I love you.

With a gentle touch, their lips met, full of warmth and tenderness. They savored the pleasure of feeling the softness of each other's lips, lost in the simple joy of the moment. His hand cupped her cheek, while her fingers lightly traced the line of his jaw, as if memorizing each delicate detail. The kiss deepened ever so slightly, yet it remained soft, full of care and unspoken affection. A gentle smile spread across both their faces. 

"For now, that's it," Dominic said, his voice soft but steady. "I have to get back to work, Ivy. I'll see you in an hour. We can pick up right where we left off." He kissed her cheek lightly, his lips lingering for a fraction of a second before pulling away, a playful wink following.

Ivy nodded, her heart fluttering slightly, and smiled back at him shyly. The warmth of the moment stayed with her as she watched him leave, knowing this was just the beginning of something special.

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Both Giselle and Victor were exhausted and had no energy left to continue their journey. Victor found a nearby hotel and booked two rooms, but the tipsy Giselle argued, "One room. Two rooms are going to be expensive. One room only, please," she said to the receptionist.

They got to the room.

"Hey, if you regret this decision, I'm not responsible," Victor warned. Giselle nodded in response. "Now go take a shower, I'll get some spare clothes for us."

After her shower, Giselle was starting to come back to her senses, but her memories of what had happened were still blurry.

"Why did I even go for one room? Idiot me," she murmured. To avoid embarrassment, she decided to pretend to be still drunk.

Victor returned with oversize comfy pants and a shirt. He knocked on the bathroom door and said, "I'm hanging the bag with the clothes on the knob. Take them and when you're done, let me know , I'll be outside." Then he walked away.

Once she was dressed, Giselle let Victor freshen up. "You can sleep on the bed. I'll sleep on the floor," Victor suggested. He added with a teasing smile, "I know you want a taste of me, but don't you dare take advantage of me when I'm asleep."

Giselle nodded, her face flushed, and pulled the blankets up to cover herself. After an hour of being unable to sleep, she peeked over to check if Victor was asleep. He was facing the other way, his body uncovered by the blankets. She stared at his back, and her mind drifted to the sincere words he had said earlier: "I love you."