Slowly, Ben lowered Ella backward until he was lying on top of her.He was dying to take the relationship to the next level, but something was holding him back.Pulling back, he looked into her eyes.Ben could see desire and excitement—but also innocence and fear.That was the thing holding him back and making him go slower than he had in years.The thought that Ella might be afraid of him or what he might do to her crushed him.
Also knowing they had only known each other a few days helped cool Ben’s jets.He was in no hurry to add Ella to the list of girls whose hearts he broke.Sleeping together too early might kill something beautiful that meant more to him than any other relationship ever had.
Softly caressing Ella’s face, he said, “I want you to know something.I would never hurt you.I won’t push you to do anything you are not comfortable doing.We are moving awfully fast here.I think we might need to take a step back.”
Leaning into the hand that was caressing her face, Ella replied, “I agree.I trust you, but I don’t have a lot of experience with all of this.It is a bit overwhelming.I like it, but I can’t lie.It scares me a little too.”She gestured between them.“I like it.I like you.”She blushed as she said that.Reaching up and covering her face with her hands, she added, “I know it sounds ridiculous.I am about to graduate from college.I know just about anything you would want to know about soil and conservation.I know all about the impact and ramifications watering can have on vineyard production.Yet, I know almost nothing about dating or relationships.It is all so embarrassing.Did you know that Thursday night, I went home and looked up ways to be a better kisser and what to expect from kissing and making out to make sure I was not terrible at it?”
At her admission, Ben busted out laughing.“Gurl, trust me.You do not need to worry about your kissing.It is working for me.”He lightly lowered his pelvis to her, allowing her to feel his desire for her.It was something he had so far protected her from.
Ella instantly stiffened at the feel of him.She was so out of her depth here.Looking into Ben’s gorgeous blue eyes, she said softly, “I want this.All of this.With you, I am having all these first, one right after another.It is all coming so fast.I am struggling to keep up.You are leaving tomorrow morning.I don’t know if I will ever see you again.This has been a whirlwind weekend.I have lived more in the last three days than I have in nineteen years.I know you have probably dated lots of girls.I am probably not that big of a deal to you.But you and this have been a really big deal for me.I don’t know what to do about it all, and it scares me to death.For once, I have gotten myself into a situation that I can’t just think my way out of.More importantly, I don’t want out of it.I want to be all up in it.Telling you that will probably make you run as far away from me as you can get.But it feels so good to finally just say it all out loud.I like you.I really like you, and I want to experience everything with you.But I have to be careful.You have the power to hurt me.Me telling you all that gives you so much leverage over me as I don’t know how you feel about me.”Throwing her hands over her eyes again, she added, “Oh my, I am so stupid.I should just stop talking before you jump and run, leaving me here to find my own way home.”
Ben was quiet for a moment, taking in everything Ella said.Then he leaned down and placed a soft peck on her lips.“No worries.I am not leaving you here, and what you said did not scare me off.Not going to lie, if any other girl had ever been so open this early, I would be about getting the hell away from her.But you, my sweet Ella, you are different.This is different.I get that it has happened really fast.I am a little overwhelmed by it all too.But I like you.I really like you too.”
Dropping her arms from her eyes, Ella looked into Ben’s and asked, “You do?You like me, really like me?”
Nodding and then dropping several more kisses on her lips, Ben added, “Yeah, way too much for having known you for like three days.And you are right, I have dated a lot of girls, but no one has ever captured my attention the way you do.”
Scooping Ella up in his arms and holding her close, Ben rolled them over so she was on top of him.Then, he whispered against her lips, “I have learned that rushing things does not always work out well.And I want us to have a real shot with making this work.To do that, we need time to get to know each other better.That means we are going to take this slow.I am leaving in the morning, but this is not over.”
As Ben said that, he looked directly into Ella’s eyes and held them so intently that she had no doubt he meant every word he was saying.After a moment, he continued, “I want to see you again.We can talk every day.Maybe I can come up and see you on one of your college lab weekends.You said you have to go to San Luis Obispo every two weeks.That is only about a four-hour drive from me.I could maybe meet you there.”
Nodding, Ella leaned into him and asked, “Do you mean that?You want to see me again?I am so new to this.”
“Of course I mean it.We’ve only known each other a short time, but you can trust what I tell you.My parents raised me to be a man of my word.I think you are amazing, and I am in no way ready to walk away from this.It is new and fragile, but I think it might grow into something more.So what do you think?You good with continuing this long distance?”
Ella could not stop herself.She squealed with joy.“Of course I am good with that.Are you kidding?This makes me so happy.”With that, Ella leaned down into Ben and for the first time kissed him first.It was not soft or gentle but intense and demanding.
They spent the next few hours talking and kissing and just getting comfortable with each other.The sun was just before setting when Ben’s stomach growled.It had been several hours since the wedding lunch.“Sorry about that,” Ben said, rubbing his stomach.“I think it is time to feed the beast.I am starving.Are you hungry?”
“I could eat.”
“Great.I wish I was still dressed in my suit.I would take you to a fancy restaurant and wine and dine you.There are some really amazing Michelin star restaurants in Napa.”
“Really,” teased Ella.“I would have no idea.”
Laughing at her remark, Ben said, “Oh duh.I guess it makes me sound stupid to tell you about all the great restaurants in your city.”
“Not at all.Nothing you could say would do that.But if a Michelin star restaurant is what you want, I have a great one.Let’s pack up and head back into town.It is in Sonoma.You are going to love it.”
“Can I go like this?”asked Ben gesturing to the shorts and T-shirt he had changed into when he ditched his suit.
“Absolutely!”replied Ella.“This place rocks, and you can wear anything you want.Trust me.”
Giving Ella one last kiss, Ben pulled himself then her up.“Okay, lead the way.”
In less than thirty minutes, they pulled into El Molino Central.
“Are you sure about this?”asked Ben, looking quizzically at the small Mexican restaurant.
“Look at all of the cars, and up there by the door, see the sign for the Michelin star.You will not be disappointed.”
Shrugging, Ben decided to trust Ella.Once inside, he ordered the Chile Relleno de elote con crema while Ella went with the Niman Ranch Beef birria tacos.They ate outside in the courtyard.Ben was shocked at how good the food was.
“This is incredible.I can’t believe our meal was so cheap for an award-winning meal.”
“Just goes to show that you don’t have to spend a lot to get something really great.”
Intertwining his hand with hers, Ben said, “Yeah, no kidding.Thanks for bringing me here.This meal is one of the highlights of this trip.Besides you of course.”
