Ivy paused, suspended in the water like a mermaid, taking in the magical sight before her.

Jamison raised his action camera, immediately capturing the breathtaking moment.

Since Ivy was a novice, they kept the dive short. Forty minutes later, Jamison gave her the signal that it was time to ascend.

But Ivy, completely mesmerized by the enchanting underwater world, was reluctant to leave.

For once, the ever-indulgent Mr. Ludwig didn’t give in. He simply swam over, took her hand, and with a coordinated kick of their fins, they ascended together, gliding through the water in perfect sync.

Jamison flipped his action camera to selfie mode, recording the sweet, blissful moment.

The second their heads broke the surface and she removed her regulator, Ivy’s first words were, “The bottom of the ocean is so beautiful! When can we go back down?”

Jamison wiped the water from his face and hoisted Ivy onto the boat before climbing aboard himself.

“That’s enough for today. Once you’re more comfortable, I’ll take you to an even more beautiful spot tomorrow.”

“Okay!” Ivy beamed like a child, feeling that this trip was truly worthwhile.

Of course, it might have been so much fun simply because she was with the right person.

That evening, Jamison transferred the video from their dive onto his laptop.

“Honey, come here.”

“What is it?” Ivy walked over, and he pulled her into his lap, his other hand resting on the mouse. “It’s the video from our dive. What do you think?”

Ivy’s eyes widened in delight as she watched herself soaring through the ocean like a fish, dancing with entire schools of them. Overjoyed, she cupped Jamison’s handsome face and planted a firm kiss on his lips.

“Thank you, Mr. Ludwig, for insisting,” she said with a smile after the kiss. “You helped me see a different kind of beauty.”

Jamison looked up at her, a devilish grin playing on his lips. “Is that all the sincerity you can muster for your thanks?”

“What more do you want?”

Jamison didn’t say a word, but his gaze traveled slowly down from her face, landing pointedly on her chest.

The implication was crystal clear.

Realizing his intent, Ivy tensed and tried to bolt, but she was a step too late.

Jamison effortlessly swept her into his arms and carried her toward the plush, king-sized bed that faced the ocean. “You have all night to show me your gratitude.”

“Haha, no! I’ll be exhausted.”

“You won’t be. I know how to treat a lady with tenderness…”

“I don’t believe you!”

“Ah, Jamison, don’t… Hahaha, that tickles! Stop that, mmm…”

The six-day island getaway felt like a dream. Like two playful children, they tried every novel, thrilling, romantic, and fun activity the island had to offer.

Jamison had told her he wanted their relationship to be filled with countless “firsts,” not just their first time in bed.

He believed that the more they integrated their lives and overlapped their memories, the stronger their love would become.

As their return flight took off, Ivy gazed down at the island below, her eyes filled with a wistful longing.

Jamison squeezed her hand and promised gently, “If you like it, we’ll come back. And there are so many other amazing places to see. We’ll experience them all, one first time at a time.”

Ivy turned and shot him a look. “Can you not turn everything into that?”

“What did I say? How can you twist such an innocent comment? What’s going on in that head of yours?”

He was only teasing, but Ivy retorted, “You are! You’re what’s on my mind! It’s all your fault, happy now?”

Jamison chuckled, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. “Fine, fine by me.”

After the trip, Jamison returned to work. Ivy had a couple more days off.

She had brought back a gift for Katrina Lester from her travels. They arranged to meet for dinner and then see a new blockbuster that had been getting a lot of buzz.

Inside the theater, Ivy was stunned to find it was a full house, with not a single empty seat in sight.

“Wow, this is crazy. The turnout is incredible.”

Katrina explained, “You’ve been off the grid, all lovey-dovey with Dr. Ludwig, so you probably haven’t been on your phone much. This movie premiered over the holidays and has been a runaway hit ever since. I had to buy these tickets ages ago, or we’d never have gotten seats.”

Ivy nodded, still amazed as they found their seats. She had just gotten back and hadn’t paid any attention to local news.

By the time the credits rolled, tears were still wet on her face and the goosebumps on her arms hadn’t faded. She grabbed Katrina’s arm. “Can we get tickets for the next showing? I need to see it again. Right now, this instant!”

Katrina, equally blown away by the film, was eager to watch it again, but tickets were nearly impossible to get.

“Where would we even find tickets now? Unless…”

She turned to Ivy just as Ivy looked at her. Their eyes met, and a mischievous glint passed between them.

Not another word was needed.

They grabbed their bags and stood up. While most of the audience headed for the exits or the restrooms, the two of them snuck back toward the screening rooms.

Sure enough, they heard the film’s familiar score coming from one of the theaters and slipped inside like a pair of thieves.

Of course, there were no seats.

They didn’t mind, simply walking up a few steps and sitting down on the aisle stairs.

Chapter 823