dressed in her bathing suit.
"Mommy! Daddy!" The child happily greeted.
Anika hugged her daughter.
"So pretty, baby!" She happily praised and then placed her in a highchair.
"Really. You two can just leave the child to me. It's your honeymoon, you should have some alone time," Nanny Rose helplessly offered.
Leon smiled and knew Nanny Rose's concern.
"It's fine, Nanny. It's their first time at the sea, I want us to enjoy together," He responded as he was placing the utensils.
"Let's eat, Nanny. Later, find the time to relax too," Leon invited. He was kind and generous to his employees, especially those he trusted and had been working for him for a long time, like Steward Ben and Nanny Rose.
So, they ate breakfast peacefully, and right after, Leon helped Anika pick a bathing suit.
Since they were in his private villa, he was at ease letting Anika wear one.
"Wear this? One wears a swimsuit when they swim in the sea. It's to easily move around the water," Leon explained.
Anika took the bathing suit and was quite in a daze seeing the little fabric. Seeing Adelaide earlier, since she was a child, it was like a short dress.
But hers, it's like underwear?
She glanced at Leon and, thinking he had seen her in even lesser covering, she then let go of her entanglement. Anyway, Leon said they were in a private villa, no one could just see them there.
So, Anika took the pale pink two-piece swimsuit and changed into it.
When she came out, she showed it to Leon.
Leon felt his Adam's apple roll as he stared at his wife. The pale pink on her almost seemed to blend with her fair and rosy skin.
This woman never failed to hook his sight.
He wanted to delay their coming out if not for Adelaide excitedly running inside their room. She jumped up and down, clamoring for the sea.
Leon turned to Anika and saw his little wife's excited face too, so he calmed the fire within him and finally took his girls out to play on the beach.
Anika held Adelaide's hand as she stood by the shore, the sand felt soft on her feet. She was hesitating on whether to step into the water.
But Adelaide was more daring, she directly jumped into the water, splashing it on her little feet while giggling.
Leon held Adelaide's hand and reached out his other to Anika.
"Come on, baby," He gently coaxed. He was already standing in the water, reaching to his ankles.
Anika looked at Leon, gently inviting her in. slowly, she dipped her toe into the water, and the coldness of the sea gave her shivers.
Finally, she stepped one of her feet, and Leon directly grabbed her waist with one arm and carried his daughter in the other.
He ran on a deeper level as his girls gave out a squeal.
The three of them fell on the water while laughing.
Anika finally loosened up and excitedly played in the beach waters. Their small family played heartfully for a whole hour.
After, Leon gave Adelaide to Nanny Rose as it was not good for the child to stay in the water for too long. Adelaide was still reluctant, but she was easily coaxed that she could play again in the afternoon.
The child left, while Leon and Anika spent a bit longer in the waters.
When Leon saw that the sun had risen very high and Anika's skin was starting to turn red, he also coaxed her to come up.
Anika was also a bit tired, so she followed Leon obediently.
Leon led her to the sun loungers, and the both of them rested in one under the shade of a large umbrella.
He had his arms behind his head, lying back at the lounger, while Anika was leaning on him affectionately, playing at his chest.
Anika glided her little finger on the tattoos on Leon's arm and suddenly raised her eyes at him and asked a tantalizing question.
"Can I touch your abs?"