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Swallowing back a giggle at Stefan's internal aggravation, I turned my head to glance at Lukas. He was shirtless with his hands on his hips and was dressed in a pair of ridiculously small red speedos. I quickly buried my head in Stefan's chest, letting out a groan. I could add that to my list of things I never needed to see again.
"Lukas, do you not have something else to do?" Stefan's question sounded more like a command. His voice was intense and his body shifted to stretch to his full height.
"Actually, I don't. I thought I'd join you on the beach today. Josie and I can get to know each other. We can people watch and gossip. We'll have so much fun!" Lukas chirped as he glided down the steps to the pool, smoothly diving in the water. He was like a torpedo, barely rippling the surface of the pool.
"Are you going to tell me why Lucas is here?" I asked, turning my head to look up at Stefan. He still hadn't answered my question about how Lukas fit into his life.
Stefan let out a long sigh. "Give me a moment. I need to check on a few things, change, then we will talk. " He was a blur as he disappeared inside of the house. Plopping down into one of the deck chairs, I closed my eyes and mentally willed Lukas to keep swimming. The last thing I wanted to do was to be subjected to his exaggerated chatter.
"I'm so glad you and Stefan made up. He was a pissy little bitch for days. I was ready to kick his ass or stake him to stop his moaning. " Lukas' voice lisped from the chair beside of me. Surprised from his silent approach, I jumped and drew in a deep breath to try to slow my racing heart.
"Damn it Lukas, you scared the crap out of me! Warn a person that you're coming. "
Lukas was dripping wet, his ice blue eyes covered with sunglasses. Pursing his lips, he raised his eyebrow in amusement. "I keep forgetting you startle so easily. Maybe I should clap when I approach. Now hurry up and tell me what happened before he comes back outside and ruins our gossip time. "
"It was a misunderstanding. It happens. " I tried to keep my voice noncommittal, shrugging my shoulders slightly. I closed my eyes again, hoping he would catch on that I didn't want to talk.
Relaxing my head against the deck chair, I sent out a mental plea to Stefan. "What are you doing in there? Hurry up, he has me cornered. "
Lukas pursed his lip again and rolled his eyes. "I couldn't deal with his obsessive worrying and whining. I called up Anna because I had a feeling you'd hide out there. When she told me you were staying at her house, I told him where you were. I thought Mr. Romance would sweep you off your feet and you'd forgive him. I should have known he'd be all over dramatic and blow it. "
I couldn't help but laugh at his 'Mr. Romance' comment. Where the hell was Stefan? "I didn't even let him get a full sentence out, Lukas. I pretty much told him to fuck off. I'm not always reasonable. Or rational. "
"Oh, you two are perfect for each other. " His face turned soft and dreamy, his eyes glowing behind his sunglasses, clasping his hands together over his heart. "He's swooning over you like an infatuated teen and you're going to bust his ass at every turn. This will be better than my telenovelas. "
I simply stared at him for a moment, thinking to myself that he truly was the gay, male version of Georgia, minus the southern accent.
"It looks like fun time is over. Here he comes now," Lukas leaned over to whisper conspiratively in my ear, his posture slumping in defeat.
Stefan stalked back onto the deck in a pair of navy blue board shorts, dipping low to show the harsh V of his lower stomach that disappeared into the waist of his shorts. He was shirtless, the sun making the golden hair on his sculpted chest shine. "Lukas. I think you have had enough fun for one day. I know you have matters to attend to, yes?"
"You're no fun. " Lukas pouted as he stood up and pranced into the house, slamming the door behind him.
Stefan let out a long sigh and flashed me a strained smile. He lowered to crouch in front of me, his hand tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear and his finger moving to caress my face delicately.
"I am sorry I was gone so long. I had an e-mail to respond to from the Council," Stefan explained as he rose to stand to his full height.
I was shameless, letting my eyes roam over the lines of his powerful body. The muscles in his chest and arms looked like they were carved from marble, his abdomen toned and his legs were long and lean. My eyes made the trip back up to his face and his words finally registered with me. A flicker of apprehension swept through me. "You aren't leaving again are you?"
"No. Nothing like that," Stefan reassured me, his voice smooth. "Come. I want to walk on the beach with you. First we need to take off your dress. "
Before I could react, he quickly pulled the sundress over my head. His eyes raked over my bikini in approval. "Much better. "
We both heard a tap on the window by the deck. We both looked up to see Lukas staring out the window, giving us the 'thumbs up' sign.
Georgia and Lukas could be twins if not for their age difference. They were both a pain in the ass.
"Can we go? Lukas is driving me crazy. " My mental voice begged.
He tugged on my hand, giving me an understanding smile. He led us down the steps onto the main patio area, walking through a gated door that opened onto the beach. The sound of the waves was loud as they crashed against the black sand. We walked to the edge of the water in silence.
Stefan intertwined our fingers together and he let out a contemplative sigh. His eyes closed for a moment and he drew in an unnecessary breath.
Glancing at him curiously, I mentally questioned him. "What's going on? Are you okay?"
"Right now I realize how devastating it would have been to have lost you, Josephine," Stefan's voice was thick with emotion. "The thought of you not being here with me is excruciating. " He gently squeezed my hand, then pulled on it slightly to urge me to follow as he started walking again.
"I don't want to think about that anymore, Stefan. I love you and we're together. "
