Authors: Emma Taylor
“Nothing you have to say will unseal your fate, Lad. Rest up tonight, for tomorrow you will be on duty the latter half of the night. If you fail to show up, you’ll be tried for treason in the King’s Court.”
Without another word, the man shoved the weapons into Dallin’s hands and elbowed him out of the way so he could move onto the next man in line.
Dallin walked dejectedly through the crowd, trying to catch sight of Esther as he went. But her mother had moved on, already bored and heading to the seamstress’ shop to buy a new dress, or some other leisurely pursuit.
He took the narrow alley between stands, hoping to avoid human contact on the way back to his father’s shop. Everything felt so surreal and he was going over in his head how he and Esther could escape when he was suddenly yanked out of the alley into a small niche between the sale stables and the blacksmith’s stand.
***
Tender lips found his in the darkness and he knew at once that it was his sweet Esther. Her face was wet, her slender body trembling against him in the cramped space.
“Oh Dallin, you mustn’t go tomorrow night. We’ll run away, today. I can’t bear the thought of you never returning to me.”
Her voice was just above a whisper, but the pain in her heart was clear. She’d risked everything breaking away from her mother and meeting him in daylight, even if the blacksmith and the stable boy were still at the town meeting.
“Esther, you must leave immediately. If you’re found here with me, your mother will be beside herself.”
“I know, but I couldn’t walk away with you looking so dejected.”
He kissed her, pulling her close and breathing in her sweetness. In the tight space it was hard to ignore how she made him feel, and he struggled to keep his body in check.
He was about to speak when Esther grabbed his hand, putting it against her breast as she looked into his eyes. Her nostrils flared and it was clear that he wasn’t the only one trying to keep himself in check.
She shifted in the tight space and he slipped one leg between hers, pressing against her through the heavy fabric. She was much shorter than him, giving him all the leverage he needed to tease her. Dallin pulled her into him again, holding her tightly while she moved against his thigh and her supple breasts pushed against him.
Esther’s face flushed a pretty pink when she felt his erection pushing against her leg. Even with so much fabric between him, his excitement was noticeable. She didn’t have to be an experienced lover to know what his hardness signified. Without knowing where the thought came from, she envisioned herself freeing his manhood from its trappings and wrapping her slender hands around the shaft.
Dallin watched her face as her expression went from anxious to aroused in a split second. Her lips parted and her breathing increased. He grabbed her buttocks through her heavy skirts, squeezing roughly and pulling her further up onto his leg before letting her slide back down. Her eyes rolled back and he smiled to himself. She was a virgin, untried and completely untouched so that even the slightest attention drove her wild. He couldn’t wait to get her beneath him, to feel her body give as he slid into her tight heat. He’d lost more than a night’s sleep over thoughts of her naked in his arms.
It appeared he wasn’t the only one.
Gasping, she broke away, her face serious as she tried to regain control of her senses. Like Dallin, she was struggling to form a coherent thought and took several moments before she finally spoke.
“Whatever you have saved is enough, Dallin. I have money that I’ve been hiding away as well. Let’s leave tonight.”
She still sounded breathless and Dallin wondered how much of her bravado was sincere and how much was fueled by desire. When the fog cleared and her mind was hers once more, would she be that brave?
“If I leave now, I’ll be labeled a deserter and a bounty placed on my head. I’m only on duty for tomorrow night. Once I’ve completed the night, the list is so extensive that I’ll not be called again for at least a week, if not longer. Tomorrow night, I’ll show up for duty as planned and the following morning we can leave as planned.”
“In daylight?”
“Yes. With the threat of vampires tis best if we leave during the light of day. My father will expect me to be sleeping. If you feign sickness and send your mother into town for some potion to ease your symptoms, we can be gone and far from here before our absence is noted.”
The distant sound of voices heading their way stopped him, and he quickly kissed her before releasing her and hurrying away. Esther slipped out of the darkness from behind the stables, leaving by way of the main road so as not to attract attention by walking through the alleyway. She lingered in front of a horse for sale, pretending to be interested in the beast as others walked by.
“Oh there you are,” her mother called from the other end of the stables, her face flushed with worry. “I turned around and you had vanished. Child, you gave me an awful fright.”
“I’m sorry mother. I was feeling distraught in the confines of the crowd. I’m feeling much better now.”
“I’ve some shopping to do, come now.”
“If you’ll excuse me, Mother. I’m feeling very tired and I would like to rest.”
“Very well. Hopefully you’ll think twice the next time you feel like going off in the middle of the night as you did.”
Esther nodded and said her goodbyes, turning to go the other way toward their home. She wanted to run to Dallin, to beg him again to run away with her that very night, but she couldn’t risk getting caught.
Hurrying toward home, she fully intended to sleep the rest of the day away. If they were going to leave in two days, she had work to do.
***
Dallin was nearly asleep when he heard a noise outside his window. He leaned over, reached under the bed and rested his hand on the stake he’d hidden there. Quietly, he slipped out of bed and crouched low beside the wall, hiding in the deepest shadows of the dark room.
A hooded figure filled the window, its silhouette dark in the waning moonlight. Dallin waited, holding his breath and trying to still his rapidly beating heart within his chest. For the millionth time he thought about the next night, and how unfit he was for hand-to-hand combat.
It looked like he was about to find out what he was made of.
The dark figure fumbled around in the darkness, finally finding a foothold and slipping through the window and onto Dallin’s bed. Dallin stood, stake raised above his head. He advanced on the figure, ready to attack when he stopped.
“Esther?”
She pulled her hood off and gasped as she saw the stake in his raised hand. He dropped the hand to his side and the stake rolled onto the hard dirt floor, and under his bed once more where it came to rest.
“What are you doing here?”
“Mother fell to sleep shortly after supper and I snuck out again.”
“What if my father returns and finds you here?”
“Your father is at the tavern and by the sounds of it, is already quite befuddled. I doubt that he would notice my presence if I stood before him and danced a jig.”
Dallin chuckled at the image, going to her and cupping her face in his hands.
“It’s so dark in here, Dallin. Would you light a candle?”
He did as she asked, the thick smell of Sulphur filling the air for a moment when he lit the match.
He leaned down and kissed her, surprised when she pulled away.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing is the matter, but we haven’t a great deal of time.”
Without explanation, she unlaced her bodice, her fingers fumbling with the laces. Dallin placed his hands over hers, stopping her.
“Are you absolutely sure, Esther? Once you give yourself to me, you can never reclaim it.”
“Oh Dallin. I have been sure from the moment I first laid eyes upon you.”
“Why now?”
She lowered her eyes, trying to hold her composure and hide her fear from him.
“I want to give you a reason to come back to me.”
His heart sank and he felt her fear as if he had slammed full-force into a wall. Dallin understood her reasoning, but he didn’t want her to have any regrets.
He tilted her chin up, forcing her to look into his eyes. A single tear slid down her face and he rubbed it away with his thumb.
“
You
are enough of a reason. If we never make love, and I never lay eyes upon your flesh, I would still have reason enough to move mountains for you. Your worth is more than the pleasure your body will bring me.”
“Perhaps it’s not just about you.”
He was taken aback by this, “How so?”
“Maybe
I
need a reason to believe that all will be well and my love will return to me, whisking me away on some grand adventure with only each other to cling to.”
Dallin smiled, dipping his head to kiss her tenderly on the forehead.
“Sweet lady, if I do nothing more on this earth, I will spend eternity making sure that you know how I feel about you.”
He scooped her up, cradled her against his chest and walked to the bed. She nuzzled his neck and held on tight. Setting her on her feet by the bed, he stood beside her and kissed her softly.
“Are you certain?” he asked once more.
“I’ve never been more certain about anything in my life.”
Dallin didn’t need to be told thrice.
With shaking hands, he slowly undid the lace that spanned the front of her gown. When he fumbled, she helped him, loosening her skirts until they fell away and she was able to step out of the heavy frock. He carefully lay the gown on his dresser and turned to her.
The soft glow of candlelight played across her body and the thin fabric of her undergarments that remained.
Dallin removed his own clothes, revealing his swollen manhood to her in the dim light of the single candle that lit the room. He was intent, wanting nothing more than to fully disrobe her so he could gaze upon her naked flesh, but Esther stopped him.
“They are split, you need not remove them to gain access.”
She spread her legs slightly, revealing her sex to him. He sucked in a breath and forced himself to look up at her eyes, though his eyes wanted to linger. Her lips were parted, her breathing rapid and shallow.
He moved to lay beside her, pulling her into his arms and kissing her wildly. Leg pushing against hers, she parted her knees, and his bare leg moved against her heat. She was very wet, and Dallin groaned beside her in response.
They lay on their sides, her breasts pressed against him, their legs intertwined. Dallin ran his hands over her body, watching with fascination as the flesh beneath his touch raised with goosebumps.
Dallin searched her eyes, looking for any signs of fear or regret. All he saw was the fire within her, but he was hesitant none-the-less.
“Dallin, I’m ready. Please, I can’t hold out much longer.” she tried to hold his gaze and to smile at him, but her eyes fell closed as she moved herself against his thigh.
She was thoroughly aroused and ready for him. Her hand ran over his stomach between them, trailing downward until she found his shaft and wrapped her slender fingers around him. His manhood jumped in her hand and Esther gripped him tighter. The feel of her hand wrapped so tightly around him drove him mad with pleasure. He needed to be inside her.
She rolled onto her back and pulled him down on top of her, spreading her legs and moving her hips against him. She bit her lip, eyes closed, writhing beneath him with abandon.
Dallin placed his hands on either side of her head, putting his weight on his forearms and leaning down to kiss her. His lips found her tender throat and he bit her playfully.
Slowly, carefully, he pushed against her barrier, holding himself back and letting her thrusts guide him. She groaned, tiny whispers begging him to stop the torture, to take her now.
Back arched, she pushed hard against him, burying him to the hilt within her hot folds and gasping softly when the barrier broke and gave way. The pain soon gave way to pleasure and the heat began to rise in her. He rode her, matching her rhythm and her force, following her over the edge of passion until they both cried out with release.
Esther’s back arched and she bucked beneath him. He shuddered, spent but still moving with her as she continued. Her screams became louder, and Dallin covered her mouth with his to silence her. With one last shudder she collapsed against the bed, breathing hard and flushed with pleasure.
Dallin moved off of her gently, laying down beside her and pulling her into his arms. She rested her face on his chest, the heat of their bodies mingling as they came down from their mutual climax. Dallin opened his mouth to profess his love when they heard the front door open and Cannon stumble into the house.
***
Esther moved quickly, ignoring her soreness as she gathered her gown and tossed the heavy fabric out the window. Dallin lifted her by her waist, gently easing her onto the window sill and stealing a kiss before she disappeared into the shadows, a moment before his father called out to him.