"We should be studying."
"Forget about that, just keep kissing me, sugar lips."
"Sugar lips?" A naughty smile. "Is that my new name, hot stuff?"
A slight frown. "Really? Hot stuff? That's what you came up with?"
Small sigh. "I'm horrible at naming things."
Jeremy chuckled and took her lips again. Dani was on his lap, their books wide open on the kitchen counter. Gabe was currently in school, training with the football team. Dani had wanted to stay behind to see the look on Tyler's face when Gabe walked into the pitch but Jeremy had suggested that they should head back to start early.
"You can call me whatever you want. I don't care." Jeremy whispered against her lips.
Dani chuckled and connected herself to him again. He tightened his arms around her waist as the kiss grew intense. The sound of a door opening made them snap apart.
Lucinda strode in, wearing a big brown fur coat and some dark leggings, complete with heels. She raised an eyebrow at the sight of the two of them. "What's going on here? Since when were you guys chummy?"
Dani blushed and jumped off Jeremy's lap like he was hot coal. She quietly settled on her stool.
"Mom, you're making her feel bad." Jeremy said, getting up and pecking his mother.
"I am? Oh no, darling! I'm not one to judge. I'm just saying I didn't know you guys started hooking up." Lucinda dropped her purse on the counter and smiled fully at Dani.
Jeremy smirked at the red-faced girl beside him. He put his arm around her neck and drew him closer. "She's just curious. Nothing to worry about."
Dani nodded, eyes down.
Jeremy laughed. "Really, it's okay. She's cool with it. Cool with everything. That's why we love her."
"Aw, honey!" Lucinda tried to hug her son but Jeremy shifted away.
"Mom, my girlfriend's here." He hissed.
"Girlfriend?!" Lucinda exclaimed. Her eyes wandered to Dani again, whose face was as red as a tomato. "I thought you were just..."
Dani placed her head on her palm, letting her hair conceal her face. Her face felt as hot as a pot on a fire. She felt sweat pricking her forehead.
"Mom, you're doing it again." Came Jeremy's voice.
"Well, I have the right to be surprised. You never told me Dani Chamberman was your girlfriend."
"Then why do you think we were hooking up?"
"Did you seriously just ask me that question? You're Jeremy, that's your thing."
Jeremy sighed and placed his hand on Dani's back. "Hey, I'm sorry my mom can be embarrassing sometimes. But she's really just surprised that's all."
Dani raised her head and nodded slightly. "I know. I'm sorry for acting weird."
"Weird?" Lucinda questioned. "Girl, you acted the normal way a girl would react. You should have seen the other girls he brought back. One even tried to steal this very coat." She fingered her brown coat.
Dani snickered at that.
Lucinda smiled at her. "I'm happy for you two and I wish you the best. Jeremy, I hope you're not playing any games with her because if you are..."
"I know, I know, I know, I'm dead." He raised his arms in surrender.
"Good." Lucinda snapped with a glare. Her gaze softened as she took in Dani again. Worry fogged into her eyes. "Sweetheart, does Gabe know about this?"
Dani nodded, glad to be able to answer that question positively. Many weren't as lucky as she was. "Yes, ma'am. He's cool with it. Just obsessed about football now; he's in the team."
"He is?" Lucinda whipped her head around to look at Jeremy who shrugged. "Why didn't you tell me this?"
"Cause I was shocked when I found out too. Apparently Dani convinced the coach somehow. She really cares about Gabe." He sent her a quick smile over Lucinda's shoulder.
Lucinda engulfed Dani in a hug so tight it could slim a fat person. "Oh honey, that's so sweet of you." She drew back and made a funny face. "But whatever did you tell him?"
"Yeah, what did you say?" Jeremy said.
The heat was on again on her face. Sweat stung in places all over her body and she resisted the urge to scratch. Dani tried to look mundane as she said; "Oh I just made some passionate speech about this and that and he told me he'll give it some thought."
"Is that why he called you away that other time? When we left the cafeteria?" Jeremy asked.
"Yeah!" Dani said, almost too desperately. She was in dire need of anything that she could use as evidence that she wasn't lying. "That's why he called me away. To talk."
Lucinda nodded and grabbed her purse off the counter. "Well, that's that. Once more, I wish you two the best. Don't let me hold you up. This relationship thing better not cause your grades to drop, young man, or you'll have to face me."
"Sure thing, mom." He said, patting her back as she passed him.
"Oh and," Lucinda turned around, a foot on the last stair, "are you two being safe?"
Dani blushed.
"MOM!!" Jeremy bellowed.
"Just checking." Lucinda said in a sing-song tone. "Carry on."
"God, I hate her sometimes." Jeremy whispered.
Dani chuckled, regaining her confidence. "At least you have a mom. But anyway, let's not settle on that now. When are we going on our first date?"
The question was so sudden Jeremy snapped his head around with an eyebrow raised. "Well look at you. All pumped up already." He leaned forward and kissed her, still smiling. "Where do you want to go, sweetheart?"
"Isn't it supposed to be a surprise?" Dani said, their foreheads resting against each other.
"Is that a challenge? You want me to sweep you off your feet?"
"Off my feet and on a bed."
"Your wish is my command." He breathed and gave her a quick kiss. He started closing all books on the counter.
"What are you doing?" Dani asked with a frown.
"You want a date right?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, let's go. We're leaving."
"Right now?"
"Right now, baby. I'll get dressed." He jumped off his stool and ran up the staircase.
"Jeremy, are you serious right now?" Dani called but there was no reply. She sighed and closed her book with a light snap. A silly smile grew on her lips as she sat on the stool, basking in the heat in her chest caused by Jeremy's kisses.
Was this all a dream? Would she wake up soon? She ran her hand over the surface of the cold counter, touched the books, plastic apples in the case, and a lone spoon next to it.
No. This was real.
"Let's go." Called Jeremy standing by the door. He had thrown on a jacket, blue shirt, and jeans.
Dani rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag. The two of them walked hand in hand to his car. Moments later they went on their way to an unknown destination.
"Where in Hawks are you taking me that could possibly surprise me?" Dani asked with a chuckle.
"You'll see." He said with a smile on his face. "You're gonna love it."
They drove past some mini restaurants and shops, dashing Dani's assumptions that they would stop at any of them. It was when she saw the woods that she began to frown.
"Jer...?"
"Hold on." He hushed her and stopped the car along a lonely road where the woods stretched on and on. When they both got out, he took her hands and led her in.
By this time, anxiety was biting Dani in so many places and only Jeremy's answer could scratch it.
"Can I please know where we're going?"
"Nope." He popped the p.
They went on and on, breaking figs, swiping leaves and bushes aside, and walking past the tallest of trees. Finally, they came to a beautiful body of water that sparkled immensely in the sunlight.
Moon Lake. The same place she'd fallen in and Jeremy had saved her. The same place she fell for him.
Jeremy watched Dani's face take in the beautiful sight. She broke out a smile and glanced at him.
"This is beautiful. Wow, I didn't know it was this marvelous. I thought its magic only worked when there was a full moon."
"Yeah me too," he answered while rubbing the nape of his neck, "but one day I kinda skipped school and came to throw stones yeah, and Wala!" He gestured, "I found this beauty."
"I—i don't know what to say." Her eyes seemed attracted to the lake like pins to a giant magnet.
"You don't have to say anything, we're here for action."
As she turned to ask him what he meant, she saw that he had taken his jacket off and was in the middle of unbuckling his belt.
Her heart leaped. "Wh-what are you doing?"
Jeremy smirked. "Going for a swim. What are you doing?"
"I didn't think we were going to get in the water."
"I'm the captain of the swimming team, of course, we are getting in the water." He kicked his jeans aside, now only wearing a blue striped brief.
Dani didn't know why she was blushing. She had seen all his unseeables on Friday night and he had touched her on her untouchables. So what was the problem? She sighed and clenched her fists.
"Maybe we should—"
The words never made it past her lips because at that moment there's a loud splash and Jeremy was in, laughing loudly. Dani giggled like she was a kid and tore off her clothes, down to her bra and panties.
She took a deep breath, then she jumped in with a loud splash. It was hard at first adjusting to the sudden coldness of the water but she did. She splashed Jeremy and he copied her actions.
The air was filled with sounds of flashing and laughter for ten long minutes.
Finally, Jeremy swam to Dani and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Remember the day you nearly drowned here?" Jeremy said.
Dani nodded. "I was saved by a handsome hero."
"Were you now?" He said dramatically. "I don't recall, perhaps you can help strengthen my memory."
"Well," she said slowly, leaning her back against his chest, "my silly best friend pushed me in and I thought I was a goner for sure, then I heard this splash and felt these strong muscled arms fasten themselves around me. I managed to sneak a peek at my hero and..." She turned around to face him, "here he is."
Jeremy eyed her lips hungrily and smashed his against hers. He pressed his body against her breasts, letting her run her fingers through his wet hair. They savagely drank each other through touch, lips, and the memory of four years ago. There was no room for anything else, just the acknowledgment of the other setting fire in places in the other's bodies.
Fires that would burn forever.
When they finally came out, soaked and drenched, Dani handed Jeremy his clothes but felt something solid in his jacket. She removed it out and frowned at him.
"Why do you have this?"
Jeremy glanced at her and smirked. "That's Luckey. I take him around for good luck."
In Dani's hand was a red-handled screwdriver. She raised an eyebrow. "Crazy much?"
Jeremy made an offended expression and snatched it out of her hand. "Don't say that around him. It's my good luck charm. I found him when I was little. Kept him ever since."
Dani shrugged and raised her arms in surrender. "Okay okay. I'm sorry."
Jeremy smiled as he struggled with his jeans. He slipped Luckey back into his jacket and helped Dani wear her clothes. When they walked back to the car and got in, Dani felt so happy and satisfied.
This was the best day of her life. Nothing could ruin what she had with Jeremy now.
Nothing...