"Which is even more reason why you should go first," David retorted.
Ian grinned at them as they took another step forward. "Fine!" he cried throwing his hands up.
He took off running, and they all turned to watch as he darted past his friends, kicking off his shoes as he ran. He dove into the lake and came up sputtering. "Cold!"
They all began to laugh as he turned onto his back and kicked himself out toward the middle of the lake. With a war-like cry, Mike, Doug, Jack, David, and Ethan ran past them, shedding their shoes as they ran. "Oh great!" Vicky cried as she appeared at their side with Abby. "Who started it?"
"Ian," Isabelle answered over the loud splashes and yells.
They both shook their heads. "Well, we knew it was coming. Let's go, Abby."
Stefan watched in amazement as the twins also ran forward, they usually avoided the group activities. "What is going on?" he asked.
"The end of summer swim," Isabelle answered. "We do it every year, although we usually do it a little earlier than this. A natural stream feeds the lake from the mountains; it has to be really cold by now."
To confirm her statement, Vicky and Abby squealed as they jumped back out of the lake. Doug and Mike instantly came after them, grabbed them, and tossed them back in. Their loud, shrill screams pierced the air as they returned to the surface.
"Come on, Issy!" Willow cried as she raced by them with Julian, Kyle, and Cassidy on her heels.
Isabelle laughed as she shook her head.
"Don't want to go?" Stefan asked.
"Nope," she replied as she moved closer to him.
Stefan grinned down at her as he grabbed her waist and lifted her up. She smiled at him as she wrapped her hands around his neck and leisurely kicked her feet. "I'd take your shoes off," he whispered.
"What?" She frowned at him, obviously not realizing his intent until he started walking toward the lake. "Stefan, no!"
He held firmly to her as she grew squiggly as an eel. "Isabelle, yes."
She glared at him as her shoes hit the ground. "If you toss me into that lake, I'll—"
"You'll what?"
There wasn't anything she could say to that, and judging by the smug grin on his face, he damn well knew it. Stefan kicked his shoes off before wading into the cold water. "Stefan—"
He smiled as he released her. Isabelle cried out as the chilly water engulfed her whole body and turned it numb almost instantly. She came back up, spitting and sputtering as she wiped strands of straggly hair off her face. She glowered up at him as he stood over her, a grin on his handsome face and his hands planted firmly on his hips.
"Aren't you coming in?" she demanded.
"It's a little too cold for me."
The quick but forceful shove from behind knocked him off balance. Isabelle grabbed his arms at the same time and tugged him into the water. He came back up, sputtering from the cold and the fact he’d been shoved in. Her laughter rang loudly in his ears as he turned to look at Ethan and David. They proudly slapped each other's hands, as they smugly grinned at him.
"Everyone goes in!" David announced.
Stefan snorted as he shook his wet hair off his forehead. He launched to his feet after them. They met him head-on as they all toppled into the water. Isabelle laughed as she watched them splash and tumble with each other. He was part of her family now, a part of her, and they fully accepted him. Ian, Jack, Doug, Willow, Kyle, Cassidy, and Mike joined in the fray as Vicky and Abby swam over to join her.
"We didn't need another brother," Vicky said happily.
Isabelle laughed as she turned to face them. The moonlight shimmered over their sleek, golden heads and lit their vivid green eyes. "Trust me, I know."
Vicky smiled at her before she turned onto her back and kicked leisurely at the water. Isabelle turned herself over to float beside her. The water wasn't so cold now that she’d grown accustomed to it. In fact, it was rather pleasant. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift, taking comfort in the light slapping of the water against her skin. Shouts echoed through the night; she smiled when Willow screamed, and a loud splash filled the air.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Stefan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. She didn't bother to open her eyes as she rested her head in the curve of his shoulder. His skin was cold to the touch, but his body heat served to warm her. "Nowhere," she mumbled happily.
"That's right."
She laughed as she pulled back to look at him. His eyes were intense as he met her gaze, his black hair was slicked back to reveal every angle of his face. She stroked the rough bristles lining his jaw. The shiver racking her had nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with him.
"I love you, Stefan," she whispered as she dropped a kiss on his full mouth.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed herself more firmly against him. He glanced over his shoulder at the crowd gathered in the water still splashing and playing loudly. The humans joined in the fun, and even Liam and Sera had appeared.
"Let's go somewhere a little quieter," he said.
"What?" she asked in surprise.
He grinned as he turned over, and leisurely began to kick through the water with her wrapped securely in his arms. He swam noiselessly and quickly to the dock and pulled her behind it. "Stefan," she whispered.
He didn't give her time to protest as he seized hold of her mouth and pushed her back against the dock. He lifted her shirt up to skim across her smooth, silken skin. Isabelle wiggled closer to him. He lifted her legs from his waist and quickly unbuttoned and slid
