"Woohoo! We're off!" Elysa shouted out the passenger window to no one in particular as I pulled away from her apartment block and turned toward the highway.
The bustle and traffic of the city quickly receded behind us, and the visions of mountains and desert wilderness filling my head soon turned to reality on the horizon. With the windows down and the sunroof open, the dry summer air ripped through our hair and ears. The late morning sun warmed Elysa's dark skin and reflected off her brilliant green-tinted sunglasses, amplifying her joyous smile. As I thought about the road ahead, I shot a satisfied grin her way, and she blew me a kiss. This is going to be a great trip, I thought to myself.
It was late June. I planned the trip as a post-graduation retreat for myself - an escape out to the Nevada desert for a few nights of solutide and decompression, with a stop through Yosemite on the way back. I'd spent much of my youth in the wilderness, and was thrilled to finally get back into nature. Even more thrilling was my beautiful new girlfriend Elysa, who I invited along for the adventure. She was less experienced with the outdoors, having grown up in the suburbs of LA, but no less enthusiastic. My imagination overflowed with possibilities - of new sights, majestic wilderness, hot springs, and great sex. Needless to say, we were both buzzing with energy that morning, but neither of us could have guessed how much wilder our week was about to become.
We'd met a couple years earlier, at the beginning of graduate school. We were fast friends, growing close over long study sessions and post-exam pub nights. As we spent long days and late nights together, feelings began to spark. Her good looks caught my eye from the moment I saw her, but it was her quick wit, and our shared sense of humor that drew me in. A spontaneous late-night kiss after one too many drinks quickly ignited that spark into a passionate love affair. At first, she struck me as a more reserved type, but I soon discovered a desire for sexual exploration and kink simmering just beneath her composed surface. Soon we were secretly making out in campus hallways or sneaking off on "lunch breaks" to fuck in her apartment just off campus. She'd send me suggestive texts from her bed while I was supposed to be studying, or pass neatly folded notes with dirty messages inside: "I fingered myself thinking about you this morning", or "I'm not wearing panties under my dress." She loved to tease, and I loved the attention. She also loved to be dominated, a role I was happy to play. After winding me up with her sexy playfulness, I'd return the favor by tying her hands to the headboard, or bending her over a table and slapping her ass until she screamed, then wrapping my hands around her neck and choking her while fucking her from behind.
Elysa was the daughter of Thai immigrants, with South Asian good looks and a Southern Californian attitude. She had an effortless look of refinement and elegance well beyond her years. Her features were soft yet sophisticated: a long, subtle nose, deep opal eyes with wide upturned lids, and a round, pouting mouth, with succulent, full lips. Framing her face was a perpetually tussled mane of thick, wavy black hair that ran to her mid-back.
That morning she was wearing short denim shorts that made her smooth, caramel legs seem as long and slender as the road laid out ahead of us. They sat low on her waist, accentuating her hips. To keep cool in the June heat she had thrown on an old t-shirt with the sleeves and collar cut off. She had small, perky breasts, with defined brown nipples that had a tendency to show through her thin shirts - I think more than she knew. Today was no exception, and in the sunlight I could make out their profile - and the barbell piercing on her left one - against the threadbare cotton.
I was driving barefoot, wearing loose khaki shorts and a linen button up to stay cool. I'm an athletic guy, with a thin frame and lean, toned muscles from years of trail running and rock climbing. With a shirt on I look skinny, and people are often surprised at my flat abs, muscular back, and defined arms. My dirty blonde hair and scruffy beard give me a bit of a surfer boy look, though I never convincingly fit the persona. Since childhood, I've always been drawn to mountains, not oceans.
We stopped for lunch in the last real town we'd see for two days. We settled into a small booth and ordered. I scanned the atlas, planning out the route ahead, while Elysa picked at an underwhelming salad.
"Excited?" I asked between bites of my sandwich.
"Just a little!" She replied. "I'm so relieved to be finally done with school, and so happy to be out here with you!" She reached across the table to snag the atlas. "Don't just read that, tell me more about where we're going!"
"Well, we're here now" I traced out our route on the page. "A few hours more and we'll camp up here. Then tomorrow," my finger followed the invisible line eastward, "Have you ever been to a real hot spring?"
"No! Only hot tubs at the hotels."
"The natural water is so much better than any hotel. Not to mention the views! This one is right on the edge of the desert. Nothing but open space and mountains for as far as you can see." I said.
"Oooh that sounds amazing." She bounced in her seat excitedly. As she did, two older men walked past our table toward the exit. I saw their eyes lock onto Elysa, and look her over as they passed. Her smile faded and she leaned in close to me.
"Okay, that's like the third time some guy has stared me down here." she said quietly. "I mean, I'm used to getting a little attention from men, but this is crazy! Do you think..?" she paused. "I don't mean to be judgmental but maybe they don't see too many Asian people around here."
I looked at her, and grinned slightly, "Lys, I don't think they see too many hot girls without a bra on around here."
Her eyes went wide and her cheeks flushed red. She leaned into the table to hide her chest. "Is it that obvious?" she said nervously.
"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable!" I replied. "But, yeah it's pretty obvious. Hey, don't be embarrassed. You wear it well! You should be proud"
Her expression lifted a little, along with her posture. "You think I look good like this?"
"Good doesn't even come close. You look fucking fantastic!"
She bit her lip a little. "You like it when I go braless, don't you?"
"Lys, I can barely keep my eyes on the road with you beside me. You're stunning."
She sat up straight, arching her back to press her chest forward. Her shirt pulled taut on her frame. Her nipples were hard. She was getting excited by this.
"Does it make you jealous?" she prodded. "All these men staring at me?"
"Nah, I'm not a jealous guy." I answered, perhaps a bit too matter of fact. I think maybe she'd wanted me to say yes. "I mean," I continued, "you're hot as hell, of course people are gonna look. But, the way I figure, you're with me, not them. They're the ones who should be jealous."
"Good answer." She said with a smirk, leaning across the table to snatch a french fry from my plate. Her shirt fell forward just enough to give me a glimpse of her bare chest. She sat back, gave a knowing wink, and bit down on the fry. "You can look at my tits all you want, hot stuff."
***
