Ella refused to make eye contact and shrugged.
“I was a jerk.Let’s try this again,” pleaded Ben.“This outfit and you.OMG, it is everything.You look…” Ben shook his head, never taking his eyes off her, struggling to find just the right words to tell her how incredible she looked.“You look amazing.Better than amazing.You almost made my heart stop when you waltzed out in this.”He nodded to her outfit.
Ella could not contain the shy smile that broke free from her worried lips.At his words, her whole body seemed to blush.“You don’t have to say that,” she replied, secretly thrilled he had.
Pulling Ella close, Ben dropped little kisses all along her neck and shoulders as he whispered, “Nope, I don’t.But it does not make it any less true.”He wondered what it was about Ella that made it so hard for her to believe compliments.He could not understand how someone so beautiful inside and out could have such a hard time believing good things.
Determined for Ella to see herself as he did, Ben said, “You are really putting my word to the test wearing this.I promised you could trust me, and you can.But I have got to say.You are the most perfect thing I have ever seen in these little bits of pink lace.Looking at you, I can only think about one thing.”
Feeling more confident at his words, Ella looked up at him.“Oh, yea, and what would that be?”
Giving her a look that would peel the nautical wallpaper off their hotel room wall, he said, “If you look this goodinthis, how darn fabulous are you going to lookoutof it?”
While Ben’s words probably should have spooked Ella, instead they made her laugh.“Well, that is not something you are going to find out tonight.”
Giving Ella wink, Ben replied, “Shoot.Can’t blame a guy for trying.”Letting her go, he made his way back over to the bed.“How about we find a movie and get comfortable?”
Ella gave him a brief smile and nodded yes before settling next to him on the bed.
Ben flipped through the various movie channels before landing on one of her favorites,Fools Rush In,starring Mathew Perry and Salma Hayek.It was the first movie Ella ever saw where the main character looked like her.Even though she was only half Hispanic, she had the dark hair and features of her father’s family.Seeing a person who looked like her on screen was hugely affirming.She knew almost all the words to the movie, and Ben teased her about it.
About an hour into the movie, Ben got up and grabbed a soda for himself.Turning back to Ella, he asked, “You want anything?I have sodas and water.If you’re hungry, I have chocolate cookies and a few bags of chips.”
“I’ll have some water and some chips.”Now that Ella’s nerves had settled a little bit, her hunger was back.Having eaten almost nothing for dinner, she made quick work of the chips.
When Ben rejoined her on the bed, he maneuvered himself so that Ella was nestled between his thighs.Her back lay against his chest.
Over the next hour as they watched the movie, Ben ran his hands all over Ella’s body, but he did not kiss her at all.At first, he kept his touches to her arms, lightly skimming his fingers up and down her soft brown skin.After a few minutes, he allowed his fingers to move to the skin on the outside of her thighs.The first few times he did this, he felt her stiffen.Slowly, as he continued running his fingers from her hip bones to her knees, she relaxed into him.By the time the movie was over, Ella was almost purring.She was so caught up in what Ben was doing to her, she did not even realize the movie was over.
Handing Bella the remote, Ben softly asked, “Now what do you want to watch?”
Ella turned to face Ben as she turned off the television.“I think I have had enough TV for tonight.”
Ben held her eyes as he asked, “Okay, what should we do now?”
Ella did not hesitate.If she did, she would probably change her mind.She also did not answer with words.She just pushed past her insecurities and kissed Ben with all the passion and vigor that had been pooling inside her for the past two hours.
Ben’s lips met Ella’s in the dance that needed no music.Over the next several hours, they kissed and cuddled and caressed each other as they learned all the secrets of how the other liked to be touched and kissed and pleasured.There was nothing hurried or rushed about it.
On some level, Ella knew all that she was experiencing in one night would have probably happened over several years if she had attended regular school and had dated.But she never got that opportunity.All she had ever done was work—on her studies and at the diner and winery.Now this…this was for her, a new kind of education she was getting all in one night.In the wee hours of the morning, Ella fell asleep in Ben’s arms, feeling warm and worshiped.Softly and slowly, they were growing in their knowledge of each other.She knew they still had so much more to learn, but oh what a night it had been.
The next morning, Ella woke to the lusciousness of Ben’s lips and tongue exploring her body.They quickly picked up where they had left off the night before.The nonstop make-out session might have lasted all day if not for Ben’s stomach, which began growling with fury demanding food.
Laughing as much at Ben’s growling stomach as his hearty appetite, Ella teased him saying, “It sounds like someone is hungry.”
Sitting up and shrugging, Ben replied, “I am always hungry, and I could really do some damage to a stack of pancakes and bacon.What do you say?Want to grab a quick shower and run across the street for breakfast?”
Nodding, Ella said, “That sounds perfect.”
After breakfast, Ella and Ben returned to the room and quickly fell back into bed and spent the remainder of the day kissing, watching television, and just being together.A few minutes before 6:00, Ella got a text that her ride was downstairs.
Ben followed her out to the car, carrying her bag.Just before getting in the car, Ella gave Ben a quick kiss and said, “Thank you for this.It was perfect.I’m going to miss you and this, all of this, so much.”Ben knew she meant their time together, the kissing, the touching, the laughing.They really did seem to fit together seamlessly.Giving Ben a pleading look, Ella asked, “Call me later?”
Nodding, Ben said, “Yes, of course.This is just the beginning.We will have many more weekends like this one.I will meet you here in two weeks.”Giving Ella a final kiss goodbye, Ben added, “I’ll call you tonight to make sure you get home safely.”
With that, Ella got into her friend’s car, and they drove away.She could not stop replaying the events of the past twenty-four hours in her head.She knew that her faith in Ben and them as a couple had grown.She could hardly wait to get home and hear his voice again.
Chapter 7
