Ren let out a sharp exhale, his hand resting on her waist as he tried to regain some semblance of composure. "You're killing me, Noelle," he muttered, his voice thick with desire. "I'm gonna need some serious willpower not to lose it right here."
Noelle grinned, clearly enjoying the effect she was having on him. "I think that's the point," she teased, gently pushing him back against the seat before pulling away slightly. She reached up to fix her lipstick, though the faintest smile still tugged at her lips.
Ren's eyes followed her every movement, a soft chuckle escaping him. "You're tormenting me and you know it!" he said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"You love it," she replied with a wink, her gaze still full of that playful fire. "But now you owe me a new tube of lipstick."
Ren chuckled, leaning back and watching her with a smirk. "Anything for you, babe. Seriously." He reached over, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "You still look perfect."
Ren chuckled, leaning back and watching her with a smirk. But then, without warning, the playfulness in his eyes darkened, something deeper and more primal. He didn't give her a chance to finish fixing her lipstick. He reached for her with a swift, almost desperate motion, pulling her to him. His lips crashed against hers, urgent and hungry, his hands cupping her face, then slipping to her waist as he pulled her closer.
The kiss was demanding, a wild mix of heat and longing as though he couldn't hold back any longer. He kissed her with an intensity that left her breathless, his mouth claiming hers in a way that spoke of everything he was feeling: the desire, the admiration, the raw, unspoken need to have her close.
Noelle gasped against his lips, her hand moving to his broad shoulders, tugging him deeper into the kiss, leaving them both breathless.
"God, Noelle…" he murmured, breaking the kiss for just a moment, his forehead pressed to hers, eyes dark with desire. His hands roamed over her, touching her as if he needed to remind himself she was real, his voice hoarse. "I want you so bad right now."
Noelle's heart raced, her chest rising and falling with every breath. She gave him a teasing smile, her voice low and playful. "Me too."
With a soft growl of frustration, Ren kissed her again, his lips moving down her jaw, trailing kisses to her neck, each one sending shivers down her spine. He kissed her as if he was ravishing her, not just with his mouth but with his hands too, fingers sliding the strap down her arm, gripping her waist, conquering each inch of her bare skin as he kissed.
Her breath hitched, her body responding to every touch, every kiss, her head spinning with the intensity of it all. "You're killing me, Ren," she gasped, her lips barely able to form the words.
He pulled back just enough to look into her eyes, a smirk on his lips. "I'm not the only one who's dying here, babe," he whispered, his voice thick with desire.
She smiled, breathless, her hand caressing his cheek as she pressed her forehead against his. "You're lucky I like you," she whispered softly, her voice light but full of affection, a small, teasing grin tugging at her lips.
Ren's expression softened for a moment, his thumb brushing against her lips. "I'm the luckiest guy alive," he said, his voice low, filled with adoration.
Finally, Ren pulled back with all of his willpower, leaning back against the seat, his hand still resting near hers. The rest of the ride was filled with a quiet, charged tension. He didn't need to say anything else, though.
"Give me a minute to compose myself and look presentable. My pants feel too tight now." Ren breathed out. "You look amazing, by the way."
She flushed, swatting lightly at his arm. He offered his hand. "Shall we?"
The drive took them into the heart of Marina Bay, where the city lights shimmered across the water. When he led her to the restaurant, Noelle stared at the sign in disbelief.
"Waku Ghin?" she whispered. "Ren… this place is—"
"—ridiculously fancy?" he finished with a grin. "Yeah. I wanted to do this right."
He realised then that this… her unfiltered reactions, her discomfort with extravagance, her complete lack of pretense… was exactly what drew him in from the start.
She wasn't impressed by his family name or what he could afford. She was impressed by honesty, by kindness, by small, thoughtful gestures that couldn't be bought.
And in that moment, he knew this was the woman he could lose himself to and never regret it.
Inside, they were led to a private room overlooking the bay, the view framed perfectly to catch the light show outside. Soft music hummed in the background, and as course after course arrived, delicate, almost too beautiful to eat, Noelle found herself alternating between awe and laughter.
"This feels so different," she admitted at one point, looking at him across the table. "I'm not sure I fit into this world."
Ren reached across, brushing her hand with his thumb. "You're the only part of it that makes sense to me."
Her breath hitched not because of the line but because he meant it. The sincerity in his eyes undid her more than any fine dining ever could.
Ren had planned everything down to the smallest detail. When he told Noelle to dress up, she hadn't expected to be led into a private room at Waku Ghin, overlooking the glittering expanse of Marina Bay. Through the glass, the evening lights shimmered against the water, and beyond that, the Gardens' light show began with colours blooming and fading in slow, hypnotic rhythm.
When the light show began outside, Ren stood and moved beside her, resting his hand over hers as they watched the skyline shimmer. The city came alive like the world was holding its brilliance for them.
And when he finally leaned in to kiss her, slow and deliberate, she kissed him back with the kind of softness that made everything else: the exams, the stress, the doubts, fade into something far away.
Noelle's breath caught. "You really went all out," she murmured, eyes tracing the soft glow of the skyline reflected in his gaze.
Ren smiled faintly, pulling out her chair for her. "You said Singapore's too hot for picnics," he said lightly, "so I brought the view indoors."
She laughed softly, shaking her head, though warmth flickered in her eyes. The restaurant was quiet, cocooned from the rest of the world. Only the low hum of distant music and the clink of silverware broke the stillness.
It was killing him. Slowly. Every time she shifted, every time she leaned forward, his mind flashed back to that moment in the car; "I'm not wearing anything under this dress." the feel of her body, the softness of her skin, the sheer absence of anything between them. The way she'd said it so casually, almost teasingly, had left an indelible mark on him.
Ren tried to focus, tried to remind himself that they were in public, that there were people around them but the thought of Noelle, literally wearing nothing beneath that dress, was too much. His thoughts began to spiral and it felt like he couldn't breathe.
He tried to focus on her words, to pay attention to the conversation, but all he could think about was how her lips curved as she spoke. His eyes dropped to the soft curve of her neck, to the way the dress dipped just low enough to tease but not reveal, and for a moment, Ren found himself imagining what it would be like to undress her slowly, bit by bit, savouring the reveal of every inch of her. He wondered how it would feel to run his hands over her smooth skin, to feel the soft silk slipping from her shoulders as she arched into him.