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tradition of modesty?
    I wanted him to take me up in his arms, to crush me against him. My body ached for it, every fiber and nerve seeming to tug me closer to him.
    “Ellie, are you certain you’re feeling…”
    “Kiss me! I need you to kiss me!” I said. I began shaking, the frustration of unrealized desire boiling over within me. How could he be so blind?
    His eyes took in my face, travelling down my neck to my heaving chest and then back up. He swallowed heavily, his Adam’s apple sliding beneath the stubbled skin on his throat.
    Without further prodding from me, he grabbed me up and pulled me close, his arms encircling my waist and his fingers grabbing at the back of my dress.
    We’d kissed before. But never like this. I didn’t know a kiss could be like this. His mouth burned against mine, his lips pressing against mine with urgency and desire.
    I slipped my hands in under his jacket, my whole body trembling with anticipation, fear, desire, and a dozen other sensations. Part of me couldn’t believe what was happening, another part exalted in the knowledge that it was working. He couldn’t deny me anymore, he couldn’t go over to the war. Not after this.
    His lips left mine, then, leaving my mouth tender and almost numb from the force of his passion. Then he kissed my neck, his lips soft on my skin and his stubble rough.
    My body writhed against his, our hips rubbing. I felt him, then. Felt his desire for me. I couldn’t stop thinking about how hard it pressed against me.
    “I need you, Jeff…” I said, “Stay with me. Be with me…”
    “You’re so beautiful, Eleanor. You taste so good… and the way you smell… it maddens me!” he said.
    His hands dipped lower, cupping my bottom through my dress. He kneaded my flesh, pulling me with greater urgency against his desire. I don’t think I could have stopped if I’d tried. Even if I’d wanted to.
    Unable to help myself, I glanced back over my shoulder out the window. Still plenty of light left. Plenty of time to do what needed to be done.
    As though he could read my thoughts, Jeff scooped me up in his arms. His hair was all disheveled, his face flushed to match mine. He carried me over to the bed and set me down on it. The frame creaked beneath our weight, and the pillow cushioned my head.
    “My buttons… Can you help me with them?” I said , rolling onto my side to show the row of them holding my dress closed. Jeff undid them, his trembling fingers fumbling several times. When he finished, I lay back down. Jeff sat on the side of the bed, his legs hanging off the side, his hands on either side of me.
    Never breaking eye contact with him, I slid the straps of my dress down to reveal my breasts. The air and the excitement had my nipples erect, like little nubs.
    “My God, Ellie. You’re so beautiful…”
    More heat flowed through me at the compliment, and a nervous smile spread across my face. I’d never shown another living person my naked body before. I needed him to like me.
    He looked at me for what felt like a long time. Long enough for me to feel the beginning tendrils of fear. Did he not like me? Was there something wrong?
    “Jeff…”
    Before I could get another word out, he reached out, his fingers shaking. I sucked in a breath through my teeth when his fingertips brushed my breast. Slowly, his hand enveloped it, my stiffened nipple pressing into his palm. He squeezed, gently. It was enough to make me gasp.
    Leaning over, he kissed me again, his fingers squeezing my flesh with greater insistence. This time, when his lips slipped down from mine, they encircled my other nipple. It was an incredible sensation. Warm and wet. And when he sucked lightly on me, my back arched up. How was it possible to feel this good? Why did people not want others to do this? Did they hate the thought of people making each other feel this way?
    I knew that neither of us had ever been with someone before. Not like this. Our inexperience showed, and I worried