by Various
"Okay, well, there has to be more to the story than that. According to the hall talk you just showed up a while ago, and you’re a little old for this to be your first job out of college."
"No one said you were lacking in intelligence, Young."
What? Slightly baffled, I stare out the window again. The trees are getting larger and taller. Outside is beautiful, unlike the atmosphere in the car, which is now chilled. Time to change the subject.
"So, you like camping, huh?"
Ryan's demeanor changes completely and he talks the rest of the way about all the places he has camped. His favorite places are Big Sur and some places up north I've never heard of.
Again, I am struck by how different he is out here than at the office. I'm starting to wonder if he hates his job as much as I do. But then, I don't want to push my feelings about my job on him. He said it himself, he has always wanted to be a lawyer and that's what he is.
We pull off the road and slowly drive through the trees.
Alarmed, I ask, "What are we doing?"
"We’re finding the perfect spot to spend the night." He sounds excited, his eyes scanning the area in front of the van.
I sit up and scan too, but I have no idea what I am scanning for.
He eases the van between two trees and stops. Letting the engine run, he turns to me, "How does this look?"
"Yeah!" I say, not hiding my bewilderment. "Yeah, this looks great."
He laughs as he turns off the key. The silence hits me first. There isn’t a sound, we both just sit and absorb the quiet.
Softly, on my exhale, I hear myself whisper, “Wow. Oh my God—”
"I know, right," he whispers back.
He opens his door to step out and I follow his lead. Outside, the forest air blasts my face. The scent is earthy and cool. I wander around the van, looking into the forest. We are completely alone. The van has scared off any animals and there are no people. I have never been anywhere like this in my entire life.
The pines needles and leaves crunch under my feet as I walk around. I hear Ryan's footsteps behind me, crunch, crunch. I remain still, waiting, admiring my surroundings. Ryan walks up behind me and puts his arms around me; leaning back into him I take a deep breath.
"This is amazing, Ryan. I never knew you could drive less than two hours and be completely alone in the woods."
"We’re like cattle. People like to live in herds, so even though California is crowded, there’s a lot of open space. That’s one of the reasons I moved back here from the East Coast, the open space and the weather." He squeezes me and then quickly let's go. "Let's get to work, Young!"
Oh, work? Okay. "Yes, Sir!"
Under Ryan's tutelage we pop the van’s top, creating a roof high enough that we can both stand. We unpack and organize, set up the kitchen, unload the firewood, and make the bed. After a great debate, we decide to sleep in the upper bed underneath the canopy and keep the ‘downstairs’ area for the living room. We also set up chairs and a table just outside the van for an outdoor living space.
After all the work is done, we both settle on our chairs with books. I didn’t think to bring one, but Ryan, the experienced camper, had a few extras, including a mystery that looks interesting. The rumbling in my stomach distracts my attention long enough for me to look up and see Ryan moving around the van.
"What's up?" I ask, sleepily.
"Thought we might like some lunch, then a hike."
I watch as he efficiently works in the kitchen to create a lunch of sliced cheese and meats, grapes, olive oil, and rosemary bread, with juice. We sit under the trees, reading and eating our delicious treats. I have never felt so decadent in my life. No wonder those kids from college always seemed so much happier than everyone else.
After lunch, I clear up and start to gather the dishes.
"Hold on, there’s an art to dishes when your boondocking." Ryan steps in.
"Oh yeah, what's the art?"
He smiles and takes a paper towel and starts wiping off the dishes. "Don't do them!" He laughs.
My head leans back in surprise. "Okay. Whatever you say." Grabbing a paper towel, I start wiping down the plates and silverware that are left.
After we tidy up and secure the food, we head out for a hike. Even walking without hiking boots, I am able to keep up. The afternoon air is dryer and hotter than when we first arrived, and the smell of redwoods and flowers is strong. Now I hear the birds chirping as we walk noisily through the woods.
"Do you have any idea where we’re going?" I ask, only sort of serious.
"No. Not exactly, but I know how to get back to the van."
Ryan is ahead of me, marking the trail. It feels good to move after all that sitting and driving. I actually feel like I'm working up a sweat. We hike for what feels like a couple of hours. Just when I run out of water, we round a corner and I see the van.
"Hey. Look where we are!" I say, amazed.
Ryan's laugh is full and hearty. "Yeah, amazing!" he teases, ruffling my already messed up hair. "You're fun." He kisses me quickly, spiking my heart rate.
We walk into our little camp and now that I've stopped moving, I realize that I’m hot and sweaty. I didn’t think about that. I have clean clothes, but I don't have a way to clean myself. I didn't even see a stream nearby. Shit, this is bad.
Ryan disappears around the rear of the van and I quickly sniff myself—oh, bad. That is so bad. So much for sex in the woods.
"Hey, Young, grab those towels on the front seat, will ya?" Ryan calls from behind the van.
I walk up and sure enough, there are two towels sitting on the front seat. Picking them up, I walk back toward Ryan's voice to find him naked, standing in what looks like a large pot. I almost drop the towels.
"What the heck?" I look up and there is a showerhead hooked to a large black bag, pregnant with what I think is water.
Ryan smiles his wicked grin, "This is not my first rodeo, Young. Strip and get in."
Okay. A cold shower in the woods with Ryan, not what I was expecting, but I can go with it. I peel off my top and bra and slip out of my shorts and underwear. He tosses me some black flip-flops and as I slip them on my feet, shocked by how warm they are from the sun.
Taking a few deep breaths to brace myself for the cold water, I step into the shower. Ryan is watching me, looking seriously amused.
"You okay there?" he asks, as I step into the pot.
"Yep." I squeeze my eyes tight. "Yep, I just really don't like cold water."
"Good to know." Ryan reaches up and turns the handle. I feel a trickle of lukewarm water start rolling down my back. Within a few seconds, the water pressure increases as does the water temperature. Holy Cow, the water is warm! This is nice. I open my eyes and Ryan is watching me, smiling.
"Hey. That's warm and nice," I say, astonished.
"Yeah, well, they’ve invented a few things since you camped as a kid," he says, laughing.
"I never camped as a kid. I think once in the backyard at a friend's house. I just heard the stories." The water runs down my body, it feels so good, washing away the sweat from my hike.
I watch as he moves the nozzle to wash himself, stirring my insides. He turns off the water and hands me a bar of soap.
I soap myself and then soap his back and hand it to him. Turning the water back on, he sprays me, rinsing the soap away, leaving my skin tingling and clean. I watch as he expertly rinses himself.
"What do you call this thing, anyway?"
"It's called a solar shower. The black bag helps the sun heat the water. I never leave home without it."
I never thought camping could be like this. This feels tantalizingly good.
"So, you do this a lot, huh? I can see why."
"Yeah, this keeps me sane. Plus, this was my secret plan to get you naked." He smiles again.
I glance down and see that I'm not the only one who has been stirred by our shower experience. My heart leaps as my stomach clenches deliciously.
&
nbsp; "Well, your secret plan worked. Now what?" I ask, teasing him.
“This shower won’t last as long as the one back home, but I still know a way we can have some fun," he says, putting the showerhead back on the bag.
I immediately blush at that one. Oh shit, I can't believe he just said that.
"Hey. Don't be embarrassed. That was awesome." He wraps a towel around me.
I follow him out of the pot to the back of the van, which is open. The soft cushion is warming in the sun, almost like a bench seat with an open view. He turns toward me, kissing me as he takes the towel and discards it somewhere. Now I am completely naked, as is he, still a little damp, but clean. I kiss him back, opening my mouth for him. I can feel his response against my upper thigh.
His hands slide down my back along my spine, the closer he gets to my ass, the more my body quivers.
"Have you ever had sex in the woods?" He murmurs in my ear.
"No."
"Do you want to?"
"Yes. Desperately!" I say, with a little more urgency than I was expecting.
"Oh, God, Nora. Where have you been all my life?" he moans into my ear.
His hands are everywhere at once, on my back, cupping my breasts, stroking my arms. His teeth are lightly biting my left nipple while his fingers circle the other. With open mouth kisses, he moves up my neck to my mouth. I feel the warm air, hear the birds, and see the light. Holy shit, we are outside, naked, about to have sex. Could anything be more erotic?
I run my hands along his muscled body, his shoulders and chest hard and smooth, his flat stomach, with a happy trail trailing toward what has rapidly become my favorite body part, quivers under my touch. No question of his enthusiasm, he holds nothing back, he is so open.
He walks me back as far as I can go to the van and then picks me up, placing me on the seat cushion. He has that wicked look I’ve learned to love.
"Have you ever used a vibrator?" He asks me.
"No. Why?" Intrigued, I stop kissing him for a moment.
"Well." He reaches into the van and pulls something out. "I just happen to have one here. And I thought you might like to try it."
Are you kidding me? I am frozen. Aroused, but still unable to move. Darren hated those things. He felt that if the woman needed one, the guy wasn't doing his job. I never had the guts to tell him I wanted to try one. Never had the guts to go buy one.
"You just happen to have one?" I sit up now, still naked, but cross my arms.
"Ah, yeah. I went shopping last night after work. Wasn't sure what you would be into, so I thought this might be fun."
My jaw falls open. "You, you went shopping? Like what, at K-mart?"
He laughs that big Ryan laugh. "No. Not at K-Mart. At the special store where they sell vibrators and other fun stuff."
"The special store! That’s what you call it?”
I know that I’m just stupidly repeating what he is telling me, but I can’t help it. My skin is tingly and I’m turned on by all of this, but I’m still embarrassed.
Ryan sets the bag down next to me and leans in for a kiss. "Yes," he says, kissing my neck. "Last night after work I was thinking about you and this camping trip, so I went to the adult book store in Sunnyvale and bought a few fun things. It was extremely tantalizing in there, thinking of you and what we could do with all those toys." He's mouth is sliding down my neck, kissing my shoulders and my chest, while his hands uncross my arms.
Well, when you put it that way. Every nerve ending is awake and waiting for what lies ahead. His touch is like fire, searing into me, boiling my blood.
"Do you want me to show you what I bought?" he asks while running his tongue over my nipple.
"Ah, yeah." I can barely manage to say the words.
He reaches into the bag and pulls out a small, light purple, rocket shaped object. He turns it on and I hear a whirling sound as he presses it on my thigh. Damn, it’s a powerful little thing! He leans over me, watching me as I lean back, letting the vibrations of the new toy run up my thigh. It’s definitely a nice sensation.
He shifts his position and moves the toy closer. Instinctively, my legs open, giving him access to my inner self. Just then, Ryan blows out a long and shaky breath. I watch his expression change from amused to that alluring, serious face he makes when he is really turned on.
Slowly, he moves closer and closer, I feel the vibrations now underneath my skin. He takes his other hand and opens me up, exposing my clit, and then gently places the vibrator right on it.
Holy shit! Wow, I had no idea that was what it felt like.
"Oh, my God." I almost scream, it's so intense.
"Go ahead, Young. Be as loud as you want. There’s no one around."
I sit back, leaning on my hands, and tip my head. My legs are spread open and I feel the sun warming my inner thighs, a new sensation on its own. Quickly, so quickly, I feel myself building. It almost burns, but just as quickly it cools as he moves the toy in tiny circles.
"Ryan," I breathe. "Ryan, I'm going to come."
"That's it, baby. That's it. I'm watching you right now. I'm watching you come." His voice is thick and full of want.
It's my undoing, and the violent orgasm grabs me and throws me over the edge. I scream out as I feel an explosion of pleasure radiate out all the way to my toes. I can no longer see; I’m just a cloud floating on wave after wave of pleasure.
Suddenly, the feel of Ryan thrusting into me rips through my reverie and I open my eyes. I look up to see Ryan standing above me, holding my hips and pulling me into him. His eyes are wild with lust and sweat glistens on his body. He looks like a God. I am being taken by a God.
"Nora, Nora, Nora,” he whispers my name over and over again. “You amaze me.” The urgency in his voice makes my insides quicken, and I am building again.
I watch him, the way his hands grasp my hips as if his life depended on it. The way his eyes roam the length of my body, over and over again. The way his hips thrust into me, over and over again. The way his arms and chest mist with sweat from his effort.
I feel the pull of my next orgasm. "Ryan, you're going to make me come again. Don't stop, I'm so close." I throw the words out there with no concept of how loud they are.
His eyes go dark and sear into mine. He holds my eye contact. "Don't look away. Come with me. I'm going to come right now, Nora. Right now," he almost screams, his voice cracking.
I watch him as he comes, his hips jerking spastically, his eyes almost explode, and he screams my name. With the sound of his voice I am carried away too. I hold his eyes as long as I can, but the pure pleasure carries me away again and soon I am floating above it all, lights exploding beneath my eyelids.
When I come back to reality, the only sound is our heavy breathing. Ryan has collapsed on me, but he is still partially standing. Sweat drips off him and he struggles to control his breath.
I try to deepen my breath but fail. In and out, in and out. That’s all I can manage.
"Holy shit," Ryan speaks between breaths. "You’re an animal," he growls, low and deep in my ear. And then gently pulls out of me. I hear him remove the condom and drop it in the trash.
Still naked, he stumbles to the chair and sprawls out on it.
"Water," he gasps. "I need water."
I sit up, still dazed, but at least my breathing is calmer. Looking around for the water bottles, I see that they are across the camp, near what will be the fire. I can do this. I can get the water.
I stand and test my legs; they’re weak, but I can stand on them. I look over at Ryan and smile. Walking over to the water, I watch him, gloriously naked. I feel my insides stir again.
"Watch it, Cole. If you don't put some clothes on, I may have to do that again." I hand him the water.
He chokes out a guttural laugh and downs almost the entire bottle. "I think I would die. You have to give me a minute." He looks up at me. "I like this. You, naked in the woods. All my dreams have come true now." He leans back again. "Go ahead, jump me. I c
an die now."
I laugh and walk back over to the van. Reaching into my bag, I pull out the first thing I can find, a long shirt, thank God. I slip it on and look for underwear.
Feeling a little more dressed, if only barely, I go back to join Ryan. To my delight, he is asleep in the chair. Buck naked, legs stretched out, head tipped back on the canvas, sound asleep. My heart leaps into my chest; I’ve never seen such a sweet, alluring sight in my life. Reaching for my book, I settle in for the afternoon.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
It's twilight and we are making dinner in the van. Ryan is cooking over the little stove while I’m outside chopping veggies. We are having veggie/chicken tacos and beer, so simple, yet so delicious.
I have to say, camping is nothing like I thought it would be. I'm not dirty, not wind-swept, nor do I feel like I've been baked in the sun all day. Ryan napped and I read for a few hours, then we took another warm shower, hung out, and here we are.
Maybe it’s just being with Ryan that feels so right, so good. Is this what some people would call happy? Well, no doubt about it—I am completely and totally relaxed and content.
"Are you out there, Young?" Ryan's voice cuts through my thoughts.
"Yeah. Sorry. What?"
"Can you hand me the veggies? I'm ready to throw them on the chicken."
"Yeah, sure, here." I hand Ryan the veggies and watch him work.
"You're doing it again?" He says with a grin.
"Doing what?" I tease back.
"You're staring at me with that look. I haven't quite figured out what's going on in that brain of yours, yet." He turns the veggies on the heat.
"Well, you're just going to have to find out, one of these days."
"20 questions, then?" Ryan pauses his stirring and looks directly at me.
"You want to play 20 questions?" I ask, baffled. "You mean, like you pick something and I ask 20 questions to figure out what you’re thinking about?"
"Sort of. But in this one I get to ask 20 questions, any questions. And you have to answer them." He goes back to stirring the pan.