The Adventures of Ranger Ramona Ch. 01

CHAPTER FIVE

On Thursday morning, Ramona dressed in a pair of denim shorts, a blue chambray shirt over a black tank top, a pair of knee socks and her hiking boots. She wished that the cabin contained a full length mirror; checking herself in the small mirror over the bathroom sink was not adequate. Oh stop it, she admonished herself, you look good and you know it. And you know he will think so.

She picked up a coffee and muffin from Dunkin' Donuts and drove to Porcupine Ridge. A mile from Aaron's homestead she saw that she was about ten minutes early. Not wishing to seem too eager, she pulled to the side of the road. A hawk was patrolling the valley below, and she watched it as she waited. It seemed to have so much patience, watching for its prey; she thought there was a lesson in that for her.

Aaron Haines was the most attractive man she had ever met, and he had shown an immediate interest in her. It didn't seem odd that she was so eager to spend time with him, but she considered the context. She had only been in Saw Whet for a few weeks and she was already hooking up with Grant. Now she was ready to drop her panties for Aaron at the first opportunity. And what was going on with Isabel? She glanced over at the jeep's glove box. Her glass was still in there. She'd have to sort out her feelings, and go see her again, at least to return it.

She felt no guilt about sex. It was part of nature, as much as the hawk's hunt for prey. Her concern was not moral, but practical. For the foreseeable future, she would be living and working among the people of the valley, she needed to be cautious not to get caught up in too many entanglements.

You also want to fuck Aaron, she thought, looking at the clock, so get your horny ass up to his house.

Aaron opened the door and stepped on to the porch when Ramona pulled into his dooryard. He waved and watched her as she climbed out of the jeep and crossed the yard. She liked the unabashed way he looked at her, making no attempt to hide his interest in her body.

"Good morning, Ramona," he called out in a cheerful voice, "Have you had breakfast?"

"I had coffee and a muffin," she replied as she mounted the porch steps.

"So, the answer is no," he laughed. He put his big hand on her shoulder and ushered her through the door.

Most of the interior consisted of one long room. Directly in front of her, Ramona saw a large stone fireplace. To its right, doors led to a bathroom and what appeared to be a well stocked pantry. There was a very modern looking kitchen area and a large wooden dining table.

On the left, a plush couch and easy chair faced a mammoth flat screen television, and in the far corner she saw a large four poster bed. She dropped her eyes, self consciously, unwilling to let Aaron catch her looking at his bed.

"Come on," he said, his hand slipping from her shoulder to the center of her back, "Take a seat. You can't go up there without a good breakfast in your belly."

Ramona sat at the table while Aaron moved to the stove.

"Have you been out to Beartown yet?" he asked.

She said she had. He turned on a burner under a cast iron pan, then speared a sausage link with a fork and held it up.

"Did you meet Marie Laurent?"

"No. I met a Simone Laurent.

"Aw, the boss. Well, Marie is her sister. She makes the most incredible moose sausage. I cooked a few extra just in case. I'll warm them up."

"Did you build this house by yourself?" Ramona asked as Aaron cooked her breakfast.

"I had a couple of friends help me. And my wife." He paused. "Ex wife, I should say."

Ramona held back a smirk. he thinks it's important that I hear that "ex" part, she thought.

He put a plate of sausage and scrambled eggs in front of Ramona and poured her a cup of strong, hot coffee.

She thanked him and asked, "What happened? Let me guess, she wasn't cut out for the wilderness life."

"Few women are," he replied. He sat down across from Ramona. "The ones who are, well, they are very special."

Ramona let the remark go by. "So, you must get lonely up here sometimes."

Aaron dropped his eyes, for the time looking a bit bashful. "Well, I have someone I see now and then..."

Ramona swallowed a forkful of eggs. "A friend with benefits?"

"You could call her that, I guess," he chuckled. "She's not around of late, though."

"This sausage really is delicious," Ramona said.

"I cooked a couple more," he said, "I'll wrap them up and take them with us. It might be nice to have a nice piece of sausage when we get to the top."

Ramona considered the possibility that Aaron was making a lewd joke, but dismissed the notion. He just seemed too sincere.

She finished her food and Aaron took her plate to the sink. He wrapped the sausages, took two bottles of water from the refrigerator and stuffed them into a backpack.

"Did you bring any provisions?" he asked Ramona.

"Of course. I've got water and some energy bars in my backpack out in the jeep."

"Well, then, let's get going."

Ramona fetched her pack from the jeep and slipped it over her shoulders. Aaron led her across the yard to the head of the trail. As they moved under the trees, they were swarmed by a cloud of blackflies.

"Hope you remembered your bug spray," Aaron called over his shoulder.

"Not my first time in the woods, bub," Ramona shot back.

Aaron stopped and turned to look at her. "I'm sorry," he said, "You're right."

"Where did you grow up?" she asked.

"Boston."

"Northern Maine," Ramona said, walking past him and heading up the trail.

She followed a path marked by bright red ribbons tied around tree trucks for about a quarter of a mile, while Aaron walked silently behind her. Is he sulking, or staring at my ass, she thought? Either was fine with her. She liked being lusted after. Being talked down to was another matter.

The land began to drop, and she entered a marshy area. Dozens of dragonflies flitted over a wide expanse of reeds and cat tails. The ground was soft beneath her boots.

"If we'd crossed here a few weeks ago, we'd be in mud up to our ankles," Aaron said.

She looked over her shoulder at him. "I could carry you, if you're worried."

Aaron laughed. "Okay," he said, "I had that coming."

The brief period of tension was broken and they chatted as they crossed the marsh and climbed the steep incline that followed it. The pine woods surrounded them again, the peace of the forest only interrupted by the occasional shriek of a blue jay or the hammering of a woodpecker. After a half an hour's hike, they reached the junction with the main trail.

A large wooden arrow was mounted on a post, pointing up the slope, bearing the words, "MOUNT MCGREGOR SUMMIT". Beneath it, another, pointing downhill, read "TRAIL HEAD/PARKING"

"Does that sign seem unclear to you, ranger?" Aaron asked, putting his hand on Ramona's shoulder.

"I think I could follow the trail."

"And yet, every summer, four or five parties end up in my dooryard."

"Have you considered that they are coming to see you?"she asked, grinning.

The main trail circled the mountain on a gentle incline. It was clearly well traveled, but they saw no other hikers as they made their way toward the top. They did see wildlife; a few deer scampered at their approach and a fat porcupine waddled across their path at a more leisurely pace. They stopped and watched a trio of fox kits playing in the brush, until their mother appeared and shooed them away from the human intruders.

The day was growing warmer as the sun rose in the sky. Ramona stopped and set down her backpack. She took off her shirt, and tied it around her waist.

"That's a good idea," Aaron said. He dropped his pack to the ground and did the same. His undershirt was soaked with sweat and clung to his muscular back. Ramona watched as he squatted and took a water bottle from the pack. She felt an impulse to reach out; just to place her hands on him, to feel the taut, firm muscles under the damp fabric. She might have done so if he had squatted there a few seconds longer, but he stood, took a long drink of water, then handed the bottle to her.

"We're not far from the top," he said as she handed back the bottle.

Aaron took the lead as they hiked the last mile. Turnabout is fair play, big boy, Ramona thought as she watched him walking ahead of her.

The dappled light grew brighter under the thinning trees. Ramona followed Aaron around one last stand of birch and into sunshine so intense she was momentarily blinded. When her vision returned, she looked up the last fifty yards of rocky slope. At first, she did not recognize the Stone House as a separate structure, it was barely distinguishable from the landscape that surrounded it.

As they walked toward the house, more of the surrounding scenery began to emerge above the tree line. The view was spectacular in every direction and Ramona realized why this was such a popular destination for hikers, and would be even without the unique attraction of the Stone House. Morning fog still hung in the valleys, and the scattered hills and mountaintops looked like islands in a great gray sea.

The Stone House stood at the very crest of the peak. It was, as it's name suggested, built entirely of stone, apart from a roof comprised of rough lumber. Ramona guessed that it was no more than five or six hundred square feet in size. It was surrounded by a waist high stone wall. Aaron sat down on the wall and took out his water bottle, while Ramona stepped into the house.

The rock walls were uneven, but at least two feet thick, making the interior space even smaller than it appeared from outside. Motes of dust danced in the light that streamed in from large windows in each wall, and from crevices between the ceiling boards.

"Anyone leave any trash in there?" Aaron called to her.

Ramona looked around. There was an empty Gatorade bottle in the far corner.

"Just one bottle," she told him. She slipped off her pack, picked up the bottle and stuffed it inside.

"I always check when I'm up here, and carry out whatever I find."

"Got it," Ramona told him. She felt a shadow fall over her, and turned as she rose. Aaron was standing in the doorway. Leaning an elbow on each side of the entrance, his large frame filled the whole space.

"Some people don't appreciate a thing of beauty," he said.

Ramona crossed to one of the windows and looked out.

"How far do you think you can see from here?" she asked.

Aaron stepped behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. Ramona held her breath when she felt his touch.

"About a hundred miles, I'd estimate."

Ramona leaned back until her shoulders touched his chest. His hands slid down to her hips. When he spoke, his lips were mere inches from her ear.

"I have wanted you since the first moment I laid eyes on you," he said in a soft voice.

"I know," she whispered.

"And I think that you wanted me from that same moment."

"Yes."

When his lips touched the side of her throat, she closed her eyes and dropped her head. His left hand glided across her abdomen and caressed her breast, while the right moved downward, between her thighs.

He gently but firmly squeezed her mound and she felt a moment of lightheadedness. She leaned forward and put a hand on either side of the window to hold herself up. Her ass pressed back against Aaron and she felt the hardness of his cock through the fabric of their clothes.

He cupped her chin in his hand and raised her head, then leaned over her and kissed her. At their lips touched, she parted hers and let his tongue slip between them. She kissed him back, hard, their tongues dancing. With no apparent effort, he spun her around and pulled her tightly against him. She squeezed his biceps and they felt as solid as the stone walls. He tugged at the bottom of her tank top, and she leaned away from him, raising her arms to allow him to pull it over her head. She peeled off her sports bra and dropped it to the floor.

Aaron cupped her breasts in his hands, squeezed them together and bent down to cover them with kisses. Ramona sat back on the edge of the window and draped her arms around his shoulders as he sucked each of her nipples in turn. He licked circles around then, then sank to his knees and kissed his way down to the waistband of her shorts. He deftly unbuttoned them with a flick of his fingers, then, looking up into Ramona's eyes, slowly dragged down the zipper.

Ramona raised her hips from the window ledge and watched as he tugged her shorts down to her ankles. She stepped out of them as he hooked his fingers in the sides of her underpants, and slid them down as well.

He rose to suckle her breasts once more, then drew a line of kisses down her body. His beard did tickle a bit and she shivered slightly as it grazed across her belly. He pushed her back on to the window ledge and placed his hands behind her thighs. She leaned back on her elbows as he lifted her legs into the air and lowered his head between them.

She ran her fingers through his long hair as his tongue traced the edges of her labia. When he licked her clitoris, she clutched it tightly in her fists.

He sucked and slurped loudly. Ramona imagined some unwary hikers coming upon them, but put it from her find. The way she felt at the moment, she wouldn't care; she probably wouldn't even notice them. In her mind, she was picturing Aaron as they walked up the slope of the mountain, every muscle in his back and his legs working as he moved with graceful power. When she felt the low buzz that preceded her orgasm, she wrapped her legs around his shoulders and pulled his face tighter against her vagina. Aaron understood. He increased the fervor of his efforts, wrapping his arms around her thighs and holding her firmly as she shook in an orgasm that left her craving more. Panting heavily, she sat up and tugged at the shoulders of Aaron's undershirt. He leaned back and stripped it off.

Ramona had been picturing his bare chest since she had first set eyes on him. She was not disappointed. A light coat of black hair covered his pectorals. She rubbed her hands over them, then brought her lips to his right nipple and kissed it. She looked up into his eyes, parted her lips, and was rewarded with a deep, passionate kiss.

She heard the soft clinking of his belt unbuckling and reached down just as he slid his jeans down past his hips. His cock sprang out and bumped against her thigh. She wrapped her hand around it. She had imagined that he was well hung and, if it did not match her wildest fantasies, it was long and thick and fully engorged.

"Oh, wait," Aaron mumbled. He squatted, found the pocket of his jeans, and retrieved a condom.

Ramona laughed. "So, you were anticipating that you would fuck me?"

He frowned. "Was there any doubt?"

"Not really," she said, shaking her head.

She watched him slide the condom over his cock. He stroked it a few times to bring it back to a full erection.

She liked seeing him jerk it, and her own fingers found her clit and began fingering it. Their eyes met, and Aaron moved forward. Ramona took hold of his cock and glided it to her wet entrance. She felt some discomfort when the head began to spread her open, but as the full length of his shaft penetrated her, she gave out a long, low moan of pleasure.

Aaron reached beneath her and squeezed her ass cheeks as he rocked in and out of her. Ramona hooked her heels into the small of his back, and moved in rhythm with him. He maintained a steady temp, but to Ramona, every stroke felt distinct, coming from a slightly different angle or with the slightest variation of force. As soon as she could sense a pattern to his movements, they would change. And yet, there was nothing mechanical or calculated about the way he fucked her. He let out a constant stream of moans and mutters, and his hands were in constant motion, squeezing and patting. He ran his nails down her thighs and teased her asshole with his fingertips.

Ramona strummed her own fingertips across her clit, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body.

Aaron dropped down, planting his hands on either side of her, his face inches above hers, and his fucking changed, there was no more nuance to it; it was a raw, wild pounding. Ramona gasped and her hips rose to meet his forceful thrusts. A drop of sweat fell from his forehead to her lips. She tasted its saltiness, and wished that she could taste his cum, but she knew that he was not going to withdraw from her until he had reached his own satisfaction.

He was grunting loudly, and his hands clenched her ass hard enough that she feared she would be bruised. Yet, she did not want him to stop. She felt his motions falter. His body heaved, thrusting hard into her and pausing, once, then twice. She threw her head back and looked up into the crystal blue sky as he thrust a third time, and then collapsed on top of her.

"Lift up," Ramona wheezed, "You're going to crush me."

Aaron chuckled between pants and rose from her. She slid to the side and there was just enough room for him to sit beside her in the window opening. Ramona ran her hand over his back. I want more, she thought.

Outside, a crow cawed loudly. Aaron stood and looked out.

"Is someone coming?" Ramona asked.

"Just us, so far."

Ramona laughed. Aaron looked at her quizzically, then realized why she had laughed, and grinned down at her.

"Seriously, though, " she said, "That was pretty great."

"Yeah, it was." Aaron pulled up his jeans, buckled his belt and walked out the door. Ramona was surprised that he did so, but a few seconds later, as she was gathering her clothes from the dirt floor, he reached through the window with the water bottle.

She set her clothes down on the ledge and took the bottle from him. After a long drink, she poured a little water into her hand and rubbed it on her face.

"I wish you could see how good you look, standing there naked, framed by the stone window frame," Aaron said, "I ought to take a picture."

"Don't you dare. I'd get fired and then you wouldn't get a second turn."

Aaron laughed. "Well, I would like a second turn."

Ramona cocked her head and shrugged. "Yeah, I think I would, too."

She dressed, then stepped out into the bright sunlight. Aaron was sitting on the stone wall. She hopped up beside him. The stone was warm beneath her bare legs.

Aaron dug the two lengths of sausage out of his pack and handed her one.

"I'm getting a lot of sausage this morning," Ramona said, grinning.

"We ought to get going before it gets too hot," Aaron said, "It looks like there might be a thunderstorm later."

Ramona ate the last bite of sausage, then drained her water bottle. "We probably should have brought more water," she said.

"It won't be a problem," He slipped his pack over his shoulders. "You ready to go?" he asked.

"Not quite." Ramona said as she got down from the wall. She walked over to him, leaned close against him and raised her face to kiss him on the cheek.

"Thank you for bringing me up here," she said.

Aaron put his arm around her and kissed her on the lips. "Thanks for accepting the invitation, And for...you know."

"My pleasure, big guy."

A half mile down the trail, Aaron pointed to a hand lettered wooden sign nailed to a tree. It read "SPRING 50 YDS".

"I'm surprised that I missed that on the way up," Ramona said. She nearly added, I must have been distracted looking at your buns.

A narrow path led them to a rock face about ten feet tall. A couple feet from its bottom, a metal pipe extruded. A slow trickle of water ran from its mouth, creating a small pool beneath it before forming a rivulet that ran off beneath the brush.

"Remember that brook we crossed on the plank bridge, about half way up the mountain?" Aaron asked.

Ramona nodded.