They kissed, the stream babbling away beneath and around them. It was long and slow, sensual and exploring. Ester felt asthough she rested in the boughs of a mighty and unmovable oak. That she could rest there, like a woodland nymph, for hours. She wanted to sink into the water with him, to let the cool stream drench them. Wanted to feel his skin through his wet shirt.
When Julian pulled back, it wasn’t far. His hands slid under her, lifting her effortlessly as he laid her fully back into the stream. Her body floated on the chilly, gentle current. The sensation of the water cradling her was foreign, but Julian’s steady grip anchored her, his presence grounding her even as the stream’s flow rolled softly beneath.
She watched, breathless, as his mouth traveled lower, his kisses slow, deliberate. There was a darkness in his eyes, a hunger that sent a thrill through her, but something was different—his lips kept drifting lower.
Her breath caught in her throat when his mouth reached the curve of her waist, his fingers spreading her legs ever so slightly. Her body arched as his lips descended, pressing into her abdomen, down the curve of her hips, over her thin, translucent gown. The cold water lapped at her skin, and she felt exposed in a way she had never before. Confusion rippled through her as his mouth continued its descent, kissing the soft, bare skin of her inner thighs. She gasped, her fingers tensing in his hair, unsure of what he was doing.
“Julian?” Her voice came out as a breathless whisper. “What are you—?”
When Julian’s lips hovered between her thighs, she gasped, her mind suddenly spinning. She had never felt anything like this, never imagined the kind of pleasure his mouth promised. Confusion flickered for only a moment, replaced almost instantly by the rush of desire that coursed through her as his lips pressed a kiss there—intimate, tender, yet filled with a raw intensity that made her whole body tremble.
“Julian,” she whispered, her voice trembling as she gripped the edges of the riverbank, her fingers digging into the earth. “I... I don’t…”
His tongue traced a slow, deliberate path over her most sensitive flesh, and any words she had fell away. Her body jolted with the sudden flood of pleasure, her breath coming in sharp, uneven gasps. The sensation was so raw, so overwhelming, that her mind could hardly comprehend it, but her body responded instinctively, arching into him, her hips tilting toward his mouth as if she couldn’t get close enough.
“You taste like heaven. Let me take care of you,” he murmured in a low growl and it vibrated through her core.
And then he began again, his mouth working over her in slow, measured strokes, each flick of his tongue sending a wave of pleasure pulsing through her veins. Ester’s head fell back to face the heavens, her eyes fluttering shut as she gave herself over to the sensation, her body floating weightless in the stream as Julian held her steady. Every nerve in her body was alive, every touch of his tongue pushing her higher, closer to the edge of something she had never experienced before.
The pleasure built steadily, an unbearable heat spreading through her core, tightening in her belly with every stroke of his tongue. She moaned, her hips buckling against him as she chased that feeling, that sweet, excruciating pressure that mounted higher and higher inside her.
“Julian,” she gasped, her fingers clutching desperately at his hair. The sound of the stream and the world around them faded as all she could feel was him, all she could want was more of this. “What are you doing to—”
And then, in one perfect, devastating moment, he pushed her over the edge. His mouth pressed harder, his tongue moving just right, and she shattered. The pleasure ripped through her in an explosion of heat and light, her body trembling uncontrollably as her release washed over her, fierce and consuming. Ester cried out, her back arching, her legs floating freely as wave after wave of sensation tore through her, leaving her trembling, breathless.
Julian stayed with her through it, his hands steady on her hips as his mouth guided her through the final tremors of release. When the last shudder ran through her body, he slowly pulled back, pressing one last, lingering kiss to her thigh before rising like a god from the water.
Ester lay there, her body spent and trembling, the cool stream still flowing around her as her breath came in soft, uneven gasps. The pleasure had left her dazed, floating on a cloud of bliss she hadn’t known was possible. Her eyelids fluttered open, meeting Julian’s dark gaze as he hovered over her, his chest rising and falling heavily, his shirt clinging to him, soaked from the water.
Without a word, he leaned down, capturing her lips in a kiss that was slow and full of longing, tasting of the river and the passion that still lingered between them. His hands cupped her face, gentle now.
The kiss deepened, his tongue teasing hers, drawing her into him again. Her fingers traced the lines of his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin through his wet shirt, her body still thrumming with the remnants of her release.
But then, he tore away from the kiss. Disappointedly, Ester looked into Julian’s eyes and saw the same answer there.
To go any further, would be a further insult to the forbearance of her mother, who had allowed them to walk together, alone. It would be a betrayal of trust. Though she did not see it as scandalous, merely an expression of love, she knew how her mother and father would see it. Hadn't they just escaped the clutches of a scandal? She would not risk another.
“We cannot,” he breathed heavily, “no further.”
Ester nodded, resting her head on his chest. There was a yearning within her that was almost a physical pain. She gritted her teeth against it, denying her body the release it demanded. They would need to wait. She could no longer hide behind the fallacy of the curse. There was no such thing and she was not doomed to die. Their actions had consequences.
Julian carried her back to the sandy beach and sat down, placing her across his lap.
“This is hardly better. Should the local vicar happen across us, we would still be receiving prayers for our souls,” Ester giggled.
Julian's embrace tightened. She rested her cheek on the top of his head, stroking his hair. She closed her eyes as he nuzzled against her breasts. She wanted to feel his lips on her bare breasts more than she wanted the next breath of air into her lungs. The temptation to reach back and unbutton her dress, pulling it down from her shoulders and then tearing open her undergarments was almost overwhelming. Her breathing deepened and quickened, she hung on the verge of abandonment, casting aside reason and the morality of society. Becoming a wild creature, celebrating her body and Julian's.
Then she thought of her family, of the brink to which they had been brought by scandal. She sighed.
Hours passed by in a blur as they stayed there. In the silent but comforting presence of one another. Their clothes were damp, but dry now. If they remained any longer, her father might send a search party out after them.
Recognizing this, she murmured, “Time to return to reality, I fear.”
Julian grunted but released her. Making for his coat, he draped it over Ester’s smaller frame. She rose, brushing her skirts down from the remnants of grass and dry dirt. As she looked up, she saw a man arrive atop the bank, watching them.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The man was young, of an age with Julian perhaps. He had light brown hair that hung across one side of his face. He wore tweeds and had a leather satchel on his hip—secured by a strap across his chest. Ester stared at him in alarm, unable to speak for a moment. Julian saw her reaction and followed her gaze.
