Off Limits

by Vivian Ward

  “That’s better than my zero fish,” Hunter says.

  “If you guys want,” I say. “You can eat with us tonight. There’s a total of five fish, and there’s only four of us, so there’s more than enough to go around.”

  They look at each other and shrug.

  “Yeah, that sounds good, and we can still drink together just like we planned,” Shawn says.

  I know exactly why he wants us to drink with them. The bad thing is, it’s partly why I want us to drink with them, too.

  “Sounds good,” I say.

  “Hey! Do you guys know of any good drinking games?” Hunter asks. “If not, we’ve got a few, and we can make up some new ones.”

  “The only drinking game I’ve ever really played was beer pong or quarters. Other than that, I don’t think so,” I tell them as we make our way back to the campsite.

  No sooner than we pull up, I see Beth wearing her red bikini. The one her ass hangs out of, and it looks so delicious. I just want to walk up to her, yank those little bottoms down and eat her booty like groceries.

  I’m not the only one who notices either. Hunter and Shawn are eyeing her like a couple of starved men.

  “You’re back just in time,” she says, adjusting her bikini in an attempt to cover up. “The food is almost ready.”

  After we’re done eating, Beth cleans up and puts the food away while all of us men get the rafts ready for the water.

  Purchasing this inflatable gadget that plugs into the cigarette lighter outlet is the best ten dollars I’ve spent in a while because it beats having to go to the gas station that’s almost ten miles from the campsite.

  As I’m airing up Beth’s raft, I watch her hips sway as she approaches me with a bottle of sunscreen in her hand.

  “Can you rub some of this on my back? I don’t want to burn with us being out on the water today,” she says, holding the bottle out to me.

  “You’ll have to wait. I’m inflating your raft right now, and then I have to do the blow-up coolers so we can take our drinks with us.”

  This is one of the times when I wish I would have listened to my wife when we originally bought these things and spent the extra few dollars for the bigger cooler.

  She told me that they weren’t going to be very big on the inside, but I didn’t listen. Instead, I asked her how many drinks she was planning on taking. I didn’t think about the ice in the cooler taking up room, so we ended up having to go back to buy a second cooler before our next camping trip.

  “I can put some lotion on you,” Hunter says.

  Beth’s face drops in surprise, and she turns to me with that, “Did you hear that?” look that she always gets—the same one I always pretend to ignore. This time I don’t ignore it.

  Smiling, I nod with my cigarette loosely hanging out of my mouth and wink at her.

  “Yeah, let Hunter help you out. I’m busy, babe.”

  It’s so hard not to laugh because I can see it in her eyes that she wants to but she’s afraid. She’s not sure what to think of another man touching her, and I’m not sure she knows how to respond to my approval.

  Chapter 6

  Beth

  I can’t believe what my husband just said. Part of me wants to believe this is some sort of dream but I know better. It’s almost like he wants me to be touched by someone else.

  The problem is that I don’t know if I want another man touching me. I mean, he’s good looking but he’s not my husband.

  So good looking, maybe too good.

  He’s almost as dangerous as his friend but he’s not as direct and is more playful, and because of this I seem to let my guard down a little.

  “Sure, go for it,” I say, throwing caution to the wind.

  Um, what?

  Did those words just leave my mouth?

  Hunter rubs his hands together to create friction between them, warming them up before he takes the sunscreen out of my hands.

  “With pleasure,” he says with a broad smile that seems unable to go away.

  My eyes bulge out of my head as he squirts the lotion in his hands and I look at my husband for guidance.

  Shit! He’s really going to touch me. This guy is really going to massage sunscreen on my back.

  Tom continues inflating the coolers—if only he would’ve listened and bought what I told him to when we had originally gotten them, he could be done. Smiling as big as Hunter, he nods once again in approval and blows a kiss in the air after he exhales the smoke from his cigarette.

  What the hell has gotten into my husband?

  Yes, we’ve always been exhibitionists and have liked performing in public places but letting other men touch me is completely new.

  “How come I didn’t get asked to do that?” Shawn asks, catching Hunter rubbing me down.

  Oh crap!

  “What? She needed some help, and I was here to help her….and so glad I was,” he adds, a sly undertone in his voice.

  God, kill me now.

  I could literally die right now as I listen to these two talk.

  And there’s my husband, sitting in the car as he watches all of this go down while airing everything up. I’d really like to shove that air hose where the sun doesn’t shine on him to wipe that grin off his face. It’s so obvious that he’s getting a kick out of all of this.

  I shoot a smirk in his direction as my token of appreciation for putting me in an awkward spot with these two handsome guys.

  Hunter is totally rubbing it in while he gives Shawn shit, and I hate it. But I’m not sure what I hate worse: the fact that they can see my blushing cheeks or the fact that I can feel the heat between my legs spreading from my core.

  And I know that Hunter’s not touching me sexually. He’s just rubbing sunscreen oil on my back, but it’s the fact that I’m wearing this damn bikini that my ass hangs out of and he’s touching my bare skin with a perfect view of my ass.

  Feeling completely exposed and vulnerable in front of him, I politely ask him to hurry so I can finish gathering the rest of the things we’ll need for the float trip.

  Luckily, we don’t need much as the creek makes a big circle around the campsite—as long as you always veer to the left. If you turn to the right, the stream opens up, and you might wind up in the nearby river far away from camp.

  “All ready to go?” the guys come ask just as Tom grabs the last of our stuff.

  “Ready,” we both answer in unison.

  Half-way around the creek, we stop to take a break which I am so grateful for. As much as I was ready to go this morning, I need to rest.

  Sleeping in this morning while Tom got up and left to go fishing was nice, but I couldn’t wait for him to get back. I started missing him after I had my package of Pop Tarts as soon as I woke up because I was famished after the intense orgasm that I had last night.

  I guess it’s a good thing that I had some alone time, though. I’m never able to get much reading done since we’re usually on the go, but I finished the novel I’ve been slowly reading for the past week and a half and started a new one.

  For the first part of our float trip, the sun gracefully kissed my skin, warming it as I lazily reclined on my raft. Not too long after we were out on the water—about two hours—that soft kiss from the sun began turning into its stinging rays starting to nip my skin.

  “I really need some more sunscreen on,” I say to my husband as he helps me get my raft and floaty cooler out of the water.

  “When’s my turn?” Shawn interrupts us.

  How the hell did he even hear me? I was almost whispering to Tom.

  “Go ahead, I’ve got to get my beer situation sorted out,” Tom says, leaving me standing beside the bronze god.

  “How much do you like? A thin coat? A thick coat?” he asks, squirting some into the palm of his hand.

  “Um,” I try to form words, but it’s impossible to think around this man.

  This should be great when we hang out and drink tonight. I’d better be careful, or I’l
l end up saying something I regret if I have too much alcohol.

  “Earth to Beth,” he laughs. “Hello?” he waves his hand in front of my face. “How much, babe?”

  “Oh, um, a medium amount. Not so thin that it will come off in the water—even though they say it’s waterproof. But not so thick that I have to scrape it off my back to get it off later tonight, either.”

  Shut up, Beth. Do you hear yourself blabbing? You sound like an idiot. Just don’t talk.

  I let out a deep sigh and will myself to be quiet for the rest of the trip. I always do things like this and stick my foot in my mouth.

  Wait! Did he call me ‘babe’? I’m almost positive that he did!

  His hands feel so good on my body. Not that Hunter’s hands didn’t feel good on my body, because they did, but Shawn’s hands feel like….Tom’s hands.

  They’re big, powerful, hit all the right places, and even feel a little callused. Pulling my long ponytail out of his way, I glance over my shoulder at him. He immediately catches me looking at him and smiles at me.

  “What do you do for a living?” I ask him.

  “Why?” he laughs at my question.

  “I’m just curious. Your hands, they feel like—oh, never mind. You’ll think I’m silly.”

  He stops rubbing my skin and the instant he stops, I wish he’d put his hands back on me.

  I like them there.

  I want them there.

  Shaking my head, I laugh along with him and nod toward his hands. They look just as powerful as they feel gliding across my smooth skin.

  “Your hands are strong like my husband’s and he has a very demanding job, so I was just curious what you do for a living.”

  “I’m a body builder,” he says. “My hands feel rough from lifting without gloves because of the non-slip texturing they put on the bars. What does your husband do?”

  “He’s a roofer,” I sigh, watching Tom organize his cooler while Shawn goes back to applying more sunscreen on me.

  “I hate that he works as hard as he does, especially when it gets super hot but he loves his job.”

  He squirts some more lotion into his hands to start doing my lower back and no matter how hard I try, I can’t stop myself from thinking about what his hand would feel like if it just happened to slip inside my bikini bottoms.

  “And what do you do?” he asks, his voice softer than I’ve ever heard it before.

  “I’m a registered nurse and I work at the hospital. I worked in the ER for a while but I switched because you kind of get tired of all the split second decisions. It was very stressful.”

  He begins kneading my back, massaging the sunscreen lotion deep into it and it feels divine.

  “You feel pretty tense right now,” he says, rubbing a kink out of my back.

  “I work as a surgical nurse now and spend a lot of my time hunched over patients, which takes a toll on my lower back where you’re rubbing.”

  I think I could become putty in this guy’s hands. He might not have a physically demanding job like Tom’s but his hands feel the exact same on my body. It’s odd, yet comforting at the same time.

  “Better watch it,” Tom teases us. “She looks like she could fall asleep with you doing that, and if she does, you’re in charge of pulling her on her raft down the creek until we get back to camp.”

  We laugh as he takes his hands off of me. I’m not sure what’s gotten into Tom but he hasn’t said a word about the way these guys are so flirty and touchy with me, especially Shawn.

  “Oh, I’d take care of her,” his eyes scan my body.

  With the way he’s looking at my body, I can’t tell if it’s gotten about 30 degrees hotter or if it’s my body’s reaction to him but all I know is that I’m in trouble.

  “I say we get back on the water so we can cook those fish tonight,” Hunter says.

  Oh, thank goodness for Hunter.

  “Yeah, I think he’s right,” I agree. “Let’s get back in the water.”

  Besides, I need something to cool off.

  Chapter 7

  Beth

  This could end up really bad. I know that we’re supposed to play some drinking games after we eat, but I started drinking soon after we got back to the campsite from our float trip.

  Opening my second beer since we’ve been back, I kick back and watch the guys clean the fish that we’re about to eat. I don’t know why I dislike this part of the process so much. I don’t mind watching, it’s the touching the dead fish that I want to avoid.

  It kind of goes back to that whole animal carcass thing that I don’t like. It really shouldn’t bother me since I’m a nurse. I’m plenty used to blood and guts, but it’s something about it being an animal that creeps me out.

  A shiver runs down my spine as I think about it.

  Plus, cleaning fish makes your hands stink, and it doesn’t matter how many times I wash my hands, it’s like the smell doesn’t leave my skin for days. I’m sure patients don’t want someone who stinks touching them, so it’s just best to avoid it like the plague.

  Listening to the guys shoot the breeze while they prepare our meal is relaxing. Normally, it’s me who is planning and cooking all of our meals at home, so this is a nice treat.

  By the time the food is done cooking, I’ve finished my second beer and crack open a third one that I’ll nurse through dinner.

  The guys did a great job with cooking. Everything tastes so good, but it might be due to how hungry I am because I was feeling famished after being out on the water all day. The sandwiches we had for lunch weren’t enough to hold me over.

  “You guys did a great job,” I say, stabbing my last piece of fish with my fork. “It tastes really good.”

  “That’s because I cooked the fish,” Hunter proudly announces. “My grandpa used to take my cousins and me fishing all the time when we were kids, and he taught me how to cook them correctly.”

  “I think he did fantastically,” Tom compliments him. “These are really good. I guess my baked potatoes in tin foil dull in comparison, huh?”

  “No, they’re good, too,” I nudge him with my elbow. “You’re the best damn potato maker I’ve ever known. See?”

  I take an enormous bite of potato and shove it in my mouth. Chewing it, I think I might not ever be able to stop and quickly realize how dry potatoes are.

  I may never swallow this thing!

  “So, are we still on for some fun after we finish eating?” Shawn asks, directing his question towards Tom and me.

  There’s no way I can answer with the wad of dry potato I’m still trying to chew, so I look to Tom to respond for both of us as I bob my head up and down.

  “Yeah, I think so,” Tom says laughing at me. “I mean, I can answer for me, but Beth will have to speak for herself.”

  I playfully smack him, and everyone laughs.

  A few minutes later when I’m finally able to swallow my food, I wash it down with the rest of my beer.

  “Real funny,” I say to my husband. “Yes, we’re still on for tonight. Actually, I was thinking about it, and maybe we could play some cards while we drink?”

  “We can do that. Grab your cards, and we’ll start getting everything set up over here.”

  I tap Tom’s shoulder as I walk behind him and nod my head for him to follow me.

  “Ok, we’ll be right back. I’ll go grab some more beer,” he says, following my lead.

  “I don’t want to get so drunk that either of us has a hangover tomorrow,” I say as we gather our stuff to take over to Hunter and Shawn’s campsite.

  “Agreed, but I would like to have some fun,” he says. “I haven’t said anything to you about this yet, but this might be the only camping trip that we get to go on all summer.”

  “Why? We always go camping.”

  “Work, babe. This summer’s going to be a busy one. We’ve got enough contracts lined up to take us clear through the end of October. Depending on the weather, the work we have could take us even longer,
and you know how that goes.”

  I do, too. Sometimes he gets so busy that we can only squeeze two or three camping trips in throughout the summer months, but only one? This summer sounds like a long, boring one for me.

  “That sucks,” I say. “Let’s make the best of it, though. I wish you would’ve told me sooner.”

  “I know, but I didn’t want it to be the focus of the whole weekend. Forget that I even brought it up because I don’t want it to ruin our night. We should get back to Shawn and Hunter before they think we’re trying to bail on them.”

  “Okay,” I say as I grab the cards, a bottle of tequila that I brought with us, and the salt. “Do you have everything in the cooler? The beer, lime, etc.?”

  “Yep, let’s go.”

  All of the booze are lined up at the end of the table. We’ve got Jack Daniels, Wild Turkey, rum, tequila and plenty of beer. Probably more than enough beer to get a weekend of college kids off to a great party.

  Wanting a slow start, I open a beer because I started drinking a few hours ago but I’ve also eaten, so the food has helped soak up some of the liquor that’s in my system.

  Judging by the looks of the alcohol at the end of the table, it looks like we’re in for a partying night, but I don’t want to get completely wasted.

  “Let’s play some Rummy or Texas Hold ‘em,” Hunter suggests.

  “Ugh, I don’t feel like playing either of those,” I say. “Remember, I’ve already had three beers, and if we’re going to be drinking, I don’t know if I want to do anything that includes counting and betting on shots.”

  “We could play 21. What about that?”

  “Hmm,” I say taking a sip of my beer. “This is number four.” I hold up my can. “I really don’t think counting will be my strong suit tonight.”

  “We could play Between the Sheets,” a dirty grin tugs at Shawn’s lips.

  “Or how about some High-Low?” Hunter says. “It’s an easy enough game, no counting and if you get it wrong, you have to take a shot.”

  “A shot of what?” I ask. “I want to get all of the rules clarified before we start so I know what I’m up against before I agree to anything.”