Natalie dropped her car down to second gear as the mountain road became steeper. It was snowing hard by now, and with night quickly approaching it was almost impossible to see the small signs put up at every crossroads. And, she admitted to herself, the tears weren’t helping her visibility either. It was too painful to think about why she was crying, but the past two days kept replaying themselves in her head like a broken record she couldn’t switch off no matter how hard she tried. As the snow started settling on the road her mind flashed back yet again to the events of that morning and the day before it.

***

She had seen her parents off at Denver International Airport the day before – they were embarking on a month-long trip to Sydney in celebration of their twentieth wedding anniversary. Natalie was happy for them; they were hard-working and had never had a real vacation together. Still, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy that she couldn’t come along and soak up some sun as well. However, there were certain compensations to having the house all to herself, and spending uninterrupted time with her boyfriend was one of them.

Natalie had been going out with Nathan for almost a year; they’d started dating right before high-school graduation and were taking most of their community college courses together. But in a year she had never had sex with him, had never even let him slide his hand beneath her skirt. He had been patient with her at first, but in the past few months their relationship had gotten strained. Every time they went out now he would ask some variation of the same thing.

“Come on Natalie, it only hurts the first time.”

And, “Why don’t we go back to my house baby? My parents aren’t home all night.”

And finally, “Damn it Natalie! You’re such a little tease. Most other couple’s our age are doing it, why should you hold out?”

He had asked that one on their last date after he had asked her to go the “The Hill” with him and she’d said no. “The Hill” was a spot that overlooked the city and was a famous (or infamous depending on who was talking about it) place to find teens in a “less than decent” position.

She had apologized to Nathan, but she couldn’t answer his question. Why was she holding out? The most obvious answer was that she was scared, but she also had to admit to herself that it wasn’t just that. Whenever she thought about having sex with Nathan, it had just felt wrong… which really didn’t make sense, did it? she thought. He was her boyfriend, she should like the idea of making love to him, it should excite her. But it didn’t. Still, she knew if she didn’t give in to him soon his frustration and anger would end their relationship.

As she went to bed that night in the empty house, Natalie began to hatch a plan for a weekend with Nathan. Her parents owned a small two bedroom cabin up in the Rocky Mountains. It was Natalie’s favorite place to go — the scenery was beautiful all year long, there was a small river by their cabin, and it exuded a peace and privacy she didn’t feel existed in the city. Maybe if she were up there with Nathan she would be able to push her doubt and fear into the far recesses of her mind and finally give him what she knew he wanted. Her mind made up, she set her alarm clock and fell asleep.

When she woke up the next morning the weather was cold and frosty and the weather-man said there was a high chance of heavy snow later in the afternoon. She packed accordingly, adding a heavy sweater and second coat to the clothes she’d shoved in a duffle bag. Her packing complete, she made a quick trip to the grocery store to pick up some food that would keep well for the three hour drive up the mountain and the weekend at the cabin.

As she wandered the large department store she found herself in a section of lingerie. She had packed warm flannel pajamas for the cold December nights, but maybe Nathan would prefer if she brought a couple of “sexy” nighties along too. A particularly pretty lavender set caught her eye and she grabbed it on impulse along with a black slinky night dress in her size. Throwing them in the cart without even trying them on, Natalie hurried to the check out at the front of the store. If they fit, great. If not, Nathan would never know she had bought them.

The guy at the register was not much older than Natalie, and as he scanned the lingerie he smirked unattractively, “Big weekend with your boyfriend?”

Natalie was mortified to have been asked such a personal question, but keeping her cool responded, “My girlfriend actually, and I’m sure your manager wouldn’t be happy if I told him you were making inappropriate comments to customers instead of doing your job.”

The jerk’s mouth dropped open but nothing came out. Shaking his head in disbelief he finished tallying her things in silence and stammered out the total. When she’d put it on her credit card he asked “Do you, er, need help to your car?”

Natalie couldn’t help it, she laughed. “Help from you? You have got to be kidding me!”

Still laughing, she walked away just as he muttered “Jeeze, I have to ask that question to every customer!”

Once home, Natalie packed the food and drinks into a cooler, grabbed her duffle bag, and placed it all in the large cargo space of her Volvo wagon. She left a message on her parent’s cell phone, telling them she would be spending a few days with her best friend Stephanie. She felt a little guilty about the lie, but she knew Steph would back her up, and she could hardly tell her parents her real intention. She looked around the empty house, and satisfied she hadn’t forgotten anything, locked it and headed for Nathan’s.

As she pulled up to the large Tudor style house Natalie was surprised that Nathan’s car wasn’t the only one in the drive. Parked next to the small black Saab was Stephanie’s Toyota Corona. It was winter break, but was there some sort of assignment she was supposed to be working on with them that she forgot about? Walking in without bothering to knock, Natalie looked around the empty living room, then turned and headed up the stairs. “Maybe they’re studying upstairs in his room,” she said naively to herself as she reached the landing. But as she swung open the door, she realized that what her best friend and boyfriend were doing on Nathan’s bed wasn’t something they had covered last semester.

As the guilty party looked up in surprise, Natalie took in the scene as if it were a movie set in slow motion. Stephanie on all fours facing the foot of the bed, her bottom high in the air and her naked breasts flushed. Nathan, positioned behind Steph, both hands on her hips and obviously deep inside her. Nathan’s expression was one of pure horror at being caught, Stephanie’s was a strange mixture of guilt and relief. As the two disentangled from each other and started grabbing their clothes off the floor, Natalie could only look on in silent disbelief.

Once she got her panties and tee shirt back on, Steph was the first to make an attempt at conversation. “I’m so so sorry Natalie. I came over to Nathan’s house looking for you and it just sort of happened…” Stephanie trailed off as Natalie shook her head.

“You were always a bad liar Steph. I just can’t believe you would do this to me.” She looked at Nathan, who had pulled on his boxers and was struggling to untangle his inside-out football jersey — the one she had gotten him for his birthday. Her eyes swam with unshed tears and all she could do was leave. She turned and ran down the stairs, not stopping when she heard Nathan’s shout to wait up. She pushed out the front door and was fumbling with her keys when Nathan grabbed her arm and spun her around.

“Damn Natalie, I said to wait. I can explain, I really can.”

Natalie laughed as the tears finally spilled over and streamed down her face. “What is there to explain Nathan? You were having sex with my best friend. If you were going to cheat on me, couldn’t it at least have been with some girl I didn’t know?”

“We never meant for it to happen!” Nathan protested, “But she came by and we both sort of… well we… shit Natalie, what do you want me to say?”

“How long?” she asked him bleakly. “How long have you two been doing this behind my back? Don’t bother lying to me Nathan, I can tell this isn’t the first time it’s happened. It was written all over Steph’s face.”

Nathan looked away, and she thought he wasn’t going to answer. But as they stood there in the driveway, the wind starting up around them, he finally whispered “Three months.”

“Three months,” Natalie thought, “Right after he really started pressuring me to do it with him. I guess he found someone else more willing.”

“I see,” she said aloud. As she turned back to the car he grabbed her arm again.

“It’s not my fault you know. If you had just been less of a frigid bitch I wouldn’t have had to -”

SMACK! The sound rang out clearly in the air as Nathan grabbed his face in pained surprise. Natalie wanted to scream and rage at him, tell him if he had been that unhappy he could have broken up with her, or really talked to her… or something besides sleeping with her best friend. But she didn’t think she could ever truly convey to him the magnitude of her hurt, so she got into the car and slammed the door. Nathan didn’t try to stop her as she reversed down the driveway, and as she drove away the last thing she saw was Stephanie coming out of the house and tentatively reaching out to him.

Without any clear knowledge of having made the decision, Natalie had found herself at the foothills of the Rockies and heading up the road that would take her to the cabin. She wanted the time away — she certainly did not want to be at her house for the next few days. She knew if she stayed there that Nathan would try to call, that Steph would come to the door and beg to talk to her… and she just wasn’t emotionally prepared to deal with either one of them for a while.

***

Which brought her back to the present, and the fact that she wasn’t quite sure whether or not this road was the right one to the cabin. Visibility was decreasing by the minute and Natalie knew she couldn’t afford to get lost in a blizzard. Leaning over, she opened the glove box and started shuffling through the maps. Finding the correct one she opened it one-handedly and quickly glanced at the route her parents had highlighted years ago on their first excursion up here. Yes, there it was… she was on the right road and would be turning left in a few miles. She was searching for the road name on the map when movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.

She looked up just as the deer sprinted into the middle of the road. As the doe stopped and looked at the oncoming car in a state of frozen terror, Natalie couldn’t think – all she could do was react. She turned the wheel hard to the left, narrowly missing the guard rail at the side of the road. As her car went down a narrow slope, the only thing Natalie could see was the large Evergreen looming up out of the growing darkness. When her head hit the steering wheel a mere three seconds later, she couldn’t see anything at all.

***

“Hey, hey there… it’s okay, you’re safe.” The deep voice filtered in through the fog that seemed to have invaded Natalie’s brain. She opened her eyes slowly and could just make out a blurry but unmistakably concerned face above her. When a large, black head appeared next to the face, she gave up her struggle for consciousness and slipped back down into a mercifully dreamless sleep.

When Natalie opened her eyes the next morning, it was to find herself alone in a cozily warm cabin room. At first glance she thought she had ended up at her parent’s cabin somehow, but on further inspection she realized that nothing in the room belonged to her family. When she sat up the room spun crazily and a wave of nausea passed over her. Her head ached and reaching up, she felt the large swell at the top of her forehead. “The steering wheel…” she murmured to herself. Cautiously she slipped out of the large bed and stood a little unsteadily. Looking down she realized she was dressed only in a man’s oversize shirt. In embarrassment she grabbed the quilt from the bed and wrapped it around herself. Feeling slightly less exposed she opened the door to the bedroom and stepped out.

She found herself in a large living room that also served as a kitchen. It was empty, so she turned around to search the rest of the cabin. All she found was a tiny bathroom, and it too was vacant. She rushed back to the main room of the cabin and looked out the window. The sky was extremely overcast, and the storm had dropped well over two feet of snow. Not seeing anyone in the immediate vicinity and growing increasingly uneasy about being left alone in a small cabin in the middle of nowhere, all she could do was sit on the couch and wait.

As is was, she hadn’t been sitting there long when the door crashed open and a large man walked through. Natalie jumped up, startled, and blurted out “Where were you?” Immediately she blushed, embarrassed that that was the first thing she’d said to the person who had most likely saved her life.

The man looked almost as startled by her outburst as she had been at his sudden appearance in the doorway. “I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have left you alone except I honestly didn’t think you’d wake up until this afternoon sometime. I went to get your things.” It was only then Natalie noticed he was wearing humongous snowshoes and had her duffle bag slung over one shoulder, her cooler in the other hand. Depositing them on the ground next to the fireplace he bent to un-strap the snowshoes. Propping them up against the wall he turned back to the open cabin door and let out a piercing whistle. Less than ten seconds later a large black Labrador came streaming through the door. From his shoulders downwards he was covered in bits of snow, which he commenced to vigorously shake off.

Natalie was edging away from him, partly because he was so big, partly because he had doused the quilt with a fair bit of the wet powder. The man saw this and said scoldingly, “Cujo, be a gentleman!”

Natalie took another healthy step backwards. “You named your dog Cujo?”

The man grinned at her. “Well he’s got some white markings on his muzzle that sort of make it look like he’s foaming at the mouth. And besides, he’s big enough to be a “Cujo” anyways. Don’t worry though, he’s harmless. Are you afraid of dogs?”

Natalie looked again at the Lab, who was now happily settled by the fire, tail thumping crazily on the floor. “Not exactly,” she muttered. She looked at the man, who was studying her as if she was some wild thing he had taken in and didn’t know quite what to do with. Finally she managed to ask “Um, would you mind if I took a shower and changed into some clothes?” She gestured to the quilt, “as you can see I’m not exactly decent.”

The man blushed. “I’m really sorry about that… when I got you back here you were pretty wet, and I had to remove your clothes and get you dressed in something dry so you wouldn’t get hypothermia…anyway, of course you can use the shower, help yourself.” He picked up her duffle bag and handed it to her.

Taking it from him she said “Thank you…?”

“Jeff,” he finished for her.

“Thank you, Jeff. And I’m Natalie.” He nodded and she headed to the bathroom as quickly as she could, which considering she was holding the quilt protectively around her while being thrown off balance by the large duffle bag, was admittedly not very fast.

The hot shower had a wonderful recuperative effect, though Natalie had to be careful not to touch the swelling on her forehead, which still hurt badly. When she’d dried off she quickly pulled on her favorite pair of jeans and her college sweatshirt, then steeled herself to look in the mirror. Her eyes were puffy, but the nasty bruise on her forehead took precedence, and after a few minutes she found a way to brush her hair so that it hid a fair bit of the bump. Feeling more presentable and less like a homeless stray, she exited the bathroom and made her way back to the front of the cabin.

The man (Jeff she reminded herself) had shed his winter coat and boots, and she realized with those articles of clothing gone he was not half as bulky or foreboding as first he had seemed. He was crouched in front of the fire, and as she watched he stirred it and threw on another log. When he stood she stepped further into the room. Turning around, he caught sight of her and veritably started; he was obviously a bit taken aback by her transformation. However, before either of them could say something she was ambushed by Cujo, who had trotted out from the bedroom and was now weaving happy circles around her, tongue lolling as he waited for praise. Cautiously Natalie gave him a pat, and when all she got in return was an enthusiastic hand-lick, she figured he was probably not really a vicious St. Bernard with Rabies.

Jeff seemed exasperated by his dog’s lack of manners and taking him by the collar hauled him away from Natalie. “Why don’t you come sit down,” he offered, gesturing toward the couch. “Would you like some coffee, tea…?”

“Do you have hot chocolate?” Natalie asked, settling down on an over-stuffed cushion.

Jeff nodded, “I’m pretty sure I do. Let me just make some up, then we’ll have a little talk.”

Natalie watched him bustle around the kitchen, grabbing a pan to warm the milk and switching the coffee-maker on. He was really quite handsome, she decided, with his disheveled sandy hair, strong jaw, and broad shoulders. His face had laugh lines, but there was also a sadness she could detect lurking beneath the surface. He sat down on the couch a polite distance from her and handed her a mug.

“Thank you,” she murmured, blowing on the steaming contents.

“You’re welcome.” He took a sip of his own coffee, then fiddled with the mug. “Do you want to tell me what happened out there?”

Natalie took a gulp of her drink, then choked a bit on the burning liquid. When she felt she could talk, she said “I was driving up to my parent’s cabin for the weekend. The storm started and I could barely see what road I was on. I looked down at my map, and when I looked up again there was a deer in the middle of the road. I swerved around her and… well I don’t really remember the rest, just waking up here.”

“You’re not supposed to swerve around deer you know,” he lectured her, “If you can’t brake safely, the best thing to do is hit it.”

“I know that,” Natalie retorted, a bit annoyed at being treated like a five-year-old. “But in that split second I looked in her eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to do anything else. Can you say for certain you would have plowed into her?”

Jeff shook his head, “In theory, I’d say yes, but never having actually been in that situation, I guess I don’t for certain what my reaction would be.”

Feeling vindicated, Natalie nodded. “How did you find me anyway? And how did I get back here?”

“Well, Cujo and I were securing a few things around the outside of the cabin, it was getting extremely windy and I knew a big storm was coming. You must have hit that tree pretty hard, and with the wind blowing in my direction I could hear the impact clearly. I grabbed a sled and my snowshoes and started walking down the road. I could see where your car had skidded, and I found you unconscious against the steering wheel. I put you on the sled and got back to the cabin. That’s how you got wet. I couldn’t feel any broken bones, but there was nothing to do for your head except keep you flat and warm… and hope you would wake up. Concussions can be tricky things, you’re actually very lucky it wasn’t worse.”

“I wasn’t going all that fast,” Natalie murmured, then added, “thank you Jeff, you saved my life.”

Jeff looked uncomfortable. “Don’t mention it, I’m just sorry I couldn’t do anything about your car.”

Natalie started. “My Volvo? How bad is it?”

“Let’s just say I hope your parents have insurance.”

This last bit of news was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and before Natalie could stop them tears were running down her cheeks. She tried to gulp back a sob but it escaped and she hid her face in her hands. She felt Jeff shift on the couch and awkwardly start to pat her back. “Shhh it’s okay. It’s just a car… I’m sure your parents will be much more relieved that your safe than anything else.”

“It’s not just that,” Natalie sniffled.

“What then?” Jeff asked softly, still rubbing her back.

Between gulps of air and little hiccups, Natalie blurted out the whole story of the surprise trip she had planned for her and Nathan and the discovery of his betrayal. She didn’t know why she was confiding all this to someone who was practically a stranger, but the more she talked, the more it felt as if some tremendous pressure inside her was finally being released. Jeff listened silently and sympathetically, and Cujo, perhaps sensing feminine distress, laid his head in her lap. The sensation was oddly comforting, and Natalie began to pet the dog gently. When she was finished, Jeff shook his head.

“Listen sweetie, I’m sorry this happened to you – that Nathan sounds like a real prick – but believe me when I say you’re better off with a small heartbreak now than if it had taken you much longer to discover how he really is. Just think, what if you had wasted your time for two, three more years and then found out he was cheating? It would have been a useless way to have spent your life. And you are far too intelligent to do that.” He hugged her impulsively.

Natalie gave him a watery attempt at a smile. “Thank you Jeff, you’re probably right. I think deep down I knew he wasn’t right for me, that’s why I waited so long to… well, that’s why I waited. Now I’m really glad I did.”

Jeff nodded. “Well, enough of this for now. You must be getting hungry. I’m not sure if you’ll like anything I have here to eat, but maybe I can find something-”

“Do you like pasta?” Natalie interrupted.

“Love it,” Jeff answered. “Why?”

“That cooler you brought in for me, it has all the ingredients for spaghetti in it. Plus marshmallows to toast for dessert. I was going to cook it at my cabin, but I can’t think of anything I’d like more than to make some for you. It’s the least I can do after everything you’ve done for me.”

“Well, it sounds great, but are you sure you want to cook? I don’t mind doing it at all.”

Natalie was already off the couch and retrieving the cooler. “Just show me where the pans are.”
Jeff gave her a short tutorial of the kitchen and having nothing else to do but wait, he opened a bottle of sparkling wine and sat back down on the sofa. As he sipped he snatched glances at Natalie, who was bustling around the stove as if she’d used it all her life. From the safe vantage of across the room, he allowed his gaze to wander to her bottom. He admired how her jeans hugged that curvy little asset, and the way they tapered with the flow of her legs. Her hair fell to her shoulders in a dark-brown wave, but he could just see the glints of copper whenever flickering light from the fire hit it. Her face was heart-shaped and he thought she had the prettiest hazel eyes he had ever seen. The swell of her breasts was quite enticing, and so deep was he in his reverie he didn’t hear her when she first said his name.

“Jeff? Did you hear me? Dinner’s ready.” Natalie sat down at the table, and snapping out of his haze he grabbed the wine bottle and joined her.

“This looks delicious,” he said, studying the meal in front of him, “would you like some wine?”

“That’s against the law you know,” she said sternly, then wrecked it by smiling. “Maybe just a glass would be nice.”

He poured another glass halfway and handed it to her. She sipped delicately and smiled again. “Yum.”

He laughed and they ate their pasta in companionable silence for a few minutes. Finally Natalie said, “So I’ve told you why I’m here, but what about you? Why are you secluded in this cabin in the middle of nowhere?” She could tell right away from his face that she had touched a nerve. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, that’s okay,” Jeff shrugged. “It’s not much of a story really. I was married to a woman named Cheryl for five years. We were both into traveling, but after a while I felt the urge to settle down and have a child. Cheryl wasn’t interested. She said it would end our freedom and she wasn’t ready for it. I didn’t push the issue, but as another year went by and I turned thirty-five, I really felt my biological clock was ticking. I know, that’s funny for a guy to say, but it was true. I asked Cheryl again, but her feelings hadn’t changed. Things got strained and one night we finally had a big fight. She walked out and I never saw her again. She sent the divorce papers through the mail, along with a forwarding address. She wanted me to ship all her stuff. I signed the papers, packed my own things, and left. I wasn’t about to pick up after her. I found this cabin a few weeks later and the idea of seclusion appealed to me.”

“How long have you been living here?” Natalie asked.

“Two years now. I run a small business online, so I can live anywhere I want, and I go down to Boulder twice a month to pick up supplies. But besides that, it’s just Cujo and me.” he tried to smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“I’m sorry about your wife. Now I understand what you mean about wasted time. But staying up here isn’t the best way to move on with your life. I mean, if you want children you have to get back out there and actually meet someone.”

“I know. Every time the season changes, I tell myself I have to go back into the world and start again… but then I don’t know if I’m ready to put my heart back on the line.”

Natalie smiled. “So basically we’re both runaways.”

Jeff laughed. “Yeah, I guess we are.” He noticed her empty glass, “would you like some more wine?”

“Sure. It’s really nice.” Once she was cradling the refilled glass, Jeff made himself busy by insisting on doing the dishes. By the time he was done Natalie was on her third glass and seemed to be in a happier mood than he had yet had the pleasure of seeing. Grabbing the mostly empty bottle from it’s place beside her glass, he eyed her warily.

“Have you ever drunk wine before?” he asked hopefully.

“Yep… at my eighteenth birthday party Dad said I could have some,” she giggled.

“How much did you drink then?” Jeff asked.

“One glass. I was giggling so much by the end of it Dad said I’d had quite enough. It was so unfair,” she giggled again.

“One glass?” he asked incredulously, “and you’ve had what now, three?”

Natalie nodded guiltily. “Lord,” he muttered, then, “come on then, let’s get you to the bed while you can still walk.”

Natalie stood as if to prove she could indeed still walk, but the room was swaying so much she almost fell to one side. Grabbing her before she could achieve a second concussion, Jeff led her to the bedroom. “Can you manage from here all right?” he asked.

Natalie nodded. “Thank you Jeff, it was really nice talking to you.”

He meant to leave her, but she was smiling at him so prettily he just couldn’t help himself. Leaning down he gave her a chaste kiss. She appeared startled but returned it with one of her own. He was tempted to see how much further she was willing to go, but remembered himself. She was barely what could be termed an adult, she was vulnerable from her ordeal, and she was more than a little tipsy. He couldn’t take advantage of that.

“Goodnight,” he whispered, and left so suddenly Natalie was startled. She haphazardly tugged off her jeans and crawled into the large bed, not sure what had just happened. She tried to think more about it, but exhaustion and the wine were tugging her down into a deep sleep.

***

Natalie didn’t know how he had come back into the room without her hearing, but she wasn’t all that surprised to find Jeff in the bed with her. His lips found hers again and she snuggled into his warmth, comforted in a way she had never been before. His hands were gently exploring the curves of her body, and when his palm rested on her right breast she sighed happily. He started massaging it, his thumb running over her erect nipple. His other hand had gone to the apex of her thighs, and without hesitation she opened her legs for him. The first stroke of his hand on her panty-clad pussy was pure torture and she moaned and wriggled. Taking that as an invitation to continue, he slipped his hand beneath the elastic band and gently eased a finger inside her. She arched against him, feeling the swell of his erection on her tummy.

Reaching down, she grasped the hem of her sweatshirt and pulled it over her head. His mouth immediately found a nipple and he laved it with his tongue. Moaning, she put her hand on his head, encouraging him to continue. His other hand was stroking her clit now, and with a moaning shudder she came, the pleasure washing over her in waves…

***

The insistent knocking on the door caused Natalie to jerk awake, and she realized in embarrassment that her hand was well down in her panties. In her sleep she had been masturbating while she dreamed. Extricating the errant hand, she just had time to make herself decent before Jeff walked in.

“Natalie, are you okay? I heard groaning sounds and thought you might be in pain.”

Natalie was glad the dark room hid her blush. “No, I’m okay. I was just dreaming. Sorry to worry you.”

Jeff came further into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. “I’m glad you’re okay. Listen, about earlier… I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you like that. You put your trust in me and I took advantage of you.”

Natalie frowned, trying to work out what he was saying. In the aftermath of her dream she had all but forgotten their real kiss. “Oh,” she said, finally recalling, “no, please don’t apologize Jeff… I wanted you to.”
As she said the words she realized they were true. She did want Jeff to kiss her… and more. For no reason she could fully explain to herself, he made her feel loved and wanted in a way Nathan never had. Their age gap was a plus to her way of thinking. She’d take maturity over adolescent idiocy any day.
“In fact,” she heard herself saying, “I’d very much like it if you kissed me again… please.”

Jeff didn’t need to be asked twice, and cupping her cheek he brought her face to his. This wasn’t the chaste kiss of a few hours ago, but a deep, powerful kiss that made her pulse race. She wrapped her arms around him and returned the kiss. Experimentally he explored her mouth with his tongue, and when she tentatively opened for him he tasted the sweet aftermath of the sparkling wine.

So engrossed were they, Natalie found herself prone on the bed with Jeff balancing on top of her. Without breaking the kiss she felt his hand start to gently explore her body in much the same way as he had in her dream. As his hand found and cupped her breast, she murmured unintelligibly. While busily strumming her nipple to erection, she felt his other hand find the front of her panties. He seemed a bit hesitant to transgress that particular barrier, so she helped him along by grabbing his hand in hers and pressing it directly against her pussy.

She could sense his surprise, but he certainly didn’t hesitate to start stroking her. She moaned and fumbled to pull off her sweatshirt. She desperately needed his hand on her bare breasts. She received more than that when his mouth latched onto her nipple and began a gentle suck that she was sure was meant to drive her absolutely crazy. Added to that was him gently pulling down her panties, his fingers brushing teasingly against the small thatch of hair he had uncovered.

Natalie was not altogether sure she wanted him looking at her naked pussy, but he maintained complete respect for her, and locking eyes with her, he gently slid a finger into her opening. They groaned simultaneously. “God Natalie,” he murmured, “you are so wet.”

She was almost embarrassed by the statement, but the look in his eyes told her plainly that it was a compliment. After a few moments of exploration he added another digit to the one already in her pussy. She felt slightly stretched, but the feeling was not altogether unpleasant. Of course, this was heavily aided by the fact that he had recommenced the gentle licking and sucking of her nipples. She threw her head back in pleasure, overwhelmed by the signals being sent to her by all points of her body’s compass.

As for Jeff, his fingers had reached the barrier that was her hymen, and he was unsure of how to proceed. He wanted more than anything to be the first man Natalie made love to, but didn’t want to assume she was ready for that. Still, he knew he had to ask.

“Can I make love to you sweetie? I promise I’ll be as gentle as possible but it will mostly likely hurt you this time around. I’m afraid it’s unavoidable.”

Natalie, lost in pleasure, was surprised he thought he even needed to ask. She opened her eyes and found him gazing at her. She nodded. “You’re the only person I would trust in the world to do it. Just please be careful.”

“Don’t worry sweetie, I will,” he assured her. Then he grabbed the pillow she wasn’t using from the head of the bed. “Turn on your tummy, Natalie, and I’ll put this under your hips.”

She looked a bit uncertain. “You’re not going to spank me, are you?”

Jeff almost groaned aloud at the prospect, but managed to choke out, “No, I’m not going to spank you Natalie, it just may be more comfortable if your first time is on your tummy.”

“Oh,” she said, blushing. Nervously she turned on her stomach, feeling vulnerable as her entire backside was exposed.

Jeff slipped the pillow under her hips and stopped to kiss the spot just above her bottom. “You’re so pretty,” he whispered. He had somehow managed to pull off his boxers somewhere in between kissing her nipples and rubbing her pussy, and he lined up his considerable erection with her small opening. Natalie shuddered slightly and he knew he had to go slowly so she wouldn’t panic at the last second.

He began to massage the curve of her bottom with both hands, adding feather-light kisses to the tops of her spread thighs. Eventually he felt her relax, and was able to slip a few inches into her pussy. Natalie gasped, but made no indication for him to stop, so grasping her waist he pressed himself in more firmly. When the head of his shaft bumped her hymen he knew they were at a point of no return. He drew back and with a short, hard thrust rendered the bit of membrane into oblivion.

Natalie gave a small involuntary shriek as her innocence was torn away. It stung badly and she was unable to withhold a few tears. Imbedded to the hilt, Jeff stayed absolutely still. “I’m so sorry sweetie, do you want to stop?”

However, the pain was already fading and Natalie shook her head. “No, just stay still for a minute.”

He did as she asked and eventually the pain faded completely. It was replaced with the odd feeling of being stuffed, but when she moved her hips a little, she found it to be a very nice sensation. Taking his cue, Jeff began a slow thrust inside her, careful not to go too fast. When Natalie began reverse thrust, urging him on with whimpers and little breathy pants, he picked up the speed.

So wet and snug was she, he felt his end approaching. Desperately he reached under and began stroking her sensitive clit. It didn’t take much digital attention before she came, arching back against him as the orgasm pounded through her. Her pussy clenched around his shaft and he felt his own orgasm overtake him.

When he could breathe more evenly, Jeff fell to the side and rolled Natalie so she was pressed against him. Wrapping his arms around her he kissed her forehead and rested his face in her hair. Lavender wafted up to him and he thought he might fall asleep. Natalie’s hand was pressed against his back and using only her fingertips, she began a slow trip up and down it’s expanse. She sighed happily.
“Are you still hurting?” he asked, concerned.

“I’m a little sore,” she admitted, “but you were very gentle and that helped a lot.” Indeed, she felt sure Nathan wouldn’t have been even a tenth as attentive as Jeff had been.

“No regrets then?” Jeff asked sleepily.

She smiled in the dark. “No regrets.”

Satisfied, they both fell into an exhausted sleep.

***

Sometime in the night the fire had burnt itself out, and the cold of the bedroom woke Natalie from a deep, dreamless sleep. She didn’t know when Cujo had come into the room, but the large black dog was curled up on a rug in front of the hearth. Jeff was still dead to the world, so she slipped her sweatshirt and panties back on and, wrapping herself once again in the quilt, crept to the bedroom window. The sun was just coming up and she could tell that it would be much warmer today than it had been the rest of the week. The icicles hanging from the top of the window were already melting, and she thought even the snow looked a little less deep than it had the day before.

Spotting movement in the corner of her eye, she looked toward the edge of the clearing. A deer had stepped out of the dense forest, and instinctively she knew it was the doe that had caused her accident. As she watched, a young fawn came out of the trees and clumsily made it’s way to the doe. Watching mother and baby, Natalie knew without doubt that everything that had happened the last few days was for a reason. For the first time in her life, she knew exactly what she wanted and what her future would hold. And that future started with the man sleeping peacefully behind her. She almost woke him up to tell him her plans, but decided to let him be. There was plenty of time, and she thought a toasted marshmallow or three really sounded nice.

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