Fire at the River's Edge Read online

  Clenching his fists together, he swayed back and forth as a single vision popped into his mind. A moment of terror washed into his system as the dancing flame licked up in his memory, a slight hissing sound something he’d never forget. This was also a time for uncontrolled fires kicking up given careless tourists, forgetful of the most basic rules. Now, he was thinking like his father. He chuckled as the thoughts regarding his past became bittersweet. Stop. Just stop the shit. His inner voice did little to soothe the beasts raging inside.

  “Hey. You okay?” Amanda tugged his arm, dragging him away from the past.

  “I’m fine. Just scoping out tomorrow’s hike.” Garcia realized his voice held an edge.

  “You’re a terrible liar. What’s going on?”

  He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in close. “Just memories.” Shielding his eyes, he stared into the waning sun. Even as the warmth enveloped his body, a chill remained.

  Amanda nuzzled against his chest and sighed. “You’re a dreamer. I’ve always loved that about you.”

  This wasn’t a dream. His past held nightmares. He blinked and squeezed, savoring the way she felt in his arms. She could be the love of his life, happy ever after, if there was such a thing. Sighing, he did his best to shove the ugliness back in a locked box. He’d been so out of sorts lately, his anger off the chain. His friends called him a daredevil, taking on any and every opportunity to thwart danger. Yeah, he was invincible. They stood quietly for several minutes until he finally broke the trance. “Come on. Let’s get something to eat. I’m starving.”

  Giving him a playful punch, she rubbed the tip of her finger across the seam of his mouth. “You always are. I’m hoping not just for food, if ya know what I mean, big boy.”

  He watched as she took several steps backward, a look of clear seduction riding her lovely features. She was going to be in so much trouble later.

  “Do you ever wonder where you’ll be in five years?” Garcia asked quietly.

  “Honestly? No. I’m trying to enjoy the moment,” Amanda said as she stroked his back. “Where do you think you’ll be?”

  The question had been one too difficult to answer. Shrugging, Garcia wrapped his arms around his legs as he gazed at the few stars in the sky. Clouds had all but covered the glorious sky. “My guess is at a desk job somewhere, working long hours just trying to get ahead. Probably own a house, a kid on the way.”

  “That doesn’t sound in the least bit enjoyable.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because,” she whispered as she slid her hands between his legs, “I want more out of life.”

  “Like what?” He could swear he heard a rumble in the distance.

  Inhaling, she cupped and squeezed his crotch. “I think I’d like to be an architect, designing glass skyscrapers. Maybe somewhere like San Francisco. No, I know. Paris. I’d love to live in Paris, work and play in such a romantic city. Can you see me in short little skirts, working in an office full of men?”

  He knew she was being playful but then again, she was a dreamer, preferring to think of every aspect in an ‘out of the box’ fashion. If only he could grab onto a golden dream. “Sounds amazing. Why don’t you?”

  “Move to Paris?” Amanda asked as she unzipped his shorts.

  “Well, yeah, but how about studying architecture?”

  “And forget that my parents spent over a hundred thousand dollars for me to become a teacher?”

  Shuddering from her touch, he laid down on the blanket, folding his arms behind his head. “Go back to grad school.”

  “Right. My daddy would kill me,” she purred and leaned over, brushing the tip of her finger up and down his shaft.

  “Your father wants you to be happy.”

  “But only in what he deems as appropriate.” Lowering her head, she licked around his cockhead. “You don’t know my father, not really.” She dragged the tip of her tongue down the length of his shaft, blowing a swath of hot air across his balls.

  “Your life. You have to decide what you want,” he managed as he smiled and closed his eyes, his entire body tingling.

  Amanda tugged his shorts until she was able to free his swollen balls. Rolling them between her fingers, she used her other hand to pump the base of his cock. “Within reason.”

  “Mmm…” As she took his cockhead into her hot, wet mouth, he sucked in his breath. The woman could give a blowjob like no other.

  Crack!

  The sharp sound drew them both out of their reverie.

  “Was that lightning?”

  He leaned up on one elbow, studying the sky. Another flash of lighting was followed by a series of rumbles, crackling thunder as if coming from the very bowels of the earth.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I hope nothing.” He studied what he could see of the clouds. The breeze had turned into light wind, the swirling ominous formations indicating a turbulent air mass.

  She pushed his chest and crawled between his legs. “Relax and enjoy.”

  Smiling, he tousled her hair and laid down, yet he remained unable to close his eyes. He’d heard enough about how damaging a storm system could be.

  Sucking on the tip, she squeezed his testicles until he moaned.

  “Damn woman. Whew.” As she licked and sucked, going down an inch at a time, he panted, his heart racing. His dick was throbbing, his balls aching to the point he wanted nothing more than to be inside of her. When the atmosphere seemed quiet, he settled in, tension easing from his body. “That’s it, baby.”

  Amanda pulled his shaft out of her mouth and blew across his sensitive slit. “I could lick you for days.”

  “Mmm... Then by all means.”

  Using a combination of her fingers and tongue, she drew zigzags underneath his cock as she peppered licks and kisses until she reached his balls. Alternately sucking one then the other, she wrapped her hand around the base of his cock, twisting.

  “Shit!” The friction driving him wild, he shifted back and forth.

  She dragged the tip of her tongue up the length of his shaft, swirling around his cockhead then engulfed several inches. Moving up and down, she continued pumping, her actions becoming more and more frantic.

  He jutted his hips, the move forcing the tip of his dick into the back of her mouth. As she clamped around the thick invasion, sucking, her tongue twirling back and forth, he slapped one hand on the ground. With the other, he intertwined his fingers in her hair, holding her head in place. Dear God, this felt damn good. Sinful.

  Making soft mewling sounds she continued, every move more aggressive, as if she was on fire. Up and down her head bobbed, until she took every inch, her lower lip resting on his balls. She held the stance, undulating her hips back and forth.

  “Christ. You’re going to make me come,” he breathed, his words strangled. The moment she began moving up and down, taking every inch, a climax rushed to the surface. His toes curling, he tried to hold back but there was no use. “Shit. I can’t…” Groaning, he tossed his head back as the intense orgasm rushed from his anguished balls to the tip of his cock.

  She kept her mouth wrapped around his shaft and squeezed his balls.

  Exploding into her mouth, he stifled a yelp as his entire body began to shake. “Fuck!” Seconds later, he fell back against the ground, exhaustion as well as extreme satisfaction creating goose bumps along every inch of naked skin.

  Licking every drop, she purred as she rubbed the flats of her hands under his shirt, kneading his stomach and chest.

  “You are so bad,” he whispered hoarsely.

  “And you love every minute.”

  “I do.” Reaching down, he tugged her into his arms and against his chest. “That was amazing.”

  “You’re the amazing one.” She palmed his chest and nuzzled into the crook of his arm, gazing up at the sky. “I think I could get used to the outdoors.”

  Laughing, he rubbed the tips of his fingers up and down her arms. “Yeah, me too.”

>   “Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?”

  “I’m sure.”

  “You are such a bad liar. I’m serious. You haven’t been yourself for months.”

  He allowed a long breath to escape, realizing the sound was haggard, as if he’d been holding in years of emotions. Perhaps he had. “Just thinking about life, the man inside.”

  “Baby, you can do anything you want. You just have to follow your heart. You know that. You just don’t follow damn good advice.” She lifted her head.

  “Very funny.” Even in the darkness, he could see the concern in her eyes.

  “Just telling you the truth. Whatever nightmare is keeping you from your dreams, you need to figure out how to let it go. If you don’t, you’re never going to be the man begging for release.” Amanda kissed his neck then settled back in.

  “Good advice.” Yes, she always gave damn good advice. He just had difficulty accepting it from anyone. Nightmares. You bet he continued to have them. They came and went, depending on his mood and what was going on in his life. Lately, they’d become strangling. Tonight, a slight peace had moved into his system. This was exactly what he’d needed. More comfortable than he’d been in a long time, he scanned the sky for any additional lightning strikes. Seeing nothing, he closed his eyes.

  Boom!

  “What the hell?” Jerking up, Garcia glanced from right to left, scanning the perimeter. Everything seemed quiet. Cocking his head, he heard the slight whistle as the wind blew through the crevices, but nothing seemed out of place. Maybe he’d been dreaming. He looked over, realizing he’d fallen asleep on the blanket. Reaching out, he expected to find Amanda. There was nothing but dead air. She must have gone back to the tent. A hint of morning light had crept over the tops of the mountains, but instead of the usual vibrant hues of orange and fuchsia, the waning glow was gray with a hint of violet. Had to be very early. The scent of the surrounding area was sweet, refreshing, the fragrance of the wild, alluring in every way. Truly a magical place.

  Yawning, he rubbed his eyes and turned on his side, realizing every muscle in his body ached. Between the intense hike that morning and lying on hard, cold rock, he would have trouble kicking it into high gear in the morning. He blinked several times, trying to keep his eyes open. Going back to the tent was the best idea but…

  Crack! Wham!

  “Shit!” This time, he sat up, adrenaline rushing through his bloodstream. He’d know that sound anywhere. Struggling, he managed to climb to his feet and heard the sound of the others. The earth was still shaking from the intensity of the roll of thunder. He crept closer to the edge of the ravine, peering down.

  “Jesus Christ. Did you hear that?” Lucas flanked his side, huffing as he glanced at the sky. “Would you look at that? Heat lightning?”

  Garcia followed his gaze and shook his head. “Afraid not.”

  “A storm? Here? I thought Arizona never had rain.”

  “Not usually. Only a few downpours a year.”

  “Fuckin’ great. The one goddamn time we come here and we’re going to be rained out,” Lucas huffed.

  Garcia shot him a look, a shiver racing down his spine. “Let’s just hope that’s all we’re talking about.”

  “Wow. It’s cold.” Rubbing her arms, Jen tripped and yelped as she walked closer. “Ugh. I hate this place!”

  “Grab a blanket,” Lucas said, his tone scolding.

  Crackle! Crack!

  The lightning bolt flashed across the sky, a neon infused slash rocketing in a perpendicular motion.

  “Oh! I can feel the electricity,” Amanda said from behind.

  Garcia watched the way a series of lightning flashes cross-crossed the sky, several booms of thunder right behind. “The storm is closing in. We better take shelter.” The whistling increased, becoming a slow whine as the wind kicked up. He took a step away from the edge and turned around. “Come on.” He grabbed the blanket, ugly thoughts racing through the back of his mind. What had he been thinking bringing a group here? They were miles away from what could be called civilization, camping in a desolated spot. No, they had time. The storm didn’t seem too bad, not like what he’d seen on television before.

  “I don’t feel any rain,” Lucas insisted. “I do like the cool breeze. Nice.”

  “You will soon. Let’s go.”

  Wham! Crack!

  “Shit!” Amanda jumped and raced toward Garcia. “That was close.”

  “Wait. I feel raindrops,” Jen added as she held out her hands.

  As the rain began to fall, gently at first, Garcia tipped his head. “I have a very bad feeling about this.” He started walking toward the main tent and could hear the rain hitting the rocks, slinging off and trickling down a split second before his back was pelted.

  “Shit!” Both Amanda and Jen raced toward the tent, rushing inside as the drops became larger.

  When they were all inside, Garcia closed and zipped the flap, yet remained huddled by the door, glaring at the ominous looking horizon. “This isn’t going to be good.”

  “What does that mean?” Laughing, Lucas asked, the sound tinged with a hint of concern.

  “That means that if this storm gets bad, we need to get the hell out of here.” Garcia allowed the words to sink in. When he heard one of the girls giggling, he snapped his head in their direction. “I’m serious. There was no rain in the forecast so this storm could mean a monsoon.”

  “And?” Amanda was breathless.

  “And…” Garcia hesitated before answering. “Floods happen fast. The ravines fill up and suddenly there are raging rivers, spilling over the banks, consuming everything in its path. People have died in the wide gutters along the streets, their cars swept up in mere seconds. If this storm doesn’t let up in a few minutes, we’re going.”

  “You’re serious!” Lucas said incredulously.

  Garcia narrowed his eyes and looked at his friend, just as another flash of lightning hit, slamming down in close proximity. “Start packing.” When no one moved, he stood to his full height. “Now!”

  Jolted into action, Amanda rose to her feet, her eyes darting back and forth. “You’re serious.”

  “Dead serious. Do you hear that rain?” Garcia stopped talking. The wind seemed to roll through their makeshift camp, howling as the rain picked up in intensity.

  “Just rain and wind,” Jen said as she walked closer, peering out the opening.

  Wham!

  “Fuck!” Screeching, Jen jumped backward, landing on her ass. “That was…”

  Amanda helped her up and moved to Garcia’s side. “I don’t like this.”

  After only a minute or two, Garcia had seen enough. “This shit is getting bad. We’re done here. Pack up. We’re leaving as soon as we do.” He grabbed his backpack, tossing in what little he’d brought. As he moved, he could hear the rain shower building as the wind wicked at the flaps, the strength of the airflow bumping against the thin material of the tent. He zipped up his case and within seconds could swear he heard water rushing.

  “Shit. Listen to that,” Amanda shouted over the noise.

  Wham!

  Another burst of thunder rolled, creating a reverberation in the earth beneath them.

  “God. You’re right. Let’s get the hell out of here.” Jen’s voice was small, barely audible.

  Garcia swallowed hard and dared to open the flap. “Ah, fuck.” Within the few minutes they’d been inside, the water had created its own ditches. Now water was rushing down them, gushing over the edges. “Come on. Let’s go.” He unzipped the flap. The moment he did, wind shot the rain directly inside.

  “Eek!” Jen screeched as she covered her head.

  Garcia raced out and was instantly drenched. “Come on!”

  “What about the tent?” Lucas called.

  “Leave the damn tent. Who cares.” Amanda raced out, clinging to her small bag, and headed for the truck.

  “Go. Go!” Garcia barked and stood back, making certain they were coming. He fell in
behind, turning every few seconds toward the ravine. They had a solid quarter mile to go before reaching the truck and every bit of it was downhill toward the raging waters. His heart thumped hard against his chest as the trudged through muck, heading in the direction of their vehicle. His mind worked overtime, thinking about every maneuver they could make, all the what ifs. He had to keep them safe. They depended on him. He’d gotten them all into this. By damn he was getting them out.

  Amanda stumbled, falling hard onto the ground as water rushed through a crevice in the rocks, headed in their direction.

  Garcia grabbed her around the waist, dragging her up. “We have to keep going.” He was shocked how fast and how hard the water was coming down. Unable to see more than a few inches in front of him, he concentrated on the surrounding rocks, trying his best to follow in the direction of the truck. They could not get lost or they could all die.

  “Which way?” Lucas yelled, his voice almost erased by the howling wind.

  As Amanda clung to him, Garcia shielded his eyes, blinking as the water splashed him in the face. “Keep on this path. Stay behind me.” He continued trudging, the wind and water hindering any concept of speed. With every step the terrain became worse, rocks shifting under the rush of what could be considered a heavy stream. He was terrified to look back, but the sound alone was enough to understand what they were facing.

  “Wait. Wait please!” Jen called as she bent down, her back heaving as she gulped for air.

  “Come on, babe. We gotta get going.” Pushing her forward, Lucas intertwined his fingers with hers. “We can do this.”

  “I’m scared,” Amanda said as she clawed at Garcia’s arm.

  “Me too.” They rounded a corner and Garcia used the back of his arm to wipe water from his face. Panting, he eased her to the side and turned in a full circle. He spit water from his mouth and squinted. Fuck. Where the hell was the truck? He noticed a small alcove positioned under a larger boulder. Guiding them into the area, he took a deep breath. “Wait here. Stay under these rocks. I need to see where we are. Okay? All of you.”

  “I’ll come with you.” Lucas flanked his side.