Unexpected Ties

by Gina Dartt

  “We can hear the conversations going on around the fire. Quite clearly.”

  “So?”

  “So if we can hear them, they most certainly can hear us. I know you wanted to teach me the joys of two people in a sleeping bag, but considering the circumstances, I think we should just sleep.”

  “We could make love quietly, you know.”

  Kate exhaled audibly, almost a sigh. “You make that remarkably difficult, my darling.” She reached back to stroke the outside of Nikki’s thigh. “I tend to forget where I am or what else is going on when you do what you do to me, and I always express my appreciation.” She paused. “Loudly.”

  “That you do.” Nikki wrapped her arms tightly about her lover. “Fair enough.” Despite her slight disappointment, she understood Kate’s reservations perfectly. The thought of anyone from the group listening to them or, worse, making some sort of ribald or disparaging remark regarding their intimacy, was not anything Nikki was comfortable with either. Besides, it was very nice just lying there, wrapped around her partner in the cozy darkness of their tent.

  “I do adore holding you,” she murmured in Kate’s ear.

  Kate pushed back against her, turning her head so that her cheek was pressed against Nikki’s lips. “I love your holding me. I want you to do it for the rest of my life.”

  “I will,” Nikki said, her voice a bit ragged from the emotion suddenly filling her. “Forever.” She inhaled deeply, basking in her lover’s warmth, delighting in her lovely fragrance. “Did you enjoy yourself today?” she asked.

  “I did.”

  Nikki was relieved and more than a little pleased. “Would you like to try it again? I can’t promise cows every time.”

  Kate chuckled. “What, no cows? I don’t know about that…”

  Nikki started to laugh which set off Kate, and for the next few moments, the memory of the earlier bovine encounter kept them going until they were both weak, ribs aching from their mirth. Nikki didn’t think she’d ever forget the sight of the Summer Twins thrashing their way frantically from the river. When their laugher finally trailed off, Nikki settled against her lover and closed her eyes, feeling happier than she had ever felt before.

  “I love you, Kate.”

  “I love you too, darling,” Kate told her quietly. “Sleep well.”

  “’Night,” Nikki mumbled before drifting off with the infinitely pleasant sensation of her lover in her arms.

  *

  She woke sometime in the night, uncertain where she was and feeling as if something was wrong. Fuzzily, she realized she was alone and that some sort of commotion was going on in the camp. She fumbled around for her glasses, slipping them on before she could find the lamp. Disturbed when she couldn’t find Kate, she hastily pulled on some sweatpants and crawled out of the tent, wrapping her arms around herself and shivering in the cool night air.

  “What’s going on?” Kim demanded, looking equally confused and startled as she and Lynn spilled from their tent.

  “I don’t know.” Nikki searched the darkness, trying to spot Kate. The fire had died out hours earlier and the moon had set, with dawn still several hours away. Other women were stirring, calling out uncertainly, and Nikki lifted her lamp high as she and her friends headed toward the area where most of the group had set up camp. As she moved closer, Nikki stared in astonishment at a convulsing mass near one of the picnic tables, muffled cries of outrage and curses issuing from within the collapsed tent.

  “It’s the Summer Twins,” Kim identified dryly. “They must have put their tent up wrong. I can’t imagine why. Do you suppose they were…uh, what, drinking a little?”

  Others appeared to be drawing the same conclusion, and those who had gathered around the cause of the disturbance were showing less alarm and more disgust as May and June finally managed to crawl out of the entangling nylon. Mutters that were far from complimentary were directed at the Twins, the loudest coming from their own friends.

  Nikki shook her head in aggravation at what seemed like another display of bad behavior from the duo, but she was far more worried about Kate’s absence. She headed back to her tent, wanting to retrieve her shoes before she searched further. To her surprise and great relief, Kate was tucked into the sleeping bag, looking alert and curious as Nikki crawled into the tent.

  “Where were you?” Nikki asked, zipping the entrance shut behind her.

  “I had to go into the woods for a bit,” Kate explained blandly. “What’s going on?”

  Nikki snorted in disgust as she peeled off her pants and slipped into the warmth of the sleeping bag. “May and June. Too drunk to put their tent up right, I guess. It collapsed on them.” Nikki switched off the lamp, and they settled back against the mattress.

  “Oh. That’s too bad.”

  Nikki heard a tone in Kate’s voice, a certain inflection that most would have missed. Feeling a thrill of suspicion, Nikki lifted her head. The thought that struck her seemed so outrageous, she could scarcely grant it credence. Yet, May and June were experienced campers regardless of their overindulgence, and on further reflection, Nikki found it difficult to believe they would put their tent up so incompetently that it would collapse on them.

  Wishing she could see Kate’s face, she asked, “Uh, while you were out walking around in the woods, you didn’t happen to see anyone loosening some tent pegs?”

  Kate did not respond immediately. She patted Nikki’s hip then turned away from her and settled into the bedding. “Go to sleep, Nikki,” she said, in case it wasn’t clear enough that the conversation was over.

  Unable to see a thing, Nikki stared into the night, lost in amazed admiration and the unmistakable sense that Kate had depths that she was only beginning to discover.

  Chapter Twenty

  Kate lay awake in the misty light of predawn. Beside her, Nikki slumbered peacefully, her body rising and falling almost imperceptibly. The air mattress kept them off the ground, but every time Kate moved even a little, she feared that the plug at the end would give way and the whole contraption would collapse.

  She had lain awake most of the night, with only the briefest spells of dozing, unable to toss and turn lest she disturb Nikki. She was sore and not a little out of sorts, longing for the luxury of her large, comfortable bed at home.

  Feeling grimy and unkempt, she longed for a shower. She could always take a dip in the river, of course, but that held as much appeal as the rest of this camping exercise. The air was nippy, making the end of her nose cold, and she buried it in the warm hollow of Nikki’s neck and shoulder.

  She wondered how long Nikki was planning to extend this excursion into the great outdoors, and if she could come up with some way to hurry it along.

  “Hmmm, Kate? You cold?”

  “A little.” Kate’s answer was punctuated by a gust of wind that made the tent shudder. “You promised to keep me warm.”

  “So I did.” Nikki’s eyes narrowed lazily, and her hands started to wander beneath Kate’s T-shirt.

  “Nikki?”

  “You didn’t think I’d pass up the opportunity to make love to you in a sleeping bag, did you?”

  “What about the noise?”

  “Everyone else is still asleep. We’ll just have to be quiet.”

  Kate quivered as Nikki found a particularly sensitive spot, her drowsiness forgotten, along with the grumpiness she’d felt earlier. “If you say so.”

  “I do.” Nikki’s voice was husky. “But first, there’s something I want to ask you.”

  “I’m listening. Distracted, but…listening.”

  “Did you do something to June and May’s tent last night?”

  “What makes you think that?” Kate slipped her arms around Nikki’s neck and kissed her deeply.

  It felt so good to have Nikki’s hands plying her with such skill, Nikki’s lips tasting her hungrily as they moved together. She felt her T-shirt being pulled over her head, and she lifted her arms to help. Her panties were slid down her legs, and s
he kicked them off to disappear into the bottom recesses of the sleeping bag. Kate helped Nikki out of her clothes, no longer finding it cold in the morning air. Instead, it was warm and becoming warmer. Smooth skin slipped over hers as Nikki settled onto her, her weight a soft comfort in the gray dawn.

  Though they tried to remain quiet, their breathing was harsh in the stillness, and Kate bit her lip as a whimper rose from her throat. She buried her face in Nikki’s chest, gasping as her legs were lovingly forced apart and she was exposed to Nikki’s gentle touch.

  Kate reached out, finding her own path to the intimate delights that waited. Nikki felt silky smooth and wet on her fingers, and they shifted position to find a complementary rhythm, falling into a delicate dance of desire and wanton pleasure that rose within them in waves, each one stronger than the one before.

  Kate felt the peak hover just beyond her, teasing, so close, yet so tantalizingly far away. She arched for it, needing it desperately as she felt her lover strive with her. They would reach that plateau together, she knew, and that knowledge made the pleasure even deeper, her response more potent, and the demand all the more powerful. She was almost there. Her heart rate accelerated and she found it hard to draw breath. Almost…there…

  With a muted pop, the plug at the end of the mattress was forced out, and air hissed out like steam from a teakettle. They barely had time to recognize what was happening before the mattress collapsed beneath them, letting them drop to a hard ground studded liberally with stones. Kate let out a muffled oath as Nikki squashed her flat before regaining her balance and moving off her.

  “Damn it.” Nikki peered at her anxiously. “Are you all right?”

  Kate wiggled her fingers and flexed her wrist carefully, deciding it wasn’t broken or even sprained. Just tweaked a little. She wondered if she would have to strap it up with an Ace bandage. “I’m okay. I guess some things just don’t work in a sleeping bag. That, or your other partners were much better at this sort of thing.”

  Nikki flushed. “Actually, I’ve never tried to make love in a sleeping bag before. None of my other lovers liked camping.”

  “That’s not the impression you gave me.”

  Nikki looked embarrassed and her face grew even redder when Kim called from the next tent, “Hey, are you guys all right?”

  “We’re fine,” Kate replied.

  “What happened?”

  Nikki scrambled to pull on her clothes. “The mattress collapsed. Nothing serious.”

  “Why’d it collapse?”

  “Never mind.”

  Kim’s snort of understanding was very audible as Lynn, apparently also awake, started to laugh. Kate covered her face with her hands. This camping trip just got better and better.

  “I guess we should get up.” She drew fresh clothes from her pack. “I don’t suppose anyone brought a spare shower.”

  “Actually, Kate, we have one.” Kim poked her head through the entrance of the tent, as Nikki crawled out. “It’s behind our tent.”

  Kate hitched the sleeping bag up and gazed at her, nonplussed. “Really?”

  “Yeah, it’s a camping shower with a pouch that you set up in a tree. You fill it with water, and when you open the nozzle, gravity makes it work. Lynn and I already took our showers last night, and we refilled it so there’s plenty there. Want to try it?”

  “Lead the way.” Kate started to throw back the sleeping bag, remembered her state of dishabille, and sank back down against the pillow.

  Kim grinned. “I’ll wait out here until you’re presentable.”

  Too cheered by the prospect of cleaning up to be embarrassed at Kim’s comment, Kate found her T-shirt and panties, pulling them on before she crawled from the sleeping bag. Carrying her clothes, a towel, and some shampoo, she eagerly followed Kim behind their tent where a flimsy box made of canvas and aluminum poles provided a margin of privacy beneath a large red maple tree. Bushes surrounded it, and though it had a moss floor and appeared highly primitive, it also looked quite functional. Feeling grimy as she was, Kate actually thought it was rather clever.

  After Kim had disappeared, she undressed and slipped through the zippered opening with her towel and shampoo. She flipped the towel over the canvas wall, twisted the shower nozzle above her as Kim had instructed and water cascaded down.

  Her shriek reverberated through the campground and undoubtedly woke whoever had still been sleeping. Sheer shock made her gasp for air, and from the other side of the canvas, she could hear Nikki’s accusing tone directed at Kim and Lynn.

  “Why didn’t you tell her it was going to be cold?”

  *

  A few hours later, after the group had said their good-byes and got in their respective cars, Nikki and Kate drove down the short lane to the paved road after them.

  When Nikki didn’t turn right at the crossroads, but instead went in the opposite direction their friends took, Kate asked, “Where are we going?”

  “Thought we could go the long way, take in some scenery.”

  Nikki knew these back roads well, having grown up in the area, and she wanted to prolong their weekend a little. A cloud of dust kicked up behind the little car as they rattled and shook their way along a narrow band of gravel.

  Eventually Nikki found what she was looking for, a small lane half grown over by brush. Kate flung her a sharp look as she made the turn and they began bumping over the ruts of the old logging road.

  Nikki smiled. “Ever been parking?”

  “You mean…” Kate looked vaguely unsettled. “Here?”

  “Nobody around for miles,” Nikki found the landing where the trucks had loaded years earlier, and turned the car around so it faced out before turning off the engine. Through the open windows, they could hear nothing but the birds and the breeze rustling the leaves. It was dead silent otherwise, with no sound of intruding engines or urban noise.

  They sat quietly for a few moments before Kate remarked in a dry tone, “You take me to such lovely places.”

  Nikki laughed. “Hey, I’m hoping this will become a very lovely memory.”

  Kate glanced at her slyly. “You really want to make love in your car?”

  “What better way to christen it?” Nikki put her hand on Kate’s thigh, caressing it lightly. “Haven’t you ever made out in the back seat?”

  “Made out, yes,” Kate said, laughter lacing her tone. “Actual sex, no. And never in broad daylight.”

  “Well, there’s a first time for everything.” Nikki leaned closer and kissed Kate softly, her lips lingering on that wonderful mouth. Moving her hand up slightly, she pressed against the heat between Kate’s legs. “Try something new, sweetie.”

  Kate laughed and, at Nikki’s urging, crawled into the back through the opening between the front bucket seats. As she turned and settled against the side of the car, Nikki followed, excitement making her breathe quickly. Slipping her arms around Kate, she pulled her close, delighting in the warmth of her body. Kate returned her kisses eagerly, hunger evident in the way she tugged at Nikki’s T-shirt, jerking it loose from her jeans and dragging it up.

  Nikki giggled and finished pulling it over her head, then groaned when she felt Kate’s hands cover her breasts, teasing the nipples through the thin fabric of her bra. “Here, let me get that off.”

  As soon as she was free of that encumbrance, Kate immediately replaced her left hand with her mouth, lips closing firmly over the rosy bud. The sensation of her tongue dancing over the sensitive flesh sent a tremor through Nikki’s groin, and she reached for Kate, fondling her breast through her T-shirt, making her moan quietly.

  The confines of the small backseat made maneuvering tricky, particularly as their passion grew. Kate banged her elbow into the side window as she tried to pull off her top, while Nikki thumped her knee soundly into the back of the console containing the gear shift, but neither of them paused.

  “Oh, that’s what I want,” Nikki murmured as she managed to get Kate’s jeans unbuttoned and pulled down t
o afford her access to the hot flesh. She caught her breath as the silky moisture bathed her fingers, making Kate twitch as she brushed over the firm line of her ridge. “God, you’re so wet.”

  “You make me that way,” Kate breathed into her ear. “God, you make me want you so badly.”

  Nikki exhaled slowly, feeling humbled and elated by the comment as she always did. At times she wondered how Kate could love and need her so much, how she could share the deep emotion that Nikki held for her. So often Nikki felt unworthy of Kate, unable to comprehend what she had done to make her so very fortunate and afraid that she would somehow undo her luck. But then Kate’s desire and love for her would show in her face so blatantly that it took Nikki’s breath away. Just as it did now.

  “I love you so much,” she whispered as she fondled Kate, feeling close to tears suddenly.

  “I love you, too, my darling,” Kate told her as she pushed Nikki’s knees apart. “Spread your legs.”

  Nikki shuddered from the sensation of Kate slipping her hands up her inner thigh and worming her way into the leg of her shorts, disdaining the need to remove them. Kate pushed aside the elastic of her panties and dipped into Nikki’s moisture before finding her spot and manipulating her firmly.

  “Oh, God, Kate.”

  “You know, I’m really beginning to like your displays of spontaneity.”

  Nikki laughed. “I’m just glad I could find this place.”

  Kate drew back so she could look into her eyes. “You’ve never been here before?”

  “No, but I can always tell how long it’s been since a logging road’s been used,” Nikki told her as she slipped two fingers slowly into her lover, watching as Kate’s eyes unfocused with pleasure. “The trees have been replanted and only half grown. It’ll be another five years before they’re logging here again.”

  Kate clenched around Nikki’s fingers. “As long as we’re not interrupted in the next few moments.” She quivered slightly. “Or hours.”

  Nikki bit her earlobe and undulated against the caress between her legs, almost undone by Kate’s touch. She used her thumb to flick Kate’s ridge lightly. “Does that feel good?”