“I wish for you never to stop.”
Chapter 4
Abraham
I fear I did not weigh the full effect of kissing Jasper Sinclair. He’s far more potent than I imagined. A luxury so indulgent I know not how I will ever quit his taste.
If this is ruin, let me be a man in shambles.
“Abe.” The whisper of Jasper’s lips against mine is full of an awe I understand in my marrow. “Is it always like this?”
“No,” I tell him truthfully, passing my fingers through his silky hair, the heat of him beneath me assuring me this isn’t a dream I’ve conjured only in my head.
His hands shake against my shirt, one still resting over my heart, the other at my side. I feather my lips over his. His lips, the corner of his mouth, his jaw, and then back again.
His voice is breathless. “Will it pass?”
“No,” I say again, sure of it. “Does that scare you?”
The light of the stars looks back at me from within his eyes. “Yes. This is impossible. How will we…”
I quiet his concern with a press of my lips to his. “Carefully.” Another press. “Cautiously.”
“If we’re caught…”
“We won’t be.”
He lets out a soft laugh, his hand sliding against my chest in a way that makes me long to feel the touch of his fingertips on my skin. His tone turns playful, needing, I suspect, to make light of the danger we’re in. “If we are, will you fight for me, my warrior?”
“With my every breath,” I promise, the certainty of it startling me.
Jasper sobers, his drifting fingers coming to a stop. “My family leaves soon. Can I see you again before I go?”
“Every day if you please,” I answer, capturing his hand to bring his fingertips to my lips. I kiss each slowly. Revel in each intake of breath. Five in total. “How long will you be away?”
“A month, perhaps?”
Such a long time when I’ve only just found him.
I offer a smile, hoping Jasper can see it. “A month to miss you, then.”
“Abraham…”
“Will you think of me while you’re away?”
His response nearly sets my heart on fire. “How could I not? Forgetting you must mean I am dead, for I cannot see how it would be possible otherwise.”
I find the bow of Jasper’s lips in the dark, memorizing the shape of him with my thumb as my voice rattles from my lungs. “If you expect me to leave you tonight, you can’t speak so.”
“It’s the truth.” His words come winded, as if the kiss of my thumb is as exhilarating to him as my mouth. He doesn’t sound pleased to add, “But I must go.”
“I know,” I exhale, letting my hand drop away.
Leaning back, I offer my palm to Jasper, helping him to sit. He straightens his waistcoat before sifting his fingers through his hair. There’s a soft plop in the creek, like a frog in motion.
When Jasper stands, the moonlight casts a silver glow atop his head. “If this is a dream, I hope I can return.”
Without another word, Jasper sets off toward the hill that will take him out of sight. I watch him until he’s gone, his silhouette disappearing amongst the dark. Picking up the sack he left for me, I head toward home.
