On the Move

by Aislinn Kearns

  “How will we get past all these people?” Jessica asked. She had no doubt there were more men where she couldn’t see them. This was a huge operation, and it wouldn’t be easy to sneak by unnoticed.

  “If we can get into the trucks from this side, we won’t have to.”

  They kept walking, examining every truck they passed. The shadows deepened beneath the canopy. They didn’t dare get too close, in case they were spotted, so stuck to the safety of the undergrowth and darkness in the uncleared part of the rainforest. Jessica was rapidly running out of hope and excitement as the sun sunk behind the trees.

  “That one,” Mike said eventually, pointing. He swung his pack off his back and unstrapped the hammocks, ignoring Jessica’s confused frown.

  It took Jessica a moment to figure out why he’d singled out that truck. Then, she saw it. Between the cab of the truck and the wood being stacked behind it was a storage box. Little bigger than a coffin and made of steel, it would barely fit two people lying down if they squeezed.

  She almost refused. Trapped in that box with no air, Mike pressed against her?

  But then the truck turned on, its loud engine idling.

  “It’s leaving.”

  Mike glanced at the box, and then back at her. “No time to think. Let’s do it.” He swung the pack onto his back, leaving the hammocks behind.

  They sprinted toward the truck, careful to keep out of sight of the workers nearby. But once they reached the truck, they had to stop. Since the box sat between the cab and the wood, it was visible from both sides. Anyone in the clearing who looked their way while they snuck inside would see them.

  “What do we do?” she asked.

  The truck rolled forward, slow and steady. Mike sent her an apologetic smile.

  “We’ll have to risk it. Be quick.”

  Without giving her time to think, to protest, he vaulted onto the truck and flung open the box. Jessica jogged beside the truck, keeping pace as it moved towards the exit.

  Mike held out a hand for her. Jessica grabbed it, planted her foot on the truck bed, and allowed Mike to haul her up. He glanced around, then grabbed her hand and stuffed her into the thankfully-empty box. No shouts of warning reached her, but the truck’s engine may have drowned them out.

  Then, Mike took off his pack and leaped in beside her, spooning around her body. He placed the pack over their legs and then reached over to shut the lid. It didn’t quite close, not with the pack sticking up above the sides of the box, but Jessica was grateful for that. It allowed light and air into the cramped space.

  Jessica’s heart thundered and she strained her ears for any sound. But there was nothing other than the heavy rumble of the truck and Mike’s breath on the back of her neck.

  For a long moment, she concentrated on slowing her heart rate as the truck picked up speed. She breathed deep and allowed herself to be grateful they’d managed to get away with that little stunt.

  When nothing eventful happened for a long while, Jessica relaxed, her muscles loosening. She hadn’t noticed how tense she’d been holding herself until she had a moment to breathe.

  Exhaustion dragged at her. She’d spent the night trekking through the jungle, and had only managed a few hours’ sleep that morning before Mike woke her to continue their journey. Now, they were in for a long drive, and Jessica didn’t see any reason to stay awake for it. In the warmth and darkness, with Mike’s comforting presence beside her, she drifted to sleep.

  Mike shifted against her, and Jessica woke with a start. It took her a second to get her bearings before she remembered where they were. How long had she slept? She yawned as her body came awake, much more rested.

  That’s when Jessica noticed Mike’s erection. There was nowhere to move in the cramped space, to pretend out of politeness she hadn’t noticed. And, frankly, she didn’t want to.

  Excitement and renewed energy burst through her, focusing on Mike at her back. They couldn’t talk—not with words—while only a thin stream of light penetrated the darkness of the box.

  The truck hit a pothole, jerking them, and Mike’s hand fell on her hip. He left it sitting there, burning a hole through her trousers.

  Jessica moved, only a fraction, pressing herself more firmly against Mike’s erection. He groaned, and he slid his hand around to splay against her stomach. It was a wordless test, asking her whether she wanted the same thing he did. Jessica’s heart skittered. This was it. Point of no return. And she didn’t want to turn back.

  Some part of her knew she should. She shouldn’t be considering having sex with a man when they were in such a perilous situation. But a little fun wouldn’t hurt, right? She liked Mike, was attracted to him. They could spend some time naked together while on their adventure, and then go their separate ways once they were back on US soil. It wouldn’t have to be anything more than that.

  But a whisper at the corner of her mind told her she didn’t want that. She liked Mike. Liked his bravery and competence. Liked that he always kept calm under pressure, and always had a plan. She wanted to know how that would translate into the real world, when doing normal things. Would he be the kind of man who always had a contingency plan if a night out didn’t go as planned? She got the sense that he wouldn’t yell at servers if they got his order wrong, or berate a cab driver if he went the wrong way. Was he as talented at everyday things as he was at surviving in the jungle? Jessica couldn’t imagine he’d be anything other than spectacular with his fingers and mouth and cock. Not if the taste she’d had so far was a good indicator.

  He’d be a good partner. A good partner for her, in such a way she’d never considered any man.

  Jessica had traveled the world, doing good. She hadn’t had the time or inclination to form real romantic ties with anyone. Inevitably, they’d want her to stay.

  But with Mike? He was someone she’d consider coming home to. Someone she would stay for. Or someone she would invite to go with her on adventures. He’d spent time traveling, helping people, too. Maybe it was something they could do together?

  She still had no plans for her future. She didn’t know how she’d feel about her volunteer work once she was safely back home. Would she be willing to risk another kidnapping? Or would she prioritize her safety, and find another way to contribute to the world? How could she know, when everything was so unsettled?

  But she was starting to think that whatever she decided, she wanted Mike to be a part of it. Some way, somehow. They’d shared too much to part now. Like they would forever be linked and intertwined because of this mad adventure they’d shared.

  But she couldn’t focus on that. There was plenty of time for that once she was home. For now, all she knew was that she wanted Mike, and she intended to have him.

  She slid her hand over his, where it still rested on her stomach. Then, she pushed it up, over her shirt, until he cupped a breast. His breath hitched as he lightly squeezed, and Jessica felt both the sound and the sensation down to her core.

  Mike’s lips brushed the sensitive spot behind her ear. Jessica drew in a breath, already hot and wanting, when they’d even barely started. But she’d been ready for this since they’d met, her body primed to snap into action at the slightest hint. The kiss last night—had it really only been last night?—hadn’t helped.

  Mike was bolder now, sucking on her neck as he played with her breasts through her bra. Her breathing came out in heavy pants and her skin tightened in need. She wanted to touch him, but there wasn’t much of him she could reach. They were so crammed in the box she couldn’t even turn around.

  She reached back to find his ass, encouraging him to press his erection harder into her butt.

  He groaned again, hips flexing, and Jessica grinned in the darkness. He was so hard with need for her. It made her feel powerful and sensual even in a tiny steel box.

  But it wasn’t enough. Her clit ached, desperate for friction.

  “Mike,” she groaned, but he couldn’t hear her.

  Well, she�
�d just have to take matters into her own hands. Mike could only use one, after all.

  Jessica unbuttoned her pants and slid the zipper down. She hooked her leg over Mike’s to give herself room, shifting his pack in the process. She dipped her hand inside her underwear, brushing against her sensitive clit. Her internal walls clenched around nothing, and she wished more than anything Mike could slide his thick cock into her right now. Instead, she inserted a finger into her channel as she pressed the heel of her hand against her clit, easing the ache building there.

  Mike still played with her breasts, planting hot kisses anywhere he could reach with his lips. His actions sent answering pulls to her core.

  She slipped another finger inside herself, hips rotating at the sensation. Mike broke, growling and his hand disappeared from her breast. Jessica had a moment of confusion, but then he gripped her wrist and eased her hand away.

  “Mine,” he whispered into the low light. The deep rumble of his voice caused a shiver to run down her spine even as her skin heated.

  His hand replaced hers. He played with her clit for a long moment, until she squirmed against his fingers. She used her now-free hand to play with her breasts as Mike dipped two fingers inside her, stretching her, filling her.

  “Yes,” she hissed. It wasn’t as good as his cock, but she’d take it.

  She tilted her knee up, giving him more room to work, and he murmured in approval. His lips returned to her neck, nibbling the sensitive skin, and Jessica knew she wasn’t far from orgasm.

  He worked his fingers in and out of her, in time with the kisses on her neck. The heel of his hand rubbed her clit and Jessica squirmed, torn between getting closer and farther away. He increased his pace, fucking her with his fingers until she could barely breathe. Her chest was tight, her skin burned.

  And then she shattered, coming hard as he continued to pump his fingers into her. She pressed her mouth into her shoulder to muffle her cry as pleasure exploded through every inch of her. Mike rode out the contractions, not letting up until she was limp and exhausted in his arms. He extracted his hand, then placed a gentle kiss on her neck, soothing the over-sensitized skin.

  Dimly, Jessica registered the truck slowing, but she didn’t pay much attention. It had done so a few times already, presumably to turn corners easier. She was too focused on Mike. She wanted to return the favor he’d given her. He was still hard, his erection pressing into her back.

  A tension ran through his body that she was desperate to ease. She reached a hand behind her to rub lazily against his cock, over his trousers. He shifted his hips, making it easier for her to reach.

  She was so focused on Mike that she almost didn’t notice the truck had stopped entirely. Not until Mike’s head came up. Jessica froze. What the hell?

  It was only then she heard the voices over the idling engine. They spoke Portuguese. The drivers? No there were at least three distinct voices.

  Shit.

  Jessica raised her hand into the weak light coming through the cracked lid, and made the symbol for three that Mike had taught her. Then, she pointed outside to indicate the men at the front.

  “Fuck. We’ll have to make a run for it.” His voice was so low in her ear she barely heard it. But she nodded. The men out there were either rebels, or government officials, and either way Jessica didn’t want to get caught. She hurriedly zipped and buttoned her pants.

  “You’ll have to make the call for when we run. When they’re distracted, or out of view. But don’t leave it too long.”

  Her heart pounded. Jesus. This wasn’t her strength. This was Mike’s area of expertise. How the hell was she supposed to know when was a good time to make a break for it? Panic thickened her throat. What if they caught her? She’d be tied up on that chair again, and who knew if she’d get free again. Oh God, oh God.

  She took a deep breath. Mike was relying on her. He couldn’t hear, and she had to be his ears. She could do this. If she didn’t, they’d both be in deep shit.

  She strained her ears, forcing herself to listen to the men’s voices. She couldn’t understand much over the rattle of the engine, and her Portuguese was minimal, but she was pretty sure one of the men explained they were looking for escaped prisoners. Shit, it must be a checkpoint, set up to catch her and Mike.

  The cab doors opened. They must be searching the driver’s area first. Jessica waited a second, weighing their options. Chances were that after the cab, their next stop would be the box where she and Mike hid. If they went now, while the rebels were poking their heads in the truck, they at least had the element of surprise.

  She took a deep breath, readied herself, and then before she could overthink it, she leaped up and out of the box. Mike was seconds behind her as she jumped off the bed of the truck and onto the leaf-strewn path. She had a brief glimpse of a surprised face of a man in a haphazard rebel’s uniform, before she sprinted towards the trees.

  Shouting, gunfire. Jessica ignored them all as she plunged into the undergrowth and kept running. Mike was right behind her. Then, he overtook her, directing her in a jagged path through the jungle so they’d be harder to track. He avoided the thick stands of ferns and vines as best he could, dodging through clearer paths so any pursuers would have a harder time following their trail.

  Jessica’s breath sawed through her lungs. She could barely breathe, and her head spun, but she didn’t dare stop. The shouts of the rebels filtered through the trees behind her, thankfully growing fainter with every step.

  She was exhausted. But she had to keep moving.

  Dawn had fully risen by the time they finally lost their pursuers. How long had they been in that truck? She didn’t know, but she imagined they were now much closer to their destination than they would have been if they’d walked the whole way. Were they close to the border? How much farther until they were safe?

  Mike slowed, and after confirming with her that she couldn’t hear any signs of pursuit, he stopped. He handed her the canteen, which was running low on water. Two nights had passed since they’d had an opportunity to boil any. Mike had managed to salvage some clean water from condensation on leaves and in tree grooves, but it wasn’t enough to sustain them. If they didn’t find a stream and build a fire soon, they’d risk dehydration.

  They finished off the water, ate some fruit Mike picked, and finished off the nuts he’d roasted so many days ago.

  “What’s the plan?” she asked.

  He sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t know where we are, or how far from the border we are. I can only guess.”

  He looked more defeated than she’d ever seen him. She frowned, an odd discomfort building in her chest. “Are you okay?” she asked tentatively.

  Mike’s lips twisted. “I fucked up back there. I never should have let myself get distracted.” His jaw clenched.

  Jessica’s heart sank. The talk she’d so dreaded after the first time they’d kissed hadn’t been avoided, only delayed. Dammit. She didn’t want to deal with this.

  “We both got distracted, but we got out alive. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “It’s my duty to protect you. And I put you in danger.”

  She shrugged. “To be fair, I also put myself in danger, since I initiated it.”

  “Jessica…”

  “What? I did.” She narrowed her eyes, daring him to challenge her.

  “You shouldn’t dismiss this. You were nearly captured today because I let my dick get in the way of my job.”

  “What would have changed if we’d been paying more attention, hmmm?”

  He tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, we were traveling along nicely, and then the truck slowed. No reason for us to know anything was wrong at that point. Then, I heard voices, and we knew we were in trouble. At what point would our not having been distracted helped us in that scenario?”

  A muscle ticked in his jaw, but he said nothing.

  “Exactly,” she
said with some satisfaction. “So get over yourself. We were having some consensual relaxation time and had a close call. Don’t read anything more into it than that.”

  His eyebrows shot up and the corner of his lip curled. “Relaxation? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?” His eyes heated as his mind clearly cast back to the moment in the box. Jessica’s stomach heated in response. She hadn’t had an orgasm like that in a long time.

  “I don’t know about you, but I was pretty relaxed afterward.”

  He gave a reluctant chuckle, and some of his tension melted away. His hot eyes swept over her and a tingle raced beneath her skin where his gaze touched. “I was anything but relaxed,” he murmured in a low voice. He stepped forward. “In fact…” He broke off and made a sound of frustration. “Shit, this isn’t the time. But be warned, I will find a way to get inside you, and finish what we started in that damn box.”

  His gaze was intense. He meant it.

  Jessica’s stomach clenched. Yes, please. She wanted Mike so badly. He was sometimes lacking in manners, but that hardly mattered when it came to sex. The man clearly knew how to please a woman, and that was all that counted.

  She smiled, imagining if they were dating, if she invited him to meet her parents. She doubted they’d be impressed with him. Any time they set her up with someone, it was with a man from their own social circles. Urbane. Wealthy. Mike was neither of those things.

  The petty, childish part of her enjoyed the thought of bringing someone a bit crude and overtly masculine into their lives. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d done something like that to shock her parents. But the idea felt somehow wrong. She didn’t want to use Mike like that. She liked him too much, and he deserved better than to be a pawn between her and her parents. If they did continue…whatever this was between them, back in the US, it wouldn’t be because her parents wouldn’t approve.