The Girl from the Ouachita Ch. 07

****

Chris made breakfast for everyone on the fourth, after which they took Rob's Range Rover to their first stop: the Flatirons. It was an easy but informative two-mile hike that provided information about the native flora and wildlife.

Sugarloaf was next. The hike was more demanding and longer, but from the summit you could see some of the tallest mountains in Colorado to the west. A most impressive vista, but not exactly Alpine Ridge.

They picnicked at the top, repacked their waste, and headed back down. At the parking lot Chris inquired about the Switzerland trail that also began at the parking area, and was told they were saving it because it was better for mountain biking.

They changed clothes again and rode the free bus to the stadium for Ralphie's Blast. Local and area bands performed one after another, and some were really good. Jo and Claire put on a show dancing in the white shorts and what Claire called "Our matching CU Buffalo gold V-neck drop shoulder crop top rib knit shirts we bought in Denver."

It was so crowded they had to dance in place, but they weren't the only ones dancing around in the stadium. None of the other dancers was having more fun, though.

Their shaking, bumping, and grinding drew whistles, hollers, and comments that only spurred them on.

This was the new Jo he had seen for the past few weeks: fun loving, confident and secure, unafraid to express herself. Chris had been watching her grow intellectually and become ever more outgoing as her difficult past receded, new experiences accumulated and she faced and overcame fears and obstacles. The personality she displayed in the early days of their relationship - sometimes shy, sometimes defiant, and sometimes simmering with anger and/or angst -- had slowly morphed.

The girl who wore clothing and displayed attitude to fend strangers off had been replaced with one who wore eye-catching clothing and had a ready smile; one who wasn't afraid to mildly tease or flirt, who didn't overly concern herself with the way she was perceived. It was a fascinating and, given her many attributes, appropriate transformation.

Chris, however, wondered if she knew how to control her new powers, and would, when he wasn't around.

The fireworks show was spectacular, and they cheered and clapped with the others. As they were staring straight up at yet another artillery barrage, Chris said he wished they were watching from the balcony of the apartment so they could gauge just how grandiose the fireworks are; looking nearly straight up it was hard to judge.

She snuggled closer and whispered that they were nothing compared to the fireworks she intended to set off later tonight.

When the show ended many cried for more, but they and the Clays hurried back to their apartments in anticipation of their own fireworks. They said goodbye at their friends' door and hurried inside the apartment.

Being a part of the excitement of the crowd, the music, the dancing, the adulation, and being hugged up while watching the fireworks had been all the foreplay Jo wanted. "No, don't tease me; I want you inside me NOW!"

Chris ignored her in favor of oral and digital exploration of her lady parts. He spent ample time with her heaving breasts, sensitive thighs, and round ass, but the prize he fixated on was her pretty pink pussy. In spite of her protestations, she came to appreciate her lover's oral fixation -- to the tune of three quivering, quaking exclamations.

He lazily swirled his tongue and fingers inside her while she recovered, planning to renew his assault when the sensitivity had sufficiently declined. Suddenly she grabbed two handfuls of his hair and pulled him upward, insisting, "ENOUGH! If I wanted to cum ten times on a tongue, I'd get a girlfriend! I want your big, hard cock inside me NOW!"

He laughed at her crudity and at her having a girlfriend while he crawled up her body until he covered her, but stopped long enough to turn her cherry nipples to hard pebbles. She moaned with pleasure, but only for a moment; then she pulled again and insisted, "NOW! Cock in me NOW!"

He complied lovingly, which she enjoyed for a few minutes before ordering, "I don't want to make love right now -- I want you to fuck me! Fuck me hard and fast until I scream! I want to feel your lust for me!"

He did, and she did; and then she lay holding him in her arms for a few minutes before lovingly saying, "Now, make love to me! I want to feel your love for me, and I want to show you how much I love you!"

There were no fireworks this time, but the next twenty minutes verified and validated their love, and their carefully orchestrated mutual climax was a thing of wonder. After, wrapped in his arms, breast pressed against his ribs, Jo had never felt as close to anyone in her life.

Chris lay with her enveloped in his arms, wondering if he would be able to sleep after she was gone. He was addicted to the feel of her, the smell, the sound of her voice, of her in sleep; how could he do without her?

Friday morning was spent in the offices of the Graduate School of Engineering completing the required documentation, and in his first two classes, which were back to back from 9-10/10-11. Jo roamed around campus by herself until his classes ended, and then they ate lunch together at a nearby sandwich shop.

She dropped him off at the job site and then went shopping with Claire. The Clays were taking them to their favorite RMNP camping site -- a tent-only site at the base of Long's Peak. From that base they would climb Long's Peak on one day, and to Eugenia Mine and Storms Pass the other, and they needed more gear for camping and hiking, plus food and water.

Chris' reputation preceded him; five of the workers had been with him at Hot Springs and two had just come up from The Carter renovation at TCU. He was hurrahed and teased in welcome, and one asked if he was going to have his girlfriend come visit. He reminded them that she was a TCU student, and laughed off her visiting him in Colorado.

Then, as soon as he got a chance, he texted her that she and Claire should drop by the job site dressed to thrill, because some of her fans from the stadium were hoping to see her.

Claire was up for it, so they wore the tight tank tops and short shorts they bought earlier today with their hiking boots and socks. It was 4:40 when they arrived, parked the truck, and walked across the lot to where Chris was reviewing the plans for next week with the project manager and a couple of dozen workers; the remainder of the men were securing tools and equipment.

Chris had his back to the parking area, but he knew when the girls arrived because he lost eye contact with his audience, and those securing the equipment turned his way. A lilting southern voice asked, "Is Chris Alexander herah?"

Several of the men pointed at him, and one of the men from the stadium project grinned at Chris: "You dog!" Chris turned, saw Jo and Claire posed enticingly, and acted surprised. "Hey, Ladies, I didn't expect to see y'all here. What's up?"

"Oh, we just wanted to be here when you got off work so we can get started on our camping trip! We didn't see you among all these big, strong men, so we wanted to make sure you were still here.

Are you ready to go now? If not, we can wait."

Jo's pose was fairly modest -- erect posture with boobs sticking out, right leg a foot in front of left, hands on hips - but Claire was standing with her hands on her hips, her back arched to display her large breasts and butt, and her legs spread wide enough to make a man look between them.

Where Jo's face displayed a certain sweetness while making her inquiry, Claire's looked... flirty, sexy, taunting.

Chris looked at the project manager, who shook his head and said, "Go on. We're not going to get anything else done today."

He turned to the men and loudly said, "That's all for today -- just so you remember, we're waiting for the other equipment and crews to arrive late Monday, so y'all go have a good long weekend and we'll get back to it early Tuesday!"

Chris walked directly to the pretty ladies, who flanked him on either side; they wrapped an arm around him, he wrapped an arm around their shoulders, and walked toward the truck with them. "Hey, Boss! Give me a call if you need any help -- looks like more than you can handle!"

Both girls swayed their hips a little extra, and Chris called back, "Nah, Man, I got this." Their audience whooped, whistled, and clapped until they got in the truck and drove away, with the girls waving out the windows. The guys were still talking excitedly when he turned the corner.

"Thank you, Ladies -- you did a great job! I hope Rob won't mind, Claire."

"Hardly! He loves to show me off! When I tell him about this, his only complaint will be not being here!"

"Well, you're good at it... showing off, I mean. You two generated many fantasies. Some of those guys are single, and some of them are living here as singles, with a wife back home. That will give them something to think about in bed tonight."

"You mean 'stroke to' in bed tonight, don't you?" Claire asked with a quick laugh.

"That too," Chris replied with a chuckle.

Jo turned around and looked at Claire: "Stroke to... do you mean..." "Yes, Sweetie," she replied, "stroke to means jack off! So if your ears -- or something else - start burning tonight, you'll know!"

Everything was packed and ready, so they picked Rob us and proceeded to the campsite. Expecting a full campgrounds, they were shocked that only half of the campsites were taken.

The Long's Peak Campground had a bathroom and spaces for 26 tents, nestled among boulders and trees. They chose campsite 4, which had two large trees, a table, a fire ring, and quick access to the restroom. The tents were set side by side, with the solar shower hanging so it drained on the grass behind them. Sleeping mats were placed in the tents and then covered with sleeping bags.

They had subs with chips for supper, and everyone, including Jo, had one of the craft brewery Porters that Rob brought. That beer begat another, and loosened tongues; Jo and Claire regaled Rob with their rendition of "taunting the poor workers at Chris' work." Claire was right -- his only compliant was not being there to watch.

The third and final beer began with the women in the laps of their men, and ended in the tents. They did their best to not entertain the campers in the other twelve sites, but they got smiles and winks the next morning anyway. The parking lot, almost empty when they went to bed, was now full, and hikers galore were heading out to Long's Peak in large and small groups.

The temperature while they ate their breakfast sandwich was 46, but the NWS expected it to rise into the 70s by noon, so they wore hiking boots, shorts, tee shirts, and nylon windbreakers. The 5000-foot climb to the top of Long's Peak, one of the "14ers", meaning mountains over 14,000 feet, was far too demanding for inexperienced hiker/climbers like themselves.

They walked about six miles to the boulder field, but eschewed the final, very difficult and dangerous 1.5-mile climb to the peak. It was tempting, but they lacked proper gear, and they knew that less than half those who try make it to the summit; this was far enough.

They ate granola bars and sipped water for lunch, enjoyed the panoramic views, and then returned to camp. Ground fires were permitted only within the rings, but Chris had a small charcoal grill he set up on the tailgate so they could grill brats. The smell attracted their closest neighbors -- two attractive young couples - who asked if he would heat up some wieners they brought.

By the time the sausage and wieners were ready, Jose, Rosa, Todd, and Terri were their new friends. They were students at U Cal San Diego. They were exploring four national parks before returning for their senior year, with Rocky Mountain being the second; they began with the Grand Canyon on the way up.

From RMNP they would travel to Yellowstone to meet up with some more friends, stay there for a week, and then go to Grand Teton NP for a week. After that, they would head back to San Diego.

The group set up a couple of large ground covers to sit on near the fire ring. Chris built a small fire with wood he brought in his pickup, but it was more for show than heat. They covered up with jackets or blankets as it got colder.

Chris was sitting on Jo was sitting between Chris' legs and leaning back on him. They stuck with water, but Jose opened a half-gallon of Sangria after the meal, and the other six partook. That loosened tongues, and the conversation meandered, becoming more personal as the hours passed. The new Jo didn't need alcohol to engage anyway; only people. She was in the midst of every conversation, while Chris was less loquacious, but paid attention and responded if included.

A couple of hours in, the conversation had evolved to very personal matters, and Jo asked how long the new couples had been together. Terri nonchalantly stated that the four of them were unmarried swingers and so were the friends they were meeting at Yellowstone.

Claire and Rob acted unconcerned, as if swinging was nothing special, but Jo stiffened. Chris wrapped her in his arms for reassurance, but said nothing.

Jo listened to their explanation that they would likely go their own ways after graduation anyway, so why not enjoy each other and other like-minded people while they were still students. Rosa added that once she graduated she intended to find a man and settle down, while Terri, Todd, and Jose all said they didn't intend to settle down until they crested the hill at 30.

Claire and Rob offered nothing; Jo stayed quiet for a minute, but finally couldn't contain herself. "Do you mean you trade partners? How does that work?"

Terri and Rosa smiled, and Rosa replied, "Yes, we do trade partners from time to time, but there are also times we pick one person to pleasure. If it were Jose, Terri and I would spend the night pleasuring him; if it were Terri, all three of us would try to pleasure her. She and I are bi but the guys aren't, so 'how' depends on 'who'."

A wide-eyed Jo just replied, "Oh," and the topic died.

Soon thereafter, she told Chris she was getting cold and wanted to go to bed. They excused themselves, leaving the others talking and drinking (even though drinking alcohol isn't allowed in the park). Luckily, their tent was a good ways from where they were sitting, so their noisy talk wasn't a problem.

"How can they do that?" Jo asked indignantly, if quietly. "I'd kill the first bitch who laid hands on you, and I know you would kill the man who laid hands on me!"

Chris was philosophical. "We're in a committed relationship; they aren't. There are married swingers too; different strokes for different folks, but don't expect me to participate. As you said, I'd kill the first bastard who laid hands on you -- assuming you didn't invite it. If you did, I'd just end our relationship.

"I don't judge, because I've got friends from all across the spectrum, and I've encountered some pretty weird beliefs and practices over the years. Stuff like submissives and dominants, S & M, girls who wanted more than one man at a time, guys who liked to watch, and guys and girls who loved orgies. I don't get it, I won't do it, but I neither condone nor condemn them doing it. They have to live with who they are."

She snuggled closer, pulled his sleeping shorts down, and then climbed on top of him. He discovered she had opened her flannel pajama top and was naked below the waist when she slipped down his hard pole. "The women who need more than one man must not have a man like mine to keep them satisfied. I can't imagine wanting someone else after you get finished with me, Studly!"

With that challenge cast, he had to live up to her brag, and he did - leaving her and himself sated and sleepy. After listening to the moans, whimpers, and growls of the lovers for a while, the others adjourned to their tents too.

****

Six people were hungover the next morning; two were up fixing breakfast on the tailgate using Rob's propane stove with two burners. They heated fully cooked smoked sausage on the stove and set a basket of Croissant rolls on the table, and then Jo woke the others. Chris smiled as she intently watched to see who came out of which tent, and relaxed when Claire and Rob appeared from their tent.

The first hour of their lengthy hike to Eugenia Mine, Storm Pass, and, maybe Estes Cone, was quiet, with the six walking off the effects of too much sangria. Rubbing it in, Jo and Chris led, walking fast and talking while the others struggled. Visiting the old mine and historic site, and drinking more water, helped the hungover, and they were move lively for the next hour.

The scenery didn't change too much along the trail, which wandered through a rocky forested area, but Inn Creek attracted a variety of wildlife, there were nice views of Long's Peak and other tall mountains along the route, and more when they arrived at Storm Pass.

They ate fresh apples and cheese and drank water at the pass, before turning toward Estes Cone. It was a short but difficult walk with an 1800-foot gain in altitude, along steep trail with loose rocks. They went slowly and carefully, not only due to the 11,600-foot altitude, but also for fear of injuring an ankle or knee so far from help.

The summit offered a breathtaking 180-degree vista, and they saw herds of Elk along the flanks of Battle Mountain to the west.

The walk back was less demanding because they were walking downhill most of the time, but they discovered early on the danger of slipping and falling when going downhill, so it took almost as long to return.

The campground was full when they got back, as was the parking lot. There were a number of other campsites and dry camping areas along the various trails, and those taking the longest and most demanding hikes often slept along the trail.

They built another fire, let it burn to coals, and Chris placed foil wraps on the coals and covered them with coals. Inside the aluminum foil wraps were thin cut steaks, onions, and potatoes, and they cooked quickly. This being the last night, Chris offered beer in red Solo cups, but everyone else opted for the new gallon of sangria Jose produced. Chris insisted they use his cups and put the bottle away, knowing that rangers would be in the full campground at some point.

Jo made a face after her first sip, and added water to her drink. She drank slowly, and Chris offered her ginger ale to add to it; she poured out the sangria and opted for the ginger ale instead.

Everyone thanked Chris after the rangers strolled through while they were drinking their second cups.

It had been a long day and it was getting cool, but they wanted to clean up before bedtime. The solar-heated bag was chilly by now, so Chris heated some water. They took it into the tent, gave each other a "sponge bath", and shared a towel to dry one another. Chris started to pull on his sleeping shirt and shorts, but a grinning Jo pulled him naked on top of her. No loud histrionics tonight: they made sweet love and then slept wrapped in each other's arms.

Jo didn't get to check on sleeping arrangements the next morning because she slept in. Claire went into the tent to wake her for breakfast, and came out wide-eyed and giggling. She sidled over to the cook and quietly said, "Damn! She looks even better naked than clothed! If you ever want to watch two girls together, give me a call. I'm not bi, but for her I'll make an exception!"

They ate quickly, took down their tents, loaded their gear in the truck, and said goodbye to the swingers. It was only 43 miles to CU and they left at 7:40, but they cut it close enough that they had to drop Chris off at the campus before going on to the apartments.