And the Grass Won't Pay No Mind

***

After five, I lost track of my orgasms, surrendering to the Class V white water of Virginia's love for me. I don't remember the moment I lost consciousness, but I remember waking up in the middle of the night; Virginia spooned up tight against me, her arm over my ribs. I could hear her soft, even breathing, telling me she was sound asleep. I could feel every part of my body Virginia had ravaged as she had transported me to heaven.

Then I realized why I had woke up. Nausea had started to overwhelm the afterglow of our lovemaking. I eased myself out of Virginia's embrace as quickly as I could so I could go into the bathroom. I made sure the door was closed before I knelt in front of the toilet. My nausea increased to the point I started dry heaving, trying to do it as quietly as possible so I wouldn't wake Virginia. After about twenty minutes, it subsided without any vomit, so I quietly washed up, donned my sleeping tee and panties, and eased back into bed. Luckily, Virginia didn't wake up. The bouts of nausea had only started in the last month or so, and this hadn't been the first time I woke up in the middle of the night nauseous, but it was the first time it happened while Virginia was home. As I fell back asleep, I wondered if I was going through menopause early.

When morning came, I woke up with Virginia spooned up against me, her ass in my crotch, my arms draped over her ribs. I could tell from her breathing Virginia was already awake, waiting on me to wake up. I nuzzled her neck and said, "Good morning, love."

Virginia turned over to face me, and our lips met as we welcomed another morning together. When our kiss broke, Virginia said, "Good morning to you, my love. Did you sleep well?"

"Like a baby," I said, lying to Virginia with a straight face. I wasn't going to burden her with my problems any sooner than I needed to. It may have just been reflux, and I saw no need to worry Virginia with something as mundane as that. I leaned in and kissed Virginia again to distract her if I hadn't been totally convincing.

"As long as you're my baby," Virginia said once the kiss ended.

"Always," I averred, locking eyes with her so she could see the truth of my statement.

"I hope you enjoyed last night?" Virginia asked.

"Enjoyed doesn't even come close to describing it. I think I saw the face of God last night," I replied. I said it with such force I caused Virginia to smile, pleased she had pleased me so much. I said, "We'd better get up and get going. We've got a lot to do today."

We quickly showered and performed our toilet before heading out to the kitchen. As promised, Mom was already up and fixing Virginia's favorite breakfast; blueberry pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs, ranchero style. The boys were still sleeping, so Virginia and I got to enjoy a quiet breakfast with Mom, chatting about her plans for the time we were gone. Finally, we were done with breakfast. Virginia left to wake up the boys while I helped Mom whip up another batch of pancakes for the boys.

The boys eventually came out, still in their pajamas, rubbing the sleep out of their eyes. They both hugged me and said good morning before sitting down and digging in. I went into our bedroom to finish packing my bags, finding Virginia already there packing her toiletries. She smiled at me when I entered and said, "I'm so glad you did this for me, Bonnie. I get too wound up in my work and lose my way. Thank you."

"No problem, my love," I answered, cupping her face and kissing her delicious lips. When I broke, I finished, "The only work you will be doing this week is relaxing and letting me take care of the logistics."

With that, I finished packing my toiletries. We both double-checked the other to make sure we didn't forget anything. Then we started taking our bags out to put by the door. We would take Virginia's Mustang so Mom could use the minivan for running the boys around while we're gone.

By the time we were ready to go, the boys had finished breakfast. They jumped up and took turns hugging us, telling us how much they loved us. Virginia and I both admonished them to behave themselves and do what their grandmother told them to do. We then took turns hugging Mom. I thanked her for taking care of the boys so I could have this time with Virginia. I must have given something away because Mom pulled back, grabbed my shoulders, and looked me closely in the eye while I tried my best to present a puzzled look. She didn't say anything, and I'm not sure I derailed any suspicion she might have had. In any event, she didn't say anything except, "No problem, sweetie. I love you."

"I love you, too, Mom," I said, grateful she hadn't pursued her suspicions.

The boys helped us load our bags in the car, and we got ready to go. Usually, Virginia likes to do the driving. However, today, I told her she was being pampered and to get in the passenger seat. After donning our sunglasses, we waved as I backed us out of the driveway, and then we were on our way. Virginia exchanged a look with me, and we both smiled widely. The weather was nice, so we had the top down, letting the wind blow around us as we went down the road.

I didn't want to drive the Interstates, so we went east on Indian Ripple Road until it ended at Upper Bellbrook Road, which took us into Xenia. We then hopped onto US 68 North which took us through Yellow Springs and then on into Springfield. I got off onto US 40 and went east until I got to North Bird Road. I turned north and proceeded to the entrance to Buck Creek State Park. I stopped at the office and got a one-week all-access pass for all of Ohio's state parks since we would be visiting more than one of them during the week. The ranger directed us to the lodge, where we picked up the key to our cabin and the directions to get to it.

I had reserved the last cabin in the row on Park Road B to have a little privacy. We found our cabin and checked it out. We found it to be a rudimentary cabin with an open kitchen area and living area on one side. Two bedrooms and a 3/4 bathroom (sink, toilet, shower, no tub) made up the other side. The power was on, so the refrigerator was cold. We could buy some groceries and cook our own meals when we didn't eat out. There was no A/C, so we'd be sleeping with the windows open if we wanted to cool off.

What I really loved about the cabin was the fact there was no phone. I didn't want Virginia to be tempted to phone into work or have someone at work trying to get hold of her. There was no TV either, so we would have to supply our own entertainment. I had given Alice the number to the lodge if something came up, with a promise from her she wouldn't use it unless a national emergency had been declared.

I had nothing planned for the next two days except spending some alone time with Virginia in the cabin. We might do some hiking around the park, or perhaps go swimming. So after we unloaded our stuff, we headed into Springfield to get groceries at the Kroger store. We stopped at Mic's Italian Restaurant for lunch before heading back to our cabin. By the time we put the groceries away, I was in a state, the sexual tension building so high I didn't wait to get Virginia into the bedroom. I started stripping right there in the kitchen, pulling my top off and looping it around Virginia's neck to pull her up to me. My arms went around her neck as her arms went around my waist. Our breasts crushed together as our lips locked and our tongues tangled in our mouths.

After an eternity of bliss, Virginia's hands slid up my back and unhooked my bra. I unwrapped my arms from around Virginia's neck and slid my hands down to the hem of Virginia's top. I pulled it up over her head before I lowered my arms to shrug my bra off. Virginia reached back to unfasten her bra and released her perfect, perky breasts for my enjoyment.

We both bent over and pushed our shorts and panties down around our ankles before stepping out of them. As soon as Virginia was back upright, I made her back against the table. She hopped up on the table and spread her legs in invitation. Without hesitation, I grabbed the back of her knees. I spread her legs further apart, pushing back and up, so Virginia reclined back on her elbows. I locked eyes with her as I bent down and drew in a deep breath, thrilling at the aroma of her arousal. Virginia's eyes dilated to almost black as I slowly lowered my face to her pussy.

I broke our gaze to look at Virginia's beautiful pussy. Her lips were inflamed and puffy from the blood engorging them, a few drops of her juices weeping out from between them. I extended my tongue and lightly swiped it up her slit, gathering her precious dew to taste. As I retracted my tongue, I nuzzled her vertical lips with my horizontal lips, gently suckling them. Virginia softly moaned, "Oh, God, Bonnie," and my heart thrilled as I heard the lust in her voice. I worked my way up to the top of her slit and gently nuzzled her clit, making Virginia buck her hips in response.

I locked eyes with Virginia, loving the lidded look she returned. I moved in and French-kissed her pussy, working my tongue between her folds. I swirled my tongue around her entrance before plunging it into her hole. Virginia started rolling her hips, attempting to make more contact with my mouth. This made my nose bump her clit, making her jerk again. A quickly gasped, "Oh, God," was forced out of her mouth as she threw her head back each time this happened. Then she would snap her head back forward and lock eyes with me again, her eyes demanding more, which I was happy to do. As I got her closer and closer to the edge, her eyes changed from commanding to pleading. I kept her on edge, slowing my pace each time I felt Virginia was getting ready to go over the cliff. Each time, this drew a moan of disappointment from her. Virginia moaned, "Please, Bonnie," each time, and I would obligingly pick up the tempo until she was ready to explode again.

Finally, when I knew she was ready, I locked my mouth over her clit and attacked it with my tongue. I teased it out of its sheath and felt her clit stiffen as I continued my attack. Virginia pulled in a big gasp, held it, and came undone, spasming and screaming, "Oh, God, Boonnniiiieeeee!!" as she flew over the edge. Her hips began to spasmodically thrust as I continued laving her clit with my tongue, each flick making her whole body spasm. Virginia started gasping, "Oh, God!" over and over as I kept up my assault, her chest heaving and her head rolling back. Her hands went to my head, trying to push me away, but I resisted. Virginia eventually lost control of her hands. Her whole body suddenly went limp as a gush of fluid hit my chin. At that point, I stopped attacking her clit and moved down to clean up the juices Virginia had generated.

Once I had Virginia cleaned up, I started kissing my way up her core, savoring the salty sweat beading there. I continued nuzzling her up between her breasts and then onto her neck, making sure to get all of her favorite spots that make her swoon. Finally, I made it to her lips. As I leaned over her body, my nipples brushed her breasts as I peered into her face. I once again saw that totally relaxed, blissed-out look on Virginia's face. My heart clenched from knowing I had done that to her.

Finally, Virginia opened her eyes, and a smile appeared on her lips. I leaned down and met her lips with mine, and we gently nuzzled for a bit as I allowed Virginia to gain back her ability to speak. When I broke the kiss, Virginia said, "God, Bonnie, that was incredible."

I smiled and said, "I'm glad you enjoyed it. I know I enjoyed making you scream my name."

I stood up and pulled Virginia up until she was perched on the edge of the table. She slid off onto her feet, and we embraced and kissed once again. I thrilled at the feel of her body pressed tightly against mine as the kiss continued on until we broke, both gasping for air.

Once we recovered, I told Virginia I would take care of her in every way imaginable for the rest of the weekend. She would just relax and enjoy not having to do or be responsible for anything until Monday morning. I may have said it pretty forcefully, especially the part where I told her clothing would not be necessary until then. When I was done, Virginia cupped my face with her hands and fervently said, "I love you."

I saw the truth in her eyes, and I cupped her face with my hands, and with unshed tears burning my eyes, I said, "I love you more."

For the first time ever, I saw Virginia hesitate, staring intently into my eyes, before she finally said, "Not possible." I heard the tiny shred of doubt in her voice, and my heart thrilled. She then kissed me, and the floodgates opened on my tears. We clenched, and I tucked my head into her neck as my sobs wracked my body. Virginia whispered, "I love you," over and over in my ear until I got my tears under control.

Finally, I pulled back and dashed the tears out of my eyes and said, "I'm so sorry for my tears, my love. I know you love me, and sometimes that knowledge just overwhelms me."

That's when I noticed the tears in Virginia's eyes. I was stunned because Virginia seldom sheds tears when she gets emotional. Virginia looked me in the eye and said, "Your love for me overwhelms me at times, too."

I leaned in, and just before our lips met, I said, "It should."

***

True to my word, Virginia was well relaxed when Monday dawned. Today, we went over to the east end of John Bryant State Park to hike Clifton Gorge. The gorge was formed by the Little Miami River cutting through the limestone around Clifton, Ohio, as it made its way to the Ohio River, just east of Cincinnati.

I made breakfast for us. I served Virginia in bed, giving her a kiss between each bite, which naturally made breakfast last longer than necessary. Finally, breakfast was finished, and we jumped into the shower. Because of the small water heater in the cabin, all showers were short and required both of us to shower together unless you enjoyed a cold shower (I didn't). We dressed for a day of hiking, wearing high-waist shorties and polo tops with low-rise sneakers. I wore my frilly ankle socks Virginia just adores while she wore regular ankle socks.

We took our climbing equipment with us, although we didn't expect to do any climbing today. It would be a beautiful sunny day with highs in the low 80's so it would be great for hiking. We were going to check out which climbing areas would be open and plan for our climb later in the week. We were hoping one or more of the local climbing clubs would be there today to arrange to climb with them. We didn't want to climb by ourselves since we weren't experts and it's always better to have other people with you in case of an accident.

Virginia drove us down to Clifton, taking Route 72 south all the way into town. We turned west on Water Street, going by the Historic Clifton Mill, which was now a restaurant we planned to eat dinner at once we were done hiking the gorge. After a right onto Jackson Street, we turned left into the parking lot by the gorge trail. There weren't many cars there when we pulled in, indicating we wouldn't have to fight the crowd along the narrow gorge trail.

We both had small backpacks we had packed with our lunch and water bottles so we could spend the day hiking and resting. I had also packed a beach towel in my backpack. I had a little surprise planned for Virginia. Later in the day, when we got to a part of the hike where we had previously found a small secluded area off the trail, we could rest there. After we geared up and checked each other's backpacks for correct positioning, we walked to the trailhead at the end of the parking lot. "Ready?" I asked as we set foot onto the trail.

"Absolutely," Virginia replied, flashing me a smile that made my gut churn. I smiled as I turned to head down the trail, going first. I made sure to work my walk. I knew without looking, Virginia's eyes were on my ass. I made sure to watch where I was putting my feet. The trail, while improved, had rough patches, especially along the narrow part of the gorge we were going to go through shortly.

We were heading west along the northern side of the Little Miami River along the part of the gorge called 'The Narrows.' Here the ravine was only twenty to thirty feet across in places but a long way down to the whitewater below. At one point, we came across a plaque depicting the site where, supposedly, Daniel Boone (although most historians now agree it was probably a member of his hunting party, Cornelius Darnell) jumped across the gorge to avoid being captured by the Shawnee Indians pursuing him.

We stopped there for a few minutes, looking across the narrow gap and down to the raging white water nearly a hundred feet below. I tried to picture in my head how desperate he must have been to prefer plunging to his death if he didn't make it to the other side when he jumped, rather than being captured by the Shawnee. I took Virginia's hand in mine as we stood there, taking in the beautiful view. There were no places for rock climbing along this part of the gorge because it was too dangerous with no place to land except in the rapid water if you did slip and fall. Further down the valley, it widens out, and we'd come across the areas approved for rock climbing as we descend down into the gorge.

After a quick side-hug and exchange of "I love yous," we headed out again, this time Virginia taking the lead. I'm sure she knew I was ogling her ass as we went down the path. Virginia had a nice taut ass, not a bubble butt like many women have. Because Virginia wears heels so much, she'll sometimes forget herself and start toe walking, the heels of her sneakers not touching the path. I think it's cute and tell her so every time I see it.

Finally, the trail started descending into the gorge. There would be a series of steps either carved into the rocks or built out of wood. The intervals between stairs would be a semi-leveled path so handicapped people could stroll the trail. However, the further we descended, the more you had to watch your step because the stairs and path could get slippery from the water seeping out of the rocks or the spray from the river below. There was probably a lot more hand-holding or touching at times when we were helping each other navigate tricky places than was strictly necessary. We made sure it didn't get out of hand due to the chance of running into other hikers along the trail.

By the time we reached the bottom, the gorge had widened considerably, and the raging white water was now smoothly flowing without any spray. We passed Blue Hole, so-called because the white water debouches there and smoothes out into blue water. We finally started encountering places where rock climbing was permitted. You could climb a steep path to get to the top of the rock face at each spot. That way, you could use your own ropes on the pitons already placed in the rocks for you to use. Some places had lines already deployed, probably by one of the climbing clubs. Still, it was always a good idea to use your own gear whenever possible because you never knew what an unknown rope had been put through before you came up to it. We didn't see any activity yet, but the day was still young. We did encounter a couple of hikers, and we exchanged greetings as we passed.

After another hour or so, we came to the South Gorge Bridge. This bridge carries the trail from the north side of the gorge to the south side. We started back east along the south side of the valley for another hour, encountering a few more hikers. At this point, it was nearly lunchtime, so we found a shady spot to sit to eat the lunch we had packed. There was just something about a hike that made sandwiches taste so good. We shared and kissed a couple of times while we ate, discussing what we had seen and what we planned for the rest of the hike. We would soon come to a place where there were plenty of places to rock climb, and we hoped to find someone at one of them to plan to do some climbing with.