Vicky's POV
I told Oliver to go ahead to the hot tub while I cleaned up first. I needed a moment… partly because I still felt deliciously wrecked, and partly because if I followed him immediately, I was ninety percent sure I would pounce on him again and forget what water even was.
But mostly, I just needed to breathe. Everything felt so full — my chest, my heart, my entire being — like the universe finally returned something I'd been missing for years without ever daring to admit it.
When I finally stepped out of the room, I paused.
Something smelled… different.
Lavender. And something else I couldn't place — sweet, soft, floral, but not the artificial kind from scented sprays. It was real. Calming. And romantic.
Romantic?
I frowned. Oliver and "romantic setup" didn't usually come together in the same sentence unless he was accidentally doing something cute without realizing it.
