Nate didn’t want to blow his cover. He didn’t want to admit that Joe had been one hundred percent right about him and that he really was incapable of having a friendly relationship with a woman he found attractive. But he couldn’t handle the punch of guilt that came with the disbelief in Kelsey’s expression, couldn’t stand the thought that even if they never touched again this moment would bother her for the rest of her life. It would make her question her sexuality and everything she was. Knowing what he did about her, the last thing she needed was one more thing to put a damper on her life.
Grudgingly, he freed his hands from her breasts and rubbed his thumb over her swollen lower lip. His stomach turned with her lost look. He wanted to erase it, wanted to see the sexy smile that lit up her entire face and warmed him in turn. Admitting the truth would accomplish one, but not the other. He wouldn’t be seeing her smile again and he would just have to deal with that. “It’s okay, Kelsey. I’m a—”
“Well, I’m not!” she shrieked, hastily dislodging herself from his embrace.
She scrambled to the river’s edge and tripped her way up its side. Righting herself, she looked back at him, like she wanted to say something more, but didn’t know where to begin. Nate opened his mouth intent on explaining he wasn’t bisexual or a lesbian or whatever it was she’d thought he’d been about to say. The words never made it out of his mouth. She’d already turned away and was crashing through the trees like the ogress he’d claimed people associated Natalie with was on her heels.
* * * * *
Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!
Kelsey shook her head, struggling to ignore the chanting. It continued incessantly as she hurried down the mountainside. How could it not continue? She was going to hear the words forever, followed by, “What the hell were you thinking?”
“Oh my God, I kissed a woman!” And it had felt so good.
No. It did not feel good. Natalie’s big hands on her, cupping her ass, running over her breasts, plucking at her nipples did not feel good. But then why was her entire body quivering with longing and her panties wet in a way that had nothing to do with jumping into a river?
“Kelsey, stop!”
She wrenched her head toward the voice and drew in a sharp breath. Natalie was so close. If she stopped for even a second she would be upon her. And what would happen then? Would she attack her? Toss her to the ground and drive her mindless with searing hot kisses, fondle her breasts and nipples some more? Or would she not stop there this time? Would she strip away her clothes and touch her, bury her big, thick fingers deep into her pussy and coax her until she couldn’t stop from climaxing the way that had happened in her dream, the way she’d longed to experience for real this morning? The way her pussy ached to feel even now.
No! She did not ache to come from Natalie’s touch. She was just confused again. Natalie had managed to convince her she wasn’t into women and so when she made it clear she actually was, it had scrambled Kelsey’s mind. Enough to have her sinking into the other woman’s kiss, to have her believing as they stood groping each other in the water that it was a man who held her, a man’s hard body that rocked up against her own. God, she really was losing it.
But she was done with that now. No more confusion, no more jumble.
It was time to think clearly, to remember she didn’t want the other woman in any way, shape or form outside of friendship. She would tell her that too, just not when they were alone in the woods with only her own fleeting logic to watch over them.
Later, after she’d had more time to relax and think this thing through, she would confront her. Until then, she could only pray Natalie would keep silent about the kiss. If she brought it up around the other campers…
She wouldn’t. She couldn’t.
But, if she did, Kelsey would simply have to deny the claim. She didn’t dream about other women and she sure as hell did not kiss them. Not to mention get wet and needy feeling the moment she stared at one’s strong, sensuous and mustache-lined mouth.
* * * * *
If she didn’t stop moving away the moment he finally managed to get within five feet of her, Nate was going to have to take drastic measures. He didn’t blame Kelsey for wanting her distance thinking the way she did, but her flighty movements from one group of chattering women to the next was starting to really piss him off. He wanted to make amends, to come clean and explain that it was all one big misunderstanding, that her sexual preference for men was still intact. He knew his explanation was going to be met with hostility as well as hurt, but both emotions would only be worse if he allowed her to go on thinking the way she did. He had to tell her the truth and get the hell out of here. Run back home to Joe and confess to being the sex-driven maniac he was.
But maybe he wasn’t. Maybe it really was just Kelsey. And if it was, then what did it say about him? About them?
“Are you in for rafting?”
Nate turned from glaring at the back of Kelsey’s head to force a smile for the woman who stood beside him. She was attractive, tall, built, and a redhead. Everything he’d always looked for in a bed partner. Given her presence here this weekend, she was also into the outdoors. She presented the perfect test. If he could spend the four hour rafting trip getting to know her and not feel the need to fuck her, then it would prove he wasn’t a sex-driven maniac incapable of having an inter-gender friendship. At least, not with all women.
“Rafting?” he asked, realizing she waited for an answer.
Her smile blossomed to reveal straight, white teeth. “It’s the next event. The groups are starting to assemble and I thought you might be looking for one to join. If so, we can use another person.”
The redhead glanced over to a cluster of women Nate guessed to be the group in question. They were all in their late twenties to early thirties and decked out in tight tops and small shorts. Acres of sun-burnished flesh and creamy calves and thighs peeked out from frayed hems and rolled cuffs. If he could spend an entire four hours with seven gorgeous, athletically-inclined women and not want a one of them it would more than prove Joe’s theory wrong. Not to mention make him worthy of sainthood.
It was a great plan, the only problem with it was that it left Kelsey alone with her anxiety for the better part of the afternoon. Unless she already had plans to go rafting with another group, in which case his staying behind would be senseless. He nodded toward the redhead. “Let me check. I think I might already be expected to go with another group.”
“All right, just let us know in the next few minutes.”
She walked back and joined the group. Nate watched her go, taking in the formfitting shorts that hugged her tight ass and the seemingly endless tanned legs that led to a pair of modest water shoes. It was obvious most of the women here dressed however they wanted because they thought no man was within range to worry over. It was also obvious his concerns over Kelsey’s confusion were wearing on him more than he’d even realized. Not only wasn’t he turned on by the sight of all that prime female flesh glistening in the distance, but the thought of spending four hours alone in a raft with the women suddenly sounded more like work than pleasure.
Frowning at the odd as hell thought, Nate turned back to where he’d last spotted Kelsey. She was gone, as were the women she had been talking with. His guess must have been right on and she’d already left to go rafting. Good for her, she’d made new friends. And if in making them she had ditched him, so what. He deserved to be ditched.
Deserving or not, it didn’t remove the slight sting of rejection that crimped its way into Nate’s gut. Refusing to marvel over why her rebuff bothered him so much, he turned back to join the redhead’s group. It wouldn’t be work sharing a boat with the beauties, he ensured himself. And as it turned out he was right. It wouldn’t be work because he wouldn’t be doing it. They too were already gone. At least they were making fast tracks in the opposite direction. And now their party of seven had an eighth. A quick glance revealed the same was true of all the groups still around.
They were filled. And he was alone. Rejected by everyone.
The feeling was both unfamiliar and troubling. He was used to women and men alike fawning over him. He was used to being treated like the sought-after millionaire he was. He wasn’t used to being rejected. Sure as hell not twice in one day.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
The thought was pure Joe, and Nate couldn’t stop from laughing. He headed back to the center of camp, aware there would be a few stragglers about that he could spend the time forming friendships with. Or better yet he could catch a nap. He hadn’t slept more than a few hours with Kelsey’s warm, tempting body next to his last night. Unless he figured out how to set his own tent up or told Kelsey the truth and got the hell out of here before dark, he wouldn’t tonight either.
Sleep it was. Not only was there a chance he might not be able to corner Kelsey until morning, but crawling into a tent alone meant he could free his aching cock and balls from their snug confines, and that in and of itself was a true nirvana.
* * * * *
She was out of her mind. Kelsey peered through the tent’s small side window one last time. There were several women in the distance, sitting around the campfire, but other than that no one was within sight. As long as she was quiet, no one would be able to hear her either. What she was about to do was crazy. Insane. Something she normally only did in the privacy of her bedroom and then when all the lights were out, but she was desperate.
She needed to speak with Natalie, to explain there could never be anything between them more than friendship and then go on to prove it. In order to do that, she had to first vanquish her horniness. She’d reached the conclusion in the last couple hours that a too long unsatiated sexual appetite was the real reason for her confusion where Natalie was concerned. She’d always had a vigorous libido, and thanks to a hectic past few weeks, she hadn’t had time to do anything about it. She would take care of it now the old-fashioned way. A touch here, a stroke there. No one would ever know what was going on inside the tent.
Drawing a calming breath, she quickly removed her shorts and panties, then slid into her sleeping bag. Her legs would be a bit cramped in the bag’s confines, but there was a certain measure of security in knowing she wasn’t totally exposed to any unaccounted-for prying eyes. Eased by the thought, Kelsey rested her head against her pillow, drew up her knees and moved her hand down to the warm flesh of her belly.
She jumped at the first touch of her hand on her skin. It was odd, probably even demented, but the idea she could be caught had her extra-sensitive. Her pussy was already heavy with arousal, and when she moved her hand even lower and rimmed her mound with the tips of her fingers she also felt how wet she already was.
This was going to be so easy. She would be climaxing in seconds and then she wouldn’t be horny any longer. Of course, she’d still have to deal with Natalie, and why exactly it was the woman had claimed to want Kelsey’s brother one minute and then had attacked her with her mouth the next, but she would worry about that later. Now she would relax, enjoy, and take care of business.
She sank her first finger into the slick folds of her cunt and sighed at the heat surging through her body. More fingers joined the first, working an erotic beat against her clit and creating slick friction along her pussy lips. Her eyes closed with the force of need spiraling from all angles to pool deep within her center, and a face floated into her mind. A face with no real definition, but stunning amber gold eyes and the sexiest of bad boy grins. Even as she sensed he could be bad, she also sensed he could be trusted. He was a man she could get lost in. Murmuring her pleasure with each deep thrust, she tipped her hips higher, sank her fingers deeper, and endeavored to do just that.
Chapter Five
The strangled sounds reached Nate the moment he bent down to unzip the front flap of Kelsey’s tent. The noise was low, keening. A cross between something dying and something being born. It was coming from inside the tent.
An animal had to have sneaked inside and was now trying to tunnel its way out. He wasn’t about to let that animal ruin the tent. Not when the bed he’d spent the last few minutes dreaming about crawling into for some much needed sleep was in there. Hunching down quietly so the animal wouldn’t hear him and panic, Nate eased the zipper open far enough to look inside and see what kind of critter he was up against. The tent flap gaped a couple inches and he leaned forward, peered inside, and damned near fell over.
It wasn’t an animal making the sound and it also wasn’t one of panic. It was Kelsey and the sound was one of sheer ecstasy. She lay on her sleeping bag with her eyes closed and her head tipped back, sweat glistening on her brow as she quietly cried out her bliss. While he could guess the sleeping bag had covered her body at one point in time, it was now draped loosely around her ankles, and her bared thighs were splayed wide. The dark hair that covered her pussy was soaked with her essence and the deep pink lips of her cunt were parted to take in her thrusting fingers. Her other hand had pushed her shirt up to her neck and was filled with a breast, her fingers tweaking and tugging an engorged nipple.
The erratic thrusting of her hand grew faster, the slick sounds of the juices being milked from her pussy cruised to his ears and the blood pounded through his head so loudly it was a wonder she didn’t hear it and open her eyes. His cock pulsed just as strong, his balls pinching painfully against the cup. His fingers itched to reach out and take over, to fill themselves up with her small, firm breasts, to fuck her to climax time and again.
Aware just how much he couldn’t do that, any more than he could sit here and watch a moment longer, Nate reached with shaking fingers and rezipped the tent’s flap. It was more than immoral to spy on her personal actions; it was threatening to his sense of self. From just the few seconds he had watched and listened, her image was already thick in his head. If he continued to watch and listen that image would be more than thick, it would be permanently ingrained in his mind. He didn’t want any woman in his mind that thoroughly. Not now. And certainly not Kelsey, a woman he was already battling joint forces of sympathy and lust for.
His blood humming with erotic images of her fingering the swollen flesh of her pussy, bringing herself to blistering climax, he surged to his feet and moved slowly toward the density of the woods. When he was far enough away that she couldn’t hear him, he turned his pace up several notches. His steps were harried by the painful bulge of his erection and when he had gone far enough to believe there would be no chance of being spotted, he lowered his nylon pants and spandex shorts to his knees and freed his aching cock to the air.
He was not a man who had a need for masturbation. He’d always had plenty of women at his beck and call, just waiting for his say so to jump into his bed. At this moment, he didn’t have those women and he needed release more than he needed his next breath. He knew Kelsey felt the same way. It was the reason she had stayed behind while most of the others had gone rafting. She was every bit as stimulated as he was and clearly believed if she took care of things herself the carnal tension between them would die.
He wished her beliefs were accurate. Hoped they could be. But he was quickly developing more and more serious doubts. Still, he was willing to try anything to ease the constant ache she stirred in him and if that meant running into the woods and using his hand to get himself off, then so be it.
* * * * *
She had heard someone or something. The thought had crashed through Kelsey’s mind the moment the orgasm had drained away and she lay still on the tent’s floor, drawing in hasty breaths of air. She had allowed only a handful more breaths before she’d tugged on her clothes and darted out of the tent. There had been no one in hearing range and she had been in the midst of calming herself enough to join the women who ringed the distant fire when the blur of white snagged her gaze. The color had disappeared nearly as quickly as it had come into her sight, but she knew she had seen it, and she also knew who it had been.
Natalie.
Damn it, she’d
thought the woman had gone rafting. Clearly, she hadn’t. Instead she had stayed behind to spy on her.
It was a ridiculous thought. Kelsey had sneaked away to her tent while Natalie had been preoccupied. She couldn’t have stayed behind to spy on her. She had merely stayed behind by coincidence and for whatever reason had decided to return to the tent.
Oh, God, how much had she heard? Had she known what was going on? She had to have. It was the only plausible reason for her hasty retreat. What about seen? Had she somehow managed to see what was happening?
The idea Natalie had been witness to her masturbation had Kelsey’s nerves standing on edge even as her sex grew moist. She closed her eyes and sighed at the tingling deep in her pussy. She had given herself an orgasm to relieve the arousal Natalie’s presence somehow stirred in her. She had believed it all had to do with being horny. But if that were the case, if she was just horny, then why was she stimulated again, so soon, by the thought of the other woman? Was it just the closeness she felt with Natalie, that she could be herself and reveal the secrets of her past to her that had her body and mind so messed up, or did she really and truly want the woman?
It was a question she didn’t want to address. It was also one she had to have answers to. The time had come to face Natalie. With the majority of the women currently gone from camp, they could find a place to speak in silence and without their absence being noted. More importantly, when the conversation was over Kelsey could make a fast getaway and no one would be any the wiser.
Her heart pounding furiously and her legs trembling, she ventured into the woods where she had seen Natalie disappear moments ago. She’d gone a couple hundred yards when a vivid stroke of white appeared. Knowing she had to get this over with before she chickened out and retreated to the safety of her Jeep and then her home, she hurried toward the color. The closer she drew, the better she could make out the details of Natalie’s large body. Her back was to her and she stood still. She had no idea why she would be standing there, not making any obvious movements until she took a few more steps and a low groan reached her. A groan that sounded highly sexual.
Wild Hearts: One Wild Weekend Page 7