“It would be my pleasure,” Sophia admitted, not sure if she wanted to kiss Vic sweetly on the forehead for that little bit of sentimentality, or thrash her for being the kind of person who spent her own nest egg because she felt survivor’s guilt over not being on a lifeboat herself. “Sadly, I’m totally unfit to drive a Land Rover on the left side of country roads, even when completely sober, which I no longer am.”

“No worries.” Emma rose from the table and carried their glasses back to the bar. Then reaching up, she grabbed a key. “Vic already reserved a room upstairs for tonight.”

“She did?” Sophia turned to Vic. “You did?”

Vic nodded. “I’d intended it to be more romantic than you pouring me into bed.”

Sophia smiled slowly as her heart rate shifted from sweet-kiss territory and began to beat a little faster. “Don’t worry, Your Ladyship. Apparently, we’ve got all night.”

••••

“I’m honestly not inebriated,” Vic said as they pushed open the door to their room. Surveying the cosy little attic charm of sloped roofs and pitched dormers lined in exposed Edwardian beams, she couldn’t deny the reasons why the Raven served as a favourite getaway for so many city dwellers from London to Edinburgh. The sense of being ensconced in a warm and protective sanctuary offered a stark contrast to her own home.

“I know you’re not.” Sophia kissed her on the mouth as she kicked the door closed behind them. “If you can handle your father’s G&T’s you aren’t going to fall prey to four hard ciders over the course of five hours.”

“Then why did you feel the need to help me up the stairs?”

“Maybe I wanted an excuse to touch you a little sooner.” Sophia illustrated her point by sliding her hands from Vic’s hips up and over her chest.

“You needn’t have waited. Surely you know by now you can have me anywhere and anytime you wish.”

Sophia’s tone turned pensive. “Sure, let’s pretend that’s true for one more night.”

Vic opened her mouth, but Sophia silenced her with another kiss, this one deeper, more soulful. Running her hands up over her shoulders, she tangled skilled fingers in Vic’s long hair, and used her tender strength to hold them together.

Vic luxuriated in the desire building between them. The fire burned as hot as ever, but without the explosion of their earlier encounters she found herself able to better appreciate the warm glow of heat spreading through her.

They broke apart once more to smile at each other, almost bashful in the awareness of their familiarity. So many times over the last few weeks they’d collided in blind lust, but tonight she wanted to see Sophia clearly. “You’re beautiful.”