For a minute, she looks as if she thinks I’m serious.
“This isn’t a bear den,” I clarify. “It’s just a cool little alcove and it will be perfect for us for the night.”
We set down our supplies and spread out the blankets into piling heaps on the cold stone ground. I start a little fire just outside the mouth of the cave and after we have eaten a bit, we both lay together and watch the flickering flames. There is a soft sound of rushing water that makes me think there must be a river nearby. Between the crackling of the fire and the sound of the river, the evening is peaceful and relaxing as the dusk bathes the sky in gold and midnight blue. There is also another feeling which permeates the small space of the cavern.
I pull Amber tightly against my chest and lean down to kiss the side of her cheek. But when I do, she turns her head and kisses my mouth instead. I have been longing for her so badly ever since my body stopped being in pain. I slide my tongue into her mouth and feel her press against me. When she turns her body around in my arms, I can’t help but pull her down onto me. It has been too long, and I am too ready to have her to wait any more. I can tell that Amber feels the same way.
She reaches her hand down into my pants and when her fingers wrap around my swollen and pulsing cock, my entire body convulses. Amber hesitates for a moment, thinking that maybe I was still in pain, but I am not. The only pain I feel now is the pain of yearning to be inside of her. I start to roll her over so that I can climb on top to make love to her, but this time she takes the lead and stays straddled above my hips as she leans forward to kiss me. As soon as we have pulled the clothes from each other and tossed them against the wall of the cave, she lifts her body up above me before a steady descent to sit down on top of me. The slow push into her as she comes down over me lights a feverish fire within me as I tangle my hands in her hair and pull her tongue against mine. When she starts to roll her hips against me to move and the innermost part of her body rubs around mine, I feel as if I am in utopia. I moan with an open mouth while our tongues still encircle each other’s, and I feel as if we are creating a moment of bliss that the entire forest would be envious of. When we are both satiated and fall into a contented heap together, I pull the blankets up around us and cradle Amber against my chest. This is the kind of night that I always want to have with her.
* * *
When we leavethe cave in the morning, we are both feeling hopeful and excited. We only have a little farther to go and then we will be deeply into the woods to settle and make our home. But just as we are almost there, a very unexpected sight greets us; another house. It’s more of a makeshift shelter than it is a fully-finished cabin. But either way, it means that someone else is here.
“I thought you said this would be completely secluded?” she asks.
“Yeah,” I say. “I did say that because I never expected to find another human here this deep into the mountains.”
“It looks like they may have been here a while,” she says. “They have a whole home and everything.”
She’s right. As shabby as it is, whoever is here looks to be pretty settled. We keep walking and try to keep a decent distance between our path and the land surrounding the home. But then, after all that has happened, I just have to see who is here. I won’t be able to feel settled unless I am sure that there is no threat.
“What are you doing?” she asks as I take her hand to walk up to the front of their house.
“Seeing who’s here,” I say bluntly.
Before we even reach the door, a man steps out.
“Hello,” he calls from the step. “Can I help you folks with something?”
“Do you live here?” I ask.
“Yes,” the man answers. “With my wife and son. Do you two live here in the mountains as well?”
“Yes,” I answer. “We are just on our way to clear ourselves a spot now. To be honest, I am surprised to see anyone else here this far out into the forests.”
“Hi,” a woman says as she appears next to the man in the doorway.
They are a young couple, can’t be any older than their mid to late twenties. A small boy who looks to be around seven or eight-years-old stands beside her as all three of them peer out from the doorway.
“This is my wife, Lana and my boy, Pete,” the man says as he introduces his family to us. “I’m Tom.”
I nod my head and smile, but I don’t give him our names in return. I am way too wary to trust anyone anymore. These people seem harmless enough though.
“Would you like to come in and join us for a meal?” Lana asks. “We have plenty and don’t mind sharing.”
It does sound rather good to have some homecooked food. I look at Amber to make sure she is okay with it, and when she seems to be fine with the idea; I accept. We go inside and I notice that although their home is cozy and has a good feel to it, it is essentially falling down around them. Tom must have caught my look because he says something to me about it.
“Yeah, don’t mind the house,” he says looking a bit embarrassed. “I’m not much of a builder, but I do what I can.”
It gives me a great idea.
“Tom,” I say. “Would you be interested in making a bit of a deal with me? I am a builder, well, at least I used to be back when I lived near the town. I would be happy to help you fix this place up in exchange for you letting us borrow your tools so that we can get our own home. Is that something you might be interested in?”
Tom’s face lit up.
“Absolutely! Why don’t you two stay here tonight as our guests and we can talk about it.”
Amber
