Into the Bushes

Lilah was just swinging up to the intersection at Nancy Ct, about a block away from her condo with the morning sun low at her back, when she saw the other woman moving. That's all she saw at first, too: motion. The quick strides of a pair of long, sleek legs, chopping over the road, turning onto Nancy with a purpose.

Her gaze lingered on the legs for awhile before moving up, seeing loose cargo shorts beneath a blue tanktop. Nice body. "Hey!" she called impulsively as the woman headed up Nancy. Where the hell was she going? "That's a dead end, you know."

The legs slowed, but they didn't stop, a broad smile turning toward her underneath big sunglasses and a cap. "There's no such thing as a dead end when you're on foot," the other woman called. Then, at last, as the woman got a better look at Lilah, the legs did stop. "Just depends on how much effort you want to put in."

Lilah, drawing close, felt her grin rising to match. She could see now that the other woman was a little older, probably early thirties? Her cap was one of last year's Moosehead ones, the ones they'd given out as a promotion during the River Days. "Well," Lilah put in as she reached the stranger, "who wants to work on a beautiful morning like this?"

"It's hiking. That's not really work," the other one laughed, and Lilah at once felt herself stir in response. That laugh! It was rich and sudden and it seemed to come flaring out without any thought. "There's a little trailhead up there at the end of the street. It cuts down into the woods."

"Trailhead?" Lilah glanced doubtfully down Nancy. "I think it's all just tangled woods in there, isn't it? I think the trials are over by the lake?"

"I mean, sure. There are plenty of trails by the lake. Where the people go." Lilah caught movement behind those big glasses and guessed the woman was checking her out. She arched subtly, pushing her boobs out, though with a chest like hers there was really no need. "I come hiking back here because there aren't any people."

"Ooh," Lilah nodded. "Like, some secret little hideaway."

"Something like that." She woman seemed to like what she saw. "You live around here?"

"Just around the corner. On Taylor." Lilah reached absently up to mess with her ponytail; definitely, those eyes came back to life behind the shades. Yep, clearly checking her out. Lilah left her arms up high a little longer than she needed to then, for she was a girl who liked being checked out. "I usually stick to the roads. Cleaner."

"I guess I'm kind of dirty then," and then that laugh burst out again. Lilah was already wondering how she could decently ask for the woman's number when, to her surprise, the woman jerked her head up Nancy. "You can come with me, if you like. When I said there weren't any people, I meant sketchy ones."

Now it was Lilah's turn to laugh, turning on impulse to fall in alongside the other woman. "Meaning, I'm not sketchy."

Looking around them, the woman smiled. "You seem nice. Besides, I'm not exactly spoiled for options." There were no sidewalks in the neighborhood. The only people who walked around there were serious about it. "You've never been in these woods? I've been hiking in there for months."

Lilah plucked self-consciously at her tights. "I'm not legally allowed in the woods. I'm not wearing cargo shorts." The other woman snorted. "No offence, obviously. They look great on you," she ventured.

The reply was an eye-roll. "Nice try. You're not going to salvage yourself that easily." They plunged into the trees, where Lilah was shocked to find a wide, well-cleared path. "See? The town doesn't realize it's here, but the local kids come back here to ride dirt bikes."

"Shit. Clearly." Lilah had no idea. A big clearing off to the left, just inside the woods but completely invisible from the road, featured a large plywood bike jump. "I had no idea."

"Yeah. When you try new things, you can be surprised at what you find." She nodded off to the left. "This whole area is actually owned by the Golf Course. If you look over that way in the fall and winter, you can see the fairways."

"They don't care that the kids ride back here?"

"I doubt they know." The woman paused, glancing around. "The terrain in here isn't exactly golf-y, you know what I mean? I don't think they plan to develop it." They walked on a few more steps, Lilah fascinated by a massive drop-off to their immediate left. She was also fascinated by the woman's butt, wagging just in front of her. "Still, an unscrupulous golfer could probably sneak back here and just jump on, through the trees."

Lilah risked a flirt. "I wouldn't know," she smiled. "I don't play with balls." The glance that came back at her was cool, she thought, but hardly unwelcoming. She started to wonder whether this woman was into her. "I wonder if people come back here to make out."

The woman gave her quick laugh. "Hardly the most comfortable place to get it on," she pointed out. The air was thick and still around them, the trees seeming to press close.

"It could be, with the right person," Lilah smiled. They were heading downhill now. "Where are you taking me? Getting me lost?"

"I might," the woman chuckled. She glanced back again, her face wrinkling into a grin.

"Maybe you're the sketchy one, then."

"No, I know where we are." She made a series of sweeping motions with her arms, pointing things out. "Over there? There are public trails near Beaver Pond. These paths link up with those, but there's a stream at the bottom of this hill. Then there's another hill. I'll take us between those, and through some bushes, and then? We'll be on the marked trails." She tossed another glance back. "I got you."

Fuck, Lilah told herself. Definitely, the woman was interested. She wondered whether her nipples could be seen under her shirt; maybe that's why she kept glancing around. "You might," she agreed, letting the woman see her smile, "but only if you're lucky."

"I already am," the woman grinned. "Who'd have thought I'd run into such a fun new friend this morning?" She took off her cap to wipe her forehead, revealing a head of dark russet hair. She picked her way through a muddy area crisscrossed with branches. "Careful."

"It's all swampy down here," Lilah complained.

"Don't worry." They stepped high over a pile of rocks where some forgotten farmer had left them, years back. "I'll try not to get you wet."

"Too late," Lilah volleyed back at once, and this time the woman stopped in the middle of the path. When she looked back her eyes were very wide behind the smoked glasses.

"You're fresh," she accused, but she was smiling hard.

"What?" Lilah shrugged with exaggerated nonchalance. "I was talking about my shoes. Is your mind in the gutter or something?"

"Usually," The woman admitted.

"Dear lord." They started off again, picking their way from rock to rock. "I've been walking through the neighborhood for months now. I've never seen you."

"Yeah, that's 'cause I'm usually back here in the bushes." They edged along the edge of a stagnant pool covered with skunk cabbage. "We just need to hang a left up here, then it's a short push through a thicket and then? We'll be on the main trail." She smirked back. "I told you I wouldn't get you lost."

Lilah slapped at a mosquito. "Get me found. These bugs are devouring me." She winked. "Though I'd rather have other things doing that. Always."

"Oh, dear lord!" The older woman rolled her eyes, but she was blushing. "You're really something. You're quite the flirt, you know?"

"Yes," Lilah giggled, her pussy waking up, "I do know."

The other woman nodded and seemed to think about that. "Out of habit? Or are you... looking? For something?"

Lilah felt sweat prickle her armpits and knew she was blushing, too. "I mean, who among us isn't looking for something?"

"Hmm." She nodded, as though Lilah's reply seemed to match up with a puzzle she was finishing in her head. They struck the public trail abruptly, bordered with neat white stones. The forest was still around them as she led them into a little clearing floored with pine needles. When she turned, slowly, Lilah caught a strange look on her face.

Because she'd taken off her oversized shades. Lilah found herself staring into a pair of soulful hazel eyes, now drawn together under an arched eyebrow, staring at her chest quite blatantly. Lilah stood with her hands on her hips, on display, and both of them were sprouting slow, careful grins. "Quite the flirt," the woman repeated. "And does your flirting always work as well as it is right now?"

Goddamn, Lilah thought to herself, her pussy twitching drastically now. She was very aware of the straps of the woman's sports bra peeking out from beneath her tanktop, of those long legs. Of her unexpectedly gorgeous eyes. "No," she said, hearing a slight burr in her own voice. "My flirting only works on really beautiful women." She was gratified to see a little tremble run along the other woman's arms, her smile widening a bit. "I love your hair," she murmured. "I've always wanted to be a redhead."

"It's pretty fucking great," she agreed, and her voice was a little hoarse too. Lilah realized suddenly that the other woman was coming to some sort of decision, her eyes darting around among the silent trees. She cocked her head. "Go ahead. Ask."

"Ask?" Lilah blinked. "Ask what?"

"The same question everyone asks," she shrugged. She tucked her sunglasses into the scooped neck of her tanktop and stood easily with her legs spread slightly. "About the drapes. And the carpet. Not necessarily in that order."

Lilah giggled, glancing automatically down at the other woman's fly. "Well. I mean, since you bring it up..."

The other woman was already nodding, a weirdly feral light in her eyes as she took a deep breath. Lilah watched as her hands went to the front of her pants, the long fingers working the button and then the zipper. The woman kept her eyes carefully on Lilah's, watching for the younger woman's reaction as she pushed down the front of her shorts, her underwear a flash of lavender before she pushed that down too, just an inch or two.

Lilah, her eyes widening, found herself holding her breath as she caught sight of a tightly coiled strip of bright-copper hair, topping just the vaguest hint of a twinkle of moisture in the bright sunlight flooding through the trees. Lilah didn't realize she'd been holding her breath until she let it out in a sigh of awe at the other woman's chutzpah. "Fuck."

She was nodding as she pulled her shorts back up and redid the button. "So, yes. I'm a real redhead." She gave her ringing laugh once more and held out her hand. "I'm Nichole, by the way. I live over by the high school."

"Oh my god. I'm Lilah." Their hands met and clasped, warm and tight, making no effort to separate. "The, uh, the high school's a ways away. I know where I am now, on this trail; my place is closer. Want a ride back to yours?" Her brain was tingling, as if she was having an out-of-body experience.

"That's a lovely name." Nichole got herself all reassembled and then replaced her shades. "Are you inviting me over to your house, Lilah?"

"I am." Lilah let herself wink. "And, um, I think you'll come."

They both laughed at that, like a pair of old friends, their fingers squeezing. "Wow," Nichole sighed as they started off again down the path. "I think I just might." She looked down at where their hands hadn't yet released each other. "I can think of something to do there, too," she snickered.

"Something to do," Lilah agreed, all giddy. Her senses were soaring, her whole body packed with suppressed energy. "Like, say, each other."

"Something like that," Nichole agreed hoarsely.

"You're a tease," Lilah managed.

"No." Nichole's voice sounded more than a little smug. "A tease just tempts people. I usually deliver."

"Usually."

"Well. Always." Their fingers gripped harder. "I might be sort of hungry once we get back to your place."

Lilah's throat suddenly went very dry. "If you want, I've got something you can eat."

"Goddamn," Nichole marveled past a thick throat. The forest pressed around them.

* * *

Lilah looked back at Nichole as she pushed her key into her front door, and she wasn't terribly surprised to catch the older woman staring at her ass. "Hey," she said playfully, "eyes up here."

"No," came the simple reply, and Lilah shivered. This was unbelievable. An hour ago she'd been heading placidly out of her house for a morning stroll; she was back now, about to get ravaged by a total stranger.

"Well. Fine." Her hand was sweaty on the doorknob as she turned it, and then there she was in her familiar entry with three days' worth of mail scattered on the floor. "Come in! Uh, sorry about the mess. I wasn't expecting company." She heard nothing but footsteps as an answer, those running shoes of hers shuffling off the porch and over the threshold, and Lilah had barely heard Nichole shut the door before she was turning straight into the other woman's embrace.

The transformation was so sudden. She was thinking about cast-off mail one moment, then the next had a bold hand twining around her hip, pulling at her ass while a new, exciting mouth tilted toward hers. Lilah fell into it, her heart quickening at the sight of Nichole's hazel eyes moving toward her face, and then their lips met.

Lilah tasted sweat on the other woman's upper lip, and coffee on her tongue, and then she was closing her eyes and her own arms were finding Nichole's tall, supple body, gripping at her, needing the closeness and the passion as their teeth scraped across each other. One of them moaned, and Lilah wasn't even sure it wasn't her. She felt need in the grip of Nichole's hand on her butt.

Without thinking about it, Lilah pushed her own hand up past Nichole's hip, along her side, feeling skin under her shirt before her fingers found the sturdy edge of a sports bra. The older woman nearly knocked her over, surging forward when she felt Lilah's thumb on her stiff nipple, their tongues lapping at each other with renewed frenzy.

"Fuck," Nichole managed at last, jerking her head back with a chin sheeted with their spit. "You said you had something I could eat." Her hand was down the back of Lilah's tights now, her palm on bare flesh, squeezing hard. "Why are we waiting?"

Lilah stared wild-eyed, seeing the other woman's reddened face, her own wide eyes, the narrow chin atop a long, sexy neck, and she couldn't resist: she leaned in fast, her lips opening, nuzzling that neck with her lips and her tongue. Nichole was warm and sweaty and welcoming against her body, and Lilah shuddered again when she felt a hand cup at the back of her head, holding her close. "Follow me," she murmured into the woman's collarbone, and she didn't even want to let go long enough to lead Nichole to her bed.

But she did.

She'd left her sheets draped over the mattress that morning, her bedroom untidy as always with her shit scattered all over her bedside table, but neither of them cared at all about the state of the room. Lilah led Nichole by the hand, the two of them stumbling down the hallway while trying to kick their shoes off.

Lilah slumped against her doorway after bouncing off the thermostat in the hall, her eyes turning heavy-lidded to look back at her new friend. "After you," she gusted, her breath heaving out in horny little sighs, but Nichole seemingly hadn't had enough: she stepped straight up to Lilah, her eyes blazing, and reached deliberately down to cup her pussy.

"I want this," she whispered, her hand like a hot vise on Lilah's vagina, and Lilah was still gasping hard at the intrusion when Nichole pressed her lips firmly back against hers and pushed her tongue once more past Lilah's teeth. This time, Lilah noticed dully, she no longer tasted like coffee.

She tasted like Lilah's own spit.

Nichole left her with a last harsh squeeze between her thighs, her eyes fierce now and hungry. "I'm ready to eat," she muttered after her, swinging toward the bed with those same long strides that had drawn Lilah's attention just an hour ago, as she'd seen them drive Nichole down Nancy Ct toward the shadow of the trees.

Her legs were stupendous, Lilah told herself again, staring greedily as Nichole stood beside the bed, looking curiously around. Lilah swallowed hard, her excitement profound, the pressure of Nichole's clawing hand still pulsing at her vagina. Without even thinking about it, she pushed her tights straight down toward the floor; the thong inside stuck to her weepy pussy, but she shoved that down too before stepping out of both and into her bedroom.

Nichole was still standing, calmly, with her back turned as Lilah came close with her slit glimmering. She raked her hands up her ribcage, catching her sports bra and ripping it off along with her striped shirt. Her breasts quivered, settling to a firm, nipple-hardened stop just as she reached the waiting Nichole.

Every part of Lilah's mind told her to keep her mouth shut: the talking was over. She loomed naked behind Nichole, who still stood motionless, staring down at Lilah's bed. The whole room trembled with anticipation. Slowly, her pussy on fire, Lilah eased her hands up around Nichole, pushing up her shirt. The older woman started as her skin came into view behind Lilah's fingers, inching higher and higher until, with lazy grace, Nichole raised her arms and allowed herself to be undressed.

Lilah, intoxicated with the smells of sweat and bug spray and arousal, trailed her fingernails back down Nichole's arms and through the humid heat of her armpits. They both trembled as Lilah set to work on the grey sports bra, pushing hard on the elastic, revealing a slim straight back speckled with freckles. She felt Nichole's ribs lift and fall under her palms, both of them panting now.

When Lilah pushed the bra past Nichole's big curly hair, she found her own chest was pressing hard against the other woman's back: skin on skin, with her nipples pressing against the freckles, and on impulse she moved her hands back down, sweeping that thick red hair aside, laying her lips on the smooth fine-haired skin at the top of Nichole's spine.

The older woman stiffened at once with a harsh gasp, her own hands tugging her bra impatiently the rest of the way up and off. And all the while Lilah, drunk on lust, trailed her lips and tongue down Nichole's back, past the red marks her bra had made, over the freckles. Connecting the dots. She could hear and feel the woman's breaths now, more and more ragged as her body grew hotter, and even before Lilah reached back around between Nichole's hipbones to plunge her fingers straight into the front of the other woman's shorts, she knew what she'd find.

"Fuck." The exclamation burst from Nichole harshly, her body shaking when Lilah's fingers found nothing but sodden lavender panties and that intriguing strip of hair. Hurriedly, Nichole's hands went to her own waistband, fumbling with her zipper, and it seemed the most natural thing in the world for Lilah to let her middle finger slip straight into the hot, soupy slit she found there.

Lilah was enraptured, her lips still busy along her new lover's back, her fingers hooking automatically up to gently cradle Nichole's clit atop the burning wetness of her vagina. "Yes," the older woman moaned, and when she tossed her head back in ecstasy her hair reached heavily down to shroud Lilah in a tightly coiled forest of autumn-colored vines. Both of them felt the release of tension when Nichole at last got her shorts down over Lilah's arching hand, letting them fall the rest of the way down her long legs as she reached way back over her own shoulders to wrap her hands around Lilah's head.

Lilah let herself melt against Nichole. Their bodies pressed together from head to toe, their hair mingling as their arms entangled each other, the little bedroom now a mass of moans and gasps and the rich, growing smell of pussy. Lilah's other hand found Nichole's pert breasts, with their nipples shaking with the bellows motion as she drew gasps into her lungs.