by Rosie Miller
Justine wasn’t buying it. Surely hunters and wolves could co-exist? It’s not like they were selling this place as an ideal location for family picnics. But Jackson had spoken and he was the client.
“Okay—if you insist.” Ellie gave in reluctantly.
Jackson turned away, but Justine saw her slip the sample jar into her backpack.
By lunchtime, Jackson was getting noticeably more on edge. He kept asking Ellie if she was done, and reminding them about the plane—even though it was still hours away.
Finally Ellie declared herself satisfied and they hiked back to the hunting lodge. They gathered up the rest of their belongings.
Justine took the opportunity to tidy herself up, slick on a little make-up and try and tame her hair. She knew she was holding everyone up but she couldn’t go back to civilization looking like this. By the time she’d done the others were already in the SUV waiting for her. She jumped in apologizing.
At least there was air-con and music. Justine leaned back in the seat, glad to be getting away from the lodge and the wilderness. This time they went straight through the town without stopping—leaving a dust cloud behind them. They were at the airport with a few minutes to spare.
Jackson wasn’t flying back with them. “I have to stay here for a few days. I have some business to attend to.”
Justine wondered what kind of business it could be in that one-horse town. At least now she was fairly sure he wasn’t married.
Colin and Ellie said their goodbyes to Jackson, and went to check in and then wait in the small café area—which was just three tables next to a vending machine. Justine offered to take care of returning the rental.
Colin just nodded, busy bemoaning the lack of organic teas with Ellie.
She took the keys from Jackson and they wandered outside together.
“Someone’s coming to collect you?” she asked.
He nodded. “I’d rather stay with you but…”
She shrugged. He was back to being Mr. Mystery. “I had fun.”
“Me too.” He looked at her, his eyes burning into her. “I’d like to do it again.”
She smiled at him. “You never know your luck.”
“Can I call you—when I’m back in town?”
“Sure.” She hadn’t had chance to talk to him. But his actions last night spoke louder than words.
A car squealed to a halt right next to them. She leaned down but couldn’t see who was driving through the dark tinted glass.
“Goodbye then,” he said awkwardly.
There was clearly going to be no kissing. “See you,” she said, keeping it casual too, and he was gone.
She stood outside a while longer, watching the sun set. The plane would be here soon, but the rental office was still closed. She could just leave the keys in the dash. It wasn’t her fault if there was no one here to see it returned.
She went back into the half-deserted airport building. She wanted to take a quick look at those pictures of Jackson. She looked for her camera. It wasn’t in her handbag. It must be in her overnight bag.
Colin and Ellie had checked in and were drinking their tea. She joined them. Hoisting her bag onto the table, she looked through it. The camera wasn’t there. Where was it? She looked again, pulling out her clothes, then emptying out her handbag. “Can’t find my camera,” she explained to Colin and Ellie.
“You’re hopeless,” Colin said.
She wanted to pour his hot, un-organic tea all over him.
“You had better check in anyway. The gate’s open and we should be going.”
“Yes. Yes.” She emptied her handbag onto the table. It had to be here. Where was the damn thing? She wasn’t leaving without it. She could get Jackson to look for it. But what if he saw all those pictures of him? Or all those pictures of her? She groaned at the thought. She’d never be able to look at him again. It must be in the rental she thought, suddenly. It must have rolled under the seat. “You guys go on. I’ll just check the rental. I’ll be there in a sec.”
“Don’t be long. It’s not long until we leave.”
“Sure.” She walked outside quickly and crossed the lot to the SUV. She opened it and looked around—nothing. She checked under the front seats, in the glove box, then went into the back and looked under those seats. She looked in the open back, and then returned to the seat where she’d been sitting. It had to be there. But it wasn’t. She dashed back inside.
She’d have to leave it. She went to the check-in desk.
“Hi there. You checking in? You’re just in time.”
Justine took out her ticket and put her keys away. Her keys? She still had the SUV keys in her hand. “Shoot. Just one minute. I’ll be back in one minute,” she called out and ran outside again. She crossed the lot and opened the door and threw the keys in. She ran back, panting.
The desk was deserted. A ‘closed’ sign sat on it.
She looked around. The woman had to be here somewhere. “Hello, hello,” she called out. “I need to get the flight. Hello, someone, anyone, I need to get on the plane. I was only gone a minute.” But there was no one there. The other desks were empty. This was the only flight out. And there was no one there to check her on. She looked at the security station, but there a barrier up and no one there either. A lone security guard watched her from across the hall.
“Where is everyone?” she shouted. Her voice echoed across the empty space.
He shrugged and turned away.
She heard the sound of an engine as the small plane taxied along the runway. It was too late. She’d missed it.
“Hell and damnation,” she cursed. She kicked her bag. She’d lost her camera and now she’d missed the plane. And she’d never hear the end of it from Colin.
“Damn.” She kicked the vending machine. To her surprise a cup dropped down and some tea poured itself out. She smiled. At least it wasn’t all bad.
She sat down for a moment to gather her thoughts. She still had the rental. She could take that back to town—pick up her camera—then find a motel for the night. Easy.
First, she texted Colin. She sighed, choosing her words carefully. He was irritating enough as he was. She didn’t want him to think she’d missed the plane by messing around and being disorganized. She’d never hear the end of it. In the end she texted ‘Urgent message from Jackson—had to go back to town—see you tomorrow.’
Now Colin would think she was setting up some romantic rendezvous with Jackson—if only! As it was, she had a few hours driving ahead of her and a lonely night in some backwoods motel—assuming she could find one. But first she had to get that camera. She couldn’t risk Jackson getting to it first. Not now things finally seemed to be going well between them.
Chapter Nine
She drove quickly back into town. She cursed herself for leaving the camera—then she cursed Alistair for taking those explicit shots of her—then she cursed herself again for taking all those shots of Jackson sleeping. What had she been thinking? She was acting like a love-sick teenager. The trouble was, she didn’t think when she was near him.
Finally, the town came into view. She slowed down just enough to keep to the speed limits. Who knew if they had a sheriff in a town like this? She scanned the single street carefully—looking for Jackson—but it was empty.
She turned off on the track to the lodge. She was making good time. Soon she’d be there—she could pick up her camera and get out. Then she’d head straight back the airport—there had to be a motel near there somewhere.
She’d find someone at the airport or get online and book the first flight out for the morning and make up some story to tell Colin. Jackson need never know she had missed the plane.
It was getting dark and she slowed down. There were no lights or road markings to guide her and the track was winding and narrow. She was leaving the dust bowl of the town behind and climbing into the hilly country that surrounded the single dark valley.
The road wound on through the thickening trees
.
Would Jackson have found her camera? If he had, would it ever occur to him to flick through the images stored on there? What would he think when he saw the ones of him? That she had a massive crush on him—of course. Which she had—especially now, after last night. She remembered the feel of his body on hers—the urgency with which he’d touched her—the way he felt inside her. She shivered a little with pleasure. She definitely wanted to do that again—and soon.
But would he, once he saw the pictures of her swallowing down someone else’s cock? That was the kind of picture it was hard to get out of your head. Would he think she was loose—wanton—a whore? Or would he like that she was up for a bit of fun? But with any luck he wouldn’t see them at all.
She decided to stop worrying and concentrate on her driving.
She navigated a tight switchback bend, and then another one. She hadn’t been paying a lot of attention to the road when Jackson drove her in and out, but she certainly didn’t remember those. She screwed her eyes up, trying to see further ahead, but everything looked the same in the dark.
Then she saw something gleaming up ahead. She slowed right down. It was stream—or a small river—crossing the road. They definitely hadn’t gone this way before. Had she taken the wrong turning? Had there even been a turning?
She paused in the road, letting the engine idle, thinking hard. Perhaps there had been a fork in the road. She tried to remember. Anyway, it didn’t matter. This was the wrong way and she had to turn around and go back.
She maneuvered the vehicle around, reversing off the narrow track into the scrub. She hoped there wasn’t steep drop at the edge of the track as she nudged the car around slowly. She looked over her shoulder, staring out of the back windscreen, trying to make sure she avoided the trees.
She saw something out there—a pinprick of lights—two lights. What was it? There were more. She stared into the darkness. It looked like eyes—watching her.
Don’t be stupid—it’s just a trick of the light. But she was breathing more quickly, and she could feel her heart beginning to race.
She got the car pointed round the right way and pulled back onto the road. She resisted the urge to hit the gas and get out of there as fast as she could. The track was too rough and windy for that, especially in the thick unremitting darkness.
She made herself drive slowly and steadily. She kept glancing back in her mirror. The lights—the eyes—were still there. Were they following her?
She gripped the steering wheel tighter, determined not to think about it, and not to look behind her again. She focused on the road, on getting back round the difficult bends, then looking for the turning to the lodge.
She was going really slowly now. The big vehicle rumbled along the rutted track while she scanned for a break in the trees which might indicate a turn off or a fork in the track. Her eyes were tired from straining into the half-illuminated darkness.
She drove on. She tried to ignore a nagging thought that was telling her she was lost—really lost—and that she might not find either the road back to town or the hunting lodge tonight, but just drive on and on deeper into the woods until she was too tired to drive anymore, and then…
But she saw a gap in the undergrowth and pulled to a halt. It was definitely another track leading off into the blackness. But was it the way to the hunting lodge? She swerved the car impatiently onto the barely formed road. She was going that way. And it had better be right.
After fifteen minutes she saw a light and the relief washed through her. She got closer and could make out the dark shape of the lodge. There were cars here—lots of them, and lights spilling out of the windows through the gaps in the curtains. But she’d found it, and she was safe.
She turned off the engine and sat behind the wheel, letting the tension drain from her shoulders.
She could see five or six, maybe more, cars and trucks parked haphazardly around. There might be a big group of hunters—of men—here. She thought back to the locals she had seen in the town. Would they be friendly, helpful – or suspicious and angry with her for intruding. Or would it be even worse? One woman, alone in the woods with a whole group of men… anything could happen. Nobody even knew she was here. Was it safe to just go into the lodge?
She pulled out her phone. Damn. No signal. It was useless.
But they were probably just a friendly group of country boys—and girls too—and it would be fine. Whatever—after that long drive, she wasn’t going to just turn around and leave.
She opened the car door and pushed it closed quietly. The night air hit her and she shivered.
She decided to peek through the window, to see who was inside before she knocked at the door. She walked as quietly as she could up to the front window and pressed her face up to the glass. The blind was ill-fitting and if she peered in at an angle, she could see right into the room.
She stared around the room, holding her breath for a second, not quite taking in what she was seeing. The room was full of people and dogs. There were beer bottles and half-eaten food everywhere, lying around on the tables and on the floor. There were piles of discarded clothes strewn here and there.
But that wasn’t what made her gasp. It was what the people were doing that made her freeze to the spot—they were all naked and there was some kind of orgy going on.
Justine watched in amazement as a plump young woman swept one end of the table clear. The food and beers fell to the floor. The woman bent over the table raising her full round butt cheeks into the air. She opened her legs wider and looked over her shoulder and said something. A man appeared behind her straight away. He was clearly ready for action.
Justine could see his erection bouncing as he approached the woman. She reached behind her and pulled her butt cheeks wide, making her pussy stick out. Soon his hips were moving rhythmically as he thrust into her. At his shoulder stood another man—holding his stiff rod in his hand and slowly jerking himself off—as if he was waiting for a turn.
On one of the couches—the one she and Jackson had made love on—sat an older man. He was holding a plate of food and chewing the meat off a bone. His trousers were around his ankles and at his feet sat two young women, vying for the chance to chew on his bone. They were both completely naked—young and blond—sisters perhaps. One held his dick and sucked it, putting all her energy into it, bouncing on her heels. Then the other girl shoved her out of the way and grabbed at the cock and gobbled it down. The man looked on approvingly, occasionally seeming to tell them to swap over, or do something differently.
Nearby, an older woman was getting the same treatment. She sat with one leg flung over the arm of the couch and a beer in her hand as a muscular broad-shouldered man buried his head in her pussy. From the look on her face, he was doing a great job down there.
She scanned the rest of the room. There was a couple humping like dogs on the floor. The man was bent over the woman and his hips moved rapidly, obviously pumping into her hard and fast. There was something familiar about him. Justine held her breath – surely it wasn’t… Then he looked around. Justine exhaled slowly – it wasn’t Jackson.
In the center of the room, some sort of struggle was going on. There was a younger woman who still had her clothes on. She looked anxious—shy perhaps. But a man and an older red-headed woman seemed to be persuading her to get undressed. Justine saw other people in the room settling back to watch—almost like they had been expecting this to happen—like it was some kind of show. The young woman had long, thick dark hair and very ordinary clothes. She looked like a regular country girl. What was she doing in a room full of naked people having an orgy?
The man was trying to undress her. He was fiddling with the buttons on her blouse. The woman had her arm round the girl’s shoulders. Was she comforting her—or holding her still?
Finally her shirt was open and the man pulled it off her shoulders. The girl stood there in her bra and hung her head not looking at anyone. The woman stroked her hair.
; The man took off her bra, and her big heavy breasts swung free. The man stepped back and held her shoulders from behind and turned her around this way and that showing off her tits to everyone. Justine could see people smiling and laughing. One of them applauded. The girl kept her head down, not looking at anyone as she was displayed to the onlookers.
The woman took the girl’s hands and pulled them behind her back and held them there. She nuzzled at the girls’ neck affectionately, but still held her tightly.
The girl was defenseless against the man now. He started to touch her chest, taking a handful of her flesh in each hand and burying his head between her heavy mounds. He squeezed and massaged her tits. Then his fingers started to work on the girl’s nipples, pulling on them until they got tight and hard. He licked at the dark pink buds.
The older woman was still holding the girl’s wrists firmly behind her back, so she couldn’t struggle while the man mouthed at her breasts.
What was the girl doing here? Did she know this was going to happen? Was she enjoying it?
The man gave girl’s breasts a final squeeze and then turned his attentions to her jeans. He undid them and tugged them down over her full hips. Her panties came down with them. The girl twisted and turned—perhaps she was trying to stop him. But her arms were still held by the woman—and she wasn’t kicking out at the man. Each movement just made her breasts bounce around. One of the men watching jumped up from his seat and grabbed her tits and had a feel. Finally, her jeans and panties off. The man threw the clothes to one side and gave the newcomer a shove out of the way.
He ran his hands over her pale, full hips and butt, digging his fingers into the flesh. Then he stroked her thighs and her mound. He knelt at her feet and pushed her legs wider apart. He dipped his fingers between her legs. Then he examined his hand and called something out to the onlookers. What was he saying? His hand went back between her legs. Were his fingers inside her—was he caressing her clit? Justine felt a tingle between her own legs.
