“I love you so much,” I whisper. She wraps her legs around my waist and tightens her arms on my back in an attempt to pull me in closer.
“Spend the night with me, Will. Please? You can come over after the boys go to sleep. They’ll never know.”
“Lake, it’s just one more week. We can make it.”
“I don’t mean for that. We can wait for that until next weekend. I just want you in my bed tonight, I miss you. Please?”
I continue kissing her neck without responding to her plea. I can’t say no, so I just don’t respond at all.
“Don’t make me beg, Will. You’re so damn responsible sometimes, it makes me feel weak.”
I laugh at the thought that she thinks she’s weak. My lips make their way down to the collar of her shirt. “If I spend the night…what are you gonna wear?” I slowly unbutton the top button of her shirt and press my lips to her skin.
“Oh my god,” she breathes. “I’ll wear whatever the hell you want me to wear.”
I unbutton the next button on her shirt and move my lips a little lower. “I don’t like this shirt. I definitely don’t want you to wear this shirt,” I say. “In fact, it’s a really ugly shirt. I think you should take it off and throw it away.” I unbutton the third button, waiting for her to call retreat. I know I’m about to win.
When she doesn’t, I continue kissing lower and lower as I unbutton the fourth button, then the fifth button, then the last button. She still doesn’t call retreat. She’s testing me. I slowly bring my lips back to her mouth and she rolls me onto my back and straddles me, then slides her shirt off and tosses it aside.
I run my hands up her arms and over the curves of her chest. Her hair has gotten a lot longer since I met her. It’s hanging loosely around her as she leans over me. I tuck it behind her ears so I can see her face better. It’s dark, but I can still make out her smile, and the amazing emerald hue of her eyes. I slide my hands back up to her shoulders and trace the outline of her bra.
“Wear this tonight.” I slide my fingers under the straps. “I like this.”
“So does that mean you’re staying the night?” she asks. Her tone is more serious now. Not so playful.
“If you wear this,” I say, being just as serious. She presses her body against mine, our bare skin meeting for the first time in months. I’m definitely not calling retreat now. I can’t. I’m usually not so weak; I don’t know what it is about her right now that’s making me so weak.
“Lake.” I break my lips apart from hers, but she continues kissing the edges of them as I speak, short of breath. “It’s just a matter of hours until next weekend. It’s coming up so fast, in fact…that this weekend can be considered part of the upcoming week. And the upcoming week is part of next weekend. So technically, next weekend is sort of occurring right now…this very second.”
She grabs my face with her hands and positions it in front of her so that she can look me straight in the eyes. “Will? You better not be saying this because you think I’m about to call retreat, because I’m not. Not this time.”
She’s serious. I gently roll her onto her back and ease myself on top of her. I place my hand on the side of her head and stroke her cheek with my thumb, looking her straight in the eyes. “You’re not? Are you positive you’re ready to not call retreat? Right now?”
“Positive,” she whispers. She wraps her legs tightly around my thighs and we completely give in to our need for each other. I grab the back of her head and press her mouth into mine even harder. I can feel my pulse rushing through my entire body as we both begin to gasp for air between each kiss, like we suddenly forgot how to breathe. We’re both desperate, doing our best to get past the moment one of us usually calls retreat. We pass that moment pretty quickly. I reach around to her back until my hands find the clasp on her bra and I unhook it while she frantically tugs at the button on my pants. I pull the straps of her bra down over her arms to slide it off when the worst thing in the world happens. Someone knocks on the damn door.
“Christ!” I say. My head is spinning so fast, I have to take a moment to calm down. I press my forehead into the pillow next to her and we both try to catch our breath. She slides out from under me and stands up.
“Will, I can’t find my shirt,” she says with panic in her voice. I roll onto my back and pull her shirt out from beneath me and toss it to her.
“Here’s your ugly shirt,” I tease.
The boys are beating on the door now, so I hop out of the bed and go down the hallway to find my own shirt before opening the front door for them.
“What took you so long?” Kel asks as they shove their way past me.
“We were watching a movie,” I lie. “We were at a really good part and didn’t want to pause it.”
“Yeah,” Lake agrees, emerging from the hallway. “A really good part.”
Kel and Caulder walk to the kitchen and flip the light on.
“Can Caulder stay here tonight?” Kel asks.
“I don’t know why you guys even bother asking anymore,” Lake says.
“Because we’re grounded. Remember?” Caulder says.
Lake looks to me for assistance.
“It’s your birthday, Kel. The grounding can resume tomorrow night,” I say.
They both go to the living room and start watching TV.
I reach my hand out to Lake. “Walk me home?”
Lake grabs my hand and we head out the front door.