Page 43 of #Lovestrong

Declan

Jackson and I are surprising the girls with the afternoon out on my family's houseboat. I got my boating license last summer, and when I called to ask permission, my dad thought it was a great idea. Plus, he hinted that their day out with Darcy has been stressful, so I'd rather not be here when they first get home. It’s peaceful and quiet out on the lake, and Jackson stuffed an entire duffel bag with board games and a deck of cards while I packed three bags of food for lunch and snacks, so it's going to be a blast.

Now, if the girls will just hurry up and get back here, we can get going. I certainly didn't expect them to take this long when they said ‘quick showers and a change of clothes’.

Just as Jackson and I finish taking everything to the front porch, the girls pull into the driveway in my car. Candice kills the engine and jumps out. As Lena gets out and shuts her door, my jaw drops. Her hair is braided to the side and she's actually wearing light make-up. Nothing huge, but I can tell. Her lips shimmer as she walks toward me and I have the overwhelming urge to kiss her until all that shiny lip gloss is gone.

She's wearing a cut-off shirt that has one shoulder exposed, both her scars showing, and a pair of leggings so snug they are like a second skin. I shift, physically uncomfortable from how turned on I am by her right now. When she stops in front of me, my hands go right to either side of her face. She almost yelps, probably surprised, as I crush my lips to hers and invade her mouth with my tongue. The lip gloss tastes like cotton candy, and I actually moan into her mouth, sliding my hands from her face to her hips.

She kisses me back, hard, and wraps her arms around my neck. I don't know how much time passes, but eventually I pull away from her and rest my forehead against hers. I'm breathing so hard, my chest hurts, and my jeans are tight in the most uncomfortable place.

"What was that for," she asks, also out of breath.

"No reason," I manage to say while trying to get my hormones under control.

"If you guys are done trying to make each other explode from sexual frustration, can we go now?" Jackson's tone is clearly amused, but I still want to throw something at his face.

Lena stands up straight and puts her arms around my waist. "Where are we going?"

"We, my beautiful girl, are spending the entire afternoon on my family's houseboat on the lake. Jackson, being the dork he is, packed board games and cards, and we've got all this food. So let's go."

She smiles up at me, big and bright, and I lean down to kiss her again, forcing myself not to get carried away this time. After we load the car, Jackson and Candice climb in the back and Lena and I take our normal seats.

"Do you drive at all, baby," I ask her as we pull out of the driveway and onto the main road.

She looks at me with wide eyes. "Uh, no. Nope."

My smile widens as I reach over and take her hand in mine. "I'm going to teach you."

Her eyes get wider and she actually looks terrified. "Lord, help me."

I scoff in mock irritation as she, Candice, and Jackson all crack up laughing.

I really do love this girl . . . I just don't know how to tell her.