A Beauteous Flower

Chapter 47 - The Near Miss

For supper Madison called Uber Eats to bring them McDonald's chicken nuggets and French fries for so that they would eat with their hands and lick barbecue sauce from their fingers for a flirty vibe. During dinner she shot Daniel coy sidelong glances as she picked at her food, lavishly licked stray drips of barbecue sauce off her lips and fingers and nibbled at small pieces of chicken with flouncy giggles. Daniel warmed to her flirtation nicely and soon Madison got him to eat out of her hand. Daniel seemed like he was into it too, and Madison fed him a few more pieces of chicken to accentuate the flirtation.

After supper, Madison suggested that they take a walk down to the lake to watch the sunset. Daniel looked out of the kitchen window and suggested that she bring a jacket, but Madison's wardrobe was non-negotiable for proper execution of this phase of her plan, so she pretended not to hear him and flounced out the door. Daniel followed after he donned a hoodie and locked the back door.

Her white t-shirt and powder purple short shorts would result in a chill when the sun went down, but Madison had factored that in as part of her plan. She took Daniel's hand and swung it merrily as they strolled out past the pool. To ensure maximum skin exposure, Madison kicked out of her sandals and they set off, hand in hand, down the path towards the lake.

The path was well worn, and oak and pine trees towered on either side and the lake shore was about a ten-minute walk at the amble pace they set. As the forest closed around them, Madison released Daniel's hand and skipped out ahead of him to hide behind trees and coquettishly peek out at him as he walked along. From time to time, she stopped her merry prance to pick up something and she always bent at the waist to prominently display her scantily clad bottom. After she straightened up, she would look over her shoulder at Daniel and smile a half-hidden smile from behind some stray strands of hair. Daniel for his part watched her skip from place to place with a smirk.

When they reached the lake shore, Madison ran to the old dock and sat down. Initially she dangled her toes in the water as Daniel sat down next to her, but the water was a little too cold, so she tucked her legs up lotus style and scooped up Daniel's hand to hold while they sat. Daniel was big and warm next to her, and Madison pressed into him as she caressed his hand. When he didn't object, she leaned closer until her cheek rested softly against his shoulder.  Not much later, the sun sank low on the horizon and left pink and purple swirls in its wake. Another few minutes and it vanished from view and left behind the evening stars and the cool onshore breeze. Just as she planned, Madison shivered against Daniel.

"Told you to bring a jacket," Daniel clucked at her.

Madison responded with a radiant smile and another little shiver.

"Did you?" Madison teased lightly. "I thought you said you'd keep me warm."

For emphasis she snuggled petitely against his upper arm.

"You're so warm!" Madison cooed contentedly.

Daniel looped his arm around her and hugged her against his side. There she fussed a bit and eased her butt up onto Daniel's knee so that her back pressed into his chest and his right arm surrounded her from behind. A few minutes later, Madison scooched a little more and nestled into Daniel's lap. He kissed her on the forehead for a few seconds too long and that encouraged Madison to wriggle her butt into his lap. In response, Daniel snuggled her against him, put his lips to her ear and whispered.

"A sloop of amber slips away
Upon an ether sea,
And wrecks in peace a purple tar,
The son of ecstasy."