1 comments/ 65244 views/ 5 favorites Passage By: renee37AAA I couldn't believe it after 20 years of marriage and a man supporting me, I was single again and holding down a job. I'm the executive personal assistant for the president of a nonprofit organization. At 43 years old I was still a good-looking woman but wasn't feeling it. My so-called loving husband and provider had left me for a twenty-year girl, who "made him feel like he hadn't in years". I wasn't about to sit around feeling sorry for my self. I must say that being in an office full of recent and currently attending college students had me unnerved in the beginning. It was my third week on the job when I realized that every day following my date of hire Max brought coffee and chatted with me. Max was 5'10" roughly 190lb give or take a few with the bluest eyes I had ever seen. His dark shoulder length hair and obvious great build was concealed under a finely tailored double-breasted suit. It still wasn't missed by any of the females in the office. He had just turned 23 the month before and was single. I like to arrive at least an hour before the rest of the office, including my boss. Max was the only person that knew of this tendency. Friday of my fourth week I found him sitting in my office with a cup of steaming coffee for me. I gave him the usual smile and thank you. He made no attempt to getup from behind my desk. I'm not sure what possessed me to move. I found my self-standing between his open legs looking down at him. The space was tight and for him to get up he would have to touch me. Max licked his lips, with our eyes glued to one another he stood up. I inhaled the clean smell of him as his body brushed against mine. I could feel the heat of his body and I wanted more of it. I saw the kiss before it happened, his lips grazed mine and I shivered. Max placed a hand at the small of back brought my body closer to his. This time I kissed him; he tasted of chocolate and mint I sucked his tongue and he squeezed me tightly. I pulled backed; I couldn't believe what was happening. Max looked at me with lustful eyes and grinned before he spoke. "I want you". My silk panties were soaked and I hated to admit it but I wanted this man-child too. I am not sure how I ended up in my chair but there I was with my skirt up and my panties off. Max was on his knees; the stroke of his tongue against my swollen sex took my breath away. I moaned softly as he devoured me with his mouth. He was very skilled for one so young; he licked and fingered fucked my aching sex for what felt like hours before he took my clit between his lips and sucked it-my orgasm was loud and intense just minutes before the receptionist arrived. "That should hold you until tonight; he said before he quickly slipped out of my office". Nine to five and had never taken so long. I rushed for the elevator and headed for the garage. My 1965 mustang was like me-vintage and in mint condition. I wasn't sure about Max he was young enough to my son, and it had been a long time since any one had made me feel desired. I was about to punch my ticket at the gate when he stepped in front of my car. The bouquet of roses he held was white and yellow and at least three dozen. I leaned over and open the door. "Thank-you he says", "I am hot, horny, and in need of proper loving can you deliver all that Max?" He runs his hand up between my open thighs and whispers close to my ear. "This morning was just the appetizer". I hit the gas as he rubbed me through my once again wet panties. (Thank God I had the good sense to wash and dry them under the hand blower in the bathroom this morning.) My condo was just twenty minutes away from the office. Security nodded as we passed, Max held the flowers and I held my breath. We silently rode up the fifteen floors to my place. My hands trembled as I tried to unlock the door. Max took my keys and opened it for us. I was nervous. I showed him around and he took control. After putting the roses on the counter he went to the bathroom and filled the tub. He returned to me naked and semi-hard. Following him from the living room to bathroom, I stood there froze as he undressed me. He opened my cuffs first and then the buttons down the front of my blouse. Then he unzipped my skirt and let it fall to the fall to floor. I stood before him in a black lacey bra and panties. He unhooked my bra with out trouble and slowly slides my wet panties down my hips. He smiled, as he looked me over from head to toe. I could see my reflection in the wall mirror. My body didn't look like it was 43 years old. My 36d's had held up nicely thanks to never going braless in my youth and working out everyday since I was his age. My waist was slim above full hips and shapely legs. He had scented the water with my favorite oil and helped me in. He stepped in behind me and pulled me back against his broad chest. I closed my eyes as I felt his hands on my arms. I was carried from the bathroom and placed gently on the bed. Max didn't rush; he massaged my feet, and worked his way up my legs. The feel of his hands against my skin was soft and pleasing. I laided back and just savored the feel of his touch. We were kissing and that alone aroused me. I touched his chest and ran my fingers through the thick hair that traveled to his manhood. I stroked his hard member as he squeezed and flicked my nipples with his tongue. I moaned as his magical mouth brought me pleasure. Max moved my hand and pushed me down on the bed, I put my arms over my head as he continued to lick and suck each of my nipples. With skilled fingers he parted the moist lips of my sex. I needed no further stimulation I wanted him inside me. Max flipped me over and kissed his way down my back. I could feel the head of him just inches away from dripping sex. I lifted my ass up and the head penetrated me. Max gently pushed my hips back to the bed. I groaned out of frustration. Max licked and bit each of my ass cheeks. He slipped a hand under me and brought me up on my knees. He fingered my clit just long enough to bring me to the edge of orgasm. I cried out as he removed his hand. Max just chuckled. The stroke of his tongue did what his finger hadn't. I collapsed on the mattress as my knees gave out. Max left me face down on the bed to catch my breath. I rolled over and got up on weak legs. Max was coming back to the bedroom with two bottles of water. I took the offered bottle and drank it. I dropped to my knees and took his hot member into my cold mouth right there in the doorway. His shocked member jumped and pulsed against my tongue. His bottle of water hit the floor with a soft thud as I took the length of him, he moaned as I slowly slide him in and out of my mouth. He took five minutes of me licking and sucking his engorged member before he pulled me up. He back stepped me to the bed. I opened my legs to him exposing my soaked sex. Max slide his long, thick, penis in gently; I enveloped him within my hot, wet center inch by inch. Bringing my legs up to his shoulders he moved within me. My whole body was electrified with the sensation of him moving in and out of me. He watched me as squirmed and quivered under him. His rhythm was smooth and quickening with every stroke. Holding my legs with strong hands he pounded into me until I cried out in orgasm, my muscles convulsed and contracted around him. Max put my legs down and brought his chest on to mine. With my legs open around him I gripped his ass with my tingling hands. I squeezed the firm flesh as he continued to rock my body from within. Twenty minutes later I was digging my nails into his back as another orgasm shook my body. Max had yet to have one and I was still trying to recover from my third when he separated us. I was turned onto my side with my knees together. Max positioned himself within the curve of my knees and entered me again. My breath caught as yet another fantastic feeling took control of me. He felt bigger and if possible better than before. With his hands resting on my hip and him on his knees he slide inside of me once again. He pulled back several times causing that first penetrating gasp to escape my lips. I opened my mouth to speak, but only a moan was uttered as my body responded to his expert touch. His name slipped from my lips as I reached for him ("Max"). "Okay love" as if reading my mind, he filled me from tip to base. Max bent over me with his arms gripping the wooden headboard of my bed; he extracted another orgasm from my elated body. I screamed this time as he continued to assault my extremely sensitive nerve endings. Max finally let go and ejaculated with the force of two men. I woke to the smell of breakfast being cooked and my stomach growled hungrily. I sat up slowly and tested the strength of my legs as I attempted to rise from the bed. My sex was tender and sticky as I washed it clean of Max's and my own juices. I watched Max wiping down the stove before he lifted the tray to bring me breakfast. "Good morning gorgeous; I'll run you a warm bath for you after we eat". All I could do was nod my head. I got back in bed and looked at the full plate before me. Three breakfast links, bacon, cheesy eggs, toast and coffee. (None of which had been in my refrigerator the night before). I ate everything on my plate and still managed to steal a link from his. He washed the dishes before he filled the tub with hot water and bubbles. The water was soothing to my slightly achy muscles. Max washed my back from outside the tub. (During twenty years of marriage my husband had never done anything as nice as this). Max washed me and then helped me from the tub. He dried me with a towel that he had warmed in the dryer. He picked me up and carried me back to my bedroom. He smelled clean and his hair was still damp. He was dressed in only a tee shirt and briefs. "I hope you didn't go to the store dressed like that". Being held by him was arousing. Sensing this he placed me in the middle of the bed and laid with me. I straddled him and pulled the tee shirt over his head. I kissed him for along time just savoring his tongue intertwining with mine. He hands rubbed my bare back as his penis harden under me. I wanted to give to him what he had given to me last night. I kissed my way down to his throat and sucked until the love bite glistened brightly. I flicked each erect nipple of his with my tongue before moving down to his belly button. He giggled and pulled me back up. Kissing me again while he gripped my ass and helped me move my sex against his hard penis. He moaned into my mouth as I freed him. Skin to skin was always better. Completely lubricated by my wet sex he slides in with ease. I sheathed him totally with my hands holding the headboard he sucked on both of my exposed nipples. I rock my hips back and forth and develop a rhyme that he matches. I can hear him moaning as we move together as one. I tightened my muscles around him several times until he moaned loudly. I use my knees and the headboard to work my body and muscles to bring him off quickly; Max prided himself on his self control; he could last for hours if he was so inclined. The sound of my name escaped his lips as his body gave into me (oh Virginia) he clutched me tightly as he climaxed. I continued to clamp down on him as he pulsed; the sounds of his labored breathing fueled me. I released the headboard and used my feet to push me up and down on his still hard penis. The friction between us was electric; the feel of him inside of me sent waves of pleasure through my body as I rode him. With my hands planted firmly on his chest I dug my nails in as I brought us off together. My sweat covered body rested upon his as we lay there still connected. Max smoothed the hair from my face and kissed my forehead. I don't know when he left my body, but I woke up several hours later to his sleeping form beside me. I left the warmth of my bed and tiptoed to the bathroom. I took a long hot shower. I dressed quietly. I sat there watching him sleep. He rolled over and put his arm where my body should have been. He turned his head and looked at me. I was casually dressed in jeans, blouse, and low-heeled boots. "If you take me home, I'll change clothes and take you to dinner Virginia!" I am not sure why that statement pleased me so much. I let Max drive; the young man once again surprised me when he pulled into the driveway of a small cottage. He opened my door for me and held my hand as he led the way to his home. Max talked about getting the place for almost nothing thanks to back taxes. He done all the work himself and he was very proud of that. He was almost dragging me up the stairs he was so excited. The house was bigger than I had assumed. The open floor plan was spacious and creatively arranged. Max was still holding my hand as he pointed to this and that. The kitchen had a commercial flare with all its stainless steal. The living room furniture was done in light brown suede that was buttery soft to the touch. The place smelled clean with a hint of sweetness. The bathroom was big enough to hold his washer and dryer. The upstairs was his treasure. The top of the steps had a French door. He smiled and told me to open it. The small room was an office, with a wall of full bookcases. I walked into the small office and Max urged me forward. The second French door led to the master bedroom. The room was huge complete with fireplace and ¾ bathroom. There was a small sitting area for two next to the bay window. Max stripped out of his clothes and walked bare ass to the dresser. He pulled underwear from one draw and socks from another. I sat down on one of the leather chairs and admired his fine physique. Max's eyes sparkled with desire as he slowly dressed in front of me. I crossed my legs and sighed. His familiar chuckle told me he had read my thoughts once again. Clad in snug black jeans and a red polo shirt and cowboy boots we left for dinner. We weren't the spectacle I had assumed, and Max wasn't concerned either way. He held my hand, fed me from his plate, and licked whip cream from my finger, oblivious of the others in the restaurant. We club hopped, until the wee hours of Sunday morning. We spent the night at his place making love well past dawn. With an open mind and a very satisfied sex, I didn't think about what the future might hold for Max and me. I was just going to enjoy what ever he had to deliver. Monday morning, I was late. Passage from Autumn Autumn was waiting for him, as always, when he entered the clearing. Their love affair was so old; sometimes he could remember precisely how old, and other times, not at all. Her hair burned with the rich red and gold of fallen leaves; that was what he always noticed first. Her eyes were green -- not a fresh green like Spring, but deeper, ancient in their knowing. Her smile was smug as she watched him approach. "Late," she said, in a voice that rustled softly against the wind. "I know," he said. "Overslept." Her dress was a rich, chocolate silk, ragged at the hem, but otherwise timeless in style. It swished against her bare thighs as she took a step towards him. "It's alright. I managed fine in your absence," she replied, stretching languidly. She yawned; she was tired, and he noticed that lines had begun to crinkle the corners of her eyes when she smiled. Her breasts, however, were full, supple, and they ebbed and flowed underneath the soft fabric as she breathed. Her olive seemed to shimmer in the fading daylight. The air snapped crisply around them when he cracked a smile of his own. "You always do," he said as he reached out a rugged hand towards her waist. He found her hip firmly, knowingly, and pulled her to him. She shivered slightly, barely noticeable, and rose on the balls of her bare feet as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He slid his hands around to her lower back and pressed gently, taking a deep breath. Her hair smelled strongly of dried sunflowers, and ginger, and he buried her face in the swanlike curve of her neck. His full beard, now stark white with age, prickled against her neck, and she threw her head back and laughed her deep, rusty laugh, almost a cackle in how unabashed it was. "You've missed me," she surmised, wasting no time sliding her delicate fingers between this legs. As she spoke, her breath came out as a white puff of air. Even the trees seemed to shiver as the sun went down. "Once a year is hardly enough." His large hand was now entangled in the hair at the back of her neck, and he pulled her head back to kiss her before she could reply. His lips were cool, but loving, and she opened her mouth submissively, letting her warm breath brush past his lips. His tongue licked the corner of his mouth teasingly, and all of the sudden she was painfully aware of her nipples pressed against his bare chest. "Aren't you cold?" she asked breathlessly. His stare was solemn as he moved to lay her down on the ground, which was covered with leaves that had deserted their now-naked masters surrounding the clearing. "Yes," he said, watching her spread her arms above her head as she lay down. Her hair seemed to disappear in the dying fall colors beneath her head. "But I never notice until I'm with you." She nodded at this, opening her knees as he eased down between them. His cock was pressing hard against her now, straining at the dark fabric of his trousers. She dropped her hand down a second time, and squeezed. The fabric was coarse, and the color always reminded her of soot and ash. Two hands now, as she worked with his belt. The metal buckle was freezing against her hand. He reached down to help her, anxious now, always anxious, it seemed -- their encounters never lasted long enough. And suddenly there he was, his cock removed and pressing against her silk-covered thighs, which were almost balmy with heat. He shoved her dress up to her waist, no longer ready to wait. A soft growl escaped her throat, and Autumn shifted her hips up so that his thick shaft fell against her hot, plump lips instead of sliding into her. It was always this way; she could feel is escalating, blood pounding in her ears now. With his knees, he knocked her legs further apart, causing her hips to shift downward where he wanted them. He slid against her wet slit for a moment, the heat of her cunt unfurling against his cock like warm, teasing fingers. She jerked her hips to the left as hard as she could, denying him entrance again. His eyes became frosty blue slits as she toyed with him. Always slightly obnoxious, but also always intensely rewarding. He slid a callused hand into the bosom of her dress, moving the fabric aside as he ducked his head down to suck on one of her nipples into his mouth. She purred now, arching her back up against him, even as he began to bite her tenderly. "Mmm," she said, her voice shifting into a muted, sultry rumble. "You know just how I like it, don't you." He chuckled, then released her throbbing nipple from his mouth, but kept his lips pressed against her skin as he spoke. "I ought to, after this long." She smiled to herself, staring at the grey snow clouds amassing overhead and to the east. She said nothing in return, enjoying how he had now reached down to open her up; his fingers explored her folds expertly, sliding up and down, dipping in and out for brief moments, and then up...up...and...oh, a thumb circling around her clit. Her body rocked up against his, electrified. He responded with a snarl of his own, the hand that had so tenderly caressed her breast earlier sliding up to her neck and applying pressure, forcing her back down, cutting her breath into ragged gasps. He pinned her previously uncooperative hips down with his weight, and slid his cock upwards until it dipped into the soaked curve of her slit. Her hands flew to his back, pressing first, then clawing, wanting, begging. Easing up on her throat, he locked eyes with hers. How dark they must look in this moment, he thought. How intense and somber and rough. How appropriate. And then he was sliding into her inch by inch, slowly, not how she wanted it at all by now, he knew, but he wasn't going to waste this moment. Her cunt enveloped him, pulled him inward, as deep as he could go, and he eased his face down to hers so he could press their lips together as he moaned. She was surprisingly hot, and so smooth and wet that he thought for a moment her dress had become caught between them. But no, it was just her, always just her; he forgot, sometimes, how different from everyone else -- how rich and glorious -- she felt inside. Her nails were cut short and painted a soft jade color to match her eyes, and currently, they were digging into his lower back, piercing the skin. That's always how she wanted to go -- no matter how slow and easy he wanted it, Autumn always wanted to be fucked. He clasped her lower lip between his teeth, then drove himself into her. She cried out, painfully and joyfully, as he did. Her voice seemed to echo off the bare trees around them. He slid an arm under her hips, pulling her up against him as he found his rhythm, and then suddenly they were in a deep and eternal pattern, a perfect rise and fall that time seemed to wait for. She'd thrown her arms up above her head again, hands grasping desperately at the dead leaves, clawing for purchase, finding none. A fine frost had covered the clearing, and the leaves and dirt stuck to her body as her heat melted the cold beneath her. A dark blush began spreading across her cheeks; her eyes were huge and untamed, fringed in dark lashes. Her hair, soaked now, was plastered against her cheeks and neck. She began screaming like a riotous, wild thing, and her chest pitched and heaved as she was impaled over and over again. Then there it was, too soon, always too soon, an unyielding, liquid warmth radiating out from the center of her and spilling across the rest of her body. Her thrashing was too much for him, and he followed quickly, filling her up, so much that it overflowed out of her thighs and onto the ground beneath them as they kept thrusting and undulating against each other, unwilling to stop. They wound down slowly, until his arms could no longer hold him, and he collapsed against her. Their lungs jerked for breath against the frigid air, and he closed his eyes and pressed his face against her cheek, willing himself to remember her in that moment, flushed and bright and overwhelming in her beauty, knowing he could not. "Why do you always go so hard towards the end?" he asked quietly, when they were both sitting up and breathing again. She was shrugging on the thin, silky straps of her dress when he said it, and couldn't help but smirk. "Just my nature. You know that." Then she stood, not bothering to brush anything off her dress, which was now crushed and soaked with sweat and frost. "I have to go," she added quietly, noting that it had begun to snow lightly around them. "I know," he said, wanting to risk a last kiss, but knowing she was already late herself, past due, and couldn't linger a moment longer. Autumn bid him farewell as she slipped away from Winter for another year. Passages Passages By Autumn Writer © Copyright 2006 "I hope that you remember that this was not my idea at all, Jeff." "It will be okay, Barbara. Please, just let me keep my mind on the road." He could feel it building, the familiar tension, as the Explorer crept forward on the snow-covered road. Throughout their twenty-nine years of married life she had always lashed out at him whenever stress arose for any reason. After all their years together he could foresee the warning signs in the far-off distance. She sunk down in her seat, unsatisfied. She had delivered the first salvo, measuring the range and bearing. He had not fired back, just a half-hearted parry. She wanted to anger him so that she could cloak herself in justification. If he would strike back she could enjoy the dual roles of victim and assassin. Progress on the road was slow, so she would have more opportunities. She reloaded. *************************************** Actually, the trip had been Jeff's idea. He had called Sid, a business contact and friend, early in November, asked him for the loan of his corporate cabin in the North Woods. It would be a chance for Jeff and Barbara to get away for a weekend. They would be alone together for three days. He wanted renewal, re-contact with her. They could do it ahead of Thanksgiving and the Christmas rush. Jeff and Barbara's business was important to Sid's, and he readily agreed. Sid and Jeff were buddies, anyway. Jeff knew the way to the cabin because he had been there during the prior summer. Sid had hosted a golf outing at the Thendara course for his best customers. That had been a good time. Jeff thought the cabin might yield up another good time for Barbara and him. It was an impulsiveness that was unusual for him. The inspiration just wouldn't let go, so he grabbed the phone and made the call to Sid. "Sure thing!" Sid yelled to him over the phone. "Help yourself to anything there that you find. There's a lot of canned and dried food. Just bring the perishables and dress warmly. There are a couple bottles of Canadian Club left from the golf outing. Just be sure to check the firewood, I can't remember what's left. You'll need it because there's no power in the cabin and it gets cold up there." "Thanks, Sid. Do you think that there'll be any snow?" "Probably only a dusting in November. If it does get heavy, don't go. You'll be deep in the woods and no one comes by at this time of year." "Okay, no problem, Sid." "I don't know what you're going to do all weekend. There's nothing happening up there in this season," Sid added after a pause. "Or, maybe I do know, after all." "Hey, you dirty old man." Jeff and Sid laughed. "Just don't sue me if you get her pregnant, Jeff! I'll send someone over with the keys" They laughed again. Jeff thanked him and they hung up. ********************** As Jeff hung up the phone he felt good. The banter with Sid made him feel optimistic about the expedition. He and Barbara needed this respite, he thought. In September the last of their three children had gone off to college. Raising teenagers is stressful in any situation. Jason, their youngest, had been particularly difficult. The recession following the 911 tragedy had been especially hard on the retail business that Jeff and Barbara owned together. It strained their finances and confidence in one another. For two long years the business struggled to recover. They repaired the business; it was healthy now. Jeff and Barbara were not going forget the hard times very soon. Jeff was fifty-four, Barbara fifty-one. He had put on a few pounds, but not many. He looked very much like he had when he and Barbara got married, except that his hair was graying. He really didn't care about the gray, but kept fighting the battle of the waistline. She felt the signs of menopause approaching. She was not much heavier than her wedding day; perhaps with some slight shifting. Her dark hair was taking on a salt and pepper look. Especially compared to others her age, she was still in good shape. To Jeff, it was a non-issue; he didn't care. He was satisfied that she did what she could to care for herself. She still looked good to him. He was glad that she did not color her hair. Barbara interpreted Jeff's lack of concern as indifference. She was self-conscious of her aging. She woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and found that she was no longer a blushing maiden. It made her rage internally. Jeff sensed her displeasure, but misjudged the depth of her torment. All of these factors had combined together to create an atmosphere that was unpleasant and tense. At times things would improve, but some issue would arise and they would revert back to the stifling limbo into which their lives had fallen. Neither of them understood their condition completely. They didn't discuss it for fear of opening wounds deeper. No one outside of themselves knew this, except for Barbara's mother, to whom Barbara confided all. ************************ In November, when the cold winds over Lake Ontario shift slightly, and the waters of the Lake are still warm and pregnant with moisture, the Adirondacks become a table. Nature sets a banquet with an impenetrable table cloth of snow, and a silver service of ice. The weather moves in fast, measured in feet, not inches; the cold measured in fingers and toes. On the menu are the unwary and unprepared; the wilderness devours them. It was only after they had made the turn at Eagle Bay that Jeff realized that they were heading into trouble. They were a long way from any help. There was no choice except to keep going to the cabin at Big Moose before the weather stranded them. There, they would find shelter and food. Jeff said nothing to Barbara about this. The earlier barb had put him off, but he would not have done so, anyway. He would guide them through danger. Everything would turn out fine. He would not give up. "And what were we going to do on this weekend getaway? Was it to be some sort of romantic rendezvous in the woods? Were we to prance around naked in the cabin with the hots for each other? We're not newlyweds, Jeff. You could have asked me. What would have been wrong with a nice hotel in the city? I haven't seen my parents in three months. No, here we are getting ready to freeze to death in the forest." As she spoke the words spat out of her like the hiss of a serpent. The aim of her second salvo had been precisely on target. Jeff felt the bitter pall of smothered hope descending upon him. He banished any remaining hopes for their weekend retreat. Optimism and energy died in the sinking of his romantic plan. Only adrenalin, charged by the weather conditions, kept him moving steadily on. Jeff absorbed the verbal assault. He kept his outward silence. Internally he answered her, "If they find us as frozen ice cubes, we won't be any colder than your cold heart right now." He felt shame at the thought. He could not despise her, but he was struggling to love her. He spoke calmly, because he had to tell her of their situation. "Barbara, there is hard weather moving in. If we don't make it to the cabin we're going to be in big trouble. I think we will make it. It's only three miles ahead. We'll find the passage. I know where it is. Please just work with me until then. I didn't know this was going to happen." She fell silent. She had known the tone of voice that he had just used only a few times. Barbara knew it meant a serious situation. Fear evicted the sense of disgust and venom that had possessed her moments ago. Now, her husband seated next to her, erstwhile object of her contempt, was her lone vehicle for safety. She knew her husband, he was resourceful and tough. It was a difficult situation, but he could handle it. She just sat silently now, focusing on their situation. She knew that she had gone too far, regretted her words. She just had to vent herself on him, but she asked herself why she had chosen him as her target. He was at the source of few of her troubles. Maybe it was the close range and that he had no camouflage that her keen senses couldn't penetrate. Perhaps the answer lay in the toughness that she had always known in him. He was one of the few people she knew that could take such a pounding. "He'll get over it", she assured herself. She didn't understand how deeply Jeff felt the pain. As high as the excitement of his inspired plan had crested him, it measured the depths that the apparent failure sank him. "I let this happen every time," he said to himself. He was tired of high hopes coming to worse than nothing. This would be the last time, he resolved. The narrow road had now become a path, just a passage in the snow. Barbara looked out over the reservoir. The snow fell too hard and densely to allow her see the opposite bank. Jeff had not exaggerated. This was the real thing. The Explorer soldiered on. A sedan would have been out of service long ago, but another thirty minutes of marching brought them to a roadside gate. "We're here. Reach back and get the boots and coats." While she did so, he went on, "Leave the food here in the Explorer. It will act as a big refrigerator. We'll just bring in the clothes." The Explorer couldn't get close to the cabin because of the snow. They stood outside the vehicle, loaded down with backpacks and suitcases. Atop a hill, about three hundred yards away stood the cabin, silent without light or smoke from the chimney. The snow had already risen to eighteen inches and covered any trails. A cut in the tangle of trees and shrubs indicated a route in. It was their passage to safety. Plodding up the grade loaded with their gear wasn't easy, especially for her. She was never an "outdoor girl". The wind coming off the hill was against them. It drove snow into their faces. It was already deep. They could hardly see. The cold was gnawing at their resolve to save themselves. The cabin was so far away. She didn't know how they were going to make it. It might as well have been a mirage in the desert. She fell, covering herself with snow. Jeff helped her up. He knew that the cabin was their only hope. Each passage to salvation requires courage and belief. One can never be totally certain that the view on the hilltop is real. Guarantees are for the cowardly and faithless. Struggling upward, through the passage, would save them. What choice had they? Going backward was no solution. "C'mon, it isn't far," he yelled over the gale. A half minute later, she fell again. Snow found its way under her parka and inside her gloves. Jeff helped her up. "Leave your stuff here. I'll come back for it!" With that he doubled his own load: his share of it that he had lugged from the Explorer and Barbara on one arm as she clung to him. They had not even gained one hundred yards since leaving the Explorer, and the storm was sapping them. Finally, they struggled to the top. Jeff's muscles were drained, but the victory over the elements enlivened him. Confidence returned. Barbara had hurt him, but he refreshed his self worth without her. They entered and set down the bags that he had managed to bring up the hill. She was still frozen from the trek, unable to move about. Though out of the wind, the cabin was cold. He opened the flue and got a fire started as she watched his shaking hands apply the match to the tinder. "I'm going for the rest of the bags before the snow covers them." He disappeared out the door and down the hill. Adversity had placed him back in command of his senses. He trudged down the hill, searching for the abandoned gear. His thoughts returned to the aborted marital tryst that Barbara had so neatly spoiled. The disappointment and hurt left him. He reviewed events of the day. His idea had been a good one. Barbara's actions, not his, had doused any flame. He had brought them to safety through the storm, this time and many others. He would not assume guilt that was not his to bear. He suddenly felt comfortable as himself. At the midway point near the bottom of the hill he spied the forlorn Explorer that had been the site of their earlier sparring. It was an empty shell that had carried them to their point of departure. It had served them, but not well. It carried them but had not warmed them. The vehicle was a symbol of a bitterness that he was eager to leave behind. He wasted no time pondering it. He turned his back to it, toward the passage to the cabin and steadily made his way up. When he arrived inside Barbara was kneeling before the fire, waiting for it to warm her. The snow that she had carried in on her clothes was melted on her. "You better put on something dry. I still have work to do. There isn't enough firewood. I need to bring some in before the snow covers it up." That was all he said to her. With ax in hand he disappeared out into the storm. ******************** It had seemed like their ordeal had taken days, not hours. In truth, it was only three in the afternoon, two hours of daylight left. Barbara rose and stirred about the lonely cabin. There were some canned beans, but she wasn't hungry. She found some whiskey in a cabinet and poured some into a coffee mug that she found. Normally, she would have preferred Chardonnay, but the Canadian Club was all that was available. The wine would have been mild and dry. She would have to partake from the bitter cup. She reseated herself by the fire. It was her turn for depression. Jeff's "to hell with you" demeanor was one that she had seen before. She knew that he would not approach her for reconciliation. If only he would, she could be gracious, allow a return to a more acceptable condition. She took a pull on the whiskey. It surprised her that the generous swallow didn't choke her. It warmed her belly. Anticipation of the warmth spreading to her brain freed her to consider the events of the day more openly. "Why had she lashed him so viciously?" It puzzled her because she knew his vulnerability to hurt when she squelched his idealistic plots. She thought that it would pleasure her to do so, but only brought forth guilt. "Why had she been so quick to reject this tryst in the love-nest cabin?" In their early years she would have relished it. He would have ravished her and she would bask in his doing so. Their satiation of one another would have re-thirsted them. Their only regret would have been the eventual need to return to the real world. There were few opportunities for them to do so then, a struggling couple just starting out. Now she had time, money, and a willing husband, yet she could not bring herself to accept the adventure. Children, obligations, convention had all contributed in wiping desire away. She thought of her college friends. Perhaps she wanted to be more like them. Their dress sizes increased by one each year. Their husbands no longer lusted after them. In their coffee klatches the women would make little jokes about their mates' lack of "prowess", testing their friends and searching for truth. Maybe they had found the secret: that the effort required for sustaining life was no longer worthwhile. Barbara sat before the fire, another pull on the whiskey. She was sobbing. She did so without holding back. The dram had forced it out of her. Jeff was out collecting wood, he couldn't see her. If he did, she knew that he would melt in compassion. She did not want his pity. She regretted much, but events couldn't be undone. Soon Jeff would come back in. He would want her to ignore him, leave him to his own solace. Soon she would finish her drink and get some dinner together. He would need some food. He should not have gone out without eating something first. She worried about his sugar. She would see to it in a minute. ********************** Jeff strode into the cabin, finished collecting firewood. He was tired, but somehow refreshed. He felt the heat from the fireplace. He hoped to see to food laid out; there was none. "At least she kept the fire going." He would fix his own food. He glanced to the fireplace. She was sitting before it, leaning against some pillows that she had propped behind her. They allowed her to be in a comfortable, half-reclined position, looking pensively into the fire. She was wrapped head to toe in an oversized Hudson Bay blanket that she had found. She was sitting on another one. It was almost five o'clock. Daylight was gone. The storm continued to rage outside. The fireplace cast a glow throughout the cabin, reflecting some objects, darkening others. Jeff saw her wrapped before the fire. Only her head was visible above the blanket. It was draped in a heap around her. He was perturbed that she had remained there all this time. It wasn't cold in the cabin anymore. Then he considered the possibility that the chill of the trek up the hill had brought on some fever. He walked to where she was to find out. Before he had a chance to speak, she looked up at him standing over her. Remaining seated she said the following, which were the most important words that she had spoken to him since their wedding day: "Jeff, I have hurt you. I was unfair. I was wrong. I'm so sorry," she began. Jeff stood above her listening and thinking. "I'm talking about today and what I said in the car, but not just that. I know that's not all of it." She ended her statement. There was no plea for forgiveness, no teary promises for reform. She had told him the truth. He would decide his own course. "Barbara, I'm more worried about our future years than our past ones. Let's just forget about who's right or wrong and get to a better place." His reply had been her fondest hope. She had relied on what she'd grown to know was in him. He would never nurse a grudge; never savor a pain that he could inflict on her later. She had taken a first step. In his short reply he had buttressed her. She was ready for boldness. "Jeff, I know you are worried about our future years. I'm worried about the future, too, but in a different way." She paused, hoping for a reaction, but he yielded no clues to his thoughts. "I'm worried about the next forty-five minutes." She opened her arms that had been clutched together inside the blanket cocoon. She lay there, half-reclined on the pillows. Jeff gazed down at her, not speaking, as she held her pose. Although his voice uttered nothing, his changing expression roared volumes. Across his face stretched a broad smile, and his eyes showed traces of tears. Barbara had removed her clothes before hiding under the cloak of blankets. Jeff gazed down at her. His eyes began a journey that started with a smile that was at once relieved and welcoming. He could see a countenance without contrivances, as the laugh lines crinkled around her teary eyes. His vision roamed downward, eventually ending its journey at her bare legs, that he had always admired, parted slightly. In between, his eyes drank in her breasts, hardened nipples dotting smooth softness, lying patiently on her chest. He watched her breathing, as its pace increased. Lower, was the triangle of black hair guarding the passage below it. It touched Jeff deeply that Barbara had done this. Part of it was his desire for renewal and for her. Mostly, he loved her for her courage. She had accepted a horrible risk of rejection. If he had responded differently, her humiliation would have scarred her forever. She had gambled on her faith in him, and won. "I don't agree with you, Barbara. With respect to the next forty-five minutes I can't think of anything at all to worry about," he said while unbuttoning his flannel shirt. Barbara let out that deep laugh from the throat that Jeff had missed for such a long time. It was an involuntary laugh that was not brought on by humor, but, rather, betrayed her arousal. "Just get undressed and come down here to me." Then, she let out the deep laugh again. Jeff was glad to comply. Passages **************** It was hard, at first, for Barbara to lie motionless and nude as Jeff undressed. Her instincts told her to cover up and wait for him under the covers. He kept looking down at her with that look of desire; she was afraid that a cover up would portray a retraction. Perhaps she could roll up in a fetal position. He sensed her impending move. "Just stay like you are, Barb. Don't spoil the fun." He had the 'push the envelope' tone in his voice. "Barb!" He had not used that name for her in at least twenty years. She sensed change in the air. As Jeff's clothing slowly peeled away, Barbara lost her reticence. The playing field was leveling, after all. As Jeff shis own clothes her shyness began to melt away.. From Jeff's vantage point, he saw a woman in the semi-darkness with form and curves that aroused him. To be sure, it was not a young maiden laid out before him. Here was a grown woman whose experience could enable her to understand and please a man and allow herself to be pleased. It was a book that he had read many times, yet could yield new chapters without notice. The firelight reflected from her, accentuating the edges where her frame pressed the surface. The soft parts remained obscured, leaving his imagination to define them. As Jeff peeled his clothes away, his arousal became evident. It fueled Barbara's ardor and confidence. She lay patiently waiting for him. He feigned difficulties to slow the process. His boots were stuck, his fingers too cold to undo the buttons. It was a playful tease. He saw her grow impatient. As she lay nude for a longer while, her inhibitions would melt with each moment. She knew that he was playing with her, but she liked it. The prospects of their impending coupling were brightening rapidly. As he leisurely looked about for a place to set his watch she forced the action. "Hurry up! I'm getting cold down here; and I'll leave it to you to figure out what "cold" means." No harm in teasing back. **************************** At that point Jeff knew that the preparatory phase was over. He sunk down and laid next to her as she covered them over with the blanket, forming a cocoon for two. They embraced, and her body was warm and inviting. "Sorry", in mocked apology, "I didn't mean to keep you waiting." "Yes you did—I know you; but you won't get away now." "Don't want to." They were the final words uttered in the cabin for a long time. They were still embracing. They shared a kiss. It was tender at first. They stroked and reassured one another. The kiss turned passionate and probing. They sought to know the level of desire of the other and were satisfied. He reached his hands to her chest, held her breast tenderly. His thumb caressed the nipple. He delighted as it grew harder. He reached with the other hand and took hold of her cheek. He knew it would excite her. In response, she bent his manhood down slightly and between her legs. She closed them down on him, then rubbed her slit on his hardness. He gazed at her face, partially illuminated by the glow of the embers in the now-dying fire. "Truly, she is beautiful", he thought to himself. Her eyes were closed, countenance serene. A fullness poured into him that he longed for. Her acceptance of his physical favors, with neither reserve nor condition, confirmed her acceptance of their lives together, both past and future. Their home and children, the business, their beliefs all attained validity. What lie ahead they would face together. His anxieties left him. He would now enjoy her. Thus were connected the emotional and physical aspects of lovemaking. The union of the two compounds the act, multiplying its rewards. They continued that way for some time. She was ready for his entry, but he delayed, wanting to prolong the process. They shifted positions and resumed. Love had been proven; lust was in order. He touched and probed her everywhere. He used his hands, his fingers, his lips and tongue. She thrilled at the sensations, the liberation, the taboo of some forbidden places, and the nudity in the open room. It would be evil if it was not between the two of them. She bent over him and engulfed him in her mouth. He moaned with the pleasure and the deepening surges. He allowed her to continue until he felt consummation approaching. He lifted her up; her expression questioned him. He wished to deposit within her. She understood and rolled onto her back. She nudged his side, signaling her wish that he mount her. He did so, but did not enter her immediately. He sat atop her, weight supported on his arms. He bent his head down to swallow her nipple. He eased his hips forward so that just the crown of his penis touched her, gently bumping her clitoris. She responded wildly. Desire and sensation overwhelmed her. She pressed her pelvis up to entrap him inside her. He drew back slightly to prevent it. He smiled in satisfaction and anticipation. He knew that this last round of teasing would turn her bonfire to an inferno. She moaned and panted in pleasure and wanting as the game of tag continued. Suddenly, without warning, as she seemed to learn his rhythm, he released her nipple. Simultaneously pressing forward, he plunged into her, as far as he was able. He plumbed her depth and she climaxed immediately. She made no effort to gain control or to silence herself. In the solitude of the cabin there was no need of modesty or holding back. She knew that it was her reaction that he sought; she would give it to him. He began a deep stroking within her. It was the final movement of their symphony. He would thrust forward, she would respond in kind. She finally ended the wordlessness. In her throes she struggled to push the few words out. "Stop, I can't take any more." Jeff did not stop, and did not answer her except to strengthen his movements. He knew well the meaning of her words in the lexicon that they had built in their years together. The words "Stop, I can't take any more" in English meant "I'm going to climax again even harder than I did a few minutes ago." True to her words, she did. He waited for it, wanting to savor and remember it. Then, he released himself inside her. It was a climax that completed the full circle of satisfaction for him. It was the physical completion, achieved alongside hers, with the knowledge of a new openness between them that had not existed when their lovemaking had begun. She felt him spasm inside her. She squeezed him with her inner muscles to milk him of all the semen and emotion that he could place inside her. As he began to soften, he stayed on top of and inside her. He kissed her tenderly, she kissed back; no words were required. Finally, he withdrew from her passage, the searching completed, and lay down alongside her. He held her and she caressed him and felt the muscles in his back and arms. She thought to herself how strong they still were. These muscles had carried her up the hill through the snow covered passage to the cabin, brought in the firewood during the blizzard, and mounted her and slain her demons. They were the same strong cords that had planted their gardens, had embraced her on their wedding day, held her as she struggled through labor, and cradled their babies. He raised up to collect his watch. "Seven thirty", he exclaimed. "So much for your forty five minutes." "You were the one who put the game into overtime, Jeff," she quipped back, "but I'm not complaining." They relaxed together in the warm blankets. The fire would glow all night. They would skip dinner and have a big breakfast. Savoring their thoughts of what had just transpired, they slept together. ***************** Four days passed before the snow allowed them to emerge from the cabin, uncover the Explorer and start for home. The vehicle now felt warmer and rode smoother than before. By that fourth day, they were eager to leave. It was not out of tiredness for one another, at least emotionally and spiritually. Physically, perhaps, they needed some short recovery period. They were anxious to reenter their world with new expectations. They would set out right away to make their plans reality. The Explorer turned from the passage that led to the cabin and onto Route 28. They were both reliving events of the last days. He allowed himself a silent thought, "I wonder how she'll describe what happened on this trip to her mother." He chuckled to himself, and then put the little barb out of mind. "I can't wait to get home to a hot shower," Barbara broke the silence. "And shave your legs!" he teased back at her. The now familiar laugh came deep from her throat. "Maybe I'll let you shave them for me." "And then what?" he asked with a hopeful expression. She gave that laugh again. "Perhaps we'll prance naked around the bedroom with the hots for each other. After all, we aren't newlyweds anymore." THE END * Dear Readers, Thanks for reading this story. As always, I welcome your questions and comments. Autumn Writer