She presented her back to him, and Lincoln tenderly dunked her silky tresses in the steamy spring. She closed her eyes, wishing she could have his hands on her forever. He took his time washing her hair and finger-combing thick bundle, and he piled the mass atop her head in a tight bun. Nadia smiled gratefully.
“After we get done with this class, I’d like to help you get Perry whatever publicity he needs.”
“Now, I’m trying to play by your rules, but that sounds a lot like you’re making longer term goals,” he murmured. Nadia opened her mouth to protest, but was stopped in her tracks by the sound of gunfire.
Nadia pushed through the undergrowth with Lincoln following closely behind. She struggled into her clothes as she ran. He limped, wishing he could run, too. What had gone wrong in the handful of minutes he was with her at the hot springs? When they burst through the thicket at the edge of camp, he frantically surveyed the scene. Perry stood with his gun pointed at Rick’s chest, a murderous glint in his eyes.
Nadia yelped and threw herself between them. Lincoln grabbed his wrist and wrestled the gun down. “Don’t do this, buddy. This isn’t the way,” he pleaded.
Perry’s blue eyes hardened as he stared at his nemesis. “I merely fired a warning shot. Showing Rick what happens to wolves when they come sniffing around our camp. I think he got the message.”
“Loud and clear,” Rick spat angrily. When he swiped his arm across his forehead, his hand shook, but he set his jaw. “You’re making a big mistake. You lucked up on two prime students, but I happen to know your business has been in the red for a long time. I’m your best bet for giving Clyde MacAskill more than empty promises. Empty promises don’t pay the bills.”
“Sorry, but we don’t live in the world of the hostile takeover,” Perry murmured. “I listened to your proposal, and I turned it down. Now, I think I’ve been generous enough, even hearing you out. I suggest you get the hell out of my area before my generosity runs out.”
Rick Feldman backed away. “Don’t come crawling to me when the money runs out.”
The three of them stared at the place where he had been standing as the bells echoed through the woods. Then, he was gone. Lincoln slowly exhaled and locked eyes with Nadia. They both looked at Perry. “What the hell happened?” Lincoln asked.
“He tried to strong arm me into going into business together.”
“I gathered that much, but why did you try to shoot him?”
“I told you it was just a warning shot, and I pulled the gun because—I hate to admit it but—everything he said was right. I wanted to shut him up. Before this course, I hadn’t had a class in months. It’s the worst possible time for Clyde to be bedridden. Honestly, I don’t know if he’ll be well enough for another group to come through after you guys, and we’re losing money like a leaky faucet.” Perry sighed and ran a hand over his face.
“What can we do to help?” Lincoln asked.
Nadia’s eyes it up. “I know! I have a team of people who handle my image. That’s what you need, Perry! A PR team to rebrand you. And, with Lincoln’s endorsement, you can target upmarket clients and increase the price of your courses.”
“I do this to get away from words like ‘rebranding’ and ‘upmarket’,” Perry chuckled dryly. “I don’t peddle pricy getaways to rich people looking for a unique travel experience. That’s Rick’s job. I started this business to teach everyday folks how to survive off the land.”
“Perry, your business has to evolve in order to sustain itself,” Lincoln replied quietly.
“There has to be a better, more authentic, way.”
“There is,” said Lincoln. “Why struggle to lure students month after month when you can reach an audience of millions on a weekly basis?” An idea began to take shape based on something Carmen had said on the phone back when he was lost in the woods. Nadia seemed to pick up on his line of thought.
“Oh, my gosh! You’re brilliant!” she gasped.
Perry eyed them warily. “What are we talking about here?”
“I’m talking about your own television show,” Lincoln replied. “Think of it. With the right team, the right pitch and my industry connections, we can make Survive Anything the number one show in America. You have the body, the look, the credentials!”
“Wait a minute, wait a minute. You can’t be serious. Acting is your thing, not mine,” Perry protested.
“And the wilderness is yours, but you brought us into your world and taught us how to make it. I’m not talking about acting. I’m talking reality. Reality TV.”
“Give me your phone,” Nadia commanded, moving with the momentum. She marched over to Perry’s bags and dug out his cellphone. “I’m calling my assistant. She’ll have everything arranged for us to meet with a branding specialist as soon as we make it back to civilization.”
“I think I know who to tap for a production like this.” Lincoln bubbled with excitement as Perry shook his head in disbelief. His stunned expression morphed to one of extreme happiness. It was like watching the sun come up. Nadia moved to the round lodge to chat with her assistant while Lincoln pondered how to convince Carmen to get her father onboard.
Perry sat down by the fire and said, “I can’t believe you guys are doing this. Just know, if it doesn’t work out, I really do appreciate the gesture.”
“But, if it does work out, would you do it?” Nadia asked as she ended her call. Perry shrugged, committing to nothing.
“You have to, Perry. You’ve kind of grown on us,” Lincoln joked.
Perry lifted his eyes to him. “That’s what I’m worried about,” he said.
That week, as Perry taught health and well-being, he tried not to think of Nadia and Lincoln’s lofty plans for him. Their suggestion of a reality TV show came from a place of good intentions but impracticality. Even if they managed to find a network willing to give him a chance, Perry was not sure he wanted to dive into the world of rabid fans, paparazzi and constant scrutiny. He valued his privacy more than most.
He was right at home in the woods and, to that end, he pretended the conversation by the campfire had never happened. He handed out pocket-sized guidebooks about medicinal herbs and plants and told them to guard it with their lives. He showed them how to make teas, tinctures and salves for common ailments. There were lectures on how to set broken bones along with ones on how to handle stomach aches and joint pain.
Using sinew with needles fashioned from bone, he taught them how to do rudimentary stitches for bad cuts and gashes and how to apply natural antibiotic ointment like spruce sap to speed healing. He also taught them how to recognize a medical crisis that required immediate outside help.
Perry hammered home what he considered the most important survival skill which was attentiveness and that lesson was driven home later that week when Lincoln was bathing alone in the hot springs. He returned to camp in a rush, breathing heavily. “There was someone in the woods,” he announced.
Perry was suddenly on high alert. “What did you see?”
“Some guy with a cellphone. I think he was taking pictures or videos of me.”
“Didn’t you hear the alarms?” Perry asked. Lincoln held up the length of cord Perry had strung with bells. The ringers were removed. “Damn it! This is getting out of hand. Let’s check the perimeter and see how much of our system has been compromised.”
“You are thinking that it was Rick?” Nadia rubbed her shoulders and looked around fearfully. Perry squared his jaw as he marched into the woods without answering her. He was certain it was Rick or someone from his crew. Someone who thought snagging nude photos of a celebrity was fair game.
Lincoln limped along with him. “Tabloids will spend thousands for an image like that. Hell, I’ve been ass out in a bunch of movies, but if they’re watching me, it’s only a matter of time before they realize Nadia is who they should really be watching.”
“I know,” Perry sighed as her eyes widened with concern. “But I’m not gonna let that happen. Stay he
re, Nadia. Let us see if anyone else is lurking in the woods.”
“Thank you,” she said.
Perry wanted to take the war to Rick Feldman. For his clients’ sake, he had to keep his temper in check. But the incident was another reminder on the long list of reasons fifteen minutes of fame was not on his bucket list. He would find another way to save Survive Anything.
He and Lincoln loped off to check the rest of the perimeter bells. They discovered that a section of the line had been cut, offering a point of entry where a lurker could get by undetected. Perry stared at the breach. The land was public, so there was no legal way to go after Rick, or anyone else, for trespassing.
He knew the rival instructor was just trying to undermine him to make it seem as if he could not protect his students. Normally, for someone like Lincoln Easley, a breach of privacy would be a deal breaker, and Rick seemed to be banking on Lincoln trashing Perry’s reputation. Luckily, Rick did not understand the nature of their relationship.
“While this is going on, I think we better stay close to camp. Nadia’s gonna hate staying away from the hot springs, though,” Lincoln said.
Perry chuckled. “Forget the hot springs. We’ve got a hot tub. We’re finishing the course at the cabin instead of in the woods. Everything else I have to teach you guys can be done indoors.”
“Are you serious?” Lincoln asked. Perry nodded. The actor balled his fists triumphantly and shook them at the sky. “Thank you, Rick Feldman!”
Laughing, they trekked back to camp and told Nadia their plans. Perry was not sure which of them looked more relieved. “But it’s too late to move out tonight,” said Perry. “We’ll get everything ready to return to the cabin in the morning.”
They gathered their belongings and packed extra food, and Perry suspended the backpack from a tree to keep wolves and bears away. By nightfall, they sat around the campfire, spirits buoyed by the turn of events.
“I can’t wait to mail these letters off to Maria when we get there,” Nadia said.
“You’re looking forward to mail. I’m looking forward to a decent meal. I’m probably not gonna know what to do with myself when I taste salt again,” Lincoln said.
Perry leaned back on his elbows and gazed up at the tree branches above. “I’ll check on Clyde when we get back. He needs to know what Rick has been up to.”
“Why is Rick so hell-bent on running your business into the ground?”
“It’s a long story.”
“The night is young,” Lincoln said with a grin.
“We went to high school together, played football together. I was a natural, and he struggled. I excelled academically, and he struggled. I became a SEAL, but when I retired from the military, I was damn near broke, unemployed. I shunned family and friends who could have helped me get re-accustomed to civilian life.”
“That had to be hell,” said Lincoln.
“Rick had Empowered Survival, and he was doing well. So, Clyde convinced me to start Survive Anything to teach real bush-craft. Unfortunately, Rick took it as one more thing I was trying to do better than him.”
Nadia rolled her eyes. “Boys will be boys.”
“I never intended for the rivalry to affect the two of you,” said Perry. “For that, I’m sorry. Rick will learn the hard way. I destroy anything that tries to come between me and the people I care about.” He swept Nadia’s hair back from her face, and her lips trembled as he softly kissed her. Dark eyes met blue ones, emotion glistening like stars and suns in their depths.
Nadia seemed to realize they were out in the open. She pulled back shyly. Perry bit his lip and nodded as she turned to Lincoln, clearing her throat. “So, how’s that ankle feeling?” she asked, a little too brightly.
“I care about you, too,” Lincoln said with a grin.
She heaved a shaky sigh and laughed. “Don’t tell me this is the part where we talk feelings. Because I thought we established this is just something to do while we’re out here. My dad would kill me if he found out.”
“I’m rapidly developing a distaste for your dad,” Lincoln said teasingly.
“Come on. Let’s get to bed. It’s late,” Perry replied.
They retired to the round lodge, and Perry stood at the door, and stared into the woods for several minutes. When he was sure that no one lurked in the shadows, he secured the door and stretched out in the bough bed. Sleep was the furthest thing from Perry’s mind.
Chapter 14
Nadia cupped Lincoln to her neck and Perry to her breast. As one man swept silky kisses into the valley of her cleavage, the other kissed her racing pulse. Her spine arched. Lincoln’s questing hand snaked to the V between her legs, and he petted her warm, moist pussy. He slipped a finger inside, knowing she yearned to be filled with more. She was practically begging for it.
The trio had tried sleeping, but the need for release was too strong. Nadia wanted to drag out the blissful night and make it last forever. She wondered how to handle being double-teamed by two expert lovers. She damn sure had no complaints as pleasure spiraled higher and higher within her.
The wicked fulfillment intensified when Perry kissed his way over the hills of her breasts to her flat, quivering stomach. Meanwhile, Lincoln turned his attention to sipping the moans of excitement from her lips. She split her focus between the two of them.
Perry brushed the tip of his nose over her soft, curly pubic hairs, and Nadia nervously covered herself. But he stared at her with eyes that said she had nothing to hide. “Open for me,” he coaxed. As he dropped butterfly kisses over her quivering inner thighs, her legs fell open. His fingertips skimmed her aching body with the barest caress.
His mouth parted the petals of her womanhood. She arched off the bough bed with a cry as he flicked his tongue first one way, then the other. Her mouth hung open in utter shock at the rapture. “Yes!” she whispered. Clutching the back of his head, she guided him to the pulsating nub of her clit where he swirled lazy circles with his tongue, taunting and teasing her. “Ooh, yes!” she gasped.
Perry dove his tongue into her fountain. He shamelessly fucked her with the velvety pink spear. Her pelvis rocked back and forth with the tilt of his head, and she felt her nectar gliding down her slit as her arousal skyrocketed. He nibbled and nipped at her clit, making her whine in ecstasy. Lincoln spread her labia to give him greater access, and Nadia bucked wildly against Perry’s face.
“I want to make you mine,” Lincoln whispered. He suckled her pert brown nipple, his mouth sending a wave of pleasure from her aching breasts to her core. Fine tremors wracked her body in response as his hot tongue fluttered from globe to globe. She could hardly stand it, especially in conjunction with what Perry was doing.
Nadia was an instrument that they both played skillfully, and all she could do was hum her delight. “What are you doing to me? Oh, God! Yes!” She thrashed her head as Perry finally relented.
“I have to be inside of you,” he growled.
Perry dragged her into his lap, and she felt the bulge of his erection. They were, all three, naked. Sparks of awareness shot through her as he captured her mouth in a searing kiss. He shoved a hand between their bodies and guided his cock into her saturated womanhood. Nadia was familiar with his primal passion. His first powerful thrust jostled her in his arms, and she clung to his neck.
Lincoln kneeled behind her, masturbating against the crease of her ass. His feverish kisses spilled sighs of anticipation along her skin. “You feel so good,” he hissed. She shivered at his grunt of ecstasy. They made no secret of how much she turned them on.
Perry grabbed her hips and anchored her to his pelvis, spearing into her quaking pussy, and her grip tightened reflexively. Erogenous zones she had never known flared to life with his every stroke. Nadia stammered his name in staccato moans as he pounded her apex and scraped against her clit. At the same time, Lincoln toyed with her asshole.
She started to climax, and she could not stop. She squeezed him with her knees, arms locked around his
neck, as she latched on tighter and rocked on waves of exhilaration. A high-pitched, keening cry broke free of her throat. Perry tried to cover her mouth, but it barely muffled the sound. Her inner muscles rippled with spasms of pleasure, each one more intense than the last. She looked down, and her thighs were drenched from her gush of ecstasy.
Perry threw back his head and yanked out of her warm embrace before he exploded. “Mmph!” he sighed roughly. Within seconds, Lincoln took his place, pushing her forward and plunging into her wetness from behind. Nadia clutched Perry’s shoulders. She stared into his awestruck eyes. He channeled a powerful desire to please her. His textured palm caressed her breasts in swift circles as she bounced in counter-thrust to Lincoln.
“How can I get enough of you?” he whispered. “How could anyone get enough of you?” He clasped her chin and kissed her with more tenderness than she had ever known. There was something in his touch that spoke even louder than his words.
She squeezed her eyes shut. I’m not falling, she warned herself. I’m not! This is just sex. But Lincoln gathered her in his arms and turned her onto her back. He stretched atop her nubile body, thrusting inside with a possessiveness she welcomed. In and out, he circled and swayed his hips, branding every part of her.
As he rose and fell between her legs, he sobbed her name like a prayer or an exultation. He masterfully took her back up the mountaintop, and she realized this was not their usual. He was making love to her. His lips never left her skin. He kissed and indulged her every fantasy as he tightened his buttocks, ramming deeper. It was a hard, penetrative confession that she could not ignore.
Lincoln floated in the river of her orgasm. Her nectar covered his shaft in glistening wetness. Her explosive vocalizations thrilled every inch of him and made his erection harder. She wrapped her long, shapely legs around his waist and locked her heels behind his thighs. She clasped his taut ass cheeks to guide him. They ground together in slow, heated wonder.
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