Gail reached for her bra while Lucas pulled his pants back on and glanced around to ensure that they were still alone. Doing this here with her Husband was irresponsible, considering they had no idea where their children where and a slight shame come upon her.
'Less of that Love, you'd sense those devils a mile away and they know better than to intrude when we want some time alone' Lucas reassured her, refusing to allow any guilt to take form within her.
Gail considered his words and nodded in agreement, both of their senses were strong enough to pick up on anyone approaching and their children felt them just as much, meaning they wouldn't disturb their intimate moment.
'Plus, you know exactly where they are, you're just bein' dramatic. They're all by the river and have enough sense not to get into any danger' Lucas advised, aware of exactly where is children were while they were not in their usual territory.
'Sense? Those 3 would dive into a sharks mouth without hesitation if they thought there was something fun inside' Gail laughed in disbelief of his trust in their adventurous children.
Lucas thought for a moment, then nodded. 'Alright, but they have enough strength to protect each other should any danger come their way' he countered, grabbing her hips before she had the chance to fully put on her panties and pulled her to his chest affectionately.
Gail feigned boredom when he began to run his lips over her neck teasingly, then smiled. 'Fine, they've proven before that they're capable of taking care of each other so I'll loosen the leash slightly...We're not leaving them alone for long though Lucas' she warned sternly, not liking the thought of ignoring their family.
'Of course not, just long enough' Lucas whispered in her ear seductively, then reached his hand down to stroke her sweet spot and smiled when she let out an aroused moan into his mouth as he began to kiss her passionately.
Luke hung back watching his siblings closely, wondering what his Brother was up to. He had no qualms with having some fun, in fact he'd been itching to get his friend Izzy away from the older children to see what fun he could have of his own; however, he didn't approve of roping his Sister into anything which may be perceived as untoward.
Luke took his responsibilities very seriously, especially when it came to his Sister. He wasn't as naïve as Caleb presumed he was, he had a darkness inside of him which was always hungry just like his Brother but the difference with him is he owned that part of him and didn't see it as a separate entity. This made stronger and more calculating than anyone knew, except maybe his Mother who had allowed him to embrace his darkness when it was just the two of them by the Trinity River several years ago. Granted she hadn't been her usual self and the rest of their family thought she had left them for a spell; however, he knew it was her true self and after her more familiar self returned, she still accepted what he'd done and didn't make him regret anything.
Caleb was different, he had to make more of a spectacle when he chose to break the rules, that usually impressed their father. Luke didn't care much for spectacles, at least not when he was having his personal fun. He preferred privacy to work and he had been working on Izzy for years to find out what mischief he could get into with her.
Izzy felt eyes on her and turned to Luke, smiling when she spotted her best friend looking at her intently. This is what he did, her Mother didn't approve and didn't like to leave them alone together; however, her Father was much more accepting due to his friendship with the Sheriff and she couldn't wait to sneak off with Luke when they could ditch the other children.
Luke sensed her thought and smiled, then turned back to his Siblings and let out a loud sigh. 'Bored!' he called out when they ignored the hint, meeting Caleb's stern eyes with his own when he looked like he was going to challenge him.
Caleb spotted a shadow cross over Luke's eyes and regarded him curiously. He suddenly sensed that his Brother had his own plans; however, Caleb wouldn't let him out of his sight, like Luke he also took his responsibilities seriously and even though he may be reckless at times, their family would be remaining together so he could guarantee their safety.
Luke rolled his eyes at being overridden by his older Brother and shrugged disappointedly at Izzy.
'Gross' Gail Jr said moodily, when she sensed Luke's desire to play alone with Izzy rather than her.
'You're not dispensable, other people are' Caleb whispered, hoping Luke had no plans to actually hurt Ben's Daughter but knowing she was fair game when his Sister certainly was not.
'Caleb, our feet are sore and it's been forever' Josh called, willing his friend to realise how far they'd strayed from their parents.
'Not much longer, I'm just lookin' for the perfect thing' Caleb responded, glancing around the area and then smiled. 'There it is, jackpot!'
Luke ran to his Siblings quickly and followed his Brothers eyes curiously. 'A boat? But we ain't got no rods' he asked confused.
'Don't need 'em' Gail Jr smiled, wondering what her older Brother was up to and squealed happily when he hurried to the boat on the riverbank, then gently placed her inside.
Luke jumped in without hesitation, his excitement finally brewing now that his Brother had found something rather than just wandering around.
'Ye of little faith' Caleb smiled smugly, not understanding why Luke would ever doubt him and signalled for the other children to join them.
'Uh-ah, we can't get in there...what if it sinks?!' Josh exclaimed, feeling more and more that he needed to get back to his Mother.
'Wuss' Luke answered for Caleb, then smiled when Izzy rushed over and jumped in the boat with him.
'Emily?' Caleb asked, holding out his hand and smiling charmingly at her.
Emily blushed, this was the first time since they met in Goat Town when her Father first ran for Mayor that Caleb had addressed her solely and it hadn't gone unnoticed how much Caleb had grown over the years.
'Emily don't, your Dad will flip' Josh warned trying to talk some sense into her and stared at Ben Jr for assistance; however, the older boy just shrugged absentmindedly.
'Yes he would, but he's with my Daddy the Sheriff and he trusts my judgement always' Caleb added, suddenly noticing how pretty Emily was after not paying attention to any girl but Rose for years.
Emily saw the change in his eyes when he finally noticed her and decided to throw caution to the wind. 'Screw it' she laughed, taking his hand and feeling a surge of electricity flow through her as his thumb gently stroked her skin before guiding her into the boat.
Caleb pushed the boat carefully into the water then jumped in himself. leaving Josh and Ben Jr alone on the riverbank. 'Enjoy the walk, I hear the snakes ain't so bad in this area at this time of day' he called back, smiling when his friends visibly tensed and turned his attention back to the passengers of his boat as they began to drift up the river.
Merlyn leaned in close to Billy and rested her head on his shoulder, as his arm came around her. She couldn't believe she had allowed him to drag her away so openly in front of people; however, she couldn't wipe the smile off of her face at how excited he always made her feel.
'Oh God' Gail said in disbelief, leaning further into Lucas as she sensed her Cousin falling hard.
Lucas smiled amused and winked at Billy, his friend being completely unaware of the affect he had on the angelic Merlyn Ann Temple. He wondered how much of her innocence she had let go at the darkest part of the night when they were at their most intimate.
'Less than me' Gail responded to his unspoken thought, shooting him a look of warning for having such curiosities about her Cousin.
'You ain't got nothin' to worry about Love, this is more of a baffled curiosity than covertin'' Lucas whispered in her ear, nipping at it playfully to show how much he still wanted her right now.
'Keep your damn curiosity to yourself' Merlyn snapped, sensing they were talking about her then shot Billy a defensive look when he regarded her shocked at the outburst.
'You people are strange' Adam advised, shaking his head as he sat around the unlit camp fire stack with Lucas Buck's family and friends.
'Adam!' Mary snapped disapprovingly, shooting Gail an apologetic look.
Ben couldn't contain his laughter and took another large gulp of his beer. 'He ain't wrong, we're just used to it' he nudged Rita, who also appeared unfazed by the actions of their friends and smiled when she placed a soft kiss on his cheek.
Lucas watched his longest friend glow at the slight bit of affection from his Wife and hid in his pity. Ben was a good man, he was smart and very capable when he allowed himself to overcome his nerves. His Deputy deserved a happy family, he was the only person he knew without any skeletons and his loyalty was strong no matter how much he disagreed with Lucas' methods.
'You'd think his loyalty would be rewarded by you easing up on your intense methods' Gail whispered, as Lucas' hands wrapped tighter around her stomach and she lay further back into his chest.
Lucas feigned offence at her accusation of his methods, then winked devilishly. 'I don't know, he may think he's hard done by when it comes to his choice of career but can you see him gettin' any other excitement in his life other than what I provide?' he asked quietly, signalling towards Ben and Rita who were barely touching sat on the large log to their right.
Gail looked up slightly and shook her head, she had sensed Bens sorrow with how his life had turned out on a number of occasions and she couldn't even imagine what it was like being in a relationship where a lone peck on the cheek was the most intimate gesture you could look forward to. Hell, she couldn't go more than a few hours without Lucas wanted to be with her or without craving him herself. It was a shame and she realised that this vacation wasn't just about their family, Lucas always dragged Ben along clearly in the hopes that it would stir something up with his own family. 'You're not that bad' she whispered absently.
'Shush, don't tell anyone' Lucas smirked sarcastically and placed a soft kiss on the tip of her nose when she looked up at him.
'Alright, what the hell are we doing here? We're fully stocked and kid free for the moment, who's gonna get the real drinks while I sort the music?' Gail called out, deciding it was about time this party livened up.
'Hell yeah!' Billy exclaimed, jumping up and rushing to the coolers where he'd stored the wine and spirits in case they were required.
'Tut, tut Mrs Buck...to think people believe I'm the bad influence' Lucas chided sarcastically, then slapped her on the behind playfully when she kissed him passionately before heading off for her MP3 speaker.
-To be continued-