He smirks, and I battle a grin.
“Really. I need some sort of rule book or something, and I want to be on this challenge committee,” I hear Liam saying, and my uncle is quickly at his side, paperwork in hand.
“Seriously?” I ask my uncle and Liam as they start discussing the committee right beside me.
“Lilah, you’re stalling,” Benson says, sounding amused.
Sighing heavily, I stare at him, weighing my options. Say no, let the beards grow, walk around miserably missing my best friend, while the rest of the town hates me for the bad beards. Or say yes, have Benson back, let him spend an obscene amount of time making all this up to me, and keep the bad beards away.
Tough choice.
“I’ll come back to you. On one condition,” I say, crossing my arms as I grin.
“What condition?” he asks, stepping off the picnic table, but hesitating to move toward me again.
“Tell everyone here how you make your money.” My lips curl in delight, and he glares over at his brother.
Deacon groans while dropping his head back, knowing I’ve Googled their name now and know their not-so-dirty secret. There’s a pun in there. You’ll figure it out later.
Everyone perks up, completely interested in hearing if he’s going to cave to this demand. It would be a long-time mystery finally solved. Only I have the answer right now. The rest are salivating for a morsel.
“I’ll just instate the challenge, and everyone here will be pissed off at you,” he argues, turning to go toward the lake instead of coming to me.
Yeah…that deflates my bubble. About thirty angry stares—men and women—swing my way as if cued.
“Lilah, so help me…” Delaney threatens, letting her voice trail off. “Not even the Vincent name will keep us all at bay.”
Cursing, I start chasing Benson, wondering if I should at least let him jump in the water or not, when he suddenly spins and grabs me like he knew I was close. He swallows my sound of surprise when his lips crush mine, and he pulls me to him as my eyes flutter shut.
It feels too good, too real, and too natural when his lips are on mine, as though this is how it should have been all along. My hands go up to the back of his neck, holding him in place, and cheers erupt when he lifts me off the ground, kissing me thoroughly.
“Does this mean we can play with the water cannon now?” I hear Hale asking.
Benson breaks the kiss to glare at him. “Hell no.”
I drag him back down to kiss me again, and catcalls follow it.
“The Wild One weddings are always the best,” Aunt Penny says too happily behind me.
“Why?” I hear Liam asking, though it’s just idle chitchat, because my attention is focused on the man who is walking me toward the dock.
“Because the Wild Ones can all come together for sanctioned events. When a Wild One gets married, it’s the day of no rules. All the Wild Ones can join together for one, incredibly wild day.”
More cheers erupt, and Benson grins against my lips. Aunt Penny isn’t going to stop until we’re married.
“Benson?” I say against his lips as he drops into the boat, pulling me onto his lap.
Deacon struggles with pushing away from the dock and starting the motor, but we let him figure it out. Learning experience and all.
“Yeah?” Benson answers, nibbling my bottom lip in a delicious way.
“You forgot to tell me you’re a twin.”
He breaks the kiss to pull back, studying me like he’s confused. “So?”
“So? We’re definitely never having kids. We’d end up with quintuplets or something.”
His grin reforms, and his lips are back on mine. “I’m fine with that,” he murmurs, stealing my sanity as the sound of boat motors rev in the background. “Because I want you all to myself for as long as I can have you.”
“What the hell are they doing?” Deacon asks. He still hasn’t gotten us started.
I look over to see my uncle and some of the other men on the boats, scooping out the fish that are floating to the top.
“They’re making sure the fish don’t go to waste,” Benson answers before I can.
“Fish just float to the top?” Poor Deacon. He’s so confused.
“Pipe bombs,” I remind him.
“How have you hidden all this crazy from us for nine years?” Deacon asks his brother.
I arch my eyebrow as Benson smirks. “This is barely anything. You’ve only seen one corner of crazy,” I point out. “We’re the smallest corner too.”
I can’t tell if he looks terrified or intrigued. Maybe both.
“Fish fry tonight!” my uncle calls out, as my brothers shiver next to the fire my aunt has made.