Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Luciana

“You good up there?” Michael called up to Luciana, who was currently clinging to a rock wall thirty feet above him.

“I’m fine.” She yelled back down, for her own benefit as much as his. Luciana had two solid grips on the rock face, but the handholds were getting smaller and farther apart, and she was in a bit of a race against time with the setting sun behind her.

“You sure?” There’s worry in his voice now.

“I’m sure I’m gonna aim for you if I fall off, so stop distracting me!” She called back, returning her focus to the task. She and Michael had hiked up the long slope until it reached this vertical face. He’d suggested trying to make camp at the base, but Luciana decided to instead leave her backpack on the ground and recklessly free solo the rock wall so they could camp up top. They’d asked the concierge for camping gear, not climbing gear, and it took at least five minutes of the pair of them staring at the coil of rope on the ground before they trusted that it wouldn’t move. Not as if she really knew how to use a piton with the rope, even if she had one, Florida was not renowned for its mountains. She had just her fingers and shoes and guts to summit this. Michael laid out their packs on the ground beneath her. Obviously that would have accomplished nothing if she did fall off, but it did satisfy the need to be “helping.”

About ten more feet. She thought as she leaned back from the wall to plot her path. She eyeballed a path up, but the next cleft in the rock was just out of reach of her right hand. Luciana felt an unusual sensation cross her body. A calm feeling that everything was going to work out if she just took the risk. It was similar to how she felt just as she demonstrated her luck power back at the drive-in. Am I crazy enough to trust my life to that magic?

…

Yes.

“Estoy como una cabra.” Luciana mumbled to herself, an old expression her dad used to use to psyche himself up before he fought. She took a deep breath, coiled her muscles, and sprung sideways to grab the outcrop with both hands. She held on by her literal fingernails as her momentum threatened to yank her off the side.

“Jesus fuck!” Michael yelled from below.

“I told you to shut up down there!” Luciana grunted, pulling herself up by upper body strength alone, until she was able to put both hands and feet back on the rock. The temperature was dropping to something comfortable but sweat dripped down her back from exertion, causing her white t-shirt to cling to her back and stains to form at the waist of her cargo pants. Rather than pause to rest, she chose to ride her adrenaline rush and summit the final few feet without thinking about what she’d done. Once she had hauled herself to the top, she stood and looked triumphantly down at Michael, then shot him a thumbs up which he returned with applause. Then, she stepped away from the ledge, out of his view, and flopped onto her back to ask herself what made her an insane person, her heart pounding in her chest as the rush slowly faded.

That thrill-seeking is gonna burn you again, girl. Luciana thought, and then smiled. But not today.

Now she wanted to lay and rest, but the shadows of sunset were growing long. She found a sturdy looking tree close to the cliffedge and wrapped the rope around it, tossing both ends down to Michael.

“Tie off the packs!” She said, and he nodded. With them secured and the tree as a pulley, the pair hauled their backpacks to the top of the ledge.

“Ok, now anchor it for me and I’ll climb up.” Michael yelled.

“Climb up by yourself, I didn’t need a rope!” Luciana teased.

“Well, for one, I am not insane. And even if you did triple-dog dare me, I’m still stuck in this until they unlock my room.” Michael gestured to his suit and dress shirt combo that he’d been stuck in since the morning, on account of the hosts locking out the elevator. As neither of them wanted to spend the night in the common area, Luciana hit on the idea of sleeping under the stars. One call down to the concierge desk and there were hiking packs waiting, and a massive change in the barren flat desert through the gates in the rear of the pool area. The one thing it did not provide was a change of clothes.

“So lose it and climb like your caveman ancestors.”

“Naked?”

“I wouldn’t say no.” Michael actually blushed at that, and Luciana shot him an exaggerated wink. “But alright you bebé grande.” Luciana tied it off to let Michael start the climb up. His dress shoes were comically unfit for the activity and he kept slipping on the rock face, so Luciana rolled her eyes and grabbed the rope to pull from the top, helping him walk his way up until he collapsed on the mesa. His dress clothes were soaked with sweat and now caked with dust as well.

Luciana stood over him with a smirk.

“I had too many Mich- Margaritas.” He rubbed his head.

“Should have thought of that when you were drinking them.”

“I said I wanted a relaxing evening.” He slowly sat up, looking over the state of his nearly wrecked outfit.

“And I said ‘Wait and see.’” Luciana grabbed his hand and helped him to his feet, then shoved a water bottle into the other one. She helped him dust off, then gave him a playful swat on the ass. “Good climb.”

“Wow, look at all that.” Michael said, looking back over the area they had traversed. The hotel had previously dominated the surrounding desert, but after the long slow uphill of the path they’d taken and their lunatic climb to this mesa, they were actually looking down at it from here. “I looked off my balcony each morning since this craziness started,” Michael said, pointing at his room, “and none of this was here even this morning. All this from nothing, just because I asked. I wonder what else I could ask for?” His tone was curious, and thankfully not in a malicious way. She followed his gaze down. There were old growth trees spreading out from the cliff sides in the directions they could see, and a smaller smattering of them on top with the pair of exhausted hikers.

“They can do some crazy shit around here.” Luciana agreed. Of course he’s still surprised by it, he doesn’t feel his body magically change twice a day. Still, even by the standards the Hotel had set, pulling a mountain from the Earth based on a simple phone call was an impressive display of power. Michael wonders what he can ask for, but I’m the one who could win a wish. What would I wish for?

Before she could delve into that question, he playfully pushed her shoulder. “You can do some crazy shit too. What was that jump?!”

“Estoy como una cabra.” Luciana said. “I’m like a goat. You know, hard-headed? Crazy? Papi used to say that.”

“And you listened to him.” Michael laughed softly. “I don’t know that Mallory’s ever listened to me.”

“I listened to him, that doesn’t mean I obeyed. She hasn’t obeyed either, but maybe she listened.” She patted his shoulder with a distinctly smaller and more delicate hand. The sun had started to dip below the mountains at the edge of whatever magic valley they were stuck in, and Luciana’s body was starting the change again. “Let’s get set up.” Luciana surveyed the area. They had reached the highest point of this new wilderness playpen, so even if she’d had more daylight to work with there wasn’t any further to climb. She had enjoyed the brief self-satisfaction of victory, but now she and Michael opened their packs and started to remove the gear the hotel had left them to make camp. Because they got a late start, they’d simply asked for the packs and not stopped to examine them until now.

The bags appeared to store more than their size and weight would indicate, but none of the stuff was obviously useful for their current situation. Michael overturned his bag and toy after toy spilled out onto the ground: Dildos, high heels, collars, a spreader bar, handcuffs, butt plugs (more than the pair of them could use even if they wanted to)... then a loud-thud as something heavy hit the rock. Michael walked away holding the bag, as out fell a huge folded up X-shaped frame at least 7’ tall, that a helpful instruction card indicated was a St. Andrew’s Cross. And there was more where that came from.

“Wow.” Luciana gawped, “I haven’t done a lot of camping. Maybe I missed out.”

Michael was no less surprised. “I’m a little terrified of their idea of camping. You… wanna head back?”

Luciana looked at the sunset and at her gradually softening curves and lengthening nails, then shook her head. “I don’t think it’d be safe to climb down the rock like this. Let’s figure this out.”

“Oh, now you’re worried about safety.” He laughed as he gestured to the pile. He found a small knife which looked worryingly out of place among the implements of pleasure and tucked it into his belt. “I’m gonna see what I can find for wood, then try to build a fire. Try to dig through this and see what you can come up with for a shelter.”

“How the hell am I supposed to do that?”

“I have every faith in you.” Michael said, then made his way off to check the trees around the plateau.

Faith in me, huh? Luciana sat down and began to sift through the haphazard pile. She was not an avid toy user in her previous relationships, but she was world-wise enough to know how most of these worked. What if…? She looked at the long X along the ground and inspiration struck her. Following the instructions on the card, she set it up, letting the strong wood beams get support from a large boulder.

Now, with a firm vertical mount, she began digging through her own bag. Nailed it. She thought, as she withdrew a large silk blanket, clearly intended for a boudoir. She knotted off the corners on the short edge, then used one cuff of the handcuffs to secure her knots, connecting the other to the rings at the top of the cross. Luciana walked the large blanket out to its full length, then tried to create a small lean-to. It wouldn’t do perfectly as a tent, but she suspected they wouldn’t need anything too protective for shelter. The Hotel’s valley was a pristine comfortable climate, half the reason she suggested sleeping out here in the first place.

The blanket wouldn’t stay taut, and she couldn’t find any rocks small enough to hold it down. There were some larger ones nearby, but with the sun almost set she could no longer lift them. Luciana returned to the bag and the pile and sifted through it again. What could hold this to the ground?

Inspiration struck her as her hand grazed over the small collection of butt plugs. They had a phallic shape, obviously, and a large flat base. Luciana tore a small hole in the blanket near the sewn seam and pushed a metal one through, but she couldn’t get enough **** with her hands to drive it into the dirt.

Next idea. Luciana took a large pair of heels, half-remembering a high school lesson about **** over a smaller area… Eh. I was high. She slipped the heels on and stood over the plug, using her weight downward on the small surface to drive it home. Success!

She stepped back to admire her small creation with no small amount of pride. Be it ever so humble.

“You built this?” Michael asked, returning with an armload of sticks and branches that he’d pulled from the nearby trees. “That’s genius. I’d have never thought of using the toys that way. That’s some lateral thinking.”

“Lateral thinking?”

“Creatively using tools to solve your problems in a new way. Not everyone is good at that. Most people just use things for their original purpose. I fall into that trap sometimes.”

“You mean, you see a pile of sex toys and a woman, and you can’t think past their original use.”

Got him again. Michael blushed. The poor guy was out of practice being properly flirted with. He took a second to think, apparently making a decision.

“Yes, that’s exactly what happened.” Michael said. “My mind dove straight into the gutter.” When he made eye contact with Luciana, it was her turn to blush. “You’re all wet,” he said.

“Excuse me?” Luciana's cheeks flushed even more crimson, becoming obvious even against her brown skin.

“You’re soaked in sweat from that climb. You should change, it might get cold.” Oh, right. “I’ll get a fire going, you can use that little shelter you just built.” Michael stacked up the wood and started to build it into a small pile suitable for a campfire.

Luciana ducked under the blanket, though she wasn’t sure why she bothered. Michael had his back to her, playing the gentleman. And the showrunners and viewers would be able to see no matter where she went. She’d packed a change of clothes in the outer pockets of her own backpack before leaving the hotel, but apparently at some point, the pocket had ripped open and the clothes were gone. I thought I was supposed to be lucky. She thought, until a sudden impulse told her to check the side pockets, from which she removed a flowery sundress and lacy white lingerie. Luciana slipped them on, and they fit her nighttime body perfectly, as comfortable as if she was nude. I guess they define ‘luck’ differently.

The outfit didn’t look or feel like it would be warm enough for the evening but, on cue, a warm breeze began to blow across the mesa. Ok, that’s not luck, that’s just horny Producers.

She stepped out of the tent to find Michael still striking the flint with no success. The high heels lay discarded on the ground, but Luciana chose to stay barefoot. She never wore them on flat ground and even with her current luck, slipping them on up here seemed like a recipe to falling off a cliff. Michael didn’t hear her approach, as focused and frustrated as he was because of the fire. She placed her hand on his shoulder and smiled down at him, and the annoyance melted off his face as he took in her form in the twilight. Compared to the man who wouldn’t even look at his own wife nude, he’d come a long way towards accepting this situation. He was crouched down and he reached around to hug her hip, leaving his hand there in a very forward way. Luciana couldn’t say she was surprised by his boldness. Nor, for that matter, was she pushed away. She patted his head and gently stroked his hair.

“How is it coming along?”

“I remember this being easier back when they taught me in basic training.”

“When was that?”

“Don’t you dare make me name a year.”

“Well at least I know it was after the invention of fire.”

“Smartass.” Michael grumbled as he kept smacking the flint with no success. “At least it’s staying warm out.”

“Warm enough that we don’t have to share the sleeping bag?”

“Hey now, don’t be too hasty, Luciana. Temp could drop any minute. Sharing is the smart move.”

“You’re the camping expert.” They shared a playful grin for a moment, until Michael resumed his futile firestarting.

Luciana picked up her wet clothes from the shelter and strung the rope between two trees to form a clothesline. Nasty looking clamps that were never going anywhere near her nipples secured her outfit up to dry. Another problem solved. High off her buzz from solving the shelter issue, Luciana decided to take a run through the toys and see if anything else jumped out at her. The sun was almost completely gone now, and she was struggling to see among the twilight. Once again, she felt the pull in her brain, drawing her towards a small velvet bag resting among the pile. She opened it and out dropped… a stun gun?

I don’t like the Hotel’s idea of camping either.

She picked it up and tapped the button. A loud crack echoed across the silent hilltop as electricity arced between the terminals. Michael’s head whipped around at the sound, and his eyes got huge at the sight of a shadowy Luciana standing over him, brandishing the weapon.

“Woah! I’m going as fast as I can! Tough date, lady!” He held up his hands in surrender.

Luciana played along, cracking the stun gun in the air in Michael’s direction. “Not fast enough, gringo.” After a long stare down, they both burst into undignified giggles. “Let me try something.” Luciana said, following another one of her impulses. She took hold of the hem of her dress, having seen this in a movie once or twice, and tore - peeling away a perfect 2” strip from her dress. Apparently the Producers saw that movie too.

“I’m intrigued and getting warmer, but I don’t see how this starts a fire.” Michael said. The dress was already scandalously short before she altered it, but even the tiny extra bit of skin was enough to draw his eyes. Even in the near-darkness, he still wanted a peek.

Luciana took the dress and wrapped the cloth around the driest branch she could find among Michael’s pile. A crack of the stun gun ignited the thin fabric which she had fashioned into a crude torch, and it blazed up immediately. Luciana dropped her accelerant into the pile and within a few short minutes, there was a comfy crackling fire burning, illuminating the campsite. Luciana and Michael sat on the ground, snuggling together against a rock and enjoying the primally satisfying crackle. Michael threw his arm around Luciana. She turned, twisting her hips to rest her legs across his lap and her head on his shoulder. Michael softly rested his hand on the exposed part of her thigh (which was now most of it, thanks to her firestarting). She had her playful moments with him in Miami, but this was… more. His touch was almost protective now. Or possessive. The two sometimes blended.

I only met this guy a few days ago. Luciana laughed softly.

“What?” Michael asked.

“It’s nothing…” She smiled, “It’s just the last man to touch me there was my dad, teaching me how to break a leg lock.” Michael looked at his hand as if just noticing it was attached to his wrist, observing how it had mysteriously had drifted rather high up her leg. He didn’t remove it.

“No boyfriend?”

Luciana pondered the question, and not because it was a hard one to answer. She wasn’t with anyone and hadn’t been since the loss. She’d sworn off a lot of things in order to focus and men were right near the top of that list. But, the way Michael was holding her… the way he was asking… would it have made a difference if she said yes? To either of them?

“No, no boyfriend.”

“I guess that should have been obvious.”

“Wait, why would that be obvious?!” Luciana slapped his hands off and sat back, suddenly feeling wounded and lashing out slightly. What, does he think I’m some kind of freak?

“Well, because we would have tried to visit him two days ago, right?” Michael said, looking genuinely surprised at her reaction. “After your dad?”

“...Shit. That makes sense.” Luciana allowed herself to fall back in his arms, but pulled up her legs in a closed-off posture. Michael took the hint and put his arm up on the rock behind him. Luciana put a gentle hand on his chest, an apologetic gesture. “Sorry for snapping on you, I just get a little sick of people’s fuckin’ hangups sometimes. I’m not gonna break a guy’s arm just for making a pass at me.”

“You could have told me that before I made a pass at you.”

Luciana’s smile returned, slightly. “I thought you liked the danger! You’re a gambler, aren’t you? That’s why I’m here.” She slowly let her posture relax again as the tension faded. “Anyway, I dumped Nikolas after the loss and honestly I haven’t given the guy any thought since. He was kind of intimidated by me and I’m over that bullshit.”

“That’s sad to hear. But I’m not intimidated.” Michael said firmly, while replacing his hand on her leg. Only slightly higher this time, inside her guard. When she didn’t break his arm, he grew bolder. His fingers began to brush under her hemline, reaching perilously close to her lace panties. Luciana bit her lower lip, something she would have fought with every fiber of her being not to do in her fighter body. But in her lover body, it fit perfectly. His fingers slipped further up her thigh, starting to stroke the outer trim…

And then he abruptly pulled his hand back. “I brought something.” He said. Luciana playfully slapped him. “What?” He said with a Puckish grin.

“If it’s a sex toy, we got plenty.”

“It’s better.” He said. Michael produced a small pouch and opened it on their laps, revealing all the necessary ingredients of a s’more.

“Did you just say a dessert is better than sex?”

“Really depends on the dessert. And the sex. But you need both to make the comparison.” With a wink, he took one of the sticks he had collected and exempted from the small blaze, then mounted a large marshmallow onto it for Luciana to cook.

“I’ve never done this.” She said. Her first attempt dipped far too low into the flames, almost immediately catching fire.

“Don’t burn it!” Grabbing it away from the flames and blowing it out quickly before discarding it. “I thought you were lucky!”

Luciana cackled at this overreaction. “You put way too much thought into this. It’s just a marshmallow, guy.”

“Just?! The marshmallow is the glue that ties the entire treat together.” He said with feigned offense. “The sublime element that mixes texture and flavor into an unassailable combination.” Luciana couldn’t decide whether to continue laughing or roll her eyes, so she did both.

He took her hands in his for the second try, guiding her in his preferred method: slowly rolling the replaced marshmallow like a rotisserie. “And this is the final, crucial step.” A small block of wood sat near the fire, which Michael had apparently set there while she wasn’t paying attention. It radiated the heat it had absorbed from the flames. Upon it, Michael assembled the crackers and chocolate, allowing them to warm and the latter to begin to melt. He doted over it like a mother hen, checking many more times than were necessary. When he felt satisfied, he lay down a fancy-looking monogrammed handkerchief from his pocket. Then he added the marshmallow and assembled the treat on it, presenting it to her with the dramatic flourish and obvious pride of a chef. He slowly opened each corner until all was revealed.

“Voila.”

“You’re a total diva. But…it’s delicious.” Luciana said, taking a bite and savoring it. His face was caked with ‘I told you so.’ As she held it, a drop of the warm, melty chocolate fell onto her breast, mostly exposed by the low-cut dress. With little hesitation, Michael casually wiped it up with his index finger, and held it to her mouth so that she could lick it clean. She did so with even less hesitation. His calm confidence was intoxicating her, it was in balance in a way that she had not often encountered in her old life. She’d either been with guys like Nikolas who couldn’t handle her strength, or guys like the goons at her gym who were so deep in the machismo that it came off as pathetic. Luciana was feeling increasingly attracted to him, moreso than she’d felt with even a boyfriend.

But Michael’s not really a boyfriend, is he?

He moved in for a kiss and Luciana closed her eyes and parted her lips in invitation. Michael teased her even more, breaking off at the last second to gently lick up another small drop of chocolate that had settled on her chin. Luciana blushed once again, with feeling. She was melting faster than her dessert. The two continued to savor the s’mores, enjoying the occasional drip and the liberties it offered more than the taste itself. One of them “accidentally” fell further into her dress, and Luciana pulled her magically-amplified breasts free of the dress to allow him to lick it up.

Bared her breasts for the Master +2

Bon appetit +1

Luciana purred as Michael took a little longer than was strictly necessary to ensure the chocolate was off her breast. He looked up at her from her chest, waiting to see her reaction, and when she smiled he took that as an offer to continue - and to advance. The hand that was dancing delicately around her panties was denied no longer. He slipped under the thin lace and traced slow circles around her labia. The last man to touch me like that… She thought, but was interrupted when he moved in close to kiss her. Luciana’s lips and legs parted, opening herself to him in all ways. Luciana ran her hand inside his button down shirt, across his chest, feeling his muscle and his heartbeat in his chest. The latter was quickening with her touch.

Still, Michael continued to tease and tease, leaving soft pecks across her cheek and neck, and not entering her though his fingers were growing slick with her excitement. “Enough of that.” She took the back of his head and pulled him in to make the kiss official, no more teasing.

Of course he’s taking his time. What’s the rush? Luciana thought. Her body was giving in to these pleasures, opening up to him. But just as in the ring, Luciana could maintain focus even through powerful sensations and distractions, and her question from earlier kept gnawing at her.

Michael’s not really a boyfriend, is he?

This was going to be something different. Something more. Something… permanent. Am I ready for that? Michael was an attractive man, she couldn’t deny the feelings coursing through her body. Even her father had given his blessing, even if he didn’t really have a choice. But to be his… what? Concubine? That’s quite a leap.

Luciana felt herself being pulled in multiple directions. She wanted to continue with Michael tonight. She wanted to touch him and taste him and feel him. But, should she? There was something else pulling on her too, and she focused on that. Deep down, under all the powerful sensations, she felt that same tug she’d felt on the side of the cliff earlier that evening. And with the toys. Her… lucky sense, or whatever she wanted to call it.

And it was telling her to stop.

Why? Luciana interrogated this feeling, but her senses weren’t giving her that kind of detail. She just realized instinctually that it would be to her benefit to stop this train. Why…? She almost whimpered in her own head. The feeling didn’t abate, instead it only intensified. I shouldn’t do this with him. I should trust this feeling.

She stopped running her hand through his hair, and put both on his chest.

“No.” She said, a little more firmly than she had intended. But the message got across and he stopped immediately. “I mean, not tonight, Michael.”

“What? What did I do?” He asked, out of confusion instead of wounded pride.

“Nothing, Michael. You did everything right. Very right. It’s just not the right time. You’ll have to trust me on this.” Luciana barely trusted herself. Every nerve in her body (some more than others) wanted to continue, but she’d ignored her instincts once to her great regret. And now with the Hotel having boosted those instincts, she was even more confident in following them. Still, it took a couple solid breaths before she could compose herself enough to slide off of his lap and his burgeoning erection, instead of tackling him into the dirt to finish what they’d started.

“Not tonight then.” He said, lightness returning to his face. There’s that confidence again. The fact that he took it well makes it even harder to stop! But really, I’m so lucky. This is way better than his suite, and now I’ve gotten the chance to show him I’m more than just my muscles. I shouldn’t let him sleep with the wrong idea.

“Not tonight.” Luciana emphasized, but Michael’s eyes gleamed like he already knew that. And that was enough to melt her all over again, Luciana fell into his arms even deeper. This time feeling not only the warmth from the fire, and from her loins, but also from her chest as well.