Page 25 of Refusing Kendall

One eyebrow goes up as he glances down at me, “No. This isn’t a party. Just be patient and you’ll see.”

I pretend to zip my lips and throw away the key. The smile he throws me stays on his face long after we’ve boarded the boat and taken our seats near the front. There are no announcements or anything as the few crewmen begin to untie the ropes on the dock and throw them on board. I watch with apt fascination as they get preparations underway. A million questions threaten to take over my mouth, but I keep quiet. Mav asked me to wait, so I’ll wait. Cutting my eyes over to him, I see him relaxing in his seat and staring in the distance.

I wonder if the guys know how to sail. Even rich boys in the South learn to sail, I’d bet. I can’t help but to wonder if they’d wear the whole sailing getup with boat shoes and everything. I picture Lucas in a white long sleeve shirt with the sleeves pushed back to his elbows, showing off the beautiful ink on his forearms, and white shorts. Goose and Mav both in polos, only Mav is braver of the two and wears a light pink. Then Teagan, being the free spirit that he is, no shirt and that long blond hair of his blowing around his face in the wind. Oh yeah, I could totally get behind this.

“Can we buy a sailboat?” I ask with a sweet smile.

Maverick shakes his head, “Just couldn’t do it, could you? You lasted longer than I thought you would.” The last is said with a slight chuckle. He hardly ever lets loose like this, so he could insult me six ways to Sunday, and I’d still smile like a crazy person.

I shrug, “I was just thinking about how cool it would be if we could go sailing.” After pausing for dramatic effect, I add, “Of course, I’d have to buy a new bikini if we decided to do that.”

He groans softly, “You already know that you can have anything you want, baby girl. A bribe isn’t required. But, since you brought it up, if I buy you a boat, then I get to pick the bikini.”

Thankfully, there’s no one sitting close enough to hear our conversation, because his voice dips lower on the last part and makes my stomach do a flip. Then those blue eyes behind the glasses turn to me, “If I let you wear anything at all.”

Jeez,nowI understand why my sex drive has been on insane overload lately. All it takes is one look or a single word from any of them, and I’m ready to have them, no matter where we are. That look also succeeds where his words had failed before. I don’t respond as I get lost in my head while we head further out into the bay.

Excited murmurs coming from around us finally pull me out of my head. Mav takes my hand and moves us to the side of the boat. We stand there for a minute as the few people on our side go quiet. Just as I’m about to ask him what we’re waiting on, a fin breaches the surface a few yards out on the water. Then a few more.

“Dolphins!” I say excitedly.

Coming from a poor family on the wrong side of the tracks, there’s so much in life that I’ve missed out on. Not that I feel bad about that or anything. I had the best damn Nana and Gramps any kid could have ever asked for. Plus, it makes me that much more grateful when the guys do stuff like this for me.

I lean into Mav, and his arm goes around me. We don’t speak as we stand there, watching the pods of dolphins in the water. Some are even brave enough to come up to the boat, and I get a close-up view of them. I’m happy with keeping the distance that we have, but I must admit they truly are magnificent creatures.

After another hour or two, the boat cranks back up and begins to take us back to the dock. Somehow or another, Mav and I have worked ourselves to the front while everyone else wanders around or returns to their seats.

His hands brace the rail beside my hips as he crowds against my back. Leaning back against him, I tilt my head so that I can kiss him beneath his chin.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

He replies by pressing his lips against mine.

When he pulls away, a look of disappointment flashes across his face, “It was damn near perfect. But I got so distracted this morning, I forgot to tell you to grab your camera.”

“That’s ok,” I reassure him and then tap my temple as I say, “It’s all up here. Besides, I’ve got my phone.”

Taking it out of my pocket, I turn the camera on and flip it around to take a selfie of the two of us. Surprisingly I get a genuine smile from him, and it makes my stomach do funny flips.

“One more,” he whispers in my ear.

Just as I go to press the button, he leans down and presses a soft kiss against the side of my cheek. Even as simple as the action is, it only makes me love him that much more.

I tuck the phone back in my pocket and ask, “Hey Mav, not that I’m complaining at all, but what made you decide to do this?”

He shrugs, “We were talking the other day, and Lucas brought up a good point. We’ve had so much going on since classes started, that we never get you alone anymore. It’s something that needs to change. Starting today.”

I tilt my chin up towards him, and his lips fall against mine with a gentleness so unlike Mav.

“Today was amazing. Thank you,” I tell him.

He cocks an eyebrow, but smiles down at me at the same time, “You’re welcome, baby girl. Now we’ve probably got about twenty minutes before we are back in port. That should give you enough time for about five questions. Make them count.”

I don’t want to waste my questions, but I decide it’s probably best to start off with a lighter one. Turning around to face him, I ask, “Why dolphins?”

His eyebrow arches again like he can’t believe my thoughts went there first. “I’ve never actually gone out on one of these things and figured it would a good first for us to have together. Not to mention, it’s a perfect photo opportunity, or it would have been, if I hadn’t let myself get so distracted this morning and forgotten the camera.”

I don’t bother to try and stop him from beating himself up. Nothing I say will make a difference when he gets like this, so I try for another question that will hopefully distract him and be just as easy, “What’s your biggest fear?”

---