Peak of Desire Ch. 03

"So how often do you go climbing, and where do you do it at?"

"I go every weekend, and I travel to all sorts of various spots. Sometimes I drive out to the desert, and other times I go up in the Lake Tahoe area. I've climbed in different places all across the country, and one day I hope to rock climb in the Himalayas."

"That's right, I remember you buying a book about Nepal. So how soon are you planning on doing that?"

"Not sure, really. I'm so busy working right now, that it probably won't be for quite a while. Maybe a couple of years from now."

"Sounds like it'll be an adventure. Have you climbed overseas yet?"

"Nope, but I'm definitely looking forward to it."

"Cool, well I hope it all works out."

"So what about you? What's one of your passions in life?"

"I love to travel, so one of my dreams is to take a six month cross country road trip."

"That sounds fun. Are you planning on going by yourself, or with friends?"

"Possibly with friends, but if they can't go, then I was thinking of asking my mom. She's a free spirited type, and loves to travel as well, so I know she'd be up for it."

"Interesting. I don't know too many people that would willingly travel around the country for six months straight with one of their parents." He offered a little sound of amusement.

"My mom's really cool and we've always gotten on really well, so I'm not too worried about it. Plus I've traveled with her before, so I know it would be okay."

"That's good to hear. If you do go on the trip together, I'm sure it will bring you two even closer. I wish my mom could understand why I'm so passionate about rock climbing, but she just finds it reckless and dangerous."

"Not that I have a problem with it or anything, but it does have quite an element of danger to it, doesn't it?"

"Well yeah. But that's part of the appeal."

"Really? So it doesn't bother you to know that each time you go on a climb, you're risking your life?"

"I risk my life doing a number of things each day."

"Like what?"

"Well for one, I'm a window washer. Four days a week, I lift myself hundreds of feet above ground. But despite the fact that I know I'm putting my life on the line, it doesn't make me enjoy it any less. I love my job."

"So you never get scared?"

"What? Rock climbing or washing windows?"

"Either one."

"My first day of window washing, I wasn't afraid at all. I'd already been rock climbing for years, so it was something I was already familiar with. The only thing I ever feel while washing windows is excitement, and an eagerness to do a good job. Now with rock climbing, I feel a pure adrenaline rush. There's a huge sense of freedom that comes with scaling the surface of a five hundred foot rock face. It's really thrilling, and it gives you a buzz that nothing else can."

"Five hundred feet? So that wall we climbed today must have seemed like a complete joke to you."

"Well I've got ten years of experience, so of course it was easy for me. With some more practice, you'll be able to take on a wall that's twice as high as the one you climbed today. And you'll just keep on improving from there."

"I appreciate your faith in me, bit I really can't see myself taking on a wall that's twice as high as the one at that gym."

"I'm just saying you can do it. Not trying to pressure you into it, or anything."

"Oh I know." She was quiet for a moment, and then said, "I don't think I've ever met anyone with such a taste for danger."

He gave a little chuckle. "Does it bother you?"

"No, but it does interest me a great deal. I can imagine that it must be an amazing experience, but it's beyond me how you manage to be so courageous about it."

"I don't really think of myself as courageous. I just enjoy pushing boundaries and testing my strength. I love to be challenged."

"Yeah, I can tell." She rolled over onto her side, and stretched her legs out. "It seems like every time I talk to you, I found myself more interested than before. You're a pretty fascinating guy, you know that?"

"Well I'm glad you think so. I love to discuss rock climbing, so I'm glad that you find it interesting. I like that you're genuinely curious about it."

"I think anyone would be. Not everyone can do something like that. I certainly couldn't."

"I think you can do whatever you put your mind to. Not saying you can go out and scale a hundred foot cliff right away, but eventually you could work up to it."

"Yea, maybe."

"Maybe you could come out on a rock climbing trip with me sometime. I could teach you the basics of bouldering."

"What's bouldering?"

"That's where you climb huge boulder formations. You're fairly close to the ground, and there's a crash pad beneath you, so there isn't a huge amount of risk involved. It's a lot less intimidating than regular rock climbing, so you could definitely handle it. What do you think?"

"Hmm, I'll consider it."

A light snicker passed his lips. "You sound pretty hesitant, but that's okay, I understand if you aren't up for it. I'd still like to have you come along sometime with me, though. Even if you decide not to climb, you could always watch me, and see what it's like outside of the gym."

"I'd like that."

"Cool. I'm planning on doing some rock climbing in the desert, possibly in the Joshua Tree area. It won't be for another couple of weeks, though."

"No worries. Just let me know when, exactly, and I'll tag along. I love the desert, and I've been meaning to take a trip out there for the longest, so it fits right in with what I'm interested in."

"Fantastic. It'll definitely be nice having you with me."

"I'm looking forward to it." She heard a sound come from the other end of the line, and she guessed he was shifting into a different position on the bed.

"So tell me something else about yourself."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Anything. I want to know more about you."

"I'm a licensed massage therapist. I'm skilled in both hot stone and Swedish massages."

"Nice. And how long have you been doing that?"

"Going on three years now."

"Cool. So do you work in a spa?"

"Nope, I have a mobile massage business. Which means I travel to the client."

"Interesting. And how does that work out for you?"

"Pretty well. I've got a decent amount of regular clients."

"Do you ever feel unsafe?"

"I've had a few instances where I felt kind of unsure, but for the most part, the clients I've had have been cool to work with."

"Surely you must get customers who flirt with you, though. A beautiful woman like you.." His voice trailed off, leaving silence for her to respond.

"Every once in awhile I'll get a guy who expects me to give him a happy ending, but those types are usually pretty easy to spot when I first speak to them over the phone."

"So what type of safety precautions do you have in place?"

"Well I always research the customer over the internet and see if anything weird comes up. I also have a safety person that I call and let them know where I am, what time I'm due to finish, and I give them the name, phone number and address of the client."

"Okay, well that's good, but what if something were to go wrong when you were actually in the room with a client? How would you protect yourself?"

A few moments of silence passed before she began to speak. "I've taken a self defense class, so I'm not entirely helpless."

"Unless you're a black belt in karate, I'd say you were opening yourself up to some pretty serious risks."

"Kind of ironic to hear this kind of talk coming from a thrill seeker." Her mouth pulled into a crooked smile.

"What I do is not even comparable. My life may be on the line, but at least I have full control over it. When you travel to see a client, there's no telling if one of them will be a nutcase. It's luck of the draw."

"I guess. But so far nothing has happened."

"Yeah, so far." There was silence for a few moments, and then he began to once again speak. "I'm not too happy with the idea of you doing that."

"It's a second source of income. I rely on it to help me pay my bills."

"I understand, and I'm not trying to force you to give it up. I'm just telling you how I feel about it."

"Okay." She wasn't quite sure of what else to say, so she remained silent, tracing her fingertip along the embroidered flower design of one of her silk pillows.

"Look, I really don't mean to come off as controlling. It just seems kind of dangerous to me. You're a small female, and if you ever came into contact with a guy who wanted something that you refused to give, he could easily overpower you. It just worries me knowing that you're going into these situations unprotected."

"Well what do you want me to do, hire a bodyguard?"

"I wish you could, because it'd make me feel a whole lot better."

"I don't know what to tell you. I've invested money in my business and it's important for me to keep it going. I've got steady clients and I get referrals regularly, so it's working out pretty well for me."

"I understand, and I know that you need to make your money. I just wish you would go about doing it in a safer way."

"I'm doing the best I can."

"I know, Erica." For a few moments the only noise that came from his end of the line of was the sound of his soft breathing, and then there was his voice. "Maybe you could give me a massage sometime. My muscles get pretty sore after a day of rock climbing, not to mention the work I do washing windows."

"What type of massage would you be interested in? Hot stone or Swedish?"

"I prefer skin to skin contact, so I'm guessing that Swedish would be the one for me."

Her lips curved into a small smile. "Alright, well let me know when you want it, and I'll put you in my appointment book."

"As soon as possible would be best for me. I'll get first priority, won't I? I hope so, because I could really use the attention."

"I'm sure you could."

"I bet you give wonderful massages. You seem like you'd be very attentive. But then again, I get the feeling you'd be that way in everything you do."

"Well not to brag or anything, but I've been told that I'm a pretty good masseuse. I have a lot of repeat customers, so I'm guessing I must have pretty decent skills."

"I have no doubt you're excellent at it."

"Have you ever had a massage before?"

"Yes, but it was around eight months ago, so I'm long overdue."

"I see."

"What about you? When's the last time you had a massage?"

"Oh, it was quite awhile ago. I'd say it's been nearly seven months. Kinda funny considering that it's what I do as my second job."

"Maybe I can give you a massage sometime. I'm not a professional like you, but I'm pretty good with my hands."

"I bet they're nice and strong."

"They are. I'd be gentle with you, though. I'd take my time, make sure you were completely relaxed. Ease all of the tension out of your body, rub my hands against that nice, smooth skin of yours. I'd have you feeling good in no time."

"Sounds like you'd definitely know what to do. Maybe I should just have you give me massages from now on, instead of booking a professional."

"The last time you went to get a massage, was it a male or female?"

"A male, why?"

"Just curious. Do you have a preference for men?"

"I guess you could say I do, but that's just because they have broader, stronger hands than women."

"So this last guy that gave you a massage. How did you end up finding him?"

"He's a friend of mine. He went to the same massage therapy school that I did."

"And have you massaged him as well?"

"Yeah, we used to practice on each other in class."

He gave a short pause, as if contemplating something, and then he spoke. "Massages are a very intimate thing."

"Yeah, they can be, if done by a certain person."

"Regardless of who's doing it, they're still very sensual."

"So what are you saying? I don't have something going on with this guy, if that's what you're thinking."

"Oh, I know. I wasn't saying that. But if you were my girlfriend, I wouldn't want another guy touching you in that way."

"Why not?"

"Because I'd prefer to be the only one. I think if you're with a person you care about, that massages should be something special shared between only the two of you."

"I see your point, but since I'm not part of a couple, then that doesn't really apply to me."

"So if we were to become a couple in the future, would you still continue to get professional massages?"

"Well that depends. Just how good are you with your hands?"

"I'll put it this way. You wouldn't ever feel the need to get another massage from your friend."

"Is that right?"

"Most definitely. There's nothing he can do that I couldn't do better."

"Those are very confident words. I just may have to test you on that, and put those hands of yours to work."

"I'd be very glad to show you all I can do. My skills extend beyond just massages, you know."

Her body heated up from his words, and she rolled over onto her back, staring up at the ceiling as she placed a hand against her bare thigh. For a few moments there was silence, and they each listened to the sound of the other's breath.

"Have you had any more dreams of me lately?" He asked in a deep, alluring voice.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Is it so hard to believe that I don't dream about you every night?"

He let out a quiet chuckle and then said, "What about fantasies? Have you had any of those?"

"Yes."

"And were they about me?"

"They might have been."

"I'd love to get inside your head and see what you dream about."

"Ditto."

"I'm not sure you could handle what's in my head."

"Why not?"

"I have pretty outrageous fantasies."

"That makes me want to know about them even more."

"And what kind of fantasies do you think I have? From what you know of my personality so far, what kind of things do you think I'd imagine?"

"Hmm." She bit her lip and thought about it for a moment. "You're the adventurous, thrill seeking type, so I imagine you'd fantasize about having sex outdoors, or doing it someplace where there's an element of danger, like on the edge of a cliff." A small laugh escaped his lips, and her mouth curled upward in response.

"You're not too far off, actually. Those are some pretty good guesses."

"So I was close?"

"Oh yeah. I'd say you just about hit the mark."

"Cool. So now I want to hear what you think I'd fantasize about."

"Alright, let's see," his voice trailed off as he gave it a thought. "Since you love to travel, I imagine you'd have a fantasy about being in some exotic location. And I'm guessing you like foreign guys, so the person in your dream would probably have an accent. Am I close at all?"

"Yes, you are. That's not a bad guess."

"So just out of curiosity, would you ever make love outdoors?"

"Possibly, if it was in a private, secluded area, and I was certain that no one would catch us."

"Us? Oh, so you're actually considering trying it out with me?" The tone of voice he used conveyed that she had his rapt attention.

Wishing with every fiber of her being that she could take back the latter end of her statement, she buried her face against the pillow and offered a quiet groan, feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment.

"Hello, are you still there, Erica?"

Removing her face from the overstuffed pillow, she said, "Yes, I'm here."

A small chuckle passed his lips. "You don't have to be embarrassed, you know. I like knowing you're sexually adventurous. It intrigues me even more, not to mention that it's a huge turn on."

Still in disbelief over her slip of the tongue, she curled her legs up against her chest, and placed her palm against her face.

He continued to speak. "This makes me even more certain about us being a good match. I was hoping you'd be into something like that, and now that I know you are..." His voice trailed off, as if he were imagining the possibilities. "I knew there was a deeper, more erotic side to you. What else are you hiding beneath that cute, shy exterior?"

Removing her hand from her face, she gave her response. "I don't know, I guess you'll have to find out."

"And I definitely will. It's something I look forward to. I'm guessing it won't be easy to do, but that's what I like about you. I bet there are all sorts of interesting things about you, things I'd never be able to guess."

She lifted a hand to her hair and began twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "I bet there are all sorts of things about you that I have yet to find out, as well."

"I'm pretty much an open book, so you won't have to work at getting me to reveal things. You ask me a question, and I'll be happy to give you the answer."

"Sounds like I'm pretty much the opposite of you, in that regard."

"Yeah, but that's good. I like the idea of coaxing you out of that shell. It's fun for me, and it provides me with a challenge."

She arched her back and stretched her body out, giving a little moan of satisfaction as her back popped. "A lot of guys I met have been put off by my shyness. It's one of the reasons I've been reluctant to date. Good to know you're not the same way, though."

"Those men were impatient. A guy who isn't willing to put in the time and energy to make you feel more at ease with them, isn't worth it anyway, so it's their loss."

She smiled. "That's nice of you to say."

"Well I mean it."

Glancing at her alarm clock on a little shelf next to the bed, she was surprised to see how much time had elapsed since they'd first gotten on the phone. "Do you realize we've been talking for nearly an hour?"

"Really? Wow, that time really went by fast, didn't it?"

"Sure did. I don't usually have long conversations with men, so this is kind of unusual."

"Same here. I'm not a huge phone person, so it's definitely not the norm for me, either."

"So what are you up to tomorrow?"

"I'll probably go by my buddies and hang out. What are you up to?"

"I've got three clients booked for a massage, so that's how I'll be spending my Sunday."

"Oh, so you're doing massages tomorrow?" There was a visible change in his tone of voice, and he gave a little sound of displeasure. "I really wish you would find a safer way of doing that."

"We already talked about this."

"Yeah, I know."

They were both quiet for a few moments, and then there was the sound of Cody's voice. "Can you at least give me the address of where you'll be going, as well the phone number and name of the person?"

"They're repeat clients. I've never had any issues with them."

"That's good to know, but I still want the information."

"Alright." She looked through her phone and flipped through her list of contacts until she found the name of her first client. She gave Cody the name and address of the customer, then found the next two clients, and gave him their information as well."

"Give me a call once you finish with each client. That way I know you're safe."

"Yep, I will." She yawned, then rolled over onto her stomach. "I guess I'll turn in now."

"So early? It's Saturday."

"My first client is booked for eleven a.m., and I have a bunch of errands to run before I drive out there, so I'll have to be up by no later than eight."



"Okay. I'll let you get your rest, then. It was great talking to you."

"Likewise."

"Sleep well, and I'll speak to you tomorrow."

"Night, Cody."

"Goodnight."

She placed the phone on her mattress and then reached over to click off the lamp. The sound of crickets came through the small window above her bed, and a pleasant breeze blew into her room. Erica closed her eyes and visualized Cody. She imagined his dark, penetrating eyes, and his deep, masculine voice.

She recalled the way his lips had felt on hers when they'd kissed, and the electric current that had passed through her body as the tip of his tongue met hers. Erica wondered what sex with him would like. She bet he would be intensely passionate in bed, and since he participated in a physically engaging sport like rock climbing, she knew he'd have incredible stamina. She began to picture him naked, and once she had a strong visual in her head, she slid her palm along her thighs and slipped her fingers beneath her panties.