Page 16 of In Just a Year
She moaned, eyes shut and lips parted. Ben broke the kiss to venture a gentle attention to her neck, trailing a line of butterfly kisses from her cheek to her jaw and down to her shoulder. Fully expecting her to withdraw from his scandalous onslaught—she was the Rabbi’s daughter, after all—he stopped at the line of lace on her décolletage.
Esther inhaled sharply and searched for his eyes. Hooded from the pleasure, he could only blink, hoping for permission to proceed. Her chest rose and fell, and Ben wasn’t sure if it was just his or both of their hearts beating like a horde of galloping horses.
She didn’t withdraw. Instead, she tilted her head sideways, and the mane of silky black hair drifted to the side, granting him access.
A scent of something fruity—no, nutty—bewitched him. “You smell … it’s intoxicating,” Ben managed, never taking his lips off her soft white skin.
“I just rubbed walnut oil into my hair.”
“Walnut oil?”
“Yes, so the ends stay soft.”
Ben dove both hands into her inky black silky hair. Esther stepped back to lean against the wall. Ben buried his face in her hair and took a deep breath. He could smell the walnut oil, but the scent of her skin underneath was just Esther. He knew it from years ago when he first became aware of her budding beauty and allure. But she’d blossomed tonight like an evening primrose.
Ben trailed his hands along her sides and down to her narrow waist. “You are perfect, Esther. Absolutely perfect. I love you so much.”
She stilled for a moment, smiled and withdrew from the kiss, leaning her head against the wall. Breathless, she whispered, “Me too.” She brushed a stray curl out of his forehead as if she’d done it a million times and he was hers to tame.
He cupped her cheek with one hand and looked into her eyes. “What?”
She shook her head, “Didn’t you know?”
Ben swallowed. He’d hoped she loved him, but he didn’t know. He’d wanted it but there was no time to think now. He touched her with more urgency and let his other hand ride up her flat little stomach and higher toward her ribcage. The more he touched her, the more he wanted to touch her. Every bit of skin-to-skin contact spurred him on. Their eyes were locked on each other and no words were needed.
Ben slowed down, holding her gaze, but she didn’t stop him. And then he reached her breast. He nearly came with the pleasure of her perky breasts that were just the right size for his hand to fully cover them.
She looked down at his hand on her breast and the fact that she was watching him made his heart skip a few beats. His other hand cupped her other breast. He leaned his head down and kissed the line of skin just over the lace of her nightgown, then over the fabric.
Her nipples had hardened and poked out from the thin silk. Like juicy berries, they called for him but he resisted.
She was still watching him, clasping at something behind her as if she needed to hold on.
“Touch me,” Ben rasped.
She understood which part of him he’d given an invitation to touch, and her hand came to his crotch. Ben’s throbbing erection twitched under her hand, barely contained within his breeches. Her curious hand was nimble and stroked the length of his shaft. He couldn’t stop himself, and with a swift movement, he lifted both her breasts out of the night shift and took her nipple in his mouth. She moaned and swayed, but he caught her, wrapping his arms around her.
“I can’t believe you let me do this to you.” His voice was almost inaudible, but he didn’t care, for he never wanted to stop kissing her.
“I’d let you do anything to me if it feels this good,” she whispered onto his head, for his mouth was switching to the other breast. Her hands cupped his erection. “You feel so hard and warm.”
One more sweeping kiss of her nipples, then he pulled her night shift back over them. “I won’t go further, Esther, I mustn’t deflower you on the eve of my departure.”
She frowned as if he’d given her terrible news. He pulled her robe over her breasts and bit his lower lip, for the restraint oozed in his veins like poison.
“Don’t go. Not now.” Her breath hitched, her lips were deliciously swollen.
Ben stepped back to steady himself. “If I stay, I won’t be able to stop myself.”
“I mean, don’t go to India.”
“I have to.” He tore himself away from her and climbed back onto the window sill. “Greg’s fleet of topsail schooners is the fastest available. In just a year—”
“I’ll miss you so much. I missed you when you were at university, but now you’ll be so much further away.”
“Esther, I love you with all my heart and always have. I’ll love you no matter where I am. I’ll be back for you.”
He climbed out her bedroom window and disappeared into the night.
