The Mountains Trilogy (Boxed Set)

by Phoebe Alexander

  He eased her down onto the picnic table and pressed his body against hers. He was so hard that she could feel his cock throbbing against her thigh through two layers of thick denim as his mouth continued to devour her. Damn, I wish I had worn a skirt, she thought wistfully as she considered how much better it would feel if they were naked with him sliding inside her hot wetness.

  “God, Sarah, I want you so bad,” he whispered against her neck, the sound tickling her ear. She sat up and pulled him to a sitting position so that his posterior was on the top of the table and his feet rested on the bench, then slid under him so that she faced him on the bench. She began to unbuckle his pants, furtively glancing around the clearing to make sure no one had stumbled upon them. Satisfied the coast was clear, she pulled his cock out of his cotton boxers and immediately plunged her hungry mouth down on top of it, taking his entire length deep to the back of her throat. He gasped at the contrast of the cold air with her hot mouth.

  She felt a drop of his excitement ooze onto her tongue as she began to work his cock with her mouth and hands, stroking him more quickly and more firmly and swirling her tongue around his head. She felt his hips rise to meet her mouth, his hands laced in her hair, guiding her throat down so that he was balls deep inside her. “Oh, Sarah, don’t stop...oh fuck that feels amazing....just like that....I’m so close...” he moaned.

  She barely had time to breathe during the upstrokes and was concentrating on not choking when the tip hit her tonsils. She began to use her hands more on his shaft and focused her tongue and lips on his glans. Pawel’s eyes were half-closed and she wondered if some of what he was grunting was in Polish, but she couldn’t quite understand.

  She felt his thighs tensing under her elbows as she leaned in to swallow him. Finally, he groaned unintelligibly and she felt his hot, salty semen shoot deep into the back of her throat, so much all at once that it nearly gagged her. Her eyes began to water as she forced herself to swallow the mouthful, his hands still firmly holding her head in place.

  He sat silently for several moments, his cock still pulsating and oozing thick white fluid which she greedily licked up. Once the sensations subsided, his dark eyes opened and looked at her, full of gratitude and admiration. “That was simply marvelous,” he assessed. “Now, what am I going to do for you?”

  Sarah stood up from the bench and immediately sensed that her panties were damp with desire. She pulled a still shaky Pawel off the table and to a standing position, then guided him toward his Jeep. He took the hint rather well and folded down the back seat so there was room for Sarah to lie down. She eased her pants down to her ankles, far enough that she could spread her legs. The Jeep was cool and she could feel goosebumps springing up on her milky white thighs.

  Pawel knelt between her legs with barely enough room to maneuver but fully dedicated to returning the favor she’d given him moments before. He sighed as his tongue made contact with her clitoris, lapping up the juices that had accumulated between her lips. “Oh, god, Sarah, you are delicious.”

  I can only imagine how I taste after biking and hiking, Sarah thought, but Pawel was so enthusiastic that she quickly put it out of her mind as the sensations began to envelop her, turning her mind to mush. This time it was her turn to lace her fingers through his hair as she felt her orgasm beginning to build. She pushed her hips against his mouth, rubbing her clit against his lips and giving him the hint that she wanted it in his mouth. He happily obliged and she began to feel the impending climax surge through her body.

  The stimulation was just right for keeping her on the edge but suddenly she began to fantasize that someone was standing right outside the Jeep, peering in the window. Her vision was of a younger man, who after watching the action for a few moments, exhibited a noticeable bulge in his pants. He had a hungry look in his eyes and was soon compelled to unzip his pants and pull out his thick, hard cock. His eyes were glossy and wanton as they burned through the glass, watching her writhe under Pawel’s tongue. The thought of watching his hands sliding up and down his shaft, getting off on watching her get off...well, that was enough. She exploded into Pawel’s face, full force, drenching him in her juices, screaming and panting as the waves shook through her, her body convulsing.

  Pawel had a huge grin on his face as he pulled away and grabbed a serendipitously placed towel from the nearest seat. He wiped his face dry and handed the towel to Sarah. “Oh, god, I think I made a little mess in your Jeep,” she laughed, mopping up the damp upholstery.

  “No worries,” Pawel smiled. “It was totally worth it!”

  Sarah sat up and her little fantasy from moments before flashed back to her. Her eyes had been shut tight the whole time she’d imagined being watched. But as she glanced out the window, she saw a tall lanky figure in a gray hooded sweatshirt and jeans retreating deep into the woods.

  ***

  Sarah realized that she hadn’t seen Rachel since they picked out her bridal gown and the bridesmaids dresses. Days had slipped into weeks and Sarah was feeling guilty for not helping more with the wedding plans. She invited her best friend to lunch on a Tuesday afternoon at the little sandwich place near her office. Rachel was energetic and bubbly like usual, but Sarah felt rather subdued, which her friend picked up on immediately.

  “What’s your deal?” Rachel asked as soon as they’d ordered their meals. “You seem like something is up.” She had the classic no-nonsense, going-to-get-to-the-bottom-of-this look embedded in her hazel eyes.

  Sarah shrugged but ultimately accepted that playing dumb was useless where Rachel was concerned. Not only did she know Sarah better than any other soul, she was adept at dragging information out of the most stoic individual. “It’s James,” she admitted, realizing that resistance was futile.

  She watched a trace of empathy widen her friend’s pupils. “Because he’s leaving?” Rachel asked.

  “Because he has so many walls up,” Sarah explained. “I feel like he’s always on the verge of falling for me. I feel it in his touch; I see it in his eyes. He just can’t get over that wall. I think there’s something he’s not telling me.”

  Rachel nodded. “You are so intuitive, I’d imagine you’re right.”

  Sarah sighed, contemplating her choices. “Maybe his leaving is for the best. Maybe I should stop seeing him now. I just feel like I’m getting too attached.”

  “What did your mom tell you the other day? To enjoy it while it lasts...right?” Sarah felt a tear stinging at the corner of her eye. “She did say that, but I know I’m going to be hurt when he leaves.”

  “He won’t be gone forever,” Rachel consoled her. “What is the deployment...nine months? How do you know he won’t want to be with you when he returns?”

  Sarah nodded. “I know nine months is not that long in the general scheme of things, but he could get transferred someplace else when he comes back.” She shook her head and choked back the tear. “I don’t know why I feel so strongly. I just can’t figure it out. I already feel like my heart is breaking and he’s still here.”

  “Oh honey,” Rachel patted her hand. “If it’s meant to be, it will work out.”

  Sarah hated that answer. She’d always hated the idea of letting fate decide her future. My future is what I make it, she thought, the conviction she felt for that ideal burning inside her. If we want to be together, we will make it happen through the choices we make. She didn’t have the energy to argue with Rachel. She has her man, Sarah considered. It’s easy for her to tell me to be patient and wait for things to fall into place when she’s picking out wedding cakes and flowers.

  Sarah was spared from further discussion on the topic due to the fact that their lunch arrived at the precise moment Rachel was about to share another platitude. Sarah swirled her soup in her bowl, raised her spoon and blew on it gingerly. I’m just not sure I can stick around and wait for fate to shine her favor on me, she thought. I think it’s time to leave while I can escape relatively unscathed.

  ***

  As
if he sensed something was awry, James was uncharacteristically chatty over text for the next few days. He asked Sarah a few times if she was okay, to which she responded that she was busy grading the first round of exams. Let’s do something this weekend, he urged. You need a break. Then he suggested a rock climbing gym and Sarah suddenly felt pangs of homesickness for her mountains. How could I say no to that? she asked herself.

  He picked her up early Saturday morning and they headed to Rockville. Sarah was excited but nervous. It had been a while since she’d climbed, nearly five years. She’d gone a few times in graduate school with friends - on real rocks of course - but this time she felt out-of-practice and fearful of embarrassing herself in front of James, for whom any athletic endeavor was second nature. She was quiet on the car ride, looking out the window of his truck at the trees and the frost-kissed landscape rushing past. Her head was spinning with ideas about how to tell him she needed to move on. My nerves are in a tizzy, she thought. I hope I can do this, and by that she meant both tasks looming in front of her.

  They settled in at the gym and were helped into their equipment. Sarah mustered up enough confidence to forego the instruction that was offered. This is going to be like riding a bike...I hope. James’ blue eyes were gleaming as he watched her place her foot in the first hold and reach for another.

  The crazy dreams she’d been having for the last six months about mountain climbing came rushing back to her as her muscle memory responded to the familiar motions. She felt that drive to reach the top, the one that had washed over her in her sleep so many times. She wanted to watch James’s adept movements propel him to the top, his muscles bulging and the look of concentration on his face, but she required all that mental energy for her own climb. Pulling her weight up the faux rocks sent a delicious pain burning through her muscles, but the endorphins urged her upward.

  After reaching the summit, they were both laughing and she was relieved to see that James seemed impressed by her performance. “Not bad for an old chick, huh?” she joked.

  He rolled his eyes, “You’re not old; don’t be silly.” When they returned to earth, he helped her out of her gear and pulled her into his arms, which were exposed in a royal blue sleeveless athletic shirt. She was not particularly surprised to see that he had barely broken a sweat. He squeezed her, his arms encircling her waist, burying her face in the cleft between his pectorals.

  I wish this didn’t feel so damn good, she thought, wondering if she’d really be able to walk away.

  They headed back to his place for a shower and a late lunch. This time they were both a lot chattier on the drive. She told him about her upcoming conference in Denver and how she hoped to go rock climbing there if the weather was agreeable. “You never know how spring is going to be in the mountains,” she explained. “There could be a foot of snow or it might be 60 degrees. Hell, I might see both in the five days I’ll be there.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, I remember that from when I lived there as a kid. Or how about when it’s 80 degrees in the Springs, but it’s 40 and snowing up on Pikes Peak?”

  She nodded, thinking about the majestic view of Pikes Peak stretching across the horizon, remembering what the frosty summit looked like from the red rocks of Garden of the Gods. She suddenly thought of Rachel’s wedding set against that backdrop and how James would already have left for Afghanistan. He wouldn’t be able to accompany her. The thought of not getting to be with him in her mountains the way she had imagined dug a little wound into her heart.

  James started stripping off his clothes as soon as he walked through the threshold of his house, leaving a trail behind him. First his jacket and shirt, then his shorts, next his socks and finally his boxer briefs. Sarah giggled at his urgency for nudity and went behind him picking up all the clothes and depositing everything but the jacket into the hamper in his bedroom. When she met him in the bathroom, he was already standing under the shower, steam starting to rise. She surveyed his naked form with the water rushing off his flesh, drinking in the sight of him. With every fiber of her being she wanted to be naked next to him under the running water, her soft skin turning red with the heat and his thick fingers gripping her hips and bending her over so that he could take her from behind.

  He wiped the water off his face and looked at her curiously, “What are you doing?”

  She couldn’t find the words; the image of his cock piercing her pussy and his hands kneading her ass cheeks as the water riveted between them was monopolizing her thoughts.

  “Get naked and join me, woman,” he commanded, shooting her a mock-authoritative glare.

  She thought about turning to leave then but was hypnotized. He’s like a drug, she mused, and I’m an addict. She found herself mindlessly stripping off her clothes, letting them fall to the floor and stepping into the shower beside him, her Auto Pilot had taken over.

  “That’s more like it,” he responded, pulling her close to him and brushing his lips against hers while the water beat down on them.

  I guess it wouldn’t hurt me to have sex with him one last time, she thought as his mouth grazed her neck. Or I could even wait until tomorrow morning so we can fuck all night. Shit. Why does this have to be so hard?

  Later they twisted their limbs together in his bed, his arms around her and her head on his chest. They’d satisfied their hunger for each other’s bodies and were now at the point of considering actual sustenance. Sarah was about to doze off when James startled her, “You’ve been married before, right?”

  Sarah sat straight up. He had never pried into her past before so this question from left field was a shock to her system. She scanned her memory, searching for when she told him she’d been married. She was sure she hadn’t divulged too many details about that segment of her past. “Why are you asking?”

  James sat up too and stroked her back reassuringly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.” He can clearly feel the negative energy triggered by this topic, she thought. “I have just been thinking about marriages lately. No particular reason but, you know, why some last and some don’t. And I realized I don’t really know what happened with yours. I mean, you had two kids together and...then what? You grew apart?”

  Sarah felt numb. “First off,” she corrected him, “Abby’s father was my college boyfriend. I didn’t meet Owen’s dad until Abby was two.”

  “Oh, okay,” James replied, leaning in to express interest but giving her a wide berth.

  She sighed, recognizing his body language and what it meant. She realized this was probably important information for James to know as much as she hated talking about her former husband.

  “I struggled when Abby was little. My mom helped, but I worked full time as a waitress. I wanted to focus all my mental energies on raising her. I had this customer who came in several times a week...only a few years older than me...very charming, although smarmy is the word I would use now. Daniel Taylor was his name and he...well, as much as I am ashamed to admit it now, he swept me off my feet.”

  James was still stroking her back, listening intently. She suddenly remembered the night he spilled his guts about his former wife and his service in Iraq and realized how much his story had endeared him to her. What effect would this story have on him?

  “Daniel was one of those men who always had some sort of plan, some sort of scheme,” she continued. “Always had a new business venture. It’s not that things weren’t on the up and up, he just didn’t have nearly the connections or capital to leverage that he thought he did. But I didn’t realize that at first. At first it seemed like things came easy to him. We were always getting new stuff: houses, cars, boats, clothes, jewelry. He wanted me to have a baby right away. We married in 1999 and Owen was born in 2000. He was absolutely thrilled to have a son. It was like a status symbol for him.”

  “But you weren’t happy?” James questioned.

  “I was numb,” Sarah admitted. “I was going through the motions. I decided in 2001, when Owen was one, that I wanted to go ba
ck to school for a PhD, which meant moving. Daniel wasn’t particularly supportive.” Her eyes narrowed a bit as the memory of those fights fell freshly on the canvas of her mind. “I had finally decided what I wanted to do with my life and he just thought it was ridiculous.”

  “I’m sorry,” James consoled her.

  “He finally conceded. My mom moved with us to help with the kids. She had always had bad vibes about Daniel. She tried to tell me so many times and I was just completely blind. I loved him...” her voice trailed off as if the wound was reopened right before their very eyes. She shook off the pain and shared more, “So we moved, I started my program, and I saw Daniel less and less. He was always away on ‘business’ and that was when I sort of started doing my own thing.”

  “Your ‘own thing?’” James asked. “What do you mean by that?”

  “Well, I’m not stupid. It was pretty obvious that he was cheating on me. And not with just one woman. Little things didn’t add up. I looked at emails, phone numbers, I found receipts. He had three or four women spread all over the country. I stopped having sex with him cause I was afraid I was going to get some sort of STD.”

  James nodded, “I don’t blame you for that.”

  “And I started hanging out with Rachel more,” Sarah explained. “I knew she and her husband were into some...unconventional stuff but she invited me to come along to a party one weekend. So I went.” She paused and a tiny smile turned the corner of her lips upward. “I didn’t look back after that.”

  “Wow, that’s awesome.”

  “I started researching. I was looking for a dissertation topic so I started looking into alternative lifestyles and interviewing different groups of people. I found that couples in open relationships scored higher in almost every measure of internal happiness and happiness with their partner. I tried to broach that with him once, but he flat out refused to listen, denying he ever cheated on me. The bastard...”