Those words are all she needs. Climax takes hold of her, crashes through her like thunder, and she screams. He follows close behind, moaning his orgasm as he pulses inside her, his body rigid, his grasp desperate. Her body goes limp in his arms and he joins her, spent, collapsing on top of her for a few silent moments. The forest is silent too, a faint breeze and the ever-present river the only evidence that the world hasn’t stopped entirely.
Gently, reverently, he extricates his body from hers. She lays still, catching her breath, only sitting up when he returns with her clothes in hand. “These must be yours?” His smile is lopsided and a little bashful. She blushes- absurdly, given everything they’ve just done- and accepts his offering with a murmur of thanks. They dress in silence, and she stands with a groan of protest; her muscles ache from a cold water bath and vigorous stranger sex. She runs a hand through her half-dry hair, working out the worst of the tangles with her fingertips.
He waits patiently for her to make eye contact again. When she does, he holds out a hand and gestures with a nod to the trail that leads back to the main path. “Are you ready to hike back up? The park closes in about an hour.”
She takes his hand and laughs. “Are you a park ranger?”
Blushing, he shakes his head. “No, nothing like that.” As they walk, he bends branches out of her way, lends support as she steps over logs. “I’m the campsite host this summer. I like to do a courtesy sweep in the evenings.” His smile is quick, thrilling and adorable. “And what are you? A forest nymph?”
“If you’d like me to be.” The offer lingers in the air between them, and she notices with delight that he’s already aroused again. “I like to hike by the river when it’s hot or humid.”
They walk in silence for a bit. Down the path, across the bridge, until they stand at the base of the hill. At the top lies the campground, the parking lot, her car. “You know,” he remarks, squinting up at the sky, “I hear it’s supposed to be pretty humid all night. Into the morning, too.”
“Is that so?” They begin their ascent up the hill. She can see the host cabin there, just through the trees. At the parking lot now, and her car is the last one remaining. She drops his hand. “Well then. I’d better stick close to the river.” Twigs and pine needles crackle beneath her feet as she turns to walk through the trees, his footfalls thudding behind her after a moment’s pause, moving quickly to catch up.