Off of the Beaten Path Read online

  “Hey, don’t worry,” he said. “I’m not going to take advantage of you.”

  “Maybe you should,” she remarked, without realizing it until the words were already lingering in the air, and no doubt hitting Jess’s brain.

  He brought her to his bed and laid her on it, then found himself leaning in and kissing her lips. They were so soft and full, her lips. The little crying she’d done had seemed to make them even softer than he remembered them from Caracas. He kissed them more, and her arms went around his neck, her hands beginning a passionate play down his spine.

  Ashley was breaking every rule she had in her rule book about Jess Barrow; but it was the jungle, off the beaten path, and her ankle hurt, and she was sick and tired of fighting the man off, even more sick of fighting off her own desires. She remembered Caracas too well.

  It didn’t take long to strip the rest of Ashley’s clothes from her sensuous body. She was melting against him, as his hands poured over her flesh, nibbling, pinching, massaging her hard, even on her rosy rear end, especially on her rosy rear end. He seemed to find great satisfaction in hearing her moan when he gave her bottom more playful swats.

  He wasn’t just rough though; finding her clitoris, he played with that too, lovingly, first with his finger and then with an affectionate tongue. She thought she’d fly through the grass roof when he finally plunged his cock between her legs and began to screw her. He’d planned to take her from behind, just so he could watch her red bottom bounce against him; but being careful with her ankle, he decided to forego the gymnastics. And by that time, it didn’t matter. Their movements were swift, but very effective, and the two were soon lounging together in a prickly sort of peace, feeling much less tension between them.

  “So tell me, was it all that bad?” Jess asked, as they lay side by side, staring up at the roof, and listening to the rain that had begun another torrential downpour.

  “Not really,” she said. “I suppose I deserved it, I was being a little testy. And you are a decent lover, if nothing else.”

  “Wow, what an admission,” Jess remarked. He was impressed. For Ashley to suggest that she deserved getting spanked and that he was a “decent” lover, all in one breath, was cause for celebration. “I wish you liked me more, you might find it easier to give in and have a good time,” Jess remarked.

  “I can’t help it, I think scientists are stodgy, and you fit the mold perfectly, even if you’re a virile man of the earth.”

  “Do I detect a compliment?”

  “No. You’re not bad looking, that’s probably the problem, you should be an archaeologist, or something like that … .”

  “Like Indiana Jones?” he suggested, laughing.

  “That would be more interesting. But to find your heart’s desire inside some test-tube in the middle of the jungle? Jess you can do better.”

  Ashley could be terribly condescending.

  “So why did you screw me then?” he said.

  “Maybe I felt sorry for you.”

  “Yeah, sure. And maybe someday you’ll say something really sweet and tender to me, instead of setting your barbs.”

  “I’m sorry, I suppose I should be nice to you, after all you made me feel pretty good, and I’m really at your mercy. You will let me sleep in your bed?”

  “Only if I can be here with you, and take you anytime I want in the middle of the night. Otherwise I kick you out.”

  “Guess I shouldn’t complain,” she said, trying to be just a little more amicable.

  “No, you shouldn’t,” Jess agreed.

  “But you start to brag to anyone about me, I’ll disavow that any of this ever happened,” she warned him.

  “Who am I going to tell here, the rats?”

  “There’re rats?”

  “Of course there’re rats.”

  “Not inside I hope.”

  He laughed. “It would serve you right if they were.”

  “Oh yuck.” She snuggled in next to him as if that was some protection.

  ***

  The next morning Jess woke with the bed next to him empty. He knew someone had slept with him, but it took him some minutes to remember who. Pulling himself out from between the sheets, he saw Ashley’s clothes still hanging around his hut. Ah, yes, Ashley, he knew now why he was feeling so rested.

  Pulling on his khakis, and a pair of sandals he strolled out to the front porch, thinking his houseguest was likely drinking coffee outside, since one brief look told him that she wasn’t in the hut. Not finding her on the porch, he proceeded around to the side of the building, and saw Ashley in the distance on the airstrip, a wrench in hand with her backside to him. Her bottom clothed in tan shorts looked very pretty from his point of view. He could imagine running his hands down her rear again, even giving her another good paddling.

  “What the hell are you doing now?” he shouted, as he walked toward her.

  “I fixed the plane!” she said turning, smiling broadly.

  “Hey great!” he replied, though it likely meant she’d be off before he could even make her breakfast. “How’s the ankle?”

  “Sore as hell, but I can limp a little, and it’s not going to affect my flying the plane.”

  “You can keep the bandage,” he said.

  “Thanks.”

  “How’s your bottom?” he asked.

  She smirked, and a faint look of annoyance crossed her face. “Thought we might forget about it,” she said.

  “You won’t be able to,” he warned.

  She turned back to the plane, the conversation too difficult to continue face to face. “Well for your information, Jess, I can’t feel a thing on my bottom. So if you expected me to be “sore so I can’t sit down,” well, you’ll be disappointed to know that it just didn’t happen.”

  “Too bad, I was hoping you’d have something to remember me by when you fly off.”

  She didn’t reply.

  Jess approached her bending over form, grabbed one shoulder and held it tight, while he whacked his hand against her ass end a half dozen times. The last two strokes were against the bare tops of her thighs where it really stung.

  “Stop it!” she shouted, jerking away from him. She was scowling nastily, waving the wench in his face. “Don’t you ever think you have the upper hand with me Jess Barrow, just because I got weak for one moment!”

  “Oooo, please,” he replied sarcastically. “I’d never be so presumptuous.”

  “Yes, you would, you always think you have something over me,” she snapped back.

  “That’s what makes you love me so much.”

  “Love!” She looked incredulous.

  “That’s what you said last night.”

  “Yeah, while you were plowing me with that dick, I’d say anything then.”

  Jess shrugged. “Can I get you anything, some breakfast maybe?”

  “Naw, I have to get out of here, this route is damned mess up, it’s gonna take me a week to get my schedule clear.” She always had a way of overstating everything.

  A half hour later the turquoise and white plane lifted off the short runway and Jess was watching it from the ground until it was out of sight.

  Chapter Two

  Much to Jess Barrow’s surprise, a week later, he was returning from a sample-collecting hike into the jungle, when he found the blonde aviator, Ashley Bloom, sitting on his front porch.

  “I hope you don’t mind I lifted a beer from your meager stores,” she said pleasantly.

  “Hey, that’s one less for me this week,” he complained, though he was really glad to see the vivacious blonde. “You trying to seduce me with your hair all untied like that?” It was really lovely the way her voluminous wavy hair surrounded her face with a soft alluring look.

  “I should have expected you’d think of it that way,” she replied, still willing to spar with him. “Jess, you really should get out of this jungle more often and see some civilization.”

  “You have any plans for me if I do?”

>   “No, just some advice. You’d be a lot more appealing man without the grime constantly on your neck, and sweat on your brow.”

  “I thought you liked the earthy adventurous type,” he said. He was up to the porch and staring down at the sassy vamp. (She’d hate it if he called her that.)

  “As long as it’s not boring,” she replied, harping on the same old line she always used with him.

  “So why this visit?”

  “Just being friendly,” she replied.

  “Really? I’m surprised. Usually you put as much space as possible between visits to my bed.”

  “I’m not planning another visit to your bed, if that’s what you’re thinking. You had me over a barrel last time.”

  “Yeah, that would be kinda nice, having you “over a barrel” sometime,” he joked. He immediately pictured her leaning over a wine barrel, rear end high and waiting to be well screwed. “So how’s the ankle?”

  “Much better. The doctor in Caracas said you did a fine job wrapping it for me. Should I say thanks?”

  “Sure, say it,” Jess told her.

  She looked at him slightly annoyed. If they bantered back and forth all the time, their relationship never would go anywhere. Ashley knew that, but she didn’t really know how to stop, even though there was this tiny little minuscule thing inside that wanted her to. Jess Barrow really was gorgeous, something she’d never say to him. He did have a way with her physically that was matchless, if she put him up against the men she knew. If only he wasn’t so “professorial” all the time. Then again, maybe that was okay too.

  “So,” Jess said. “How long are you staying?”

  “Just long enough to say hello, and suggest that I fly us out of here for the evening. I know a little restaurant about …” she looked at her watch, “an hour away. I can have you back before it’s really dark.”

  Jess looked at her and smiled. This was quite a move on her part, and it pleased him. Even if she wasn’t letting her guard down much, just suggesting the excursion was something.

  “You know I could use a night in town,” Jess pondered aloud. “I have some things I could do tomorrow. I was planning on it for next week, but why not now?”

  “Great,” she answered, trying not to smile too broadly.

  Fresh scrubbed and wearing his dress khakis and a regular sport shirt, Jess was sitting across from Ashley two hours later in the little restaurant she’d mentioned. He was happy to see her looking quite stunning in a strapless sundress, her lovely breasts pushed high enough to create quite an appealing cleavage in front. It gave him all the more reason to want to strip the dress away, that, and memory of her lovely red rear cheeks from just a week before.

  The two were half way through one of the most pleasant conversations they’d ever had, when Ashley interrupted their friendly discourse …

  “How did you get the nerve to spank me?” she asked.

  Jess took some time to consider a reply, wondering why she was interested in the answer.

  “It wasn’t hard, Ash, you were acting like a selfish bitch.”

  “I had a hurt ankle,” she said.

  “Yes, you had a hurt ankle, but you’d been a petulant brat since you arrived at my house. Don’t you remembered admitting to me that you deserved it?”

  “I said that just to keep you off my back,” Ashley informed him.

  “Yeah sure,” he said.

  “I did.” It was suddenly quite a point with her.

  “Listen, you asked me out, let’s not spar anymore,” Jess suggested.

  “Okay, I’m sorry. I just wanted you to know that this spanking business was a one-time adventure, if that’s what you want to call it. Don’t go thinking I’ll let you do it again.”

  “It’s not a matter of letting, it’s a matter of just doing it when it’s appropriate,” Jess explained.

  “And it’s rather presumptuous of you.” Her eyes were flashing the way Ashley’s often did when challenged.

  “I’m a presumptuous man, I wouldn’t try to hide that.”

  “You can be an ass too,” she said scowling.

  “Hey, I thought we were going to stop the fighting?”

  “Well, not before I point out to you, that you’re the most chauvinistic, bull-headed, Neanderthal man I’ve ever met. You’re living in some dream world if you think a woman’s going to put up with getting spanked whenever you see fit to wail on her ass.”

  “You’d be surprised, Ashley. Some women really like it.”

  “Well, not me.”

  He smirked, knowingly. “I wouldn’t be so sure,” he said, his eyes twinkling so they infuriated her.

  “I thought we weren’t going to spar,” she said looking at him spitting daggers from her brilliant eyes, the tone of her voice, giving him a not so gentle reminder.

  “Maybe we can’t stop,” he suggested.

  “I didn’t bring you here to fight with you,” Ashley said.

  “Why then?” he asked, all posturing aside, he asked the question sincerely.

  Ashley couldn’t help but answer with something other than a sharp retort, even though she found the words difficult to speak.

  “I thought we might want to get to know each other better, the way we seemed to “connect” last week.”

  “Well, I’m glad you did. So, tell me something about you I didn’t know,” he suggested as he hoped the conversation would lighten.

  “Well, let’s see, this should interest you,” she began. “I got a call from Mac Larson yesterday. He wants me to fly in some supplies up the river next week. Great run, lots of money. If I get it regularly, I’ll have enough money by next spring for a new plane. How about that?” She looked pleased with herself.

  “I think you’re being damned foolish,” Jess said, his expression suddenly looking very grim.

  “Why?” she asked. “You know Mac, don’t you?”

  “Yes, and I wouldn’t trust anything he does. He’s in some very dangerous country, lots of nasty stuff going on up there. Don’t do it.” Jess shook his head, looking as serious as she’d ever seen him during a non-explosive conversation.

  “What do you mean, don’t do it? That’s stupid. It’s no different than my bringing supplies to you.”

  “It damn well is. There was a plane shot down there two weeks ago, a supply plane, or are you forgetting that?”

  “That was a fluke.”

  “Ashley, if I thought spanking your butt would get you to stop this, I’d do it right now.”

  “Don’t you even think about it,” she snapped. “I’ve been dropping supplies all through these jungles for three years, I’m not suddenly going to get scared off by one downed plane. My god, I’m aware of a dozen incidents that could frighten me, but I refuse to live my life in fear all the time.”

  Jess shook his head. “I worry about you, Ashley,” he said, and the concern was genuine, seeing the look on his face.

  “If you think I’m so foolish, why do you suddenly start worrying about me now?” she said.

  “Maybe it has something to do with our being together tonight, and how we were last week,” he offered.

  “Oh, you think this is a relationship and you can get your male judgment, and your male ego into the picture and start trying to run my life?”

  “Sorry, for caring,” Jess replied. He took a long drink of his lemonade. “Maybe we should forget about this whole thing, I’d try to care about you and you’ll just run off recklessly doing whatever you damn well please, and all I’ll ever do is worry. I’m not sure I want to play brave man on the sidelines with you.”

  The depth of his feeling surprised her, and she was atypically speechless. There was a compelling surge inside her, hearing his caring words so clearly felt. She couldn’t remember when anyone had suggested to her that she NOT do anything; probably because everyone that knew her, knew she’d just go ahead and do whatever she damn well pleased. In fact, this very job in Venezuela often seemed just a “get back” at her mother, and an ex
-boyfriend who tried to stop her. Now she wasn’t even sure if she liked the job anymore, since the “romance” of this lifestyle was beginning to wear thin.

  “Hey, does this have to destroy tonight?” Ashley said, trying to make amends.

  Jess perked up. “I suppose not.”

  “My place or yours?” she asked, with a sensuous lilt in her voice.

  He was practically rock hard between his legs all ready, just looking at her did it to him every time. “I don’t have a place to stay yet, remember? I guess it will have to be yours.”

  They strolled through the quaint village after dinner on their way to the small house she kept. She was hardly ever in the place, but she kept it like home with enough personal things to make it feel like one. The front porch had attracted her from the start, since she loved front porches. And when she wasn’t flying, dead tired or working on the plane, she was rocking in a chair she managed to bring from Caracas on one of her trips to the city.

  As she and Jess reached the house, there was that electric chemistry passing back and forth, something so unseen, but so seemingly tangible, it was a surprise that they couldn’t touch it. Just inside the doorway of her house, Jess had his hand on Ashley’s rear, the other hand reaching for her face, so he could lean down and kiss her. The kiss was warm and moist with their tongues making the same tenuous explorations that their conversation had tried. Getting to know each other in a new setting like this, it seemed odd to Ashley having Jess there. A shiver, something almost imperceptible raced through her. Had he seen it? She wanted to roll all over her bed with him, but for the first time since she could remember, she found herself deferring to a man, to Jess, letting him lead while she followed. It was appropriate and she didn’t know why, but for some reason she knew it was the way it should be with them.

  “You going to stay right here and make love to me?” she asked. They hadn’t budged from the doorway.

  “We’ll get to other places, you’re just going to have to be patient. I have some other things in mind before we get to bed.”

  “Oh, and what are they?” Ashley asked.

  Jess pulled away from the attentive kisses he was giving her in the middle of their seductive conversation. “I thought I’d start with you over my lap, let you really know how I feel about this flight up river.”