Vespera quickly snatched it back. She panicked as if Dominic had just grabbed her money.

“Relax, I was just getting you some water to rinse your mouth.”

“I can get it mysel!!”

Vespera hugged the bag tightly before tying two dead knots and hiding it next to her legs. Upon seeing that, Dominic was speechless. In the distance, a figure was approaching along the lakeside.

“Let’s go.”

Vespera was considering throwing the rice bag when she was pulled up by Dominic. In the next moment, her hand was in his. His palm was wide and warm, enveloping hers; it made her feel safe.

After walking for a while, she finally remembered to pull her hand away. “My—”

“Keep walking!” Dominic sounded urgent. Instead of letting go, he gripped her hand even tighter.

“What’s wrong?”

Vespera began to feel nervous too. She wanted to look behind, but Dominic turned her head back. “Don’t look. He has caught up.”

Was Luke here? He just didn’t want to give up, did he? Just because they didn’t go back, he wasn’t planning to sleep either?

Vespera felt irritated and exhausted. But how did Luke even know they were by the lake?

Dominic held Vespera’s hand and led her through a flowerbed calmly. Then, they zigzagged through the birch forest. When they reached a three-way fork in the path, he stopped beside a large tree instead of walking straight ahead. He stepped behind first, with his back against the tree. On the other hand, she tripped over the tangled roots when she walked over and fell into his arms. Dominic was taken aback and stopped breathing for a moment. On instinct, he wrapped an arm around Vespera’s waist to steady her.

One of her hands was still in his, while the rest of her was pressed up against him. Her lips were very close to his neck. All of a sudden, her mouth felt dry. She had the urge to kiss him.

Her head was spinning, and her thoughts were hazy; her heart began to beat faster as well. As her hand slowly moved upward, inching toward…

Footsteps sounded from outside. Instantly, Vespera snapped out of it and quickly withdrew her hand. The footsteps lingered for a while before fading away. Dominic led Vespera out from behind the tree and took another path that circled back to the lake. There, they boarded a small boat docked by the shore.

The boat had a wooden structure, surrounded by sheer green curtains. During the day, they were probably tied up for guests, but now, they were left to hang down, swinging gently in the night breeze.

Once Vespera sat down, she slumped forward with a dazed expression, her head spinning.

“What do you think of this place?” Dominic leaned closer.

The moment Dominic got closer, Vespera felt goosebumps rise all over her body. She scooted away slightly and looked at the fluttering curtains as well as the faint shimmer of the lake under the moonlight.

“I feel a lake spirit might crawl up here.”

Upon hearing that, Dominic was speechless. And just like that, the romantic mood was crushed by the image of a lake spirit.

Vespera then continued, “Mr. Reid, don’t you think this place feels kind of eerie? The boat is rocking way too much too.”

“Is it rocking?”

“Very much. I’m getting motion sickness from it.”

Dominic pushed aside the curtain to take a better look at Vespera’s face under the moonlight. He noticed that her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her eyes were unfocused. She looked slightly tipsy.

“You’re just feeling the alcohol.”

“That’s impossible. It was just one sip. I can hold my liquor.” There was no way Vespera was going to admit she was already drunk from a single sip.

Dominic chuckled. “Alright, you aren’t drunk. You have the best alcohol tolerance. It must be the lake spirit messing with the boat.”

Dominic noticed that Vespera was leaning closer and closer to the edge. Afraid she might actually fall in, he reached out and pulled her back.

Vespera had been just fine on her own, sitting securely. But now, because Dominic pulled her, she ended up falling right into his arms again. Her cheeks pressed against his chest, and her heart raced.

When she raised her head, her forehead brushed against his neck. Her blurry gaze landed right on the spot she had been eyeing all night. Suddenly, she hooked her arms around his neck and leaned up to bite his Adam’s apple.

At that, Dominic’s body tensed. His breathing became irregular in an instant. He thought, “When she’s timid, she’s extremely timid. When she’s bold, why is she so…”

With her eyes closed, Vespera used her tipsy state as an excuse and let her hands wander over Dominic’s face and body, growing bolder by the second.

All of a sudden, Dominic held the back of Vespera’s neck and kissed her lips. The kiss was fierce and full of desire. It was so intense that it felt like it could melt her on the spot.