“Get dressed.” He leans over, planting a kiss on the top of my head, cupping my cheek in his rough palm. “Do as I say.”
“Wait, but—” My words are lost as he stuffs his still half-hard cock behind his zipper, then heads through the door, swinging it half closed behind him after whisking his shirt off the floor in one long-armed swipe.
There’s an impatient knock and the voice calling out again as I reluctantly push onto my knees, reaching out to touch the warm spot where I was tucked against the hardest, biggest chest in the world just a moment ago. His warmth is still on the sheets as I crawl to the edge of the bed and throw my legs over with a soft hiss, the pinpricks of pain in my newly deflowered lady bits reminding me to move gingerly.
Even in his bare feet, Price’s footsteps make vibrating thuds through the floor, then the hinges of the front door let out a pained squeak.
I pull the rumpled blanket from the bed and tuck it around me. When Price went to the living room to get me some water after I nearly passed out from the rolling orgasms he insisted on giving me with his mouth after destroying my cherry, he hung my clothes near the wood stove on a chair to dry.
The same gruff male voice comes clearer now through the open door. “Price, hey, you okay?”
“Yeah. Good.” Price grunts in his best monosyllabic caveman impression.
“Yeah, I see you’re as talkative as ever. Ted called me. Said he didn’t want to leave Hailey but needed someone to come up and check on you. Said you set off yesterday and didn’t get back. No cell service up here, so people were worried. So, here I am.”
“There was a bear,” Price says as I tiptoe and inch along the wall of the bedroom, peeking around the doorframe to see the visitor dressed in an olive-green uniform and wearing a matching hat with a brass badge front and center. Price shoots a quick look over his shoulder as he slips his arms into his shirt, then says, “I…we….never mind. The bear had cubs with her. Came up to the door too.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen her around on the trail cams and on our tracking. We tagged her a few years back. Named her Electra. She’s not the friendliest as black bears go. She’s got the personality of a grizzly. Good idea to stay put,” the ranger says, his eyes catching me when I ease the door open a couple inches, smiling on a knowing nod toward Price, then lowering his voice,leaning in conspiratorially. “Ah, sorry man. Didn’t pick up you were here with your girl.”
Price’s response comes faster than I expected, with a shake of his head. “No, just one of the camp counselors. Came up with me yesterday to check things out.”
His denial sounds final. Decision made, and a darkness clouds around my heart.
“Fair enough. Your Jeep’s okay, few branches down on the road from the storm though.” Price nods in response. “I’ll follow you back down. I’ve got a full can of bear spray just in case.” He taps the spray can clipped to his belt. “Saw your pack out there. Bears had their way with it. Your rifle too. Looks like mama bear sat on it.” He nods toward the contents of our packs strewn under the trees in front of the cabin. Then he leans to the right on a sly smile. “I’ll wait over there. When you’re ready, just holler.”
***
“I didn’t want that ranger knowing our business,” Price explains as we head down the last section of the road, the Jeep hitting a pothole with a hard lurch. “People talk too much.”
The ranger just split off onto another road in his truck ahead of us, leaving us to make the last bit of the ride back to the camp unescorted. I squeeze the remnants of the small pack I tossedon the porch last night. One strap is torn off and there’s a new ragged opening down one side.
I feel the way it looks. The afterglow of the morning seems to have turned into the cold light of day.
I turn toward Price, noting the way he’s gripping the steering wheel, the flex of his jaw muscle and the way the tendons on his neck are standing out.
I get why he feels he has to raise Hailey out here in the wilderness, and I get why he doesn’t think I can be a part of that.
I wear glittery body lotion, and floral-embossed hiking boots. I have a standing salon appointment every Wednesday at noon. Outside of the boots I bought to come up here, ninety-nine percent of my shoes would be woefully inappropriate for even a walk on the grass in a park. I like heels and dresses and fussing over my magnetic lashes until they are perfect.
Besides, I’ve wanted to go to NYU since my sophomore year at Michigan State. I love New York. The noise and the smells and the fashion.
Speech therapy might not seem glamorous, but I love what I do and there’s a lot of money to be made being a private therapist to the upper, upper class. It’s what I’ve planned for almost three years.
I also know I pushed him last night. Taunted him really. Like I did that night after the bar.
He’s a man, after all. He saw the opportunity and read the invitation and showed up ready for the party.
I got what I wanted, right? He destroyed my v-card, summer goal achieved.
“I get it,” I finally choke out, trying not to say too much because my chin is starting to quiver.
“When we get back, there are some things I need to take care of. Then we’ll talk. The parents are dropping off kids, I need to meet the network guys and—” He palms the wheel of the Jeep, turning under the tall carved log archway into Camp WanderLust. “I need to get some things sorted out. I know Hailey is going to rapid fire questions at me about why I was gone. I want to make sure she’s okay.”
Before we got in the Jeep to head out, Price had the ranger radio back to his headquarters and told them to call Ted and let him know we’d be back soon. Campers are arriving today so there’s a lot to handle I’m sure.
I shrug. “Sounds good. I need to change clothes and get ready for another session with Hailey. Consistency is key with speech therapy. I know she’ll be waiting for you. She comes first.”
He opens his mouth. It hangs there like the words are frozen on his tongue, then he closes it without saying anything, only swallowing on a nostril-flaring inhale.
