Continuing a plot thread from Chapter 6, this story is dedicated to
Vitriol Hack
.
***************************************
Amanda's lungs burned.
It was still early morning, barely past 7am, and the morning air was so frigid that her breath instantly coalesced into water vapor.
In through your nose, out through your mouth.
The beautiful woman always kept her breathing steady when she ran. Her sneakers pounded the gravel; the trail was noticeably starting to incline as it meandered through the rolling hills, forcing Amanda to exert more effort to maintain her pace. She pumped her arms and legs harder, unwilling to succumb to the burning in her lungs and quads.
The first 2 miles where always hardest for Amanda, when her breathing was still labored and her muscles weren't yet fully loose, especially when running in cold weather like today. She normally achieved her second wind by the 3
rd
mile, and by the 5
th
she was on cruise control that would easily carry her until the 10
th
and final mile.
Amanda was only clad in a black Lycra sports bra and short black nylon running shorts, with her long silky black hair pulled through her cap in a tight ponytail. Most runners would've been dressed in fleece and leggings in such cold morning temperatures, but not Amanda.
Training in her favorite running attire was when she felt her best.
The garments that stretched snugly over her illustrious curves were actually a size too small, but that was on purpose. Normally a humble person, Amanda would never admit that this was her
time to show off. Possessing unnatural, ethereal beauty, she was always comfortable in her own skin, but never felt quite as sexy and confident as she did during these moments: working up a nice sweat while running hard in the great outdoors, and wearing nothing but a snug sports bra and short shorts (and a cap!) to flaunt her rocking body.
She was in her element.
Amanda was, for all intents and purposes, drop-dead gorgeous. Brown, slightly almond-shaped eyes sparkled with a hint of mischievousness, as if there was a joke that only she was aware of, and adorable freckles dotted her cheeks to her delicate jawline.
What was
not
delicate was her powerful-looking body.
Amanda's muscular upper-torso was V-shaped, with a smooth neck that gave way to sleek shoulders, and contoured biceps and triceps. And wearing a tight sports bra provided 2 wonderful benefits: not only did it accentuate her perfectly formed 34c breasts, but it also exposed her rippling 6-pack, the physical feature that she was secretly most proud of. Running almost 20 miles a week gave the raven-haired beauty fabulously toned legs with stout thighs, and an eye-popping sculpted ass.
She was a model of health and fitness.
Amanda glanced to her right and left, where several members of her training group did well in keeping up with her. Altogether, there were 12 of them who religiously met every weekend for a 10 miler. There were 5 different training areas that they rotated through, and today's was this Appalachian trail, which was the most grueling as well as Amanda's favorite.
The ladies who ran on her periphery were cut from the same cloth as her, fitness freaks who were in unbelievable shape. Unlike Amanda, however, most of them were wearing t-shirts, if not long-sleeves, and tights beneath their shorts; some had even donned ear warmers and gloves in an effort to keep warm.
Despite being half-naked in contrast to their multi-layers of clothing, Amanda didn't feel self-conscious around the other girls. They had been running mates for years and considered each other as friends. Besides, they all were aware that Amanda was in her element when she was running and sweating, and most even regarded her confidence with benign jealousy.
The male runners always lagged behind the ladies, and it was easy to see why. The other girls may not have been stunningly beautiful like Amanda, but they
were
incredibly fit with tremendous bodies. And letting the boys stare at their asses while they paced behind was akin to dangling the proverbial carrot in front of them, Amanda thought humorously!
Amanda was the unofficial group leader as she often found herself running at the forefront. She willingly displayed her body for anyone wanting to admire at it, and, while the beautiful woman would never openly admit it, basked in the attention.
Despite the bounty of men that were currently captivated by Amanda's appearance, one man, in particular, was absolutely obsessed with her. Even now, the brunette could sense Bryan's lustful eyes searing into her backside as he trailed a short distance behind. It was a wonder that he had never tripped while staring at her ass as he ran!
Unbeknownst to everyone else in their training group--- and except for a very small group of people on the outside, including her husband--- Amanda had been engaging in a steamy affair with Bryan for almost as long as she'd known him. They'd fuck every time the group met, sometimes before or after... sometimes they'd do it in the back seat of her car or his. If they were feeling particularly bold and daring, they'd branch off on their own for a quickie in the middle of their run. At this point, they knew all the secluded spots at their training locations, and it was now fairly easy to steal some moments alone together.
Bryan was an oxymoron to Amanda. He was fit and fairly handsome, of course, but his arms and body were adorned with tattoos, and he sported a tongue ring and eyebrow piercing that Amanda found somewhat hideous. It wasn't that she was against body art... far from it. But she had never been attracted to guys who were
that
into it.
Until Bryan came along.
Another fact that puzzled Amanda was that Bryan was easily the most disgusting, foul-mouthed, and inconsiderate human being whom she had ever encountered. For instance, he openly bragged about all the girls he bedded, often not even bothering to be discreet around their female running partners. Even worse, everyone was aware that Amanda was married, yet Bryan relentlessly hit on her in front of them! This blatant behavior made Amanda especially nervous since a casual observer could easily piece together their illicit romance.
But the possibility of getting caught was what made the sex so thrilling.
And while Amanda never wanted Bryan to merely brand her as one of his sexual conquests that he bragged to his buddies about, there was just something about his uncouth, bad boy persona and appearance that she was helplessly attracted to...
***************************************
The endorphin high kicked in around the 7
th
mile.
Whereas a less experienced runner would've been fatiguing, Amanda was adrenalized and growing stronger. Her pace actually quickened as most of the other runners began to lag further behind, and Amanda proudly realized that she could complete a half marathon today!
The beautiful brunette was actually disappointed when the designated finish line came into view. Scampering past the tree that served as the 10 mile marker, Amanda slowly coasted to a brisk walk. She straightened her back and interlocked her fingers behind her head, concentrating on her pursed lip breathing. Her lungs and legs ached, but in a wonderful way that all avid runners seemed to indulge in, and marched in circles to cool down her muscles. The temperature had warned considerably, and despite the fact that Amanda was bathed in sweated, she felt as glorious as ever.
Amanda trudged back towards the tree to wait for her friends.
She kept an eye out, in particular, for Molly.
Less than a minute later, the first of the others began straggling in, and Amanda high-fived them and shouted words of encouragement as they crossed the finish line, glancing down at her stopwatch as they did so. Then they gathered with Amanda to offer the same support to the other group members that arrived after them.
Bryan's group was among the last to finish, but Amanda intentionally didn't acknowledge him.
5 minutes after Amanda had completed the run, she and her group were still waiting for one final runner. She peered back up the trail. It all too easy to twist an ankle, or worse, when running in these hills. Although Amanda wasn't concerned, she still breathed a sigh of relief when she Molly finally appeared, bounding down the trail to cross the finish line with a final burst of energy to the cheers and applause of everyone.
Amanda approached the woman, who was bent at the waist and gasping for air.
"Good job, girl!" Amanda congratulated her with genuine warmth and enthusiasm.
Molly rose to full height, hands on her hips and still breathing hard. Then she threw Amanda a crooked grin and high-fived her. "Thanks, Amanda. We need to make your lazy husband join us next time. No excuses!"
Amanda laughed.
Her husband and Molly worked together, and he had openly admitted to Amanda, many times, that he found Molly EXTREMELY attractive. Molly was a tall Asian woman, standing about 3 inches taller than her, in her mid-40's who recently became a mother for the 4
th
time. Like Amanda, she was a health nut and an avid runner, and out of love for her husband, Amanda invited her into the running group, which Molly gratefully accepted.
Molly was almost 6 years older than her husband, and Amanda was initially surprised that he desired her so badly. After all, considering that Amanda was almost 7 years his junior
and
that he was currently having an affair with Piper, their babysitter who wasn't old enough to drink yet but young enough to be his daughter ["The Hot Babysitter" series], it was clear that he had a fetish for younger females. But gazing at the older Asian woman, Amanda understood--- with a great deal of comfort--- why her husband was so smitten: Molly possessed a youthful, athletic figure as well as long black hair and, very notably, freckles.
It was as if Amanda was staring at her future self! At least, she fervently hoped she would look as good as Molly 15 years from now.
The trail emptied into a large park and, after a post-run stretch, the group slowly made their way to the parking lot, which was situated on the opposite side.
Molly was still panting as Amanda accompanied the older woman to her car. "Damn, Amanda," she huffed. "You really killed it on the trail, and you looked so hot doing it, too!"
Amanda blushed at the compliment. A less secure woman would've regarded Molly as competition for her husband's affection, but she found the woman extremely likeable.
Somewhat plaintively, Molly added, "My god, you're not even breathing hard! I wish I had your strength and stamina."
"Well, considering that you averaged under a 10-minute mile on your first 10
