by Maya Riley
This route had three pitches, and easy holds to make for a quick and smooth climb. Our calloused hands had prepared for this for years. While it wasn’t the most difficult climb in the world, it was the only place where you could find these blue-thorned flowers. There were plenty of other, more amazing climbs out there, but for some reason this was the one that caught Clif’s and my eyes all those years ago. I was going to be leading this, so I had to be the most ready that I’d ever been.
We could’ve done this for any birthday, any time at all, but everyone always told me that life started to go downhill once you turned twenty-five, saying there was nothing else to look forward to. At age sixteen you could drive, at eighteen you were a legal adult, at twenty-one you could buy alcohol, at twenty-five you could rent a car, and then every birthday after, you continue to age. Sure, they were mostly joking with that, but we wanted to make sure it was a time to look forward to, not a time to dread like we’d always been told.
Once at the top of this leg, we checked in at the small post where we were registered, picked up the key, and proceeded to the cabin we’d be staying in for the short time we were here. Each leg had small cabins, and the higher we’d go, the fewer there were. This level was the most touristy, since there was a tram that drove up and around the other side of the mountain so tourists could enjoy the view. We could’ve done that too, but that would’ve taken some of the adventure away for us. Not many sightseers would continue to venture much farther upward.
Once we got to our cabin, Ryan inserted the key and opened the front door. As soon as I stepped over the threshold, my senses were overwhelmed with the smell of fresh pine from the cleaning products. The cleaning crew must have just finished.
Immediately inside the front door was a living room, with a kitchen off to the left. I turned to the right and proceeded up the stairs. At the top was a narrow hallway with three doors—two bedrooms and a bathroom. I walked inside the first bedroom and dropped my pack by the door, claiming the room for myself and whoever else I’d be sharing it with—most likely Jenna.
Placing my hands on my hips, I looked around. A king-sized bed took up most of the room, with a small dresser along one wall and a nightstand on either side of the bed. Without warning, I was flying through the air for a moment before bouncing off the mattress and being engulfed in big, strong arms.
“Oomph,” was all I managed to get out, before the arms closed around me. Long brown hair fell from his shoulders and tickled my forehead. “Carson?” I laughed. “What are you doing?”
I tilted my head up to look at him and his lips pressed against mine. My tongue darted out to lick the ever-present taste of coconut rum that seemed to have become a permanent part of him from his years of working at a distillery.
He pulled away from my lips. “I was told a little something.” He paused to give me a quick kiss. “And decided to see if it was accurate.” Another kiss on the lips. “So, did I hear correctly, or am I being a complete creep and need to run away?” He lingered with his mouth inches from mine, his breath fanning my lips as he waited for my response.
With a smile, I raised my arms, laced my fingers together around the back of his neck, and pulled myself up to close the distance between us, stopping only when my mouth touched his. He wrapped an arm around me, his hand on my back supporting my weight, and pressed his mouth harder against mine. My mouth opened for his, and his tongue darted inside, battling for dominance. I was so happy in this moment that I’d let him win whatever he wanted.
A knock at the door startled us, and we pulled back slightly as our heads snapped toward the door. Ryan was standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, and a big grin lighting up his face.
“So,” he drawled, “I see you beat me to it. Nice work.”
Carson dropped his side onto the bed and pulled me into his chest. “That first leg of the mountain must’ve worn you out too much to climb those stairs any faster. You really gotta work on your endurance, man.”
Ryan grabbed one of the pillows that had found its way to the end of the bed and tossed it at Carson, who turned his body to shield me from the volatile object of fluff. “Gary should be back any minute with the pizzas.” He paused, and a smirk crossed his lips. Pizza was the main thing to eat on this level. It was a good thing it was something we really enjoyed. “Or we could go downstairs later. Make sure the bed is nice and warm for tonight.”
I reached for a pillow behind my head and chucked it at his chest, laughing. “Normally a girl gets a first date before getting mauled by a threesome.”
Ryan frowned. “We’ve been friends for a few years. While you may have thought it was normal friends hanging out, we saw it more like dates. Or, at least, the closest that rock climbers can come to dating when dangling a hundred feet in the air every now and then.”
My heart fluttered at his heated gaze. A door downstairs slammed shut and I heard Gary’s voice carry up the stairs, as he shouted, “Pizza’s here! Come and get it before I devour it all.”
“Alright boys.” I tapped on Carson’s chest. “You heard him. It’s always important to listen to the person with the food. He holds the key to dinner. Let’s go.”
Carson pushed underneath my back to help me sit up, and Ryan reached his hands out. I grabbed them and he pulled me off the bed. As soon as my feet touched the floor, I took off running toward the stairs. In a small cabin with five hungry guys, it could be a bloodbath just to get one slice. Pizza was too precious to lazily miss out on.
I walked into the kitchen to see a mass of guys practically devouring the pizza boxes that were ripped apart on the counter. Judging by the size of the faceless mountain of muscle, Dave and Stan must have come in when Gary did.
Jenna motioned to me from the door on the other side, holding up the box of pizza she was carrying, and Carrie was holding the door open in front of her. I carefully slid around the guys, careful not to bump them too much in their hungered state, and made my way over to the girls. We hurried outside, away from the pizza massacre. I gave a mental prayer that Ryan and Carson would be able to pick up some of the scraps, because it was hard to say if there’d be any left.
“That was a close one,” I said as I took my plate from Jenna.
“That was a madhouse,” Carrie added. “Trying to eat with Dave and Stan is one thing. But add three to four more guys to the mix? That was terrifying.” She picked up a slice of pepperoni pizza and took a bite.
“Speaking of Dave and Stan…” Jenna smoothly steered the conversation. “How well do you know them? How’d you meet?”
Carrie swallowed her bite before answering, “I’ve known them for about two years now. I’d just moved to a new town for work and went to check out the climbing gym. I’d already been climbing for a few years, but I had to start all over again trying to find people I trusted enough to climb with.” I nodded, understanding the struggle in that. Whenever one of my climbing buddies moved away, they were nearly impossible to replace. I always had to spend time climbing with others until I’d find the ones I’d want to stick to like glue.
Jenna’s knee was bouncing up and down next to me in anticipation of getting the information I knew she’d really be after. “You’ve known them for awhile then?” Jenna asked. “Have you ever, you know… dated?”
Carrie coughed as she was trying to take her next bite in that moment. “Oh, hell no,” she exclaimed with a laugh, her blue hair flying around as though she were trying to shake the question away. “They’re my best friends, nothing more. They’re more like brothers to me.”
Jenna let out a relieved breath, and Carrie raised her eyebrow, the metal stud throwing light around from where the waning sunlight bounced off it.
“You like him, don’t you?” she inquired in an amused tone.
Before anyone could answer that, the door opened and all seven guys piled outside with their plates full of pizza, spreading out as they each found a spot on the ground.
“I’m am
azed there was any pizza left,” I announced in surprise. “From what I saw when I came down, I thought you guys had demolished the whole stash.”
J.D. grinned at me before he shoved a slice of pizza into his mouth.
“Nah, I made sure to set aside a separate box for the ladies,” Gary replied as he sat down on my other side, at the only other chair at the table.
“It’s true,” Jenna confirmed. “That’s the only way we even got any. He’s a real gentleman.”
“Now, if only I could get some other guys to see that.” He winked before diving into his own pizza pile.
It wasn’t much longer before every last bite was gone and the sun was setting. We all sat there, silent, stuffed, and satisfied. The first two days had come and gone and were more amazing than I ever could have imagined. My birthday was over a week away, and we’d be climbing the next leg of the journey soon. Even better, I’d be doing it with people who cared for me as much as I did them, and some new friends.
Jenna got up and moved to sit next to Dave and started up a conversation with him. This really would be a trip full of everything.
Pete filled Jenna’s empty seat and rested a hand on my thigh. “You sure you’re okay with this? Because I mean, we’d make sure you got up there, but it’s going to get tougher the higher we go,” I asked. “It’s not too late to back out and take a tram down. I really don’t want anything to happen to you.” He’d been in pretty good shape for as long as I’d known him, but I still couldn’t help but worry.
“Yeah. Actually, I’ve had some extra climbing lessons with the guys over the last few months. Thanks for worrying though.” He lifted my hand and placed a kiss to my knuckles.
I raised an eyebrow at that. “Oh, really?”
Gary was taking a drink of water at that moment, and slightly convulsed as he tried to keep from spitting it out across the table.
“Yup. I wanted to make sure I could be as handy as possible.” He squeezed my knee. The little shit. But that put my mind at ease some. At least I was assured I wouldn’t be throwing him to the wolves on this climb.
Turning my head forward, I noticed Ryan sitting on the ground a few feet in front of me, facing us, and staring at Pete’s hand on my knee. Not in anger and not entirely jealousy. Just with a look in his eyes that said he wished it was his. The hand on my knee squeezed again, and I looked up to see Pete smirking at Ryan. This was going to be a great adventure, but these guys might just drive me insane. Mostly in a sexually frustrated way.
Carson
Having the girl of my dreams on a mountainside all to myself and away from civilization was everything I’d always wanted. Having my best buds with us, and also each possessing a piece of her heart was something I never considered until a while ago.
One night after climbing in the Red River Gorge, she’d fallen fast asleep with her head in my lap. That was when the rest of us had our talk. We’d agreed that if she wanted one of us, then the others wouldn’t stand in the way. Back then, we had no idea she’d admit to having feelings for all of us later on.
Looking around, the others had noticed Pete’s hand on her knee and it was only a matter of time before one of the other guys did something about it. There was no jealousy amongst us, but it shouldn’t be a surprise we all wanted our time with her. Ryan had already noticed the hand on her knee, and his eyes were scrunched up as though he were trying to decide whether or not to get up and make a move.
Deciding that I’d already waited long enough, I stood up and walked over to her. I took her hand, and Pete’s slid off her knee as I pulled her up and out of her chair, before walking off with my girl at my side. I could feel eyes at my back as we sauntered away.
The questions and protests of the others faded into the background as we dipped into the trees, and I didn’t even bother to hide my smirk.
A slight breeze came through and I felt her hand shudder in mine. I gripped it tighter, and pinned her arm in between my own and my body, trying to transfer some heat. It was a relatively nice day, but the higher we climbed, the colder it was going to get. I looked down at her and frowned at the faint goosebumps pebbling on her bare arm. Luckily the amount of time she spent planning, preparing, and packing for this trip left no doubt in my mind that she’d packed a warmer layer that was back at the cabin.
A few moments later, the clouds moved and the sun peeked through, cascading a warm glow upon us and I watched as the goosebumps slowly began to fade.
Once we were a little ways away from the cabin and fully blocked from view of prying eyes, I turned, spun her toward me, and planted my lips on hers.
Opening my mouth slightly, my tongue darted out and licked the stray pizza sauce from her bottom lip. My free hand came up to cup the back of her neck, and I rubbed my thumb along her jawline, feeling every bit of her soft, fair skin, and the motion of her jaw as her mouth moved in rhythm with my own.
My other hand still held hers, and I felt every callous that was there. Each one represented a story of the tribulations she’d gone through over the years. Every climb she’d done, every fall she’d taken, every triumph she’d accomplished, and every moment of training, whether good or bad. I was filled with nothing but pride for her. She never failed to astound me.
She was pressed up against my front, and there was no way she would fail to notice my excitement for her. At least this time, I wouldn’t have to try and hide it.
After a few moments, we pulled away. My hand remained on the back of her neck, keeping her close.
“Hi,” I said. My brain couldn’t seem to think of anything else to say.
“Hi,” she replied. “Just the kind of dessert I was hoping for.”
The corners of her mouth turned up, causing the edges of her eyes to crinkle. Her eyes, that lit up every time she set her sights on a new climb, were the color of milk chocolate converging with a deep, forest green. Sometimes the two colors seemed to swirl together, like moss creeping over rich soil on the forest floor.
They said that eyes were the windows to the soul, and hers were filled with life. Filled with so many emotions, and dreams, that no one word could describe it all.
Eyes that held fire that had been consuming me since the day she first walked into my life.
Cam
Carson’s hazel eyes bored into mine, as though he were trying to see into the very depths of who I was. I wanted to be fully open with him, with all of them, but I still couldn’t help being worried about what he’d find there. I’d always tried to be positive and focused on new goals, but deep inside was a little ball of doubt and pain I hadn’t been able to squelch.
Regardless of whatever he found there, his eyes never wavered and his smile never faltered. He looked at me the same way he always did, but now I was seeing it with wide-open eyes. He didn’t even try to hide the way he cared for me. Instead, he said it with every flicker of his gaze and each stroke of his tongue. He said it in other ways, too, that he didn’t even bother to hide.
I stood up on my tiptoes and placed a quick kiss on his lips, smiling as I rested back down on the heels of my feet. His erection pressed into my stomach, and I smiled at the thought that I could so easily cause that reaction in him. I briefly wondered how much more time would go by before I’d experience some more of it.
His hand dropped from behind my neck as he turned and we walked through the trees, hand in hand.
“Is this trip going the way you wanted it to?” Carson asked, breaking the silence.
“No,” I answered truthfully, to which his head snapped around in concern, and I laughed. “No, it’s not going how I wanted it to,” I repeated, as I watched his eyebrows knitted in confusion. I hopped up to plant a light kiss on his nose. “It’s going even better than I’d ever hoped for.” I held his gaze with my own, conveying the honesty in my statement.
His shoulders sagged with relief. “You had me worried there for a moment that I’d done something wrong.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, still smiling.
“Just wanted to make sure we weren’t disappointing you.”
“You could never disappoint me.” I squeezed his hand.
Leaves and rocks crunched underneath our feet, the only other sounds out here besides the occasional flutter of wings from various flying insects and the little blue birds that frequented this mountain.
After a while, we headed back toward the cabin. We made it back right as the sun was setting, the last of the evening rays disappearing with each step we took.
I pushed the front door open to find everyone else seated across the living room floor, playing cards.
“Wad up?” Gary greeted us without taking his eyes off the stack of cards in his hands. I walked over and sat cross-legged on the floor next to him and peered over to see his cards, which he immediately clutched to his chest, exclaiming, “Hey now, no cheating!”
“I’m not even playing, dork. I just got here.”
“It’s about time too. I was beginning to think your wooded make out session would never end.” He smirked as he pulled the cards back out just enough for him to be able to see.
I looked over to Carson for some backup here, but he was leaning with his back against the wall by the door, arms crossed over his chest, and his knee up as he had one foot pushed up against the wall. His dark brown hair fell down to his shoulders with the absence of his bandana, and his face held a light that said he was going to enjoy this bickering, so he’d be no help at all.
Turning ninety degrees, I scooted across the floor so I was sitting next to Jenna, who did the same thing. She clutched her cards to her chest to hide them from view and shooed me. “Hey, hey, hey. Get your own cards, or do me a favor and peek at the cards of your harem here and tell me what they are.”
I lightly shoved her shoulder, before letting out a long yawn.