confirmation on the thoughts in your head."
Her reply was simple enough.
"So what is going to happen now?"
Amelia picked up a pebble and skipped it across the water.
"You skip pretty well for a girl," Ben joked.
"Really now?" Amelia giggled, and handed Ben a smooth pebble. "Your turn. You can tell a lot about a man by the way he skips his pebbles."
Ben, never one to shy away from a challenge, skipped the rock.
"Impressive," Amelia replied.
She grabbed his hand, beckoning for him to come with her. He was taken aback by her forward nature. Women were not normally this forward. The only women that Ben had heard were this forward were women of the night.
But that certainly was not the answer to Amelia's behavior. She was everything that he wanted in a woman, but this was all happening way too fast. And it was certainly unexpected.
"Can I tell you something?"
Amelia nodded. "Certainly."
"I love coming to the pier. As a child, I spent all of my time down at the pier in Charleston, watching the ships go by for hours. My older brother used to have to come and fetch me because I had not come home for dinner. I wanted to be a seaman when I grew up, but I guess life had other plans."
"Mr. Abbott, do you find it interesting that we have so much in common?"
"I do."
"I have never met anyone that I've had so much in common with."
They stopped walking and turned to each other.
"And I've never met anyone that I have been so attracted to."
Ben pulled her chin up so she was looking him in the eyes.
"I want to kiss you right now, Amelia."
He had to resist the urge to aggressively pull her to him and inhale her being. Ben knew that the key with Amelia was being gentle.
His lips brushed hers lightly. When she did not move, his kiss became more powerful. In moments, it was as if a fire was beginning to smolder. Ben's tongue danced on Amelia's and her lips felt velvety smooth. She tasted like sweetness and felt perfect in his arms.
They were both breathless.
"What just happened?" Amelia looked to be in a haze.
" We just happened. Right here, Amelia. And I think you know it."
She closed her eyes, as if she was trying to savor the moment.
"How crazy would it be if I told you that I think I am in love with you, Amelia?"
She squeezed his hand, and he saw her cheeks burning pink. "I would believe you because I feel the same way."
Ben's heart swelled. It was the first time in his love life that things were on track. And he would do anything to make sure things stayed that way.
*
Amelia was beautiful. Naturally beautiful. She was all that he wanted and more. They spent their days strolling along the pier, eating salt water taffy, and laughing with one another. It had only been a few weeks since they started spending time together, but it felt like a perfect forever.
When Ben got his next assignment, his heart sank. He had not been ready to leave San Francisco. He definitely did not want to leave Amelia.
He was proud of himself because his first assignment had gone well. Jonathan even left town, and word was that he went back to Boston. Amelia's lawyer McGill filed some paperwork barring Jonathan from touching her money or asking for any of what he claimed was his inheritance. There was no evidence to support Jonathan's claims, so he was court ordered to leave the Smith family alone.
At first, Ben felt sorry for the man. If Jonathan's story was true, he was owed a stake in the claim. Unfortunately, his mother had chosen the wrong time to clear her conscience, and there was no way to support her claims, so they ended up with nothing.
Ben, on the other hand, hit the jackpot. He'd won the girl, and completed the job. Things could not be better in his universe.
He had a plan that he thought could benefit him and Amelia both. Ben just hoped that Amelia would agree.
Ben arrived by carriage to pick up Amelia. The night was cool and crisp, and he wanted to take her on a carriage ride to propose his idea.
She was waiting
Her reply was simple enough.
"So what is going to happen now?"
Amelia picked up a pebble and skipped it across the water.
"You skip pretty well for a girl," Ben joked.
"Really now?" Amelia giggled, and handed Ben a smooth pebble. "Your turn. You can tell a lot about a man by the way he skips his pebbles."
Ben, never one to shy away from a challenge, skipped the rock.
"Impressive," Amelia replied.
She grabbed his hand, beckoning for him to come with her. He was taken aback by her forward nature. Women were not normally this forward. The only women that Ben had heard were this forward were women of the night.
But that certainly was not the answer to Amelia's behavior. She was everything that he wanted in a woman, but this was all happening way too fast. And it was certainly unexpected.
"Can I tell you something?"
Amelia nodded. "Certainly."
"I love coming to the pier. As a child, I spent all of my time down at the pier in Charleston, watching the ships go by for hours. My older brother used to have to come and fetch me because I had not come home for dinner. I wanted to be a seaman when I grew up, but I guess life had other plans."
"Mr. Abbott, do you find it interesting that we have so much in common?"
"I do."
"I have never met anyone that I've had so much in common with."
They stopped walking and turned to each other.
"And I've never met anyone that I have been so attracted to."
Ben pulled her chin up so she was looking him in the eyes.
"I want to kiss you right now, Amelia."
He had to resist the urge to aggressively pull her to him and inhale her being. Ben knew that the key with Amelia was being gentle.
His lips brushed hers lightly. When she did not move, his kiss became more powerful. In moments, it was as if a fire was beginning to smolder. Ben's tongue danced on Amelia's and her lips felt velvety smooth. She tasted like sweetness and felt perfect in his arms.
They were both breathless.
"What just happened?" Amelia looked to be in a haze.
" We just happened. Right here, Amelia. And I think you know it."
She closed her eyes, as if she was trying to savor the moment.
"How crazy would it be if I told you that I think I am in love with you, Amelia?"
She squeezed his hand, and he saw her cheeks burning pink. "I would believe you because I feel the same way."
Ben's heart swelled. It was the first time in his love life that things were on track. And he would do anything to make sure things stayed that way.
*
Amelia was beautiful. Naturally beautiful. She was all that he wanted and more. They spent their days strolling along the pier, eating salt water taffy, and laughing with one another. It had only been a few weeks since they started spending time together, but it felt like a perfect forever.
When Ben got his next assignment, his heart sank. He had not been ready to leave San Francisco. He definitely did not want to leave Amelia.
He was proud of himself because his first assignment had gone well. Jonathan even left town, and word was that he went back to Boston. Amelia's lawyer McGill filed some paperwork barring Jonathan from touching her money or asking for any of what he claimed was his inheritance. There was no evidence to support Jonathan's claims, so he was court ordered to leave the Smith family alone.
At first, Ben felt sorry for the man. If Jonathan's story was true, he was owed a stake in the claim. Unfortunately, his mother had chosen the wrong time to clear her conscience, and there was no way to support her claims, so they ended up with nothing.
Ben, on the other hand, hit the jackpot. He'd won the girl, and completed the job. Things could not be better in his universe.
He had a plan that he thought could benefit him and Amelia both. Ben just hoped that Amelia would agree.
Ben arrived by carriage to pick up Amelia. The night was cool and crisp, and he wanted to take her on a carriage ride to propose his idea.
She was waiting
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