The Last Hike Ch. 02

\"We're totally sure about this?" Naomi finished securing my pack's chest strap over my boobs, a task easier said than done. "We could always just head back home and have sex in my dad's pickup truck like we did in the olden days."

I rolled my eyes and shoved her lightly. "When did you become such a wuss? Jeff is a bad influence on your sense of adventure."

"You're probably right." She slung on her own pack, clipping it over her chest, and sighed while readjusting its weight. "Alright, let's get going then."

Naomi had adjusted the start of our route so we could head out from her aunt's house into the woods instead of having to drive to a proper trailhead and leave her car somewhere potentially unsafe for the next week. We'd merge with the official trail in a couple easy miles by the time the sun was fully up in the sky. For those first few miles, we were silent. I followed behind Naomi, trusting unconditionally that she'd get us where we needed to go.

The forest stirred with life as we ventured deeper into its embrace. The sun, a mere sliver on the horizon, cast long shadows through the towering trees. Birdsong accompanied our footsteps, creating a harmonious melody that echoed through the wilderness. The scent of damp earth and pine filled the air, invigorating our senses. The trail, worn by thousands of hikers through centuries, led us through a tapestry of greens, browns, and early morning dew. The soft crunch of leaves beneath our boots merged with the distant babble of a nearby stream. As we hiked, the sky transformed from shades of pink and orange to a brilliant blue, heralding the arrival of a new day.

The forest canopy was just beginning to fill out for the season, some trees still flowering and others thick with bright green leaves, allowing the sun's rays to filter through in golden streams. Shafts of light danced on the forest floor, creating a magical tableau. It was a sight we had witnessed countless times on our hikes, yet each fresh daylight held a unique charm. A promise.

As the sun ascended higher in the sky, painting the landscape with warmth, a sudden shift in the atmosphere caught our attention. The wind whispered through the trees, carrying with it a subtle change. The sky, previously a canvas of blue, now displayed hints of gray as clouds gathered at the edges of our visibility.

Naomi paused and frowned. She turned back toward me. Her blue eyes were beginning to match the pre-stormy sky, looking more gray than crystal in the harsh light. "It wasn't supposed to rain today, was it?"

I shook my head. "The chance was only, like, ten percent."

She sighed. "Well, looks like we might be getting unlucky. What do you think?"

I unfolded my map of this section of trail, examining the various pen marks I'd scratched onto it over the past few days. "We could reroute a bit toward Mariner's Lake. Bit of higher ground so we don't end up in some muck down in the next valley."

"Sounds good to me." She held back so I could take the lead and added, "I'm not too worried about it, anyway."

"Me neither."

Of course, though, because that's just how the universe works, we should've been worried. It wasn't long before the first raindrops began to fall, gentle at first, a prelude to the storm that loomed overhead. The forest, once alive with the symphony of nature, now hushed as the rain intensified. The warming spring earth beneath our feet got squishier and we could hear the raindrops pattering on the canopy high above us long before any raindrops touched our skin.

We took a quick pause to tug on our rain jackets and tried to pick up our pace. Even in the rain, the Appalachian range managed to be beautiful. Mist settled around us, obscuring the view through the trees ahead but giving a calm, storybook feeling to everything. The rain picked up as we hiked upward, trying to make it to the lakeside where we knew we'd be able to hunker down for the evening before sunset. We were more than used to setting up camp at night, but add in heavy rain and it being our first night back out after months of easy city life and I just didn't want to take any risks.

It was dusky, deep gray when we found a nice, dryish patch of ground to set up our tent and tarp. Naomi and I worked efficiently, a well-practiced team in the ritual of setting up camp. The rain had intensified into a steady downpour, making every movement more deliberate and calculated. Our laughter from earlier had been replaced by the rhythmic drumming of raindrops on our jackets and the rustle of leaves in the wind.

We selected a spot nestled under the sheltering branches of a large pine tree, providing some respite from the rain. Despite our best efforts, the ground was damp, and we took extra care to ensure our sleeping bags and gear stayed dry. The tent went up quickly, a familiar silhouette against the gray backdrop of the stormy sky. Once the tent was secure, we retreated inside, shedding our rain-soaked jackets and boots. The confined space felt cozy, and we changed into dry pajamas, exchanging damp clothes for warmth. The soft glow of our headlamps illuminated the interior of the tent as we organized our gear and settled in for the night.

Naomi shivered and scooted closer to me. We huddled underneath her sleeping bag, trying to warm up before getting out anything to eat. The storm raged outside, but inside our little shelter, we found comfort in each other's presence. The warmth of shared body heat and the familiar scent of the rain-soaked forest enveloped us. There wasn't thunder or lightning, so it wasn't too bad, just loud enough to keep us both awake longer than we would've liked.

Cutting through the sound of rain, a man's voice rang out, only a few feet away from our tent. It was urgent, a little pained, desperate even. "Anyone in there?"

My heart rate spiked. There were so many stories of female hikers accosted by strange men while out in the woods; I was prone to nerves, so I couldn't help imagining the worst-case scenarios most of the time. Naomi, on the other hand, immediately shouted back, "Yeah, one sec!"

I shoved her hard and hissed, "This guy could be a murderer!"

"And if he is, I don't think our tent zipper is going to stop him from killing us." She rolled her eyes and tugged at the zipper, a mischievous look on her full lips. Opening up the entrance, she called out, "You need a hand out there?"

I huffed out an irritated breath. The guy, who I could now hear had a slight European accent I couldn't place, replied, "I forgot my tarp; can you believe that? You don't happen to have a second one for backup or something, do you?"

Naomi replied, without even a second of hesitation, without looking at me for confirmation, knowing full well I'd be annoyed with her, "Just come in here with us; we've got plenty of extra space."

The guy was clearly taken aback. I couldn't see him clearly through the screen or the weather, but I heard the nerves in his voice. He had no reason to trust us, either. "Are you sure? I can definitely-"

A clap of thunder interrupted him. I sighed, the sympathetic part of me panting. I called out and waved, "Come on, it's alright, just come inside while we look, at least. You don't want to get soaked and not have dry clothes to head out in the morning."

After another second of hesitation, he climbed through our tent's opening and sat at the very front, trying to keep a respectable distance. I scooted toward the back, careful to cover myself up with my sleeping bag since my pajamas didn't exactly cover up my nipples or ass. I liked to give Naomi free access if she wanted to roll over and play with me, but I didn't need a strange man thinking about anything like that in such close proximity to me. Although, I had to admit, it made my pussy twitch just a little to see him trying hard not to eye us up.

The man took off his raincoat, shook away the water outside under the tarp, and laid it down carefully in the corner of the tent to dry. Without his hood up, I could finally get a good look at him. He had messy dark blonde and gray hair that he haphazardly smoothed out to make himself more presentable. With a handsome, pearly white smile rimmed by the scruff of a few days outdoors, he said, "I'm Louis, by the way. Nature photographer. Not typically an idiot, I swear."

I pointed between the two of us, arms crossed tightly over my chest. "I'm Van -- Vanessa -- and this is Naomi. Both typically idiots."

He gave me a charitable laugh. "What brings you two out here?"

"Senior year spring break trip," I replied. "Hiking across the state."

He shook his head. "Bet you wish you were poolside in Cancun right about now like everybody else."

"This is much more our speed," Naomi said. Unlike me, she wasn't exactly playing coy about the thinness of her tee and the fact that she was only wearing a pair of cheeky black underwear. I both envied her confidence, her lack of care, and worried about her. Then she sighed heavily. "Ugh, I'm starving. And it looks like we won't be having the beautiful fire-roasted dinner we'd hoped for."

I yanked open the bag of food inside my bigger bag and showed the offerings. "Gourmet granola dinner, anyone?"

"Oh!" Louis rummaged through his own pack. "I've got these." He took out a few packs of those self-heating meals. "I've got vegetarian chili and chickpea masala. Happy to share; this is my last night out."

Naomi squealed and crawled toward him. "I could kiss you!"

He chuckled, blushing deep pink just above the line of his scruff, and said, "That and a few granola bars sounds like a pretty solid dinner for three."

So we ate together. And, as we ate, we talked. We laughed. Louis was working on a feature about the Appalachians for National Geographic, comparing the wildlife at different elevations up and down the ranges. He flicked through the most recent memory card on his camera, showing off the tiny versions of shots that would soon be lining the centerfold of a magazine. I recognized a lot of the places he'd photographed and the three of us bonded to a certain extent over the mix of annoying trails and beautiful vistas.

By the time we were ready to sleep -- or at least attempt it -- I felt comfortable enough with Louis that any of my worries about him staying in our tent had evaporated. Naomi and I turned away so he could change clothes. I turned back a second too early and saw Louis still shirtless, his toned and tan back on full display. I drew in a breath despite myself. Naomi cut me an amused look as I quickly averted my eyes, hoping he hadn't noticed.

As heat rose in my chest, I pretended to struggle with the zipper on my sleeping bag so I could avoid eye contact with either of them. Naomi rolled her eyes as she slipped inside her own sleeping bag. We always brought an extra blanket to put over both our sleeping bags for extra insulation, so we snuggled up together, practically spooning.

Louis, perpetually polite, turned away from us, a few feet between his sleeping bag and mine, and said, "Goodnight. Thank you again for your hospitality."

"Night," I replied, reaching up and clicking off our lantern.

Naomi echoed, "Goodnight. Hopefully it'll be clear by morning."

Soon after, soothed by the gentle pitter-patter of the storm roving over and past us, we all settled into sleep.

CHAPTER THREE

At the beginning of the night, the wind in the trees settled my mind. I was able to get a few hours of uninterrupted, dreamless sleep. But, in the middle of the night, the wind whipped at the side of our tent, and the temperature dropped sharply. I could hear Louis shivering on the other side of the tent while Naomi and I cuddled closer. Naomi was shivering, too, our body heat not transferring well between so many layers.

"Okay," I said since we were all awake anyway, "let's zip our sleeping bags together so we can stay warm and actually sleep."

Louis' polite, over-tired voice came out: "Are you sure that's-"

"If you want to stay shivering all night, that's fine," I interrupted him, "but I'm offering up my body heat and would love to get some in return."

Naomi laughed and started to move around in the darkness. "I'm all for it."

For a few minutes, we all got readjusted by the dim lamplight. With me in the middle, the three of us spooned underneath an amalgamation of all our sleeping bags and blankets. It only took a few seconds to realize how much warmer we'd be in this arrangement. Definitely good enough to get us through until the sun rose and warmed up the area again. By the time I switched the light back off, none of us were shivering anymore. Louis kept his lower half decidedly and intentionally a few inches from mine, which I appreciated from a politeness standpoint but not necessarily a body heat one.

Still, I fell asleep quickly after that, my whole body cozy and warm between two others. Around sunrise, my eyes fluttered open. The weather had turned all the way around overnight as expected and hoped for. Clear bright sun hit the sides of the tent, birds sang in the nearby trees, and I was plenty hot in the sleeping bags, so I knew it had warmed up.

As my mind and body slowly woke up, I felt the unmistakable outline of Louis' cock against my ass, hard and large and imposing. He was asleep, so I couldn't exactly blame him for morning wood, and I tried to get myself back to sleep regardless. Honestly, it was kind of nice. Not that it meant he found me attractive or anything, since I knew it was purely subconscious, but it was always nice to be held by a hot strong guy in the morning.

Since Naomi and Louis were both still asleep, I decided to just nestle in and try to get another hour or so myself to fuel up for the day. As I adjusted my weight, though, I had to roll my hips slightly, and I felt a definitely-awake twitch of his cock grinding into my ass. I wondered if he was doing the same thing as me: Trying to appear asleep while being just a bit awake.

To test my theory, I moved my ass intentionally this time, a tiny smile playing at my lips, just to see how he would respond. His hand went from tucked against his own chest to my hip. His fingers dug in ever so slightly, trying to keep us both under control for a futile second longer. My cunt jumped to respond and, without my conscious control, I backed up into him. I let out a tiny, quiet gasp as his hands pulled me in.

He shimmied closer to me, our bodies fully pressed together in every possible place, and I felt his breathy, near-silent voice on my neck, right next to my ear. "Is this okay?"

Without even thinking, I nodded hard and took his hand, guiding it up to the hem of my tee shirt. His cock swelled as he explored my skin. He roved upwards to my breasts, which were free underneath the thin fabric. Somehow, he knew that I needed them pinched hard, not lightly teased, and a moan left my lips, uninhibited, when a spark of pleasure shot from his fingertips throughout my body. He squeezed my tits hard enough to bruise and I couldn't help grinding my body against his in response, urging him forward.

Naomi began to stir at my sounds and movements and she turned over. I knew this was the exact kind of thing she fantasized about -- morning sex was a favorite for her, and she always wanted to do things with attractive strangers when given the chance. Her eyes peeled open for a moment and she grinned. "You are such a whore, Van."

My voice breathy and turned on, I replied, "Like you aren't."

"Damn right."

At our exchange, Louis groaned, knowing exactly what was about to take place for him. As if we were all dreaming still, we started to strip each other's clothes. The sunlight warmed the inside of the tent just enough that my nipples were hard and perky but my skin was comfortable. As Louis moved his hands down to my waist, Naomi's replaced them on my breasts. Her fingers were expertly trained at playing me like a piano. Her thumb and forefinger rolled my nipple hard. The sharp sting of it radiated throughout my chest. Our eyes met and she bit her lip, a satisfied smile settling on her face.

Louis' hands found the hem of my flannel pajama pants and tugged them down to expose my ass. He rubbed my curves slowly, intentionally, getting acquainted. At the same time, my own hands went to the bottom of Naomi's shirt and roved upward to her breasts, where I found her nipples hard and sensitive. As my thumb brushed over them, she gasped in a sharp breath of air.

I felt myself getting wet, my chest blushing and my breaths coming faster. While I played with Naomi's breasts, I felt the head of Louis' cock nestling between my legs as we spooned. Anticipating the fullness made my pussy slick with need. Louis positioned my hips, manhandling me with a confidence that turned me on to no end. He teased me further, though, by reaching around my hip and finding my clit with two of his fingers.

With slow but firm movements, Louis circled my clit, spreading my wetness around. His breaths became heavy against my ear as he realized just how turned on I was at the prospect of being fucked by this stranger in the middle of nowhere. That brief flash made me wonder if Naomi felt the exact same way, so I reached between her legs. When I touched her pussy -- wet and hot and perfect -- I kissed her again and she moaned into my mouth.

Louis thrust fully inside of me then and his moan of desire joined ours. I gasped at how deep his cock went and how full he made me feel. He stayed there for a moment, getting used to my cunt as I got used to him, and Naomi ground ever so slightly against my hand, needy for more. So, as Louis began to fuck me in earnest, I fingered Naomi with a newfound intensity. Our lips massaged each other, soft but hungry. She moaned over and over again as she pressed her forehead to mine.

Our bodies rocked together with the motion of Louis fucking me. His hands kept a tight grip on my hips so that he could thrust in and out of me so deeply and precisely that it made my eyes roll back in my head.

I could tell Naomi was getting closer, and I felt new floods of wetness around my fingers. When I knew it was time for her to explode, I opened my eyes, looking over her desperate expression, and said, "Let go."

On command, she did. For a moment, her thighs clamped so tight around my hand it hurt as she used my fingers to get through her orgasm. My own cunt squeezed around Louis' cock in tandem, edging me closer and closer, too. After Naomi came, I flipped myself and Louis over so I was riding him. Naomi knelt next to me and put her first two fingers on my clit. She didn't waste any time; she rubbed hard and fast. I bucked my hips wildly on Louis, his cock filling me deeply. His hands sat on my waist and his expression was blissed out.

My head hung backwards and I basked in the dampened sunlight that filtered through our tent, its warmth bright in my cheeks. With my eyes closed, I let myself feel the simple pleasure of our bodies moving together, warm and effortless as they pleasured me. My toes curled in my socks and I felt my thighs fluttering in anticipation. Needing somewhere to go, my fingers knotted in Naomi's hair. For a few perfect seconds, the pace of her circles on my clit matched up exactly with the rhythm I took Louis' cock with. Those moments of exact synchronicity sent me over the edge.

It had been so long since I'd had a deep, hard fuck, and my cunt responded with an intensity I hadn't felt in years. My pussy clenched up around his cock and it felt like I blacked out for a split second with how good the fire inside of me sparked and burned and roared. My orgasm set off Louis, too. His cum splashed inside of me and a guttural, primal sound of pure lust came from his throat. I collapsed into Naomi's arms and then, a few seconds later, onto Louis' chest, his cum still dripping out of me and onto our thighs.