The Stone Sisters: Lyssa (The Stones Sisters Book 1) (17 page)

“Back to this?”

“Back to this.
 
I like it.
 
I learn interesting quirks you have.”

“I’ll answer, but only because you asked me so sexily.”

Lyssa turned to glare at him, her gray-blue eyes flashing, “I did not!”

Grinning, Kyle stared at her, “No, but I was getting sick of only seeing your back.
 
I had to try to find a way to get you to look this way again.”

Rolling her eyes, she felt her skin heat, but she steadily remained turned to him.
 
She didn’t paddle and he did all the work, but he was grinning as he looked at her.

“Happy?”

With a warm smile he said, “I am now.
 
Hey, I thought of what I’d say is my favorite.”

“Oh? What?”

“Sail.”

“Um, Sail?”

“You know the song Sail.
 
It’s really good.”

Lyssa’s features scrunched up and she turned away, embarrassment flooding her.
 
For once, she wasn’t happy that most of the things she enjoyed were not typical.
 
Kyle laughed softly behind her.

“I love that you don’t know the song.
 
Now, I can share it with you.
 
I’ll play the album when we head home later.”

Shoving the paddle into the water a moment, she dug in for a few strokes.
 
She glanced back at him and smiled, “You really like that I don’t know them?”

Laughing softly, he said, “You can’t know everything, Lyssa.
 
Otherwise, you’d be boring.
 
Plus, your reactions are always stellar.”

They played their little game of “something true” for the rest of the time they were on the water.
 
Every once in a while, Lyssa would stop and take pictures with her camera.
 
She never took them with her phone.
 
Then again, she also had location services turned off on her phone.
 
Though she doubted that the Hunters would track her phone, she didn’t want to risk it.
 
Kyle had laughed when she pulled out her big camera, but she didn’t care.
 
They were having fun and they were together.

Eventually, they made their way back to the boathouse and Kyle helped her out of the canoe.
 
She didn’t really need help, but she liked the opportunity to hold his big warm hand.
 
Also, the fact that his helping her was a bit of pampering was nice too.
 
Earth women’s liberation was great and all that, but having someone help you out of a car or a boat was nice.
 
Just as nice as having someone open the door for you.
 
In Lyssa’s opinion, it didn’t make you less powerful.
 
Also, what Kyle didn’t know was that when he did little things like that, they endeared him to her.

Draping his arm across her shoulders again, he headed to the car, “Hungry?”

“Starving.
 
Are we going to eat here?”

“Nope, I’m taking you over to Walden.
 
They have some picnic tables in there and we can walk around.”

“Walden Pond, hmm?
 
With all that forestry around?
  
Do I have to worry about my body never being found or a long discussion about Thoreau?”

“Neither, you goofball.
 
But there is a nice place to sit near the pond.
 
We can eat there.
 
We’ll just make sure we pick up our trash.”

“Oh! How environmental of you.
 
I like it.”

“You know me, attracting women with the power of conservation.”

Lyssa giggled and he opened her car door.
 
He paused in front of her, so she couldn’t get in.
 
Looking up at him, she smiled brightly, “What?”

He seamlessly slipped his hand into her hair and pulled her close.
 
His lips fell on hers and she melted in his arms.
 
The kiss was warm and vibrant, full of promise.
 
He was just starting to deepen it when they were startled back to reality.

“Woo!
 
Kiss’er dude!”

Blushing, Lyssa looked aside.
 
Laughing, Kyle moved out of her way and let her slip into the car.
 
He shut her door and made his way around the car.
 
They left the parking lot and drove on.
 
Once they arrived at Walden Pond, he took her soft-sided cooler and hoisted the strap across his chest.
 
Then, having locked up the car, he took her hand and they headed for the path.

“First picnic table we find, we should sit.
 
I know that’s heavy.”

Squeezing her hand, he grinned, “Oh don’t be ridiculous.
 
Let’s find a nice spot first.”

“Yeah, well I’m hungry and you know how I eat.”

With a chuckle, he led her to a table and pulled out the food, “Sandwiches and fried chicken?
 
What’s this canteen?”

“Cranberry juice.
 
I know you like that.
 
So do I.”

Kyle grinned and poured himself a cup, “Did you seriously make all of this?”

Embarrassment stained her cheeks, “No.
 
I mean, I put the sandwiches together, but Lexa made the chicken.
 
And the roast beef in the sandwiches for that matter.
 
I… Well I can’t cook.
 
Except pancakes.
 
I thought I told you.”

Grinning, he kissed her brow, “I love how the girl who can do anything can’t actually cook.
 
It makes you more human.”

Fighting the prick in her conscious about her lack of humanity, she looked away and asked, “You can swim at this pond, huh?”

“Yeah.
 
How about this summer we go swimming here?”

Looking at him, Lyssa’s heart ached.
 
He was planning on them being together in the summer.
 
Lyssa would be looking to move by the time it was hot enough for them to go.
 
She suddenly wished she were a normal teenage girl.
 
That she had living parents and that the boy she liked truly knew her.
 
Instead, she was keeping the most important part to herself.

“What?”

“Hmm?”
 
She was pulled out of her own little world to find him stroking back a stray lock of her hair.

“What are you thinking about that has you looking so sad?”

Lyssa sighed and looked out in the distance, “You know my family moves a lot.
 
I’m just worried I’ll be gone.”

“You’ll be eighteen, right?
 
Why don’t you stay?”

“And leave Lexa?”

It was the wrong thing to say and she saw his eyes shutter just a bit.
 
Sighing, she looked away, “I’ve always looked after her.
 
Branching out on my own is… hard.
 
I’m sorry.”

“Hey, we only just started dating.”
 
He said quietly.

“Technically, it’s been a month and half.”

“Technically, I’ve been too busy for proper dates.”

Grinning, she replied, “We’re both right.
 
Okay, let’s just see where this goes.”

Packing up their remains and trash, they put everything in the cooler and Kyle strapped it on again.
 
Taking her hand, they started walking along the path and Lyssa found the place amazingly tranquil.
 
Inhaling deeply, she smiled because she loved the way the air was tinged with the sweet woodsy scent of decaying leaves.
 
There was something about that scent that she just adored.
 
The colors of fall had changed the trees and it brought back memories of her home.
 
Here, the trees were always green in the heat of summer.
 
At home, they were so many shades throughout the year.
 
Maples whose leaves had turned a brilliant red reminded her of the row of eltean trees, which had lined her back yard.
 
Trees she would never see again, now that the girls had long since destroyed their only means of getting home.

“Where are you?”

Snapping out of old memories, Lyssa turned her eyes up to find Kyle studying her.
 
She smiled weakly, “Old memories.
 
Nothing I want to talk about right now.”

“Sad times?”

Tears threatened to spill, “No, more like good times I wish could happen again.”

Kyle tightened his grip on her hand, and then released it so that he could sling his arms along her shoulders and pull her tightly to his side.

“I’m sorry,” she said in a tiny little voice, “I should be here, now.
 
These are good memories being made and I don’t want to lose them.”

The two of them continued in silence.
 
It took some time, but eventually they walked the entire path around the pond.
 
When they got into the car, Kyle kissed her brow before helping her in.
 
As they drove home, the silence remained.
 
But, it was comforting.
 
His fingers wove through hers as he drove with one hand.
 
She stared out at the passing scenery, squeezing his hand from time to time.

When they got home, he walked her into the house, “Where are you parents?”

“Out.”

“Out?
 
They’re never home.
 
They should be here for you two.”

Lyssa smiled weakly, “It can’t be helped.
 
Hey, thank you for today.”

Kyle gave her a carefree grin, “Thanking me?
 
How about you thank me with a kiss?”

Lyssa laughed.
 

“You think I’m joking.
 
I’m not.
 
I’d like a kiss.”

“You don’t usually ask.”

“I’m asking now.”

Her breath caught and she couldn’t speak.
 
Instead, she nodded.
 
And barely at that, the moment she had started to nod, his lips took hers.
 
This wasn’t some chaste kiss.
 
It wasn’t even like one of the more intense kisses they had shared earlier today.
 
This consumed her like no other.
 
She squeaked and his tongue slipped past her lips.
 
His arms curled around her waist and pulled him roughly to her.