up without moving the person on either side. Josie didn’t mind. She was sitting on the end next to the wall. Jack, on the other hand, was between her and Mrs. Bergdorf, who smelled like mothballs.
When everyone had squeezed into their places, Dan began the Seder. Wine flowed as the participants followed the custom of consuming a minimum of four cups of wine. By the time it was time to eat dinner, Josie had a nice, tipsy buzz.
She was leaning her head against the wall, just enjoying the bustle and conversation, when Jack’s elbow knocked his fork onto the floor at her feet.
“I’ll get it,” he said casually, and disappeared under the tablecloth hiding her lap.
He was only down there long enough to pick up the fork, but on his way back up he managed to slid her skirt up over her thighs and plant a kiss on the exposed flesh just above her knee.
He reappeared above the table, fork in hand, his face as neutral as though he’d done nothing untoward. Josie’s cheeks had heated.
“More wine, Josephine?” Aunt Bea asked. “You look flushed. Are you all right?”
“Fine,” Josie managed to croak.
She nudged Jack under the table. With his head still turned away from her, his hand swiveled around and caressed her thigh. Beneath the cover of the long tablecloth, nobody would possibly have any idea what he was doing. But Josie did.
Dinner continued with more songs and prayers, but for once, Josie barely joined in. Jack’s hand on her was too distracting. He wasn’t touching her anyplace too naughty, but he was close enough to make her think about him touching her there, and the thought was enough to make her slick with arousal.
At last, dinner was over, dessert consumed, and the door had been opened for Elijah. Seth, who’d snuck out during dessert, appeared in the doorway clothed in biblical garb and a white wig and beard, and gave special Passover chocolates to the kids. The adults drank a final glass of wine, the children found the hidden piece of matzo and earned their gifts, and the Seder was finished.
Josie and Jack were among the last to leave the table, since they’d been seated so far to the back. The entire time her family and friends got up and made their various ways home, to the living room for coffee, or to bed, Josie sat and felt Jack’s hand on her thigh.
When at last they, too, could leave the table, her legs were shaky and her pulse pounding. She’d have sworn his fingers had left a permanent imprint on her skin.
She was so aroused she thought all he’d need to do was kiss her, and she’d splinter into climax. There’d be no kissing of that nature right now, of course. She felt awful even imagining it, what with Aunt Flo regaling them with stories about her dogs and Uncle Marty telling knock-knock jokes.
Somehow, Josie made it through the rest of the evening. Everything had become super bright, super clear. She sat next to Jack on the living room sofa, her entire side alight with the sensation of his body pressing against hers. She talked, she laughed, she responded…but all she was thinking about was getting Jack naked.
What Jack was thinking about, she couldn’t tell. He reached casually across her to grab a handful of carrots from the veggie tray, and his arm “accidentally” brushed her breasts. He nudged her with his thigh. He every so often stretched out his arms and ran a surreptitious finger along the back of her neck, right where he knew she loved it the most. In short, he was being devilishly seductive. On purpose. She wanted to slap him, but she wanted to make love to him more. She’d slap him after.
Finally, everyone who wasn’t sleeping over went home. Everyone else went to bed. They were left alone.
“My back is killing me,” Jack said so nonchalantly she knew he had something up his sleeve. “I was thinking about going in the hot tub. Want to come?”
Boy, did she. Josie narrowed her eyes at him, but couldn’t come right out and accuse him of doing his best to seduce her the entire night. Not when she didn’t really mind.
“Sure,” she said instead, in case anyone happened to be listening. “Sounds great.”
Her parents had installed the five-person spa unit a few summers before. It had been a big hit with kids and older folks, but Jack and Josie had it to themselves tonight. The open