The Mountains Trilogy (Boxed Set)

by Phoebe Alexander

  “Is that so?” Rachel grinned. “Well, don’t hold me in suspense. Tell me all about him!” She grabbed Sarah’s wrist for emphasis.

  “Well, I’m not sure how old he is, but he’s a PhD student at Johns Hopkins. He’s very tall and has red hair and the most amazing voice I have ever heard. Every time he sings, I get goosebumps. I haven’t talked to him too much yet, but I ran into him in the library yesterday and I’m hoping to try to talk to him after practice tonight,” Sarah explained, her face glowing with excitement.

  “Oh, but won’t you have Abby with you?” Rachel looked a little disappointed on Sarah’s behalf that Abby’s presence may limit the potential of their conversation. She was always championing the notion of “the best way to get over a man is to get under another one.” Every time she offered up that mantra, Sarah rolled her eyes. It was Classic Rachel. And well, it had worked for her. After the bad breakup with Mark, look where she is now with Jack, Sarah considered. She didn’t waste any time taking a chance on something new.

  “Abby is going to a birthday party with Chloe and spending the night. And yes, this time I know it’s legit,” Sarah noted, remembering an incident from the previous year where Abby had been caught at her boyfriend’s house instead of at her best friend’s. Then his parents had brought her home drunk. It was not a pleasant time in the Lynde household. Sarah hated dredging up that memory but was grateful Abby had seemed to mature and learn from the experience.

  “Ah, I see. Perfect opportunity!” Rachel encouraged her. “Oh, let me keep Owen overnight. Then you won’t have to worry about rushing back to get him!”

  Sarah beamed, “That is a very kind offer, and I’m more than happy to take you up on that! I guess I can repay you with watching the new baby!”

  “You got it, Sugarlips!” Rachel laughed.

  I love it when a plan comes together, Sarah thought to herself, displacing her thoughts about James with ones of Garrett. Nav, she remembered. The Navigator. Yeah, we’ll see about that!

  ***

  She arrived at the theater early. The house lights were off; only a few stage lights illuminated the vast room. She glanced through the darkness and saw a shadow creeping against the wall along the rows of velvet-covered seats. It was only the pianist heading to her post. Her heart was pounding just thinking of what she was going to say to Garrett. Wanna grab a drink after practice? she had rehearsed. She was rehearsing what to say at rehearsal. Ironic!

  She set her stuff down on one of the velvet chairs and plopped down on the edge of the stage, stretching her legs out, flexing her calf muscles. They were going to be learning new choreography that evening so she’d worn yoga pants and a ribbed tank top, her hair in a ponytail. I look like I’m going to the gym, she lamented. Maybe I should have worn something else. Or brought clothes to change. I can’t go out for a drink wearing this. What was I thinking?

  As she started to re-strategize, she heard footsteps behind her and then saw his familiar boots beside her on the black, dust-printed stage. Next thing she knew, his flannel covered torso was right next to her, almost brushing against her shoulders.

  “How’s it going?” he asked, his face clear and bright. He had the most open eyes and posture she had ever seen. As if he had nothing to hide.

  “Well, hello there, handsome,” Sarah cooed, not even caring that she was being overtly flirtatious. Something told her after Garrett’s “creativity” comment in the library that any reciprocal gesture would be welcomed.

  “I was going to ask you if you wanted to stay after practice and help me with my lines,” he said, still smiling, as if he had no anticipation of rejection.

  “Not running through them with Liat?” The real name of the girl who was playing opposite Garrett’s character had escaped her memory temporarily.

  “Oh, you mean Mai?” he asked. He cleared his throat and gave her a little shrug for effect. “Nah, the chemistry between us is very much...hmmm, how do I characterize it? Forced?” He laughed heartily. “I think that’s the right word for it.” Then he modulated his voice to nearly a whisper as he added, “I wish you had the part.”

  Wow, so this is how it’s going to be? Sarah thought. Very little pretense. I like that. Garrett struck her as the type of guy who would immediately go after what he wanted. Driven. Tenacious. “Well, I’m not Polynesian. Or even Asian,” Sarah pointed out.

  “Makeup can do wondrous things. You have the dark hair at least,” he replied and gave her long, thick ponytail a tug, pulling her head back just slightly and exposing her throat. She imagined his lips grazing against her neck right where it met her collarbone. The feel of his hand on her hair and the fantasy of his mouth on her skin sent an electric shock reverberating through her body and down into her pelvis. It’s been too damn long...

  “Well, we can just pretend when we run your lines,” Sarah suggested.

  “I very much like that idea,” Garrett agreed. He swung his leg back up onto the stage and headed off toward the crimson curtains.

  Well, I think that answers my question, Sarah mused. She tried to imagine the two of them on the darkened stage, maybe the house lights on but dim, shrouding them in shadows. Everyone else having gone home. Would it be okay if they stayed late by themselves? Xavier would probably let me lock up if I asked, she considered. She went off to find him.

  Practice crawled even though they were dancing. Sarah was pleasantly distracted by staring at Tess’ shapely posterior. The perky redhead had also chosen to wear yoga pants for choreography night. Yoga pants are the best! Sarah thought to herself, wiping off the droplets of sweat that had accumulated around her hairline.

  The routine was athletic and the heat of the stage lights exacerbated how hot it felt in the theater. Finally the two scheduled hours were up and the cast began to disperse. Small clumps gathered at the foot of the stage, near the doors to the house and by the director’s table. Sarah was glad to see that Mai, who played Liat, was one of the first to leave. That way she doesn’t notice I’m running her scenes with Garrett, she thought with relief.

  She heard a few “Bye, Nav!”’s and “See you later!”s slung over shoulders as Garrett’s band of merry men made their exodus up the main aisle of the house. Noticing he was finally alone, she shot him a wink and he smiled back at her, then headed over to Xavier with a question about blocking. They were making notes in his script as Sarah sneaked off to the bathroom to do a bit of primping.

  She felt a few tingles flit up her spine as she imagined herself pressed against Garrett’s body. Or not, she suddenly interrupted her mind’s rampant journey into a scenario she could neither control nor predict. We’re just running lines, she decided. No need to get ahead of myself just yet. Even so, backstage romances are the best! She giddily remembered a couple of stolen kisses behind the scenes during shows of her youth.

  She yanked the ponytail holder out of her hair and felt her thick brown waves fall against her shoulders. She smudged a bit of lip balm into her lips and smoothed her tank top down where it rode up around her hips. She smirked into the mirror one last time, mostly satisfied with her appearance. Not bad for all that dancing we did! she decided. She let the door swing shut behind her and made her way out to the now empty house.

  “Ah, Lieutenant Cable,” she called out across the theater, seeing his silhouette backlit against the lights from backstage streaming through the parted curtains. She watched him straighten his shoulders and transform back into character. She suddenly wondered what he would look like in costume...a Marines uniform...which made her think of James, not to mention the character’s rank being the same as James’s. She shook her head wishing her mind wouldn’t automatically turn on the James Channel. She’d desperately tried to unsubscribe from that network but to no avail.

  Garrett was holding out a script to her with his scenes marked with post it notes. She flipped to the first one and, feeling awkward, wondered if she should stand or sit. Should I try to do the other character’s blocking? She settled on standi
ng, facing him, trying to look up from the script to watch him after she delivered each line.

  They made it through the first three bookmarks. He keeps moving closer, she observed. They started with three or four feet between them but suddenly she noticed it had shrunk to three or four inches. She was close enough to smell him, to feel the heat emanating off him, the heat he’d absorbed from the harsh lighting coupled with two hours of movement and blocking. He hadn’t touched her...yet...but he’d come so close her skin tingled with anticipation.

  I never did find out how old he is, Sarah thought as she considered throwing the script to the ground, launching herself onto her tippy-toes and planting her lips against his. Does it matter? He’s not my student. He has an undergraduate degree so he has to be over 22 or 23. He’s got to be at least 25, she thought. But probably 30. And that’s only 7 years younger than me. Just like James.

  Her mind was cycling through the logistics when she felt his finger brush against her cheek, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin it was such a shock. “Sarah? You okay?”

  She felt her skin begin to grow warm with embarrassment, flushing her chest. She ran her hands through her hair, twirling the ends around a finger like she’d seen her daughter do a million times. “Oh, yeah, sorry I guess I just got distracted for a moment.”

  “Distracted?” he said so low it was a whisper gently lifting off his vocal chords. He slipped an arm around her waist. “Why would you be distracted?”

  She looked up, her doe-brown eyes meeting his, which bathed in the light looked like a lush emerald green meadow. He must be a whole foot taller than me, she thought, feeling small beneath his gaze. “I’m not sure what it is about you,” she admitted, noticing that her pelvis was now brushing against his thigh.

  “Well, purely academically speaking,” he replied, “I know exactly what it is about you.”

  “Oh?” Sarah asked, her eyebrow raised. “Care to elaborate?”

  His hand trailed down her arm and landed in the small of her back. With one finger pressed against her spine, he guided her body into his and she felt an electric shudder reverberate through her core. “Yes, of course,” he responded confidently. “Well, let’s start with that very tuggable hair of yours. I could write a dissertation about gathering up a thick band of those locks and pulling them while I did other unmentionable things to the rest of your body.”

  “Uh, wow,” Sarah gushed, nearly speechless. She was used to James’s strong-but-silent demeanor and her other former lover Pawel’s flattering and poetic compliments coupled with fumbly foreplay. She was not used to this type of assertive, borderline cocky and overtly sexual flirtation. But I don’t have a problem with it either, she mused.

  Garrett continued, “Next, those eyes: there’s a fire lit within that urges me on. And those succulent lips that look like they’re begging to be nibbled.” He painted a stroke of his fingertip across her collarbone and then down into her cleavage. “And finally this creamy smooth skin of yours that looks like it must feel like silk.”

  “And?” Sarah questioned, sighing at the sensation of his touch.

  “Looks are not deceiving in this case,” he replied. “Not at all.” And then his lips at last were on her, just as she’d envisioned before, her calf muscles flexing as she strained to reach him. He had an aggressive kissing style, not surprisingly, and it felt like he was consuming her. Devouring me, Sarah thought, as if I’m the last meal he will ever eat.

  She started to feel self-conscious and exposed. They were in the middle of the stage making out. What if someone is still here watching us? she wondered nervously. She pulled back from his embrace. “Are we alone?” she asked breathily, her eyes searching the empty theater.

  “Should be,” he answered, glancing around. The house was dark and only a few lights projected onto the stage. The backstage lights remained on, casting their fluorescent glow past the proscenium.

  “I feel like I’m....on stage,” Sarah giggled.

  “What? You don’t like to be watched?” Garrett teased her. “I had you pegged as an exhibitionist.” He put extra emphasis on the word “pegged,” as if he knew she’d catch it.

  “Really?” Sarah bristled. Is my open sexuality really that discernible to the proverbial naked eye? Did I flash some sort of sex freak gang sign I’m not aware of?

  He laughed at the way she stiffened, her posture suddenly straightening, “Oh, Dr. Lynde, thou dost protest too much! I’m highly trained in the art of detecting the subtleties and nuances projected by those on the outer fringes of societal norms.”

  She cocked her head to the side, trying to imagine what in the world he meant by that. “That sounds like my line,” she finally managed.

  “Yes, it does, and I should probably admit before we go any further that I did a bit of research on you. You’ve written quite a bit about alternative lifestyles,” Garrett confessed.

  She laughed, overwhelmingly relieved that she hadn’t projected a vibe she wasn’t aware of. “So, basically, you’re saying you stalked me?” she teased back.

  “Maybe a little. But you should feel equally free to stalk me in return,” he said, spreading his arms to gesture that he was an open book. “I have a blog you might find interesting.” He winked at her.

  “Oh yeah?” she queried. “And where is that?”

  His face was beaming with a grin so wide she almost thought she saw the hint of dimples peeking through his perpetual reddish stubble. “I belong to a little fetish site. And I do some writing there.”

  Oh, that is definitely interesting, Sarah thought, calculating what fetish Garrett might be into. Feet? BDSM? Leather? She reviewed several different possibilities before settling on this response, “You’ll have to send me a link.”

  He saluted her as if he was back in character. “Now where were we?” He gathered her hair into his palm as he bent to taste her lips again.

  “I think we were about to go find someplace just a bit more private and comfy,” Sarah replied before his mouth reached hers. She grabbed his hand and led him through the curtains and down the stairs into the backstage area. She pulled him down the hallway and into the ladies’ dressing room. She didn’t bother flipping on the lights, steering him toward the shabby, throw-covered loveseat at the far end of the room.

  He got his bearings and promptly sat, pulling Sarah down on top of him so that she was straddling his thighs. Their lips found each other again, and he lifted her shirt up and over her head, tossing it across the room. His hands were everywhere like tentacles on an octopus: in her hair, down her back, cupping her breasts, unhooking her bra.

  The contrast of her soft, bare breasts pressed against his firm chest rendered her nipples erect and wanting. As if he could read her mind, Garrett bent as she arched her back so he could take one into his mouth. It had been so long...over two months now...she almost felt like she was going to climax just from the feel of his teeth raking against her flesh.

  She pulled back and slid onto the floor between his legs, fumbling with the zipper to his jeans in the dark. He decided to assist as a sense of urgency had grown in the tiny sliver of space between their bodies. Sighing, he finally stood and finished the job of removing his clothes. Sarah ran her fingers up his naked thighs, across his abs and down to his pelvis, trying to get a sense of his body even in the darkness. She wasn’t positive, but as her eyes adjusted to the dim light coming from the crack under the door, it seemed that he sported several tattoos. But before she could study them, her hand brushed against the throbbing member sprung out toward her. She gasped aloud before she could stop herself.

  She wrapped her fingers around his cock, her eyes widening as she got a sense of his length and girth. Holy fuck, she thought, this may be the biggest one I have ever seen. Or felt, rather, since I can’t actually see it. She lowered herself to her knees again and flicked her tongue against his frenum, then licked up his shaft, mentally measuring eight...nine inches? Oh. My. God. She gripped him at the base, her fist cover
ing four inches and it wasn’t even half of his length. She steadied him there and slid her mouth down on the rest of his shaft, her other hand caressing his compact but taut hindquarters.

  He groaned as she took him as deep into her throat as she could without choking. He moved his hand from her shoulder to her hair, wrapping it around his hand again and guiding her mouth as she worked his cock. “Do you want this cock inside you?” he moaned, tightening his grip.

  She couldn’t believe how fast this was happening. They were standing on the stage one minute and the next they were naked in the dressing room. Have I thought this through? she asked herself, her lips making a slurping sound as she plunged back down on his monster tool.

  Fuck, I don’t care, she decided. It’s been too long. I need it. I want him. “Yes, yes please,” she begged, suddenly feeling submissive, feeling like she wanted to give herself, to put the control in his hands.

  He bent down to retrieve a condom from his jeans pocket. Well-prepared, I see, Sarah noted with a laugh under her breath. He rolled it down over his cock and returned to the loveseat in his original position. He found Sarah’s wrist easily this time as their eyes had fully adjusted to the darkness. He jerked her down to his lap where she felt his cock jut against her stomach. She sat up on her knees and encircled him with her fingers, brushing the head between her lips, easing him into her passage. Oh my god, I don’t know if he will fit, she thought as his progress immediately met with resistance. She wiggled her hips a bit and...nothing. Only the tip was inside.

  Garrett was growing impatient, throbbing with anticipation. He pushed her off him, rose to his feet, then grabbed her again. He threw her to the loveseat so that her head was at the end in one swift motion. He forcefully spread her thighs with one hand and found the opening to her sex with his other as it wrapped around his cock. Even then, it took him several seconds of maneuvering to work himself fully inside her.