Lessons Learned (19 page)

Luckily, I was able to keep my promise because Lucas didn’t ask a single question about my conversation with Matt. He just hugged me and made sure I was okay before taking it upon himself to cook dinner. He’d chosen to make homemade lasagna, and the only thing I was allowed to do was chop vegetables for the salad.

“My kitchen is never going to recover,” I teased as my eyes swept across the room where utensils and cheese littered the countertops. Lucas just smirked and pointed me toward a chair. “It smells great, though.”

“We’ll see.” He looked anxious as he scooped the portions onto our plates. That’s when I decided, no matter how the lasagna tasted, I was going to promise it was the best I’d ever eaten.

Then I took a bite, and I was pleasantly surprised to find I wouldn’t have to lie.

I moaned appreciatively. “It’s so good, Lucas.”

He smiled brightly and sighed with relief.

“So,” he said between bites, “I’ve been thinking about that rope swing . . . you know, the one you always loved so much when you were a kid. Are you ever going to show it to me?”

“Would you like to see it?”

“Sure. Besides, we’ve yet to go swimming. We should do that before it gets too cold.”

I grinned. My city boy wanted to swim in the river.

“Do you have swim trunks?”

“Do I need them?”

I could feel the heat creep across my face.

“The water can be pretty cold,” I warned him, trying desperately to hide my excitement.

He chuckled nervously. “I just wondered if regular shorts would be okay.”

“Oh,” I muttered, completely embarrassed. “Sure, shorts are fine.”

After dinner—and after my kitchen was back in order—I made a mad dash for my closet. I didn’t have a bathing suit, so I grabbed an old T-shirt, a pair of shorts, and an extra change of clothes for after the swim. Rushing into the bathroom, I quickly changed and grabbed a couple of towels. I stuffed everything into a bag and slipped on a pair of flip-flops before rushing back down the stairs. Lucas was waiting at the landing, and I watched his eyes sweep over me as I walked down the stairs.

Suddenly, he frowned.

“You look disappointed.”

He shrugged. “I am a little.”

“Why?”

“I was just hoping you owned a bikini.”

I rolled my eyes, and he laughed loudly before leaning down to kiss me.

“Are you sure this is the right place?” Lucas wondered aloud as we looked up at the gigantic sycamore tree standing proudly on the edge of the water. It was definitely the right tree, but there wasn’t a rope in sight.

“I’m sure.”

Lucas gazed over the hill and across the water. “We can still swim. To be honest, I wasn’t excited about throwing myself off a suspended rope, anyway.”

“Chicken,” I muttered.

Swiftly, he lifted me into the air.

“Lucas!”

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kicked and screamed while he laughed and bolted toward the water. Suddenly, I was airborne, and the last thing I heard before I hit the chilly water was Lucas’s boyish laugh.

Splashing and sputtering, I kicked my way to the surface.

“It’s freezing!” I yelled, wiping water out of my eyes. I’d forgotten how cold that first dip in the river could be! It always took my breath away until my body got used to the temperature.

“Whose idea was this?” Lucas shouted. His hair was dripping wet and he had the biggest smile on his face. He was also shirtless, and I was trying very hard not to stare.

“Yours!”

“Oh yeah.” Lucas’s arms found my waist, and my hands gripped his shoulders. “I’m pretty sure I just wanted to see you in a bikini, though.”

Feeling brave, I let go of him just long enough to pull my T-shirt over my head. It wasn’t like the soaked white cotton shirt was leaving much to the imagination anyway. Lucas inhaled sharply as I tossed it aside. Slipping my arms around his neck, I pulled myself closer to his chest. His wet skin brushed across mine, and I felt him shudder.

“I’m sorry about the bikini.”

“Don’t be,” he murmured drawing me tighter against him. “Trust me. This is so much better.”

I laced my fingers in his hair as he kissed me hard. Lucas lifted me into the air, holding me against his body and kissing me fervently. I whimpered when I felt his hips press into mine.

“Do you know how much I want you?” he whispered against my lips.

Without giving me the chance to answer, his mouth molded to mine. The freezing temperature of the river was forgotten as his hungry kisses warmed every inch of me. Whenever his lips weren’t on mine, they were never far from my skin. He especially loved my neck, and when I felt his tongue lick the water droplets along my skin, I nearly came undone. My teeth found his earlobe, and I gently bit him, causing him to growl low in his chest.

“We have to stop,” he whispered breathlessly.

My tongue licked the shell of his ear, and he trembled in my arms. Stopping was the very last thing on my mind.

“Sarah,” he groaned softly. “Sweetheart, you’re killing me.”

“I’m sorry.” Panting and shaking, I loosened my legs from around his waist. “I’m sorry . . .”

“Shh . . .” His voice was soft as I buried my face against his neck.

Very gently, he lifted me into his arms and carried me out of the water. Placing me on the sand, he reached for my bag and quickly pulled out a towel. I accepted it gratefully and began drying my shivering body. Finding a blanket in the bag, Lucas spread it out across the sand.

“I’m going to change out of my shorts,” Lucas said softly. “Yours are still in the bag.”

“Okay.” Not daring to turn around, I just grabbed the bag and found my shorts. Was he watching? Did it really matter now? I slipped the wet shorts down my legs and quickly stepped into the dry ones.

“All done?”

“Yes.”

As we settled ourselves on the blanket, Lucas placed his legs on each side me and pulled me against his chest. Taking another towel from the bag, he gently started to dry my hair.

“Lucas, I can do that.”

“I want to.”

After a few minutes, I heard him rustling in the bag once again. Very carefully, he pulled a dry shirt over my head, and I slipped my arms inside, letting the towel fall away. Holding me close, his nose drifted into my hair.

“I smell like the river.”

“You smell like you,” Lucas murmured sweetly. “It’s my favorite smell in the world.”

Sighing softly, I relaxed against him as he held me close. The sun was beginning to set, and an orange hue reflected against the water. It was so tranquil and such a stark contrast to my emotions.

“I’m sorry, Lucas.”

Gently, he brushed my damp hair aside and pressed a soft kiss against my neck.

“Do you hear me apologizing?”

“No.”

“Do you know why?”

“Because you have nothing to apologize for.”

“Neither do you.”

“That was about two seconds away from becoming wildly out of hand. We’ve only been together a couple of months, and we’re not ready. I know this, and yet, I made it worse by taking off my top.”

I felt his quiet chuckle against my skin.

“Why are you laughing?”

Didn’t he realize how embarrassed I was? I was never forward with men. Ever.

“You’re apologizing for letting me see your—”

“Yes!”

He brushed another kiss against the side of my neck while trying to hide his laughter.

“You’re a jerk,” I muttered, but it wasn’t long before I was laughing, too.

“Look at me,” Lucas whispered. With a heavy sigh, I twisted around in his arms. Pulling me close to his chest, he nuzzled my nose. “I meant what I said in the water. I want you, Sarah. Very much.”

“I want you, too, but—”

“It’s too soon, I know.” His eyes were warm and soft as he smiled at me. “I’m a man, and I am absolutely crazy about you, so there is this constant battle between my body and my brain when it comes to taking things slow with you.”

Sighing softly, he gently kissed the tip of my nose. “But I’m also a patient man, and I am more than willing to wait.”

“Really? You won’t be disappointed?”

“I won’t be disappointed,” he said. “Just—and it pains me to say this—no more topless swims, okay? There’s only so much temptation a man can take.”

I laughed. “No more topless swims.”

His gaze flickered to the dimming sky. “We should probably go before it’s too dark to find the trail.”

Taking my hand, he helped me to my feet and grabbed our bag.

“It’s really too bad about the rope swing,” he said as we climbed the hill back toward the trail. “Maybe we can hang another before next summer.”

Next summer.

“I’d like that,” I whispered.

“Me too.”

Kissing my forehead, Lucas took me by the hand and led me out of the woods.

Chapter 15

On Monday morning, the faculty lounge was buzzing with excitement as everyone gossiped in hushed tones about the brawl between Matt and Patrick. It was also the last week of school before Fall Break, and the few teachers who weren’t talking about the fight were happily discussing their plans for the weeklong vacation. In a profession where the perks were few and the pay was inadequate, we teachers had to find joy in the simplest ways.

    Fall Break was one of them.

I was just checking my mailbox when I heard my name.

“Hank said he caught them making out in the backseat of Lucas’s car,” the female voice whispered far too loudly. I recognized her as Mrs. Benson, one of the math teachers.

“You’re kidding!” Another female voice—a little high pitched and nasal, which I knew immediately was Shellie Stevens.

Squaring my shoulders, I continued leafing through my mail—tossing the unimportant and keeping the rest—until I felt someone’s eyes on me. Looking up, I found Shellie smiling brightly in my direction.

“Good morning, Shellie. Volunteering in the office today?”

“Yes, I am. How was your weekend?”

I forced a smile. “My weekend was fine, thanks. How’s cheerleading?”

“Well, we’ve had some drama,” she whispered—glancing behind her shoulder.
Now
she tries to be discreet? “My head cheerleader has just been traumatized by all of this.”

“Well, Carrie’s a bright girl. I’m sure she’ll survive and come out stronger than ever.”

“Yes, but she’s my
leader
. The head cheerleader is supposed to appear strong and in control at all times. It affects the entire squad if she shows any sign of weakness. Those girls are like dominoes . . .”

It was difficult, but I somehow resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

“You have to remember Carrie is also a teenager.” Honestly, I felt a little sorry for the young girl. As if being a high school senior wasn’t tough enough, the last thing Carrie needed was an overbearing cheer coach pressuring her to stay strong for her squad. “She just needs some time. Don’t you remember how it felt to be dumped in high school?”

Her face was a blank page.

“Of course you don’t,” I muttered under my breath.

“Anyway,” Shellie grinned mischievously, and I knew what was coming. “Rumor has it you and Mr. Miller are spending an awful lot of time with each other.”

I simply smiled and tossed a catalog into the nearby wastebasket.

“I bet the two of you have plans for Fall Break.”

Suddenly, every female’s head swiveled in Lucas’s direction as he walked into the faculty lounge.

“Good morning, ladies.” He smiled at the two of us and reached into his mailbox, pulling out a mound of mail. His arm brushed mine, and I felt the blood rush to my face.

“Speak of the devil!” Shellie gushed excitedly. “We were just talking about you.”

“Oh?” Lucas’s eyes twinkled as he looked at me.

“Did you have a good weekend?”

“I had a fantastic weekend,” he told her with a megawatt grin. “As a matter of fact, it was quite possibly the best weekend of my life.”

Of course it was. Less than twenty-four hours ago, my naked chest had been pressed against his and my legs had been wrapped around his waist.

Shellie’s eyes were wide and eager for information. “Really? What did you do?”