Bear Creek Trail

They packed a blanket, two small hand towels, suntan lotion, power bars, and plenty of water. Tommy patted the side of the backpack, feeling the reassurance of the Glock.

By the time they were on the road it was 7:30. It would take about 45 minutes to drive to their destination.

When they finally arrived, an almost silent drive, they changed into their hiking boots, Tommy strapped on the backpack and they headed towards a small hill to the east. Vicky took hold of Tommy's hand as they walked in silence to the base of the hill.

"Ready?" Vicky asked.

"Ready," Tommy replied.

Vicky let go of Tommy's hand and started up the hill. Tommy followed, looking at Vicky in her kakhi shorts, white, button-down, short-sleeved shirt, her hair thrown out the back of her baseball cap, and her long, silky legs tucked into her hiking boots, little white socks peaking out of the top, wrapped around her ankles. It was a mistake, he realized, following her.

The small hill, about sixty feet high, was an easy walk. At the bottom they recognized a part of Bear Creek Trail and started towards Seven Falls.

"Maybe we're not the only ones with this idea," Tommy said.

"Fucking in Sabino Canyon?" Vicky asked.

"Or just taking a hike up here. I mean, after all, it is Earth Day."

"Then I guess they'll get more than they bargained for."

At the end of the trail, as the mountains broke open to a view of the desert and Seven Falls, they found a huge boulder, probably been sitting in that same exact spot for thousands of years. Had been sitting there, baking in the sun, when JFK was assassinated, when George Washington crossed the Delaware, when man stumbled upon fire. Was sitting there before man or woman ever existed.

"It's perfect," Vicky said. "Don't you think?"

Tommy looked around, surveying the area like a big game hunter, and thought it was perfect. The view was spectacular with a view of the falls and a wide open view of the desert laid out before the Santa Catalinas.

Tommy slid off the backpack, Vicky took out the blanket and spread it over the boulder. She sat the backpack on top of the rock and then turned to Tommy.

"Well," she said leaning against the boulder. "We're finally here." She glanced down at Tommy's pants.

"Finally here," Tommy said, sounding like a moron.

"You've been a very patient boy," Vicky said, reaching out and cupping Tommy's cock. "Patient boys get rewarded for their patience."

Vicky leaned forward, her hand still on Tommy's cock and kissed him. A sensual kiss, slowly sliding her tongue into his mouth, keeping her eyes open, looking into his. She moved her hand up to the waistline of his shorts and slipped her hand inside, sliding it slowly over his now rigid cock. She moaned as she touched him, Tommy feeling like he was going to explode, any second, into a million pieces.

"I'll bet you'd like that in my mouth, wouldn't you?" Vicky asked.

But there was no need to answer. Vicky backed away, still looking into Tommy's eyes and began to unbutton her shirt. She was licking her lips as her shirt fell open, her white bra still covering her breasts, until she unclasped the center and pulled it open.

The shirt, the bra, shorts and panties all came off. Vicky stood naked before Tommy, except for her hiking boots. She climbed up on the boulder. On her hands and knees, her back to Tommy, she spread her legs revealing her ass and pussy to him.

"I think I need some suntan lotion," she said, reaching into the backpack and pulling out a bottle of Hawaiian Tropic. "Don't be stingy with it," she said, handing the bottle to Tommy.

He snapped open the top of the bottle and liberally squirted the oil all over Vicky's back and ass. Tommy snapped the lid shut, placed the bottle of oil off to the side and began to rub the coconut scented oil over Vicky's back.

Tommy started at the base of her neck and moved down to the shoulder blades.

"That feels so good," Vicky said, pushing herself into Tommy's stomach, the tip of his cock just grazing the lips of her pussy.

Tommy moved his hands to Vicky's middle and lower back, massaging the muscles at the base of her spine, just above her ass, Vicky arching her back like a cat being stroked. Tommy grabbed her ass with both hands and kneaded the flesh like a baker kneading dough. He leaned back to admire the view. Vicky's ass and pussy exposed to him, both glistening, wet with suntan oil.

"Lick my pussy," Vicky cooed. "Please."

There was a moment, a moment of startling clarity for Tommy. Vicky, her legs spread before him, Tommy realized these were not just feelings of lust traveling through his veins, his central nervous system, but real feelings of emotion, of caring, of wanting. There, before him, was this woman giving herself to him fully.

Tommy stripped off his clothes and moved towards Vicky. He placed his hands on her soft ass and moved his mouth to the base of her back, moving slowly, running his tongue down to her pussy. Tommy slid his tongue inside and then back up over her ass, flicking the hole as Vicky arched her back in response.

"That feels so good," Vicky moaned.

Tommy spread her ass open further, moving his tongue back inside her pussy and over her clit. Vicky fell to her elbows, her face close to the rock, indicating she was on the verge of cumming. Tommy placed a finger near her asshole and slowly inserted it. Vicky moaned and came as Tommy slid his tongue over her clit.

"Oh, my god, that was a long time coming," Vicky said, her ass still sticking up, Tommy's finger still inside.

Vicky rolled over on her back, perched up on her elbows, legs spread wide open and said, "I'll need some oil on my front too."

Tommy grabbed the bottle and poured the warm liquid over her breasts and belly, the oil forming a kind of river flowing down over her pussy and into the folds of flesh. Vicky looked down and watched the oil dribble down. She reached over with her hand, rubbed the oil over her pussy and slid a finger inside.

"What do you want to do next?" Vicky asked seductively.

The truth was Tommy couldn't decide. Too many thoughts were running through his head at once. On one hand he just wanted to throw her back and fuck her. It wouldn't take long with her pussy so slick with suntan oil. On the other hand he wanted to go down on her again. Lick all around her fingers while she fingered herself. And then he just wanted to jump up on the boulder, straddle her face and have her suck his cock until he came. He couldn't decide.

Vicky took hold of Tommy's cock and slid her oily hand up and down the shaft.

"Do you want to cum inside my mouth? My pussy? My ass?"

That got Tommy's attention. Big time. Vicky could see it in his eyes, could see the questioning look: I thought you were saving that for the man you love? And then the look of understanding. She actually thought he might cry if he weren't so horny. He had been a trouper, a stalwart, the man, unlike all the rest, who had waited her out. After all the sex, the filthy, grinding, lust-fueled sex, they had had prior to her decision to celebrate Earth Day in the great outdoors by fucking outside, he waited it out and was still there. She had, in the past, regretted some of her decisions, had even questioned whether she had taken it too far with Tommy, even after she realized her feelings for him were different, more emotional, more vulnerable than with any man prior. But he had stuck it out. Not without some protest, but that had been mild, had been fun to watch him squirm and beg for mercy fucks and, yet, he was still there. And why? It was written all over his face; he loved her too. Too? Oh yes, she thought, there was no denying they had fallen for each other and there was no turning back.

Vicky rolled over again, pointing her ass at Tommy. She spread her legs apart, reached behind and began to rub oil over her ass, slipping her middle finger in and out.

"I think it's ready for your cock," she said.

Tommy stood there, unbelieving, for a moment. Vicky's ass right in front of him, inches away, her finger sliding in and out and she had just told him it was ready for his cock. This, he thought, was the best Earth Day he had ever had. In fact it was the only Earth Day he could ever remember.

Tommy moved forward placing his right hand on Vicky's ass. She removed her finger. Tommy slid his left hand over his cock, spreading more oil towards the head. The he slowly guided the tip to the opening and hesitated as he looked down at her. He wanted to watch the head slip inside.

Vicky leaned forward, slightly, relaxing as Tommy slowly slid the head of his cock inside her ass, watching the puckered hole envelope the head, the feeling monumental, like sliding inside a virgin pussy. Tommy placed his hands on her ass and pulled her towards him, letting her guide the pace. Tommy watched as half of his cock disappeared into Vicky's ass. He could feel her hand on her pussy, rubbing her clit and sliding a finger in and out. He could her finger on his shaft and thought he wouldn't get his cock in fully before he came.

Vicky, at least he thought it was Vicky at first, sounded like she was going to cum again. But then he realized it wasn't Vicky. There was no mistaking the low guttural sound of a wild animal on the prowl.

Tommy's cock deflated like someone had stuck a knife in a balloon.

"What's wrong?" Vicky asked, concerned. "You don't like it?"

But then, she too, froze as the growl became louder.

Tommy, frantic, feeling like a complete fucking idiot because he was standing outside with only his hiking boots on, his cock slick with suntan oil, his girlfriend spread-eagled on a boulder and he had completely forgot to place the backpack close enough so he could grab the Glock just in case. Forgot because he was getting his long-awaited opportunity to put his cock in Vicky's ass.

Tommy listened, his eyes wide open, trying to locate the mountain lion. But the canyon, the echoes, were throwing him off. Of course, he thought, the fucking lion knew that already, that's why it was growling in the first place, to confuse and disorient it's prey. While they were looking hither thither the mountain lion would pounce.

That was just perfect, Tommy thought, just perfect. They'd be found by some Park Rangers or some other wayward hikers and there would be no doubt what they had been doing. Half-eaten (if that's what mountain lion's did with their prey), naked as the day they were born with suntan lotion all over the parts that were still left intact. What a way to go.

Now the sound was behind them. Tommy turned quickly, but there was nothing there, nothing but desert and rocks and... Then the sound came from another direction and Tommy whirled around again and saw the mountain lion not ten feet away. No time to get the gun. Like the mountain lion had planned it that way. No time other than to put himself between Vicky and the animal, yell for her to make a run for it.

The mountain lion crept along like a house cat ready to pounce on a mouse, it's eyes focused in on Tommy like laser beams. Tommy kept the eye contact and stepped forward.

"Run when I say," he whispered to Vicky, still keeping his eyes fixed on the cat.

But Vicky didn't answer, probably frozen with fear, Tommy thought. He kept staring, not wanting to break the stand-off between man and animal, and repeated, "Run when I say."

The big cat, moving forward like it was in slow-motion, a perfect blend of nature's atavistic will to live and stealth. Their eyes locked into each other's like they were in a perpetual photograph.

Tommy almost felt relaxed, calm, ready to except death in the most unconventional of ways. How many people, especially in modern society, died from a mountain lion attack? A very select few. And how many of those died trying to protect someone else. Probably none. And it was the role of protector that fueled the courage.

Tommy decided he would move quickly, yell to Vicky to run, and then like a caveman, charge the lion, let the mother fucker know this was not going to be a walk in the park. Bring the game to him, or her, whichever, it didn't matter. The point was he'd go down fighting and not like some chicken shit running away crying. And for an instant he'd get to see the look, the surprised look, in the cat's eyes as it witnessed this crazy human charging him, or her.

Tommy reached out to touch Vicky's leg, reassure her that everything was going to be alright...at least for her. But all he felt was rock, boulder, the blanket before he heard the resonating sound of the Glock firing. The echo bouncing around the canyon walls like someone had fired a machine gun.

Tommy watched a puff of rock explode about five feet away from the mountain lion, the bullet ricocheting, whizzing into the canyon. The mountain lion, like it knew, like the animal knew whoever shot that pistol was no Annie Oakley, stepped closer. A second shot reverberated, no closer than the first, bit into the thick desert sand and the fucking mountain lion-Tommy would swear to it under oath-smiled.

Tommy finally took his eyes off the lion and looked at Vicky. The absurdity of what he saw brought him back to reality. There was Vicky, naked except for those damn hiking boots, up on one knee aiming the Glock like she was some porno actress in a cheap James Bond knock-off. Stop, or you'll shoot.

Now the cat had switched its gaze to Vicky. Staring her down, daring her to fire one more round, the cat, it's back legs tucked under it's haunches, was ready to pounce the moment the shot went, surely, astray.

Vicky aimed and fired the Glock, the bullet striking the sand about a quarter of an inch from the mountain lion's front paw sending sand flying everywhere, including the big cat's eyes. The mountain lion swiped at it's face and nearly blinded by the gritty sand, made a hasty, clumsy getaway.

Vicky dropped the Glock and shook like the temperature had dropped 50 degrees. Tommy jumped up on the rock and held her.

"It's alright," he said. "It's over. It's gone." Vicky turned and looked at him, the fear still in her eyes, the absolute, primeval stare of terror. "It's over," Tommy repeated.

They threw on their clothes, helter skelter, and exited the canyon as quickly as possible, constantly looking over their shoulder for the cat. They made it to Tommy's Jeep Liberty, hoped in, not saying a word, and drove home in silence. It wasn't until they inside the apartment that they spoke.

"I'm sorry," Tommy said.

"For what?" Vicky asked. "I was the one insisted we go up there. You warned me about the mountain lion."

"I know, but..."

Vicky stopped him, saddled up to him, close and said, "You were going to step in between us, weren't you? Me and the cat, I mean."

"I didn't keep the gun close enough to me," Tommy confided. "I should have."

Vicky laid her head on his chest and Tommy held her to him, feeling her warmth. They were home. They were safe. They were alive.