A Tale of Nimble Nibblers
Esther Wilson, operator of the Four Corners boarding house, took the loaves of baked bread out of her oven and set them on the rack near the window to cool. Quickly she closed the oven, and stepped away from it, seeking a cooler spot in her spacious kitchen. It was not to be found. The horrid heat wave, which held Four Corners in its scorching grasp, was now in its fifth day, and it did not appear to be letting up any time soon. She had avoided doing much baking over the past four days by fixing sandwiches, salads, and other meals that were cool and refreshing, but her boarders had quickly grown tired of the simple fare.
She fanned herself with a kitchen towel, before returning to the stove and stirring the pot roast and vegetables she had opted to cook on top of the stove, instead of in the oven. Steam from the tantalizing concoction rose up and hit her in the face, causing her to let out a gasp and step back. Esther moved over to the sink and dipped a handkerchief into her pail of washing water, and dabbed at her face where the steam had caught her. Even though the water was not as cool as she would have liked, she relished the wetness nevertheless.
Josiah Sanchez stood in the doorway leading to the backyard, and watched the woman he loved try to cool herself down with a wet handkerchief. Esther was an unexpected gift from God in his life, which he cherished every day. She was kind in spirit, gentle in temperament and attitude, and a feisty lover. She gave freely of herself and expected nothing in return, except for respect, friendship, and compassion from those she helped. She was truly a remarkable woman, and he was grateful she found him worthy enough to be her man.
His blue eyes were riveted on the way her slender fingers used the wet cloth to caress her face and neck, and wished it were his hands doing the caressing. He crossed the distance between them and nimbly plucked the cloth from her hands. Esther let out a small 'oh,' in surprise at his sudden appearance, but did not protest his taking the cloth from her.
Instead she watched as he dipped the handkerchief back into the pail, rung it out, and turned toward her. Josiah waited until she nodded her head in response to his unspoken question, before he began to run the cloth over her exquisite features.
Esther closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensations Josiah's tender touches were creating within her. She knew she was being wanton, but did not care. Josiah was the man she loved, it was her kitchen, and if no one approved, and they did not have to stay at her boarding house.
Josiah trailed the cloth over her face, down to her neck, enjoying the way Esther gave herself trustingly over to him. His eyes traveled onto her luscious lips and he lowered his head. His mouth found hers and he watched her eyes pop open. Desire and love shone in their smoky gray depths as he nibbled on her bottom lip. His tongue probed at her mouth and she obediently responded, her own tongue darting out to mate with his. As the kiss deepened, Josiah drew Esther into his arms and both forgot about the heat outside and concentrated instead on feeding the flame of desire within.