SIN and HONEY: Seven Years of Longing

Chapter 5: Leah

There was no time left. Leah knew what she had to do.

Half-blinded by tears, she flew through the trees, holding in her screams. She felt the weight of her body carrying her forward-only forward, she couldn't look back-through the darkening thicket of dreams lost and time murdered. The waxy, cloying scent of honeycomb perfumed the air. If she faltered even for a moment, her father would have his way, and her skin would burn from his shackles.

Her lungs emptied of breath, Leah saw her destination: the flash of light hair that she knew would be her safety. He stood by his tent, removing a pair of thick hide gloves. As she got closer, she called his name.

"Levi!"

The muscles in his hands tensed, as if he had been longing to touch her this whole time. He looked up and their eyes met. Finally, Leah stopped running.

Levi came to her immediately, closing the distance between them with great urgency, but his hands stayed clenched by his sides. She could feel how desperate they were to take her.

"Leah, are you mad?" Levi said, his voice low but sharp.

They had been so careful for so long, certain to never be seen, but none of that mattered anymore. She did then what she'd never dared before in public; she took his hands and drew him close.

"We're out of time," she said as her breath hitched.

Beads of sweat pearled at his brow as Levi thumbed the soft skin of her wet cheeks. "What's happened?" he asked. Leah closed her eyes, losing herself to his touch.

Protect your sister. Don't let her see. Promise me.

Leah winced, opening her eyes. "He's going to marry me off. Tomorrow morning. To the highest bidder, no matter what I do or say-"

"Tomorrow?" Levi's expression was dismayed, but not shocked. "I thought we had more time."

"I can't do it, Levi," she said, tears now streaming down her face. She kept scanning the grove-anyone could see them, and it would all be for nothing. "We can't wait any more, we have to leave. We have to leave right now."

His arms wrapped tightly around her back and held her steady. "But what about Rachel? The wedding ..."

"I can't protect her anymore," Leah said. The words caused her pain, and she had to hold tighter to Levi so she didn't collapse. "She'll be married in two days, and then it's up to Jacob. We don't have time, Levi. We need to get our things, take as much of the honey as we can carry, and just go."

His jaw tensed up. "If we leave soon he might not even notice until tonight, but-" he shook his head, "I have a few jars bottled in my tent, but the new honey isn't ready. I need to strain the combs and that will take time."

"But I can't stay. What if I rode alone, bought you some time?"

"Never!" The tone and volume of his voice must have shocked even him, for he touched her cheek gently when he spoke next. "You are not leaving here alone. Do you know what happens to women who travel along the Perath without an escort?"

She'd heard enough stories from Amit to be fearful, but it was a chance she would take. To marry a man she did not love-marry anyone but Levi-would be impossible.

"Look at me, Leah."

She did and was instantly calmed. Leah remembered the first time he had looked at her-the first time he'd dared anything other than mutter hello as he trudged by her, after months of tension between them. His gaze was just as fraught then as it was now, full of unspoken truths they could not speak. "Trust me. I will make a plan and we will leave before tomorrow."

He took her by the hand and drew her into the cool embrace of the trees. Then he leaned in and took her mouth with his, the time they had spent apart fueling his fervor. It was only meant to last a moment, but as they kissed, Levi pushed her against the sturdy bark of the tree. He clutched her tightly around the waist, his other hand moving to the hem of her robe. Leah shivered at the contact of his fingertips on her bare thigh.

She knew they didn't have time. She knew they could be caught, that even touching was a crime. They had met in the grove before, but only after dark-after days of careful planning, of secret symbols communicated silently while in a crowd. If Leah wore gray, it meant her father would be traveling to one of the nearby villages and would be gone for the evening; if she wore black, it meant she would be confined to her tent with Rachel and unable to sneak away. When Levi greeted her in the morning with polite courtesy, she knew Laban would be coming to the hives that evening to survey his progress; on days that Levi was silent, Leah had to suppress her grin. Levi would meet her that night.

The foods they ate determined the place: if Leah ate fruit at her dinnertime meal, they could meet in a secluded stretch of riverbank because the women would not be doing wash that day. If Levi did not eat meat, they could meet in the grove. On and on the list went of their coded secret life, perfected over the years. As the wedding grew closer, he had been greeting her more and more and always had meat on his plate, because Laban had been unwilling to part with his newest business investment for even a day. By now it had been two weeks since she and Levi were together, and she could feel her fear giving way to desire.

Leah did not stop him when he took her hand and drew her into the grove. Nor did she stop him when he leaned her against a tree, pulled the bottom of her robe up over her hips and palmed her inner thigh. Time was running out, and it infused their blood with urgency. His hand moved from her waist to the back of her neck, while the other traveled upward beneath her robe, searching for the flesh between her legs. She moaned into his kiss, and Levi pulled away for a moment to tug his robe over his head and discard it on the ground.

Leah pulled her robe up farther, exposing her hips and stomach, before Levi deftly drew it over her head. Wisps of cool air flooded Leah's flesh. Levi looked up and down her naked body hungrily, before cloaking her with his own. His hands slid down her back, massaging her, before sweeping around to thumb the center of her breasts. He teased them to bloom into taut buds. She didn't resist, kissing his bare, sculpted chest, gently scraping her teeth along his flesh. His hands raked through her wavy hair, undoing her braid.

Leah stopped kissing him for a moment to breathe. Her hair was so long it covered the peaks of her nipples, and when the locks came free, she felt a blush warming her cheeks.

"I'm ready," she whispered with a confidence that surprised even her. If he took her now, it couldn't be undone-she'd give her body to him just as freely as she had her heart.

***

Looks like Leah has been up to no good while Rachel has been pining for Jacob the past seven years! Will she give in-and give Levi her virginity?

Pre-order SIN AND HONEY's 2nd novella THE TOUCH OF BETRAYAL (a retelling of Samson and Delilah) now!

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