him just by being there. He knew it couldn't have been easy for her. "Incredibly sweet." He threaded his fingers through the silken length of her hair, lifting it away from her head and letting it drift back down, a few strands at a time. "Incredibly beautiful. I think I'm falling in love with you."
"You don't have to say that." Her voice was soft and sweet, her eyes wide and serious. "I don't want you to pretend to feel something you don't."
"I'm not pretending," he said truthfully, a little stunned to hear himself say it. "I really do think I'm in love with you."
"Really?" she breathed.
"Really," he said and bent his head to kiss her.
She opened her mouth for him immediately, exactly the way she'd learned to in their stolen moments on the set. He claimed it with his tongue, gently teasing hers, trying to beguile her into making demands of her own. But she was acquiescent and shy, still unused to physical intimacy, and he couldn't wait for her to respond more emphatically. He deepened his possession of her mouth, leaning over her, pressing her head back against his encircling arm, letting his free hand drift down the side of her face and her shoulder to lightly, lightly cover her breast.
Ariel sighed against his lips and lifted her arm to encircle his neck, pulling herself closer and tacitly giving him permission to go further. Zeke took what she offered, cupping his fingers around her breast to test its weight and contour. He brushed his thumb back and forth over the tip, seeking the nipple through the thick layer of yellow cotton pique and the fabric of her bra. Finding it, he circled it gently, plucking at it with his fingertips until she moaned and arched against his hand.
"I think we found something else you like," he murmured, his voice rich with satisfaction and pleasure. He loosened his hold on her a bit, letting his fingers drift to the row of big white buttons running down the front of her dress. "You might like it even more if we opened these."
There was a moment's silence and then she said softly, "Okay," and he could feel her lips move against his neck.
He shifted against her eagerly, needing to use both hands to slip the oversize buttons from their buttonholes. "Lift your head a little, sweetheart, so I can see what I'm doing here," he instructed, using the back of one hand to brush a thick sheaf of her waist-length hair out of the way as he spoke.
And Ariel obediently lifted her head, making it easier for him to get at her buttons. "I think I'm in love with you, too," she blurted.
Zeke looked up, arrested in midmotion, his hands still busy with her buttons. "You don't have to say that, either, you know," he told her. "It isn't required."
"No, I mean it," Ariel said. "I think I... that is, I've never felt this way before. My heart's pounding so hard and it hurts to breathe and..."
He smiled. "It might not be love, you know, sweetheart," he warned her. "It might just be sex." And a little bit of fear mixed in, he thought.
Ariel blushed and looked away.
Zeke put his hand under her chin, turning her face back to his. "Sex is okay, Ariel. No matter what anyone's told you before. Sex is healthy and natural."
"Even without love?"
"Sure, even without love. I'm not saying you should do this with just anyone," he added quickly, just in case she misunderstood and thought he was giving her free rein. "You should care about the person. A lot. A whole lot," he emphasized. "But you don't have to be in love." He leaned forward and kissed her, then let her go to finish with the buttons. "I've heard it's better when you're in love but I wouldn't know from personal experience." He looked up suddenly and grinned. "Maybe I'll find out today, huh?"
"Maybe we'll both—" she began but he was no longer listening.
The buttons down the front of her dress were all undone and he pushed the two halves of the yellow pique fabric aside to reveal what lay beneath. She was long and lean and exquisite under her expensive,
"You don't have to say that." Her voice was soft and sweet, her eyes wide and serious. "I don't want you to pretend to feel something you don't."
"I'm not pretending," he said truthfully, a little stunned to hear himself say it. "I really do think I'm in love with you."
"Really?" she breathed.
"Really," he said and bent his head to kiss her.
She opened her mouth for him immediately, exactly the way she'd learned to in their stolen moments on the set. He claimed it with his tongue, gently teasing hers, trying to beguile her into making demands of her own. But she was acquiescent and shy, still unused to physical intimacy, and he couldn't wait for her to respond more emphatically. He deepened his possession of her mouth, leaning over her, pressing her head back against his encircling arm, letting his free hand drift down the side of her face and her shoulder to lightly, lightly cover her breast.
Ariel sighed against his lips and lifted her arm to encircle his neck, pulling herself closer and tacitly giving him permission to go further. Zeke took what she offered, cupping his fingers around her breast to test its weight and contour. He brushed his thumb back and forth over the tip, seeking the nipple through the thick layer of yellow cotton pique and the fabric of her bra. Finding it, he circled it gently, plucking at it with his fingertips until she moaned and arched against his hand.
"I think we found something else you like," he murmured, his voice rich with satisfaction and pleasure. He loosened his hold on her a bit, letting his fingers drift to the row of big white buttons running down the front of her dress. "You might like it even more if we opened these."
There was a moment's silence and then she said softly, "Okay," and he could feel her lips move against his neck.
He shifted against her eagerly, needing to use both hands to slip the oversize buttons from their buttonholes. "Lift your head a little, sweetheart, so I can see what I'm doing here," he instructed, using the back of one hand to brush a thick sheaf of her waist-length hair out of the way as he spoke.
And Ariel obediently lifted her head, making it easier for him to get at her buttons. "I think I'm in love with you, too," she blurted.
Zeke looked up, arrested in midmotion, his hands still busy with her buttons. "You don't have to say that, either, you know," he told her. "It isn't required."
"No, I mean it," Ariel said. "I think I... that is, I've never felt this way before. My heart's pounding so hard and it hurts to breathe and..."
He smiled. "It might not be love, you know, sweetheart," he warned her. "It might just be sex." And a little bit of fear mixed in, he thought.
Ariel blushed and looked away.
Zeke put his hand under her chin, turning her face back to his. "Sex is okay, Ariel. No matter what anyone's told you before. Sex is healthy and natural."
"Even without love?"
"Sure, even without love. I'm not saying you should do this with just anyone," he added quickly, just in case she misunderstood and thought he was giving her free rein. "You should care about the person. A lot. A whole lot," he emphasized. "But you don't have to be in love." He leaned forward and kissed her, then let her go to finish with the buttons. "I've heard it's better when you're in love but I wouldn't know from personal experience." He looked up suddenly and grinned. "Maybe I'll find out today, huh?"
"Maybe we'll both—" she began but he was no longer listening.
The buttons down the front of her dress were all undone and he pushed the two halves of the yellow pique fabric aside to reveal what lay beneath. She was long and lean and exquisite under her expensive,
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