Chapter 446: Time to Go Home
The strip of sand looked larger once we reached it, but not by much.
Chenghai pulled the boat into the shallow water and tied the rope around the trunk of a tree growing near the shore. Then he carried me the last few steps because the bottom of the lake had turned soft beneath my feet and I had already made it clear that I didn’t trust anything I couldn’t see.
He placed me on the sand with the life jacket still wrapped around me.
I looked down at it, then at him.
"We’re on land now."
Chenghai opened the buckles and pulled the jacket away before lowering it beside the boat. The air felt much better without several inches of foam pressed around my chest.
The little beach wasn’t hiding another part of the date. There were no blankets, food bags, vehicles, or pieces of furniture waiting behind the grass. It was only a quiet patch of sand beneath the trees, with enough dry ground for both of us to sit.
I checked anyway.
Chenghai noticed but didn’t say anything.
He sat near the edge of the water and pulled me down between his legs. My wet bathing suit pressed against his skin while his arms wrapped around my waist.
The boat floated a few feet away, tugging softly against the rope. Small waves reached the sand and pulled back again, leaving dark lines near Chenghai’s feet.
I rested against his chest and looked across the lake.
We had been gone long enough that the sun had started moving lower. The light no longer hit the water directly, and the far side of the lake had turned darker beneath the trees.
"Zhenlan said that you had to bring me home before midnight," I reminded him.
Chenghai’s mouth touched my wet hair. "We’ll be home before then."
That was probably true, although none of these men had shown much respect for clocks once a date started.
I dragged my fingers through the sand beside my leg. It was warm near the surface and cool underneath. When I pulled my hand free, grains stuck to my wet skin.
Chenghai brushed them away.
His hand stayed around mine afterward, fingers moving slowly between mine while we watched the water.
The date had lasted more than a day if I counted sleeping, breakfast, and the fact that we had returned to the same field after going home. Chenghai had built a track, found vehicles, thrown me into a creek, fed me on a broken porch, taken me back to the mansion, and then brought me to a lake so we could sit in a boat and do almost nothing.
That was more planning than anyone should’ve needed for one date.
It still hadn’t felt crowded.
Even the stupid man in the farmhouse had only taken a few minutes before Chenghai gave him a truck and sent him away.
I turned my head enough to see Chenghai’s face. "Did you plan all of this at once?"
"The field and the lake."
"The creek?"
"It was already there."
"You knew you were going to throw me into it."
His arm tightened around my waist. "I thought about it."
That sounded more honest.
"And the porch?"
"I cleared it in case we wanted somewhere to rest."
I looked back toward the water. "You packed enough food for us to live there."
"You get hungry."
"So do you."
"I packed enough for both of us."
That was fair.
The wind moved through the trees behind us, shaking water from the leaves. A few drops landed on my shoulder before Chenghai wiped them away with his thumb.
I let my head fall back against him.
"I liked it," I said.
Chenghai’s arms became tighter around me, but he didn’t ask which part. He didn’t need me to list everything or explain why driving through mud had been fun. He only held me while the boat bumped lightly against the shore.
That was one of the things I liked most about him.
He could sit quietly without making the silence feel like something needed fixing.
After a while, Chenghai turned me around in his arms. My knees rested in the sand beside his hips while his hands settled at my waist.
He kissed me slowly.
There was no hurry in it now. His mouth moved over mine while his thumbs rubbed the skin above my bathing suit. I wrapped my arms around his neck and stayed close when the kiss ended.
His forehead rested against mine.
"You’re tired," he murmured.
"A little."
That was a lie. My body was still sore from the porch, my legs had been wrapped around him in the lake, and the sun had spent most of the afternoon trying to cook me through the life jacket.
I was exhausted.
Chenghai knew it.
He kissed the tip of my nose, stood, and lifted me with him.
I looked toward the lake. "We aren’t swimming back."
"No."
"Good."
He carried me to the boat and placed me on the middle bench before climbing in behind me. I put the life jacket back on without being told, although Chenghai still checked every buckle before starting the motor.
The boat turned toward the dock.
We didn’t stop anywhere else.
Chenghai kept the speed low while the shore passed around us. The little beach disappeared behind the trees, followed by the shaded water where the turtle had scared me.
I leaned against Chenghai’s side and watched the front of the boat cut through the lake.
By the time the dock came into view, I was fighting to keep my eyes open.
Chenghai tied the boat, unloaded the bag, and lifted me onto the boards. He carried me to the SUV without pretending I was capable of walking normally after two days of his date.
I didn’t complain.
The road back to the mansion felt shorter than the drive out. I slept through most of it with my head against the window and woke only when Chenghai’s hand moved from my thigh to my waist as we passed through the barrier.
The house lights were on.
Zhenlan stood near the front steps with Yuche beside him. Lingyun sat in a chair someone had dragged onto the porch, wrapped in a blanket even though the night was warm.
He lifted one hand when the SUV stopped.
Chenghai opened my door before I could move. He removed the seat belt, kissed my forehead, and lifted me out.
Lingyun’s eyes travelled over the wet bathing suit beneath my clothes, the life jacket in the back seat, and the way my legs remained wrapped around Chenghai’s waist.
His mouth opened.
Yuche reached over and covered it.
Perfect.
Zhenlan stepped closer and brushed his fingers along my cheek. His gaze moved over my face, checking that every piece was still where it belonged, before he looked at Chenghai.
"You’re late."
"It isn’t midnight," Chenghai replied.
That seemed to settle whatever rule they had created.
Zhenlan kissed me, then took the bag from Chenghai’s shoulder. Yuche pulled Lingyun’s chair away from the door so we could pass, keeping his hand over Lingyun’s mouth until we were safely inside.
Chenghai carried me upstairs and put me directly into the shower.
There were no candles, hidden food containers, or one final surprise waiting in the bathroom. He washed the lake water from my hair, dried me, and put me into one of my own nightshirts this time.
Then he carried me to bed.
The others joined us slowly. Yuche settled Lingyun against his pillows, Zhenlan took his usual place near me, and Chenghai lay behind my back with one arm around my waist.
His mouth touched my shoulder as the lights went out.
The date was finally over.
I had absolutely no idea what we were doing tomorrow.