“I want to kiss you again for starters.” Voice all dreamy, Arthur actually settled into a paddling rhythm I could follow, enabling us some decent momentum to match my revving pulse.
“I think that can be arranged.”
“Like a couple of hours of that would be nice. And—”
“Come on, slowpokes!” A canoe filled with the family of one of the cousins shot past us. There were so many of the various cousins and in-laws that I’d completely given up trying to keep track of names. This group all wore matching blue T-shirts and impish grins.
“Fuck my life.” Arthur groaned and stretched, paddle almost getting away from him before he yanked it back.
“Kissing sounds like a better plan,” I said mildly.
“Yeah, it does.” Arthur sighed, losing the rhythm again and making me need to work hard to avoid tangling our paddles. “Tell me your absolute favorite thing,” he demanded after I straightened the boat back out. “Maybe kayaking isn’t my strong suit but I want to be stupendously awesome at sex.”
“You get any better at kissing and I’m going to need a cardiac team on standby.”
“I’m serious.” Ahead of us, the mountains undulated, and we were far enough away from the camp that the shoreline was all green and lush, tempting me again to find a hidden spot amid all the trees and rocks where he could practice kissing to his heart’s content.
“Me too.” I groaned because the next item on the agenda was a picnic lunch, and chances were high that there would be a Euler lurking behind every bush. “And honestly, I’m super easy to please in that department and, as Steve said, achingly vanilla, sorry to say.”
“Steve can fuck off. I happen to love vanilla things.” Arthur didn’t sound one bit deterred by my admission, and indeed was downright enthusiastic as he finally settled back into a paddling pattern I could follow. “And add some whipped cream, a cherry, maybe some hot fudge, and I’ve got all the excitement I need.”
“I think whipped cream is for the advanced classes.” Bantering with Arthur was better than an actual hot fudge sundae.
“Damn it, why do we have to be on a lake right now?” He gave a dramatic huff, which only had me smiling wider.
“Hey, it’s not that bad. At least the scenery is gorgeous.” The sky was the sort of blue one seldom saw in more urban areas, a startlingly bright shade competing with the turquoise water for beauty. The shadows of the mountains reflecting on the surface of the lake added to the tranquil yet expansive vibe of the place.
“I’d take the four walls of the cabin if it meant—”
“Look at you guys going straight now!” Oliver and Taylor zoomed close enough to yell at us. “Way to go!”
Splash. Of course, their attention made Arthur lose focus and our paddles clanged together. “Oops. Sorry.”
“Nah. I think that was me that time,” I lied.
“I’d offer to race you to the picnic spot, but I wouldn’t want to make you feel bad.” Oliver made no attempt to hide his amusement over our difficulties.
“You’re on.” Voice all angry, Arthur didn’t glance back at me for confirmation before starting to paddle harder.
Well, okay, then. I didn’t fully understand sibling rivalry, but I’d been pushed by ill-advised bets enough in training to know where he was coming from. It was hard to back down from a challenge, and I got caught up in the race right along with Arthur.
Apparently being pissed off improved Arthur’s focus because he kept a steady paddling pace for once, and I could more easily match his speed. Ollie was counting out strokes for Taylor in a quick rhythm that kept them even with us, something that I should have thought of doing and undoubtedly would have had my brain not been so sex-addled.
Later. I still wasn’t sure why I’d relented, other than that I was human and there was only so much temptation I could take. Bottom line, even if ill-advised, I needed this thing with Arthur, and the anticipation had me far less sharp than usual. What should have been an easy victory against Oliver and the kid turned into a neck-and-neck race.
Ahead of us, a row of kayaks and canoes were already lined up on a rocky patch of shore, and some of the older kids watched our approach, waving and cheering. At the last second, we inched ahead of the other kayak, and our boat was first to touch the rocks.
“We did it!” Arthur whooped.
“It was a tie,” Oliver grumbled.
“Close enough.” Undeterred, Arthur helped me moor the boat while gloating at Oliver.
“You’re cute when you win,” I said before I remembered we had an audience.
“Damn. You truly are perfect for each other if you find that smug mug cute.” Oliver rolled his eyes at us.
“You’re almost too good at the boyfriend act,” Arthur whispered when they were out of earshot.