Lost in the Woods

It was Clay's turn to be stunned. "Willow, you don't...I mean, we don't have to...I mean, I want to, but—"

"Clay, we're out here, at night, on Earth Day, surrounded by nature...so maybe that's a sign we should do what comes naturally?" She gave him a nervous smile.

"Well, how can I argue with that? Come here, nature girl."

Willow laughed as he took her in his arms and kissed her, then sighed as the warmth of his body hit hers. She was still cold from the rain, and her clothes were still wet, making her colder yet. As his tongue slid against hers, she tightened her arms around him and pressed closer, seeking more heat.

"You really should get out of those clothes," he murmured, his lips moving restlessly against her neck.

"Well, why don't you help me?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Clay reached for the hem of her shirt, then stopped. She gave him a puzzled look. "Hold on, forgot something." He went into his pack and unrolled the sleeping bag, then came back to her.

"Nature's great except when it gets into awkward places on your body. So I say we compromise. Outside, but on the sleeping bag."

"Such a considerate man."

"Oh, there's a whole lot of you I intend to consider." He gave her a wicked grin, captured her lips and found the edge of her t-shirt. He broke the kiss only long enough to remove the shirt, then resumed while he worked on unclasping her bra.

He slid the straps down her shoulders and off, nuzzling her neck and shoulders while he did. The feel of her breasts against his shirt was good, but not enough. Willow had the same feeling as she went to remove his shirt as well. They both sighed when skin met skin.

Clay leaned forward, pressing her back until they both lay on the sleeping bag. "You still cold?"

"No, I'm warming up." Willow twined her fingers in his hair and half-pulled him down, half-lifted herself up for a kiss.

Clay tried to think of a clever remark, couldn't, and so concentrated on the kiss. Her lips were soft and supple, and his hands slid up and down her back, reveling in the smooth skin. He left her mouth to trail kisses down her neck, moving her damp hair aside and tugging a little so that she tilted her head, leaving her neck and shoulder open to him.

Willow gasped out a breath as his teeth grazed her skin and her body moved against his in response. He glided his tongue over the pulse in her neck, then sucked gently on the spot. He savored her shudder, and let his hand drift down until he could cup her breast. When she gasped his name, he smiled to himself and captured her lips again.

He ran his thumb over her nipple. It was already taut and hard, but cold from the rain and so he dipped his head down and took it in his mouth, flicking his tongue over and around it. Willow's soft cry was what he was after, but then he pulled away.

"Better be quiet, sweetheart." He winked at her. "Remember, sound carries." She blushed and he laughed, remembering at the last minute to be quiet himself. "Now, where was I?" he murmured. "Ah, yes."

Willow bit her lip as he resumed teasing her, his mouth and tongue sucking and pulling at her nipple, then she dropped her head back as he moved to the other one. She was torn between wanting to touch him and needing to hold on. For the moment, she held on, waiting her turn to do some touching.

Clay's hand moved further down, along her waist to the curve of her hip where he encountered the jeans she still had on. At first he was frustrated by the obstacle, but then realized it meant more discoveries lay before him. He dragged a finger along her waistline, then unbuttoned her jeans and waited a moment to see what she'd do.

"It's okay." Her voice was a breathless whisper with a hint of teasing. "I should get out of these wet things, right?"

"You are going to drive me crazy," he told her and began tugging at the wet denim, making her giggle until she clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Here, let me." Willow got up on her knees, and half turned away when she remembered she was topless. Clay pulled her back to him as she worked the jeans down, kissing her and moving his hands to help her. The managed to get the jeans down to her knees. At Clay's nudge, she lay back and wiggled out the rest of the way.

"Your turn," she told him.

He nodded and drew in a breath as her hand drifted across the front of his jeans. He was hard and the movement of her hand over the material led to thoughts of her hand moving along his bare skin. His erection jumped as she undid the button and zipper. Her hands went to his waistband but then stopped; he opened his eyes to see her biting her lip.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just...." She took a deep breath. "I don't usually do things like this."

"I don't either, if it makes you feel better."

That made her laugh. "In a strange way, I think it does." She paused. "Maybe it's all this fresh air, being out of doors. It must be going to my head."

"Well it's a known fact that outdoor activity does increase one's...appetite." Clay brushed his lips over her forehead.

"Does it?" Willow's voice was breathy again.

"Oh, yeah, sure. Everyone knows that. And I sure have an appetite for you."

She giggled and then kissed him again. "I'm not the only one that says ridiculous things."

"It might be ridiculous, but it's true." He tunneled one hand into her hair and held her still for another kiss, his tongue sweeping into her mouth as though he'd missed something before. "Now, let's get these off me. Seems terribly unfair for me to still have clothes on."

"It does, doesn't it?" Relaxed now, Willow pushed at his slacks, then laughed again when he took over and kicked them aside.

"Oh, wow." Clay closed his eyes and stretched out along side her, bringing her close so that they touched from knee to chest. "My God, Willow. You feel so good. Why didn't you tell me you felt so good?"

"I didn't know."

"Oh, well then." He moved against her, groaning as his shaft slid along her leg. "Let me show you just how good you can feel."

"I—" Willow couldn't finish as one of his hands moved down and drifted over her thigh. He held it there a moment, moving back and forth in a languorous rhythm, before he began dragging his hand upwards. It was all she could do not to grab his hand and force it higher, torn as she was between wanting his touch and enjoying the teasing. Then his hand was between her legs and his fingers were stroking her sex.

Clay lowered his head to her chest, his senses reeling from the slick, wet feel of her. He circled and teased her some more with his fingers, every so often nudging the bundle of nerves that made her jump in his arms. She was still except for her hips, rocking in time with his hand. Then she wrapped her hand around his shaft and began to stroke, matching his pace. His hips moved with her and he dragged his head back up so that he could find her lips and take them again.

"There is so much else I'd like to do." Clay's lips brushed hers as he spoke. He stilled his hand and in a moment, Willow followed his example and they both caught their breath. "But I think that will have to wait until next time."

"Oh?" Willow could barely force the syllable out.

"I think I can take time for one thing." Clay smiled before kissing her again and she jumped as his hand resumed its previous rhythm, and soon her hips were rolling to match it.

Willow felt her muscles tensing, the heat building in her body, and didn't know how much more she could take. His hand moved in slow circles, keeping her on the edge of orgasm. Then he moved from her lips to her neck and locked his lips over the pulse point. The pressure was too much and Willow gave over to the flood of heat that poured through her, whispering his name as she clutched at him.

Clay thought he could have done that for hours, held her in his arms as she shook at his touch, but he had other plans. Plans, he recalled through haze, that included avoiding any natural consequences. "Wait right there," he told Willow.

She gave a quick laugh. "Just where did you think I was going?"

Clay sat up and found his pants, then dug out his wallet and a condom. He rolled it on and settled himself over Willow, taking the time to run his eyes and hands over her first.

"You are prepared, aren't you?" She blushed a little.

"I used to be a Boy Scout. What can I say?" He nuzzled her neck and she clasped her hands around his neck.

He held himself up on his arms, kissing her lips, then her cheek, then tracing a line to her neck. She was so soft, and warm, and he was dying to feel all of that around him, but he refused to hurry. Much.

A few more minutes of it was all he could take; Willow seemed to realize it as she drew her leg up along his and pressed gently, encouraging him. He kissed her, shifted position and thrust inside, stifling a groan as he did. She was as warm and wet as he'd imagined; softer than a summer rain. Her hips lifted to meet his and together they found the pace that was right for them.

I wish I could do this all night. Clay closed his eyes, concentrating on making the feeling last. He felt Willow's fingers drag over his chest, the nails combing through his chest hair and over his nipples, making him gasp. His eyes snapped open and he saw that hers were closed, but she wore a small, satisfied smile. Thinks she's clever, does she? He lowered his head and played his tongue over her neck, pleased when she bit her lip to hold back a moan.

He maintained his pace, but knew he wouldn't last much longer. Deciding it was worth any future discomfort, he murmured to her to hold on and rolled them over and off the sleeping bag.

"Oh." Willow blinked and then looked down at him. "You...the ground must be cold."

"Don't care. Kiss me." He tangled his hands in her hair and tugged her down to him. After a long, thorough kiss, he released her. She straddled him, her eyes half-closed as she moved her hips.

Am I really doing this? Willow couldn't believe she was, but nothing felt wrong. It felt right. She drew in a breath when Clay's hands came up to cup her breasts. A moment later she felt him tense and his hands went to her hips. He thrust up and kept her in place, close to him, and she leaned down to kiss him so that they muffled each other's cries.

They stayed for a moment on the grass, then Clay rolled them back on the sleeping bag. They both laughed when he turned over and Willow brushed off the grass and leaves that had stuck to him. He removed the condom, put it in the plastic bag he carried for trash, and reminded himself to make sure the bag was closed before they returned to the campsite.

"Come on, we'd better get in the tent." He gathered his clothes and the bag and let Willow go in first. There was more laughing and giggling as the two of them tried to fit themselves and their belongings in the small space. At last the sleeping bag was laid out and they were both inside it.

"I'm so glad you came to find me." Willow snuggled against him, letting the pleasant fatigue wash over her. She covered a yawn.

"I'm sorry you got lost." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I won't let it happen again."

"I know."

x-x-x-x

The next morning, they returned to the campsite. Ivy ran over and hugged Willow so hard the latter wondered if she had any cracked ribs.

"Relax, Ivy. I'm fine."

"I'll bet you are." Ivy looked from Willow to Clay, who averted his eyes but couldn't hide a smile. Ivy grinned. "Nice work."

"Thanks, I think." Willow smiled at Clay as he went over to talk to Adam.

"I want details, lots of details, but it can wait until we go home," Ivy told her. "Come on, there's still coffee if you want some."

"Sound great." Willow stepped over, got some coffee, and then went with Ivy to check on Fern, who seemed in good spirits.

"It's really not so bad," she told them. "The swelling is almost gone and it's not too bad to walk on. I'll have to get to a doctor, just to check it out, but really, it's okay."

Willow was relieved to find it wasn't serious, and promised to lend a hand as they walked out of the park. Ivy also offered to give Fern a ride home. Fern thanked her but said she'd already arranged for her boyfriend to pick her up and would finalize the time later.

Willow noticed that Holly wasn't around, but didn't get a chance to ask about it as she helped Ivy pack up their gear.

"Hey, you okay?"

She turned and smiled at Clay. "I'm fine, thanks. You okay? Adam's not giving you a hard time?"

He gave her a wicked grin. "He's just jealous." Then he laughed. "No, he's just glad I found you. Any idea how much paperwork is involved in a missing volunteer?"

"Well, I wouldn't want any trees sacrificed on my behalf."

Clay chuckled. "How about we have that date tonight?"

"I don't know." Willow pretended to think. "I wouldn't want you to get tired of me...."

He gave her a mischievous, dark grin. "Like that would happen."

"If you're sure...."

"Willow."

"Kidding." She smiled. "I'd love that."

"We'll work out the details later. Let me get everyone together so we can start back." He gave her hand a quick sqeeze, then began making the rounds of his group, helping everyone pack up and clean up the camp site.

"Where's Holly?" Willow asked Ivy. Before her friend could answer, Holly burst into the campsite.

"I found my phone!" She held it up in triumph.

"That's great, Holly." Clay looked at Willow, then rolled his eyes. "I'm glad you found it."

"It was just over there a ways." She gestured with her hand off to their right. "I don't know how it got there, I must have tossed it out of my bag accidentally. I mean, I looked over there twice. I even got on my knees to look through the leaves."

Willow stared at the ground, nudged Ivy to look as well, and bit her cheek to keep from laughing. Ivy had to turn away to hide her smile.

Holly walked over to her tent and bag, scratching at her arm, then her leg. "I must have been bitten by something. I have been itching like crazy since last night."

Clay came over to Willow and Ivy, who could no longer hide their laughter.

"Holy three-leaf plants, Batman," Clay murmured.