May 29th, 1895 - Sanditon Beach/Cottages

The best cottage and a picnic as promised. The weather was warmer, surely not warm enough for him to even think about going into the water, but the afternoon sunshine was pleasant on his skin as he lounged on the blanket in the equally-warm sand. Beckett could get used to this. He should endeavor to get out to the resort more often this season, for whatever events they decided to hold. He had always enjoyed sailing, but knew he would never be able to entice June out onto the open waters after their last conversation.

Becks wondered if he'd gotten under her skin at all with their letters. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't alive to the possibility that he might get her to consent to some fun, the kind that happened behind closed doors. The possibility was low, they enjoyed teasing one another far too much to give it up so soon, but he was dying for a little taste.

Propped up on one elbow, he reached for the champagne to pour a them each a glass when she finally appeared. "A woman's prerogative, hmm?" They always took so long to get ready. Surely she wasn't thinking she would actually get in the water? He would cross that bridge if they got to it. "A good champagne, for you Pippy dear, happy birthday." He offered her a glass, his own balanced on the uneven sand between his fingertips. Thank goodness for the large umbrella shielding his eyes and her fair skin, otherwise he may have been blinded. "It's been an absolute age, have you missed me?" Let the foreplay begin.

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Juniper Edevane

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   Juniper Edevane

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Juniper was an expert at slipping away from her chaperone. All it took was a well placed spell that caused a little chaos, as Grace was easy to distract in those kinds of situations – when they reunited, June always lied through her teeth that she had lost her during the turmoil. Her father was harder to slip away from but luckily he had agreed to chaperone Ophelia for a very important promenade that he hoped would lead to a proposal. June was pleased it was Grace today because she wanted to spend a while with Beckett without having someone come looking for her. She slipped Grace a sleeping draught; the poor woman would be asleep for hours.

She took her time descending the path toward the ocean, the hem of her skirt gathered up just enough to be just a bit suggestive, although they both knew June wasn’t going to let him touch her. (Not yes, at least.) Her lips curled into a soft smile at the idea of taking a while to get ready, but she didn’t comment on it; the dress was new, a pale yellow that was a subtle nod to the Wasps. The ribbon on the corset though was blue – Beckett could use his imagination as to why the color didn’t match.

“Pippy, honestly,” June rolled her eyes as she stepped onto the blanket, easing down next to him. She sat close enough that her knees brushed against his. “If I must endure that name, at least pour generously.” She accepted the glass, her fingers brushing against his. “Thank you, darling. Though I do suspect this whole set-up was less about me and more about how well you think you look in afternoon light.” June tipped her head as she let her eyes linger on him for a second longer than necessary.

Then she leaned back on one hand, the other holding the champagne. “Between having to attend a knitting circle and feigning interest in Gobstones World Championship, it’s a miracle I didn’t perish.” June took a sip of the champagne before she turned toward him. “But it’s my birthday. Tell me how much you missed me.” Or better yet, Beckett might show her.

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What a tease. She was good, he had to admit it— to himself anyway. He would never give her the satisfaction of saying as much out loud. "But it's so adorable," Beckett protested, even though he did oblige her generous pour request. This wasn't the only bottle after all. Beckett did not do anything halfhearted; she wanted the works, she got what she wanted.

"Most welcome Cherie," he chuckled; he was saving Pippy for when he really needed it. "I do look better with a tan." He agreed, pleased that she thought this light was good for him. He sipped at his champagne as she drolled on about knitting circles. Surely she was jesting? That was not a real thing. "Sounds dreadful, I'm glad you survived. I would be terribly lost without you." The casual flattery had a purpose. He adjusted his position a little, legs brushing a little more satisfactorily against hers.

Sitting up a bit more, so he had both hands available, Beckett mulled over his answer. "Your absence has been absolutely painful." She hadn't helped with the perfumed handkerchief or the ribbon. He hated to admit it, but she'd gotten under his skin with those. "But I'm pleased to see the bracelet fits." He reached out his free hand to run his finger along the bracelet at her wrist, fingertips brushing against her skin in the process. Beckett knew he was going to have to take what little touch he could get.

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June didn’t hide the eye roll – Pippy was not adorable. She quickly forgave him though once he poured a generous amount of champagne that she was quick to take a sip of before speaking about how boring her week had been; there were always doubts in her mind of how good of a society wife she’d be, if only because June hated the social events that came with it. She didn’t care about knitting or gossip or the idle chit chat that came with everything.

June tipped her head toward him, offering him a small smile. Her fingers toyed lazily with the stem of her glass as she arched a brow at his declaration, then rolled her eyes—though there was no real annoyance in it. Not this time, at least. June took the smallest of sips from the glass, her gaze lingering on Beckett, perhaps a beat longer than she would have liked. “Thank you for arranging this.” Because saying that was easier than saying that she might have missed him too. Her leg pressed against his own.

In truth, June was excited to spend some time with him; they always had a hell of a time together, and it was nice to have some interactions that weren’t all centered around marriage, at least her getting married because there was still time to discuss if Beckett had found anyone suitable. She hoped for his sake that he had, although June was going to have to approve of her, as she had no desire to stop being friends simply because a Mrs. Longbottom was suddenly in the picture.

The touch on her wrist earned him a sideways glance as it interrupted her thoughts. His fingertips were warm. She could feel the slight press of the bracelet against her skin as he traced it. “Well darling, even if it didn’t I would have gotten it fixed. It’s beautiful.” June meant it too; she’d wear it everywhere. Her free hand touched the gemstone.

She shifted then, leaning forward as she drew her knees toward her, although her hands batted at the fabric until she could see her feet so she could unbuckle the strap at her ankle, her foot shaking until the shoe landed beneath it. The other followed shortly after. Without ceremony she leaned back, bare feet settling neatly in Beckett’s lap. “What else do you have planned?” Although she’d be content to sit right here, for now at least.

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"I am a man of my word and unlike many of my kind, able to learn from my mistakes." No matter that he actually hadn't known when her birthday was, he did suppose he was not shy about making up for nearly missing it. It was strange, how much he enjoyed indulging in her demands, in giving her what she wanted. Mostly for his own amusement, he assured himself. It was fun seeing her reactions to whatever it was he came up with. Her approval of the bracelet was the cherry on top. Beckett's family jeweler was good at what he did, there had been doubt about that, but now he was curious to know what the man had thought of his request.

But oh, it was a good thing their little section of beach was more secluded, the cottage supposed to be the refuge, because she was pushing his limits as she shifted to settle her feet in his lap. "I'm glad you were able to ditch your chaperon." Beckett hummed out over his champagne. She was testing him and he knew it and he didn't want to fail miserably. Gently he readjusted his position so he was better balanced. Beckett circled his fingertips lazily over her ankle, planning to take advantage of this new position, but only a little at a time.

"Well, that depends on what I'm allowed to get away with," he mused running his tongue over his bottom lip, hand sliding a little further up her calf, pressing his palm into the curve of her slender leg. "There's more food inside, which I'm sure you saw." He intoned, peeking at her face for her reactions. "Can always take a little walk on the beach or a dip in the water if you're in the mood for less clothes." They had plenty of options.

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Ah, Beckett was trying to win brownie points, but she wouldn’t argue that he didn’t learn from his mistakes; June wouldn’t ever let him live it down if he forgot her birthday. It was almost hypocritical because she hadn’t done anything for his birthday, and if asked, June might be able to guess somewhere around the correct date but couldn’t pinpoint it exactly. Ah, well, it was in the past now.

“She’s easy to ditch. A nice sleeping draught will keep her occupied for a few hours.” June hummed, her toes flexing lightly against him as his fingers grazed her ankle. He was pushing boundaries, trying to see where the cracks in her composure might be, but June knew how to play this game well. They had time to play their games, and since they were in a secluded spot without anyone around, June was going to have fun with it.

As his fingers trailed upward, June let her gaze linger on Beckett. Then one leg slipped a little to the side, opening the narrow vee of her posture although it was difficult to tell due to all the layers of clothing she was forced to endure. She reached lazily for her glass again to take a sip of the champagne, her fingers wrapping around the stem without ever looking away from him.

“I haven’t decided that yet.” June said, because she hadn’t – they hadn’t slept together, and would doing that ruin the fun of their banter? “Let’s go swimming.” Although she made no indication that was actually going to move. Instead her leg shifted again, just enough to make it clear she knew exactly where his hand was and where it actually shouldmight be heading.

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"Juniper!" Beckett was momentarily scandalized and this expression showed it. "You drugged her?" Merlin, he wasn't sure if he should be impressed or mildly terrified. He nearly said as much, but didn't want to give her the satisfaction. No, he had to continue to play his cards right and right now he was going to go with thankful. Otherwise he wouldn't have his hand up her skirts on her bare leg, or be quite so close to her on their private little section of beach.

And if he wasn't wrong, he was getting an invitation to scale higher. It was hard to miss that little change in her posture, but it certainly opened up possibilities. He was content to knead his fingers gently into her calf for the moment, working his way up and down the muscle, alternating between some pressure and a graze of fingertips slowing working higher. Beckett could be patient, if needed. If she was even thinking of letting him get further into those skirts, he wanted it to be her idea. He was just happen to oblige.

Still, he enjoyed teasing her far too much. "Does that mean I get to undress you?" He smirked, quirking an amused eyebrow at her and his hand skimmed the soft skin of her inner thigh. It was a challenge, everything part of the volley they seemed quite apt to continue pushing the boundaries of.

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The corner of June’s lips curled into an amused smile. Did Beckett not know her at all? It was either drag her chaperone here or find a way to get rid of her so she could enjoy some free time, and so she decided to do the latter. “Darling,” she whispered, unable to help the laugh at his expression, “I didn’t drug her. I just offered her an innocent drink to help relax after a long trip here and she just so happened to fall asleep… very, very deeply.” And she would hopefully be back before Grace woke up, but if she wasn’t, well, June wasn’t entirely worried.

Her foot arched beneath his hand. He was much better at giving little massages than she expected, although June certainly wasn’t going to inflate his ego by telling him that. She wiggled as his hands worked just a bit higher, but instead of saying anything she just tipped her head to the side to look at him. “Undress me?” She echoed. “Mm. No. I don’t think so.” It wasn’t an idea she was opposed to, and in fact one she might welcome but she was here to play the long game so of course Beckett couldn’t have what he wanted right off the bat.

“I think I’ll let you beg for that.” She settled on instead, flashing Beckett a grin. “Or if you think you can persuade me in other ways, I’m open to that too.” Ball was in his court.

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Beckett couldn't help but the laugh at her explanation. Without the fear of being interrupted looming over them, Beckett was even more at ease. "Remind me never to actually cross you." He was both impressed and a little terrified. And a little turned on. She was definitely not somebody to mess with and while he liked to toy with the idea, push the boundaries, he wouldn't cross anything for fear of retribution. She could make him miserable if she wanted to, he assumed.

Pouting at her refusal, Becks hadn't actually anticipated her agreement, but he supposed he was open to the chance to sway her. Beg, no, but he might get her to do the begging if he was persuasive enough. "Oh, I'm very persuasive," he assured her in a low murmur, the hand on her leg grabbing at the top of her calf to pull her closer, picnic blanket bunching as he did, effectively draping her legs across his own more fully. Fortunately nothing spilled, but that was really the least of his concerns.

He got comfortable, leaning toward her as his hand returned to its slow torturous circles, inching higher with every loop. He gently nudged one leg to the side, giving himself plenty of room, waiting on a beat to give her a minute to stop him or smack him, but neither came and so he pressed his palm against her first, forever grateful for the ease of access with women's underthings. Determined to make it worth her while, he curved two fingers upward, thumb pressing in teasing circles in alternating movements, watching her reaction before leaning in to press his lips against her neck.

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If there was one thing June was good at, it was talking her way out of things. It came with the territory of constantly being without her chaperone, although given that she got herself into situations like this, her family should probably do a better job at not letting her slip through their fingers. (Or be better versed in knowing what tricks June had up her sleeve.)

But luckily for her, for them, Grace was going to be taking her catnap for a while, allowing time for some privacy for whatever little game they were playing.

She should have slapped his hand away when it climbed higher, just like always did, but Beckett had that goddamn smirk and low, curling voice that gave her pause, because she was curious about how far he’d go; he didn’t know she wasn’t a virgin, and Juniper was going to use that to her full advantage. She’d let him take, let him think he was in charge, as June already knew the line she’d draw in the sand when it boiled down to it.

Her lashes fluttered once as she slowly exhaled. June gingerly bit down on the inside of her cheek as his thumb moved in a steady rhythm that left her thighs tensing where they draped over his lap. Her fingers curled against the fabric of the blanket beside her, nails catching slightly. But she didn’t stop him.

But then lips brushed against her neck and June tipped her head for better access, another content noise sounding from her. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Longbottom,” she murmured, her hands finally moving, although not to push him away. Instead they slid over the back of his neck, her nails lightly scratching against the short hairs at the nape. Her hips shifted, pressing into his fingers.

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Well, she hadn't pushed him away and she wasn't biting his face off. Actually, Beckett rather thought she just might be enjoying herself. "That doesn't sound like a complaint." He mumbled against the smooth column of her neck. Her body language was doing enough talking for him to know that whatever she may try to tease, she was into it. The way she leaned in, the hand at the back of his neck, that delicious little noise she made, all of it propelled him forward with a bit more recklessness. Hopefully she would enjoy it about as much as he intended to.

Beckett pressed in a little more firmly, both with his lips and hand, just enough pressure to make it pleasurable, but refraining from coming on too strong. He brushed his nose along her jaw, pausing at the junction where he knew her pulse point to be. He ran his tongue over it almost lazily, wishing he could leave a mark, but knowing that might get him hexed. Well, at least if he left one where someone would easily see it.

"I don't need to undress you for certain activities, you know." He hummed out, breathy just barely above a whisper, still trying to see how far she was willing to let him go.

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“Oh, I’m very much aware.” Juniper said, her pulse quickening beneath his mouth. She wondered how much she should feign ignorance about sex and foreplay, and if she should push him away altogether, but as he moved, she found her fingers tightening at the back of his neck. Instantly June shifted her hand as she loosened her grip, fingers grazing against the fine hairs there.

June’s lips curved into an amused smile. “You better prove it,” she murmured, the hand at his neck curling to draw him closer instead of holding him in check. They wouldn’t have sex, no, June didn’t want Beckett to win this little game, but there was no harm in getting some pleasure out of it, right? “I’m not in the habit of wasting time on things I don’t enjoy, Longbottom.” The blonde tilted her chin up, the faintest of sounds escaping her throat. “So stop testing the waters and get on with it.”

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Why was it so arousing when she was bossy? Beckett didn't typically like being told what to do, but in this case, he was oddly into letting her call the shots. "Yes Ma'am." He hummed out against her skin, placing another kiss against her neck before he shifted himself upward. Taking just the briefest of moments to check the seclusion of their little spot, secured by an outcropping of trees and the ocean on the other side, his eyes flickered just quickly to the door of the cottage. Thankfully her chaperon had yet to come storming out to the sand, so he figured they were safe.

While he'd like to ruin her, it was more just for the afternoon and not permanently.

Pulling at the buttons of his shirt, Beckett loosened the top couple, just for his own comfort. His sleeves were already rolled up, but he had to fight a few layers of petticoats to get to his prize; and that required a degree of comfort. He settled between her knees, looking down at her, already pleased by the flush on her skin and the breathlessness he'd been able to achieve thus far. Hopefully he could only make it worse.

Beckett slid his hands up her thighs slowly, pushing skirts out of the way as he did so, in search of as much skin as he could find. Once satisfied, he bent to begin his slow torture. Testing the waters was one thing, and though he wasn't too keen to test her patience, lest she rescind her offer out of boredom, he brushed his lips along her inner thigh, waiting for a reaction before continuing on. Admittedly, it had been a while, but Beckett was nothing if not diligent and so he applied the same enthusiasm to the task as he would anything else he enjoyed. Hopefully it would be up to snuff (if she had any idea what she was in for, he really couldn't tell if she had much experience).

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June shivered the moment he settled between her legs and pushed her skirts up, and the moment he touched her, her back arched on instinct, pressing into him. She bit her lip to hold back the small groan, but it slipped out anyway, soft and breathy. Her hands carded through his hair, although June did her best not to grab too tightly, lest she ruin their moment; she hadn’t realized how much she’d been craving this - the thrill of losing a little control, of being at Beckett’s mercy while he lit every nerve on fire.

Green eyes fluttered close. Her legs instinctively parted a little, a silent invitation to continue what he was doing. Each slight shift, each small, teasing movement of his hands and lips, made her breath hitch. “Mmm… Beckett,” she whispered, another low groan escaping her. Every careful motion he made sent another thrill rippling through her, and she couldn’t stop the small, uneven sounds that escaped her: soft groans, gasps, moans that were better than any words she couldn't be bothered to think of on the spot.

“God, please don’t stop.” she breathed, tilting her head back, eyes half-lidded in a haze of sensation. June felt the heat pooling low, the shivers crawling along her skin, and let herself lean fully into it. Happy birthday to her indeed.

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Beckett was still riding the high of getting her to agree to live a little. To say he hadn't thought about this would be a lie, but as uncouth as he could be, he wasn't pressuring anyone into anything they didn't want to do. Thankfully every little noise she made only served to assure him that she was indeed enjoying herself. He enjoyed the tug on his hair, feeling it ripple down his body pleasantly. It felt possessive and though Becks didn't often like being bossed around, right about now he really didn't give a fuck.

The little tremble in her legs told him she might be close, so Beckett focused in on a certain spot, hands squeezing her thighs to hold her still as he did his best to get her to crest the wave. Between that and the breathless command, he could feel his own arousal becoming more evident, but that was a problem for later, right now he was far too busy trying to get more of those sounds out of her.

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