Her Billionaires_ Boxed Set(37)

They slowed, little clenches from the remainders of their sex slowing down. The sounds of nature filled her ears, layer by layer—birds. A buzzing. A pinch. She smacked a mosquito off her shoulder and then relaxed. Laura was still full of him as Mike relaxed, trapping her, their wetness and his muscled body all she felt now. She had no thoughts, her body surrendered, everything good, all complete, all chaperoned by the winking sun.

Neither said a word. Not one. By the time Laura realized they needed to leave, the sun had begun to set. Had they really just relaxed there, naked as the day they were born, for hours —just staring at each other, watching the clouds, feeling the wind whip their sated skin? Time disappeared, and as they reluctantly dressed in the sunset’s glow, she decided not to say anything until he did. Perhaps this was more spiritual than she knew possible, and speaking would end whatever this was.

Mike packed and carried all their gear in silence the entire walk down to the trailhead’s parking lot, where both their cars sat, expectant and a bit miffed, like parents of children new to the dating scene. Laura laughed at the sight of their abandoned cars, the only ones in the lot, and Mike just looked at her quizzically.

He remained silent, but stepped forward and kissed her cheek gently. “Third date?” he whispered in her ear. She grinned so widely her cheek hit his.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he whispered, then strode to his car, popped the hatchback, carefully placed the backpack and picnic goods, closed the trunk door and climbed in his car, watching Laura carefully.

By the time they both pulled out of the parking lot and made their respective turns, Laura’s face was covered with tears.



Some things were just too personal to share even with her best friend. Laura was going steadily mad and if the itching didn’t stop she was going to scream. Rubbing her butt against her kitchen chair wasn’t working, damn it— why on earth had she ever bought vinyl covered seats? With good old upholstery at least she could have scratched her butt in a way that gave her some friction—and some relief.

This itching was slowly penetrating her every conscious move, making her one big, non-stop twitch, and she’d only been conscious for an hour. Two cups of coffee hadn’t helped. Finally, Josie, who had finished four cups to Laura’s two, cocked her head and said, “What in the hell are you doing, Laura? You look like a nine-year-old boy who just had an ice cream fest and a few shots of espresso.”

“I am just not comfortable.” Understatement of the year. Rub rub rub.

“Did you pick something up from one of the two guys you fucked within twenty-four hours?”

Ouch. “Oh please, it wasn’t within twenty-four...and you can’t get...oh, I don’t even want to go there. Shut up, Josie.” She reached behind and scratched her ass.

“You’re scratching your ass in public. I mean, man—”

“We’re not in public—we’re in my apartment.”

“I am public. I am a human being.”

“No, you’re not. You’re my best friend.”

“You...what is going on?” Now Laura couldn’t help herself and start to scratch her breast. Her nipple was throbbing with the hot, torturous itch that plagued her ass as well. “Why on earth are you scratching your boob?”

“Because it itches.”

“Come on Laura, that’s not what I meant.” Josie’s exasperation showed in her tone and, finally, Laura couldn’t stand it anymore. She stood up, pulled her pants down, pulled down her underwear halfway and reached for the tube of hydrocortisone cream that she’d shoved in her purse to take to work.

“Laura, oh, my God.”

“What?” Laura twisted around and stared at her own ass. Yup. It wasn’t any better this morning. What had started out as a series of small mosquito bites was now a minefield of red, hot flesh, swollen up into these enormous hive-like bites. When she had returned home from her date with Mike, she’d realized pretty quickly what had happened. While making love outside in nature, in a field, on top of a mountain, with the most incredible view possible— both of nature and of Mike’s body— had been earth shattering, quite literally, the reality of nature had set in.

On her butt.

She had about fifty mosquito bites all over her ass down her legs, up her chest, and one had managed to land on her left breast areola. Those zaps? Those zings of pleasure? Not arousal! Nature’s vampires.

As she smeared the hydrocortisone cream all over the top of her ass, Josie just shook her head and laughed, folding in half as she held her gut, tears streaming down her face.