“Come on, Let’s go outside,” Jaejoong suggested. He felt like he was going to jump out of his skin from the tension in the house. He and Dara had been staring at each other across the kitchen table since his stepmother had left to go grocery shopping. Kris had been gone since early morning. He had promised to help their dad out down at the marina for a few hours. Dara had offered to watch Hayi, who was outside the beach.

They walked out on the deck. Several hundred feet in front of the house people were busy shoveling sand into buckets and sand molds. Jaejoong glimpsed Hayi. She was giving instructions to 2 boys.

He smiled and noticed that Dara smiled too, looking at Hayi and the boys. They looked at each other and laughed at the same time. He felt the tension ease.

“I guess you haven’t talked with Kris yet,” Jaejoong said, leaning against the railing. Dumb comment. When Kris found out, Jaejoong would definitely know.

Dara shook her head. “No. Not exactly. It’s not something I can just do, you know?”

Jaejoong nodded. “I’ve been trying to think what I’m going to say myself. ‘By the way, Kris, I’m in love with your girlfriend’?” He shook his head. “Nope. Doesn’t quite work.”

The sun poured down on them. Dara’s eyes started to water. “Do you mind if we don’t talk about this right now? I kind of want to go chill out on the beach for a while.”

Jaejoong watched her walk into the house.

When she came back out, she handed Jaejoong a bottle of sunscreen lotion.

“Would you mind putting this on my back? I don’t want to get burned.”

“Sure,” Jaejoong said. There was nothing he’d like to do more.

Slowly Jaejoong began to massage the lotion into her back, making sure not an inch of her lovely skin went unprotected. Her body felt warm and supple, and his hands rubbed the lotion into her shoulder blades, her arms, her lower back.

Dara’s posture grew relaxed, and she began to sway slightly under his touch.

Instinctively Jaejoong leaned forward. He pressed his lips softly against the back of Dara’s neck.

“Dara,” he whispered, covering her neck and shoulders with tiny kisses. “Do you know how much I…”

“You what?” Dara asked, turning to face him. She let her hair go, letting it fall softly around her face.

Jaejoong’s heart was in his mouth. He didn’t think he’d ever seen anyone more beautiful than Dara was at that moment. Without speaking, he wrapped his arms tightly around her. “This,” he murmured, leaning forward and gently placing his lips against hers.

This kiss was different than the others they’d shared. It was soft, sweet and knowing. Dara hadn’t said she loved him, but her lips told him all he needed to know. She felt the same way he did. They were meant to be together…

“Guys, it’s just me. Dad told me 10 times not to forget the Dirt Devil for the boat, and wouldn’t you know…” Kris stopped at the doorway to the deck, his mouth hanging open. “What the hell…”

Jaejoong felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. K