Being the two responsible adults that we were, we took an Uber to my surprise. We stepped out of the car and came face to face with a large arch. The arch was made of flowers and greenery. I had never been here in person, and I had totally underestimated its beauty. There were two massive trees, the tops barely visible. The blooms were a mixture of light pink and vivid red at this time of year.
“Did you know these trees can tell how two people feel about each other?” I repeated what Will had texted me on the Uber ride over. Apparently, this story had worked wonders for him with Kristen. “Will told me to tell you that, so I don’t know how true it is.” I smiled and shrugged.
By this time it was getting dark, so the details of the trees and flowers weren’t completely clear, but there were some birds that chirped back and forth.
There was a path that led under the arch. I practically skipped forward, eager to sit somewhere secluded with Paul. As we walked under the arch, we craned our necks, looking to get a view of the scenery visible in front of the setting sun. We continued along the path, unable to see too far into the forest.
“Is this safe?” Paul asked with a nervous chuckle.
“Will says so,” I said.
“If you say so,” Paul said. “If we get attacked by a wolf, at least I’ll die with you.”
Hopefully that would come after we slept together. The heat from the dance still hadn’t worn off for me. It affected me just thinking about it. I looked to Paul. He took off his jacket and held it over his shoulder. “Getting hot?” I asked.
“After that dance? Yeah,” he said, pulling me in with the hand that wasn’t carrying his jacket. As we continued walking, his hand around my waist slowly rose and fell, reaching up to around my ribs, and down to where my legs met my hips. I felt goosebumps spread from where he touched me, up to the back of my neck. I had to resist shivering from his touch. The tingling of excitement coursed through my body as I wondered what this moment had in store for me. “Wait,” he said, stopping suddenly. “Is the forest the surprise or is the surprise inside the forest?”
“I suppose you’ll have to wait and see,” I said, moving us forward again. “Who knows what secrets this forest holds?”
He groaned.
The path we continued down was faintly illuminated with light from the clear night sky. Several silent minutes later we came to a dead end. The path ended at a tree that towered even higher than the giant trees at the entrance.
“Wow,” we both said in unison.
“That’s a big tree,” he said.
“That can’t be real?” I hadn’t expected such a tremendous sight.
“Damn, Will,” Paul muttered. “Where did you send us?”
The two of us reached the base of the tree, which was covered in vines. I reached out and pushed them out of the way, revealing a path. We ducked through and emerged in the hollowed inside of the huge tree. It was the size of a small room. Once through, we stood up and made eye contact. I smiled at him, just giddy to be with him. I must admit it was an unfamiliar feeling.
He closed the gap between us and placed his hands on my hips once again. I could do nothing but feel the sparks running from his fingertips over my skin. I was instantly back in the state of mind that had overcome me on the dance floor. He pulled me into his chest, moving his hands down to my butt. I couldn’t contain my sigh of pleasure as his palms ran across my butt, pulling me even closer.
Once our bodies collided in the embrace, I could tell I wasn’t the only one excited. “One hug and you’re already hard for me?” Hopefully my “dicking down” comments earlier had been enough to prep him for dirty Kelsey. Then again, maybe I was overestimating his reservations when it came to sex. I guess I’ll see, I thought.
He responded by turning me and pinning me against the wall of the tree, his hands roaming from my legs to my stomach. “One hug and you’re already hard for me, too,” he whispered breathlessly into my ear as he cupped both of my breasts.
Yep, my nipples were definitely poking through. He took my nipples between his fingers, as much as he could with the fabric of my dress in the way. Sparks poured through his fingers, impairing my ability to stand upright. It was almost magical. My legs weakened but he managed to keep me pinned against the tree, his hands unmoving from my chest. In between periods of incoherence, I realized he hadn’t even kissed me in this cove yet, and I was already hot as could be.
His hands retreated from my body, then glided up to my neck, sliding until they were holding my head. I bit my lip as his groin pressed into me. The anticipation was killing me, he was moving maddeningly slow. Where did this patience come from? His show of willpower was impressive. Unable to wait any longer, I squirmed underneath his touch and brought my lips to meet his. I was not prepared for the sparks that flowed from his lips to mine. Suddenly, I felt as if my whole body was lighter. I felt the pressure underneath my dress, begging me to get closer to this man.
He took one hand from my face and ran it back over my chest as he readjusted the other to hold the back of my head. Finally pulling his lips from mine, he kissed down my neck, to my exposed shoulder and clavicle. His completely hard self pressed between my legs. This dress was about to come off.
My patience ran out and I took the lead. I turned and led him to the middle of the miniature grove inside the tree. I lay down, bringing him down on top of me. He briefly removed his lips to take off my dress, throwing it to the side. Then he paused, looking up and down my body. Following his gaze, I admired how the light from inside the tree shone off my now nearly nude body. I looked up, wondering how the light seemed to be streaming in but quickly gave up my search as he placed his hands on my stomach. He slowly worked his strong hands up the front of my torso, making contact with my bra. Quickly unclipping it, he pushed it out of the way, leaning down to take my left nipple in his mouth. My back arched, unable to remain still. Flicking the nipple with his tongue, he peeked up toward my face. He looked eager, as if he was excited to see the pleasure manifest itself on my face. He probably didn’t have to wait long. His mouth felt heavenly. My body squirmed even more, and little moans escaped my mouth.
Seemingly inspired by my moans, he switched breasts, giving the other one similar treatment while grasping and kneading the nipple of the other breast with his hand.
“Touch me,” I breathed in between moans. He obliged, backing up from his position and climbing between my legs. Sitting on his haunches, he removed his dress shirt and threw it to join my discarded items. He ran one hand over my inner thigh, sliding the other over the skin beneath my dress. Tracing idle circles from one thigh to the other, he smiled anytime I involuntarily bucked under his touch, trying to inch his fingers further between my legs.
“Come here,” I whispered, motioning for him to come closer. He moved up and I reached down to undo the belt on his pants. Once undone, he slid them off. Positioned perfectly between my legs, all teasing actions forgotten, he took himself in his hand and placed the head nearly inside me. When had he taken off his boxers? Sneaky. He took one last look up at me as I shifted down and felt him enter. As he slid further into me, inch by inch, I could hardly believe I was finally intimate with him. The sparks I felt from his fingers were no longer confined to where he touched, instead my whole body pulsed with a fire for him that overwhelmed all my senses. Just a hand coming to rest on my hip was a pleasure I couldn’t describe, as he worked himself inside, burying himself inside me as the moments passed. Thankfully, he thrust slowly, or I would be complete putty under his touch. One of his hands wandered down from my hips to my clit, while the other took turns on my breasts.
My mouth moved, and something came out, but it was unintelligible. I had no idea what I was trying to say. It motivated him, though. He leaned over me, picking up his pace, likely encouraged by my moans and quiet curses. I shuddered beneath his increasing pace before he suddenly withdrew.
Taking a hold of my hips, he flipped me onto my hands and knees. The strength in the flip nearly sent me over the
edge. Unexpected but definitely appreciated. I felt the soft grass beneath my knees and in between my fingers. I felt empty, aching for his return. He finally slid back inside me, resuming the pace he had worked up to. At once, I felt as if I couldn’t be more full. I felt Paul himself, but also the aforementioned sparks that were fueled by the passion we shared. A climax was building and it was approaching fast.
“Kelsey,” he moaned into my ear. I almost missed it. “You’re naughty.” A simple sentence but one that only stroked the fire between my legs. I did feel naughty, but in a wonderful way. I felt free, taking Paul inside me in the middle of what seemed like an enchanted forest. It was while thinking this that I began to lose myself in his thrust. The climax continued to build as I vaguely felt his hands and lips move over my body, every now and then making their way up my neck and back to my lips.
The euphoria coursing through my body passed the threshold of where I could remain kneeling and I sank into the ground, my stomach now on the soft grass. Paul continued to pound into me, moving away from the realm of making love and into the world of something more primal. Ah, so he could do both, I thought as we transitioned. The desire was palpable. It was thick in the air. My hand went to his hip, willing him to dive deeper. My toes curled. An explosion was nearing. He further quickened his pace, perhaps sensing my pulling him toward me. He moaned and cursed, causing my legs to shake and a shriek of pleasure to move past my lips. The sound sent him over the edge as he grunted and his thrust hitched, holding himself deep inside me.
The magic of the night continued to flow over me, from him to inside me. He collapsed on top of me, exhausted after making love. The woods barely made a sound – the only noise was our heavy breathing.
I turned over and watched him open his mouth. No words came out. All I could say was, “Wow.”
The two of us, covered in sweat, lay there for half an hour, savoring the experience. Every five minutes or so, I would jump slightly when a small movement caught a still-sensitive nipple or lip. Eventually, he managed to get up on one knee and smile, still basking in the afterglow. Reaching a hand down, he helped me up, and I could feel him drip out of me. He took two steps to his clothes and pulled out a handkerchief.
“What a gentleman,” I said, giving him a quick kiss.
“Let’s go back,” he said, handing me my underwear and dress. “I don’t dare stay here any longer with you. I’d be tempted to do it again.” He brought his finger to his lips and back between my legs as I began pulling it back over my head. My knees threatened to give out. With substantial effort, I remained standing and he managed to pull his finger away, putting his clothes back on with a playful smile before leading me from inside the massive tree and down the path toward the forest exit.
Fourteen
Kelsey
Paul and I ended up spending the night in a nearby hotel. We even had an additional session or two back in the room. The second and third were just as satisfying as the first.
The next morning, we woke up and cuddled for a bit. It was quiet as we processed what had happened the night before. For me, it was great processing the events – I could almost feel his fingers on me again. It was delightful. As a result, he caught me smiling randomly a couple of times.
After we had woken up and gotten dressed, we went to get a quick breakfast from the McDonald’s drive through before heading to the re-entry program together.
“Do you think Will will notice us showing up together?” Paul asked in between bites of his bacon, egg, and cheese.
I gave him a brief look. “Definitely,” I said. “Will would know we were together even if he wasn’t working that day. His juicy gossip senses are impeccable.”
“Fair enough.” Paul laughed. “Guess that’ll be fun. Anything to spice up the program.”
We arrived to the program shortly after. I quickly ate the food I couldn’t while driving and we walked into the building together. We didn’t hold hands or anything like that, but I’m sure Will would notice a white stain on my t-shirt or something. Fortunately, we had brought a change of clothes last night, otherwise I’d be wearing my bridesmaid dress and Paul would be in a tux. Now that would provide a visual that the entire program wouldn’t miss.
Paul held the door for me and I walked in. “Coast is clear,” I said playfully.
“Oh, whew.” He wiped fake sweat from his forehead.
“Well, well, well,” a voice sang from behind a door to our left. I looked and of course it was Will. He wore a wide smirk. “How have you two been?”
Paul and I made eye contact and chuckled silently. “Well,” I said, “if you must know, we were in this beautiful forest. I was helping Paul with his assignment due today.” I winked in exaggerated fashion to Will.
“Oh, jeeze.” Will laughed. “Whatever works for you two. But actually, did you guys have a good time? I take pride in my recommendations.”
“Yes,” Paul chimed in. “Very good. I learned a lot.” I thought I saw him briefly check me out while he spoke. Bonus points for him – I was just wearing some raggedy jeans and a t-shirt.
“Well, behave you two!” Will said, beginning to walk out the door we came in through.. “I have to get some papers out of my car, I’ll be back in time for class.”
Paul and I continued, and were about to enter the classroom when Will called back. “I hope you guys didn’t study in the same spot I did.” The door shut behind him.
We stopped in our tracks and looked at each other once more. Neither of us spoke. Thankfully, the the main door opened again and Will’s head popped in. “I’m kidding, guys.” He disappeared again.
“Can you imagine if he wasn’t?” Paul said. His face looked as if he had eaten a lemon whole.
“I was about to drag us back home to take a million showers,” I said. “Forget the class.”
We continued into the room and found two seats. “I didn’t think it was possible,” Paul said, “but he almost singlehandedly ruined my memories of last night.” His sour lemon face was replaced by the useful bashful smile.
“We might have to take that shower regardless,” I said. “Create some new memories he can’t ruin.” I shrugged, hopefully nonchalantly.
Paul’s eyes went wide. “Really? I—I mean, yeah. My schedule’s free from now until the end of time. So whenever you want.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I said, touching Paul’s arm as Will walked back into the room, giving us a wink before addressing the class.
“So how has everyone been?” Will asked as he reached the front of the room. “Today we’ll have a little show and tell.” He set down the papers he held in his hand. “Alright, any volunteers? How about our actual volunteer?” His eyes met mine. Oh, great. I stood up and went to the front of the room, still unsure what we were even doing. “I want you to tell the class about a regret you have and how you’ve made amends for it.”
It would have been nice to have some advance warning. I sighed and wracked my brain for something to share. After a thirty-second think I cleared my throat and began.
“I grew up in a volatile household. My dad was in and out of trouble with the law and my mother was just, and still is, a terrible mother. I remember as I grew up and went through school, I adopted a lot of their mannerisms, language, and prejudices. It wasn’t until I got to college that I slowly was able to become a normal human being. I cringe every time I think of myself before the age of eighteen.”
“That’s good,” Will said. “How did you make amends or resolve any lingering issues from this?”
“Well, being here for starters.” I smiled weakly. “Trying to make a difference in the program. I was fortunate enough to not follow in my dad’s footsteps, but if I can help others steer clear of that, I’m happy.”
“Didn’t you also volunteer with another program?” Will asked.
“Yes,” I said, “with younger teens. I helped provide them with a safe space, somewhere they could come after school to relax, and talk about any issues they wer
e having at home.”
“Cool!” Will clapped and I headed toward my seat. Paul now had more insight into my past. Hopefully he still saw me for me, and didn’t get any ideas about racist pre-teen Kelsey. I took my seat and he gave me a genuine smile.
“Nice,” he said. “Learn something new every day.” We turned our heads back to Will as he asked for the next volunteer.
“Charles? Okay, sounds good.” Will sat down as Charles took center stage at the front of the room.
“Hi,” he started. “My name is Charles. I’m fairly new here, but I’ve been around the block.” He shook his head. “I’ve got a lot of regret.” He paused, hands held in front of him. He was a large guy, and he wore an orange polo and had a freshly shaved head. A friendly smile reappeared on his face before he spoke again. “I’m still looking to make amends for all the shit—er, sorry.” He made an apologetic face in Will’s direction. “I’m still looking to make amends for all the crap I’ve done.”
“Would you like to share any examples?” Will asked from his chair, fingers steepled.
“I can.” Charles paused and brought one hand to his bearded chin. “Hmm. The first time I went to prison, I did my few years and got out. I was thankful to be out but I hadn’t truly learned my lesson. I went back to live with my mama but ended up bringing her down with me. I regret getting her caught in my mess and still haven’t made it up to her.”
“What are you currently doing to fix what you’ve done wrong?” Will asked.
“I give her some of my paycheck,” he answered. “I swing by and try to help her out with the cooking and whatnot. I’ll never truly make amends, but I’ll keep trying till I’m gone.”
“Good, good.” Will stood up and patted him on the shoulder. “Who’s next?”
“You gonna go?” I whispered to Paul.
“Are you crazy?” he asked in response. “I could barely tell you about my past.” He chuckled. “Now quiet before he picks me.” He smiled playfully, taking my hand in his as he did his best to hide in plain sight.
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