It was two hours past sunset when Vin reined in his black gelding and stared up at the night sky. The evening was as completely clear and still as the day before it had been. And like the day, the night air sat hot and limp against his skin. The late August heatwave held the entire territory in its melting grip, and neither man nor beast moved in the heat of the day. That meant his trip back to Four Corners had been done in stages, riding only in the more comfortable hours of dawn or dusk. But today even those times had made for miserable traveling. That was why he was still in the saddle after the sun had gone done. An obliging full moon had made the night ride possible and relatively easy.He could reach home in just another hour he thought, smiling slightly at his casual use of the word "home." He was closer now than he'd come in years to having a home, and while the familiar wanderlust still occasionally gripped him, for the time being he was content.
He checked the moon's position and noted that it was still above the horizon to light his way. He could push on if he wanted. But he couldn't resist the lure of the water he knew to be hidden in the maze of jagged rock to his right. He could hear its silvery flow, and his horse's ears were up and eagerly pointed that way too. Vin wiped the sweat from his brow with a bare forearm. He had rolled up his sleeves long ago. Wet hair stuck to his forehead, curling against his skin with the humidity, and he allowed himself the luxury of noticing just how damned uncomfortable he was. Sweat trickled down his neck, slid under the shirt that was already sticking to his skin and tickled its way down the valley of his spine. He grimaced at the unpleasant sensation and rotated his neck against the tension there. He was hot, tired and just tuckered out from traveling even in the lesser heat of the evening.
His horse whickered coaxingly, and Vin allowed a small smile to slip out as he leaned forward and slapped the gelding affectionately on its sweaty neck.
"Hey, pard," he said softly, "I hear you. Maybe we'll just have to spend one more night out here." He kneed the horse, and the tired animal eagerly stepped forward, drawn by the sweet scent of running water.
When he'd threaded his way through the rocks, Vin saw the waterfall and its attendant pool were lower than usual, testament to the soaring temperatures. But the moon's light still danced on the water as it tumbled over the rocks, sending a spray into the air that sparkled like stars before falling into the water below. It was a known oasis to travelers and the local Apaches, who depended on it to be a sure supply of water even in the hottest season. The stream had long ago been banked up with a dam of rounded stones, forming a pool that looked like a little piece of heaven to Vin. He swung down from the saddle, wincing as the air hit the wet material of the inner seams of his trousers, where the cotton had been pressed against the leather of his saddle. The black gelding surged forward, moving into the water up to its knees and plunging its muzzle into the cool liquid. Vin allowed it a few good swallows, then pulled the horse back.
"Sorry, fella. Don't want you foundering." He urged the protesting animal back, then flipped the rein around a nearby tree. The sound of the running water was a siren call, but he ignored it, intent upon settling his mount first. He stripped off the heavy saddle and the blanket underneath. The thick pad was wet with sweat and he could almost swear the sweaty animal let out a sigh of relief as the night air instantly began to cool its back. Quickly, he scrubbed the gelding down with the dry edges of the blanket.
When he again led the animal down to the water, he let the gelding drink its fill before turning his attention to his own comfort. With a sigh that was almost a groan, he knelt to plunge his arms into the water, scooping up a double handful of the cool liquid and gulping it down. He felt the first swallow all the way to his stomach, eyes closed and head back as he savored the simple wetness of it. Water slid over his chin and ran down his throat to wet the skin of his chest where his shirt was open to the night air. It raised goosebumps on his arms and sent a delicious shiver down the length of his spine. Licking at the drops of liquid on his lips, he stared at the pool before him. It was simply too much to resist.
His hide coat had long ago been tied behind his saddle, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up on his forearms and the collar unbuttoned. So it was simply a matter of shrugging out of his suspenders and peeling the sweat-dampened shirt off. Vin tossed it aside and rotated his shoulders, winching slightly as his movement stretched the still-healing knife slash on his lower rib. He probed at it gingerly and was pleased that it only protested mildly. It wouldn't interfere with his planned treat.
The night air was still warm, but the touch of it on his damp skin felt deceptively cool. His nipples tightened as he bent to work off his boots, wiggling his toes with childish pleasure as they came clear of his socks. Dressed only in his cream pants and the handkerchief on his throat, he raised his arms over his head and stretched till his spine popped audibly. He let loose a groan of deep satisfaction and then quickly stripped off his pants, tossing them aside to join his shirt and boots. His undergarments followed seconds later, and he stood in the moonlight, naked to the slight, warm breeze, enjoying the absence of his sweat-soaked clothes.
Vin waded into the cool water up to his knees and paused for a moment to enjoy how his temperature dropped almost immediately. When he finally plunged into the small pool with a shallow dive, the shock made him gasp with part pleasure, part pain. Breaking the surface, he let out an uncharacteristic shout of sheer delight at the feel of the water on his parched skin. Water fountained in front of him as he stroked deeper into the pool, catching the light of the full moon before diving back to the surface again. Vin ducked his head under the water for the sheer delight of feeling it rush through his hair, then shook his head to free the sweat-matted strands. The water streaming over his naked skin felt heavenly, the cool touch sweeter than a woman's caress. Well, at least for this moment, he thought with a sly smile as he wiped water from his face and slicked his hair back.
His feet found the bottom, and he moved forward towards the falling water. At its deepest, it came to just below his pectorals. Leaning forward over the smooth boulders, he raised his hand, palm up, to feel the strike of the cascading spray. He smiled at the tattoo on the sensitive skin at the center of his hand, deciding right then and there that Four Corners could do without him for another night. Chris and the others were there, and in the current heatwave, he couldn't imagine even the most energetic of bandits raising too much of a ruckus. Chuckling at the thought, he raised himself up on his forearms and thrust his head under the waterfall. The water was so clear and cold that it made his head ache with a harsh pang that felt damn good after the miserably hot and sticky ride.
Rolling to his right, he inched his hips up along the underwater rock until the water was sheeting down over his chest in a surging tattoo that felt almost like a rough massage. The rush penetrated underwater and sent a turbulence over his groin. Even in the cool water, he felt an answering twitch. Smoothly, he ran one hand down his still-soft length, then arched his back, letting his head fall back to direct the water down the center of his chest to caress the full length of his torso.
He eased himself off the rock, feeling the familiar hardening in his groin. The cool water felt part-pleasure part-ache against his penis as he stroked towards shallower water and waded out until the water was knee height. The rocks under his feet were worn smooth by the river's kiss. The night air now felt good on his water-spangled skin.
He swiped a hand down his stomach, sending the water sheeting off him. His hand brushed over the curling thatch of hair at his groin, and the casual touch made his stiffening penis jump in answer. He curled his hand around it, feeling the flesh instantly respond by rising and hardening even more. He ran his hand up his length, sliding the foreskin over the shaft beneath, his senses heightened by the cool water, the sheer sensual pleasure of swimming nude--even the calluses on his hands. It all felt wonderful to his penis.
Lazily, he considered moving onto the grass near the pool to indulge himself, but the idea of getting out of the sinfully cool water wasn't attractive. As he considered his options, Vin's hand moved smoothly over his heated skin, the familiar movement bringing his erection to a rock firmness. He smoothed over the tip, the velvet skin belying the hardness underneath. An answering tightness in the balls told him he'd better make a decision soon or risk his knees unlocking at an inopportune moment. He chuckled at the thought, not caring to consider what the cool water, wonderful though it felt on his skin, would feel like if it came in contact with his more sensitive parts at the moment of release.
His glance fell upon some rocks that jutted out of the pool to his left. Just the right height and angle, he thought with a grin, pleased to find a solution to his predicament. He made his way towards them, his erect length bobbing gently before him, the water rising to mid-thigh. The stone was still warm from the day's heat, but worn smooth by countless years of flood and drought. He leaned back against the boulder with a pleased grunt, enjoying its texture against the sensitive skin of his back and buttocks. Water ran off his chest, droplets joining to form rivulets, and then speeding down the valleys and mountains of his stomach to disappear into the thatch of hair at his groin.
Wrapping one hand around the thick base of his penis, he gave it a gentle squeeze, ran his grip up to the darker tip, then down again. With a low groan of pleasure at the movement, he let his head fall back against the rock, his wet hair trailed down the rock and set up its own trail of falling water. He began to stroke himself slowly, knowing that his release would be all the more intense if he took his time. The water made his movements easier and made the skin of his penis even more sensitive. Sucking in a lungful of the warm air, he skimmed his hand over his heated flesh and opened his eyes to take in the full moon above him, and beyond that a spray of stars so bright even the moon's light couldn't dim them.
After a few moments he moved slightly faster, squeezing slightly harder. At the end of each stroke, his fingers slid over the smooth head, then stroked the sensitive underside. Lifting one foot, he braced it on the rock, spreading his legs further. Eyes drifting closed, he concentrated on the sensations around him: the water-laden air above the waterfall, the rough texture of the rock under his hips, the coolness of the water on his skin, and the familiar but arousing feel of his own hand on the hard flesh of his sex.
Breath coming faster now, his hips started to rise up to meet each downward stroke. He was getting close, rising up on a spiral of pure physical sensation, climbing to the peak. He felt the familiar tightening in his scrotum, knew that he was close. He moved quicker, but kept his smooth pace, squeezing tighter, feeling it rise inside him. He gasped out loud as the inside of his eyelids seemed to explode with lights, mimicking the stars above him. His hips jerked and remained arched up, stomach quivering slightly. He barely felt the spatter of sticky moisture on his tensed stomach, could only concentrate on the orgasm that was rushing through him like storm run-off in a dried-out wash. He heard his own quiet gasp as from a great distance. His hand continued to slide up and down his still-stiff shaft, his movements slowing and becoming more languid. He spurted sticky cream a couple more times, hips moving in rhythm with each jerk.
He blinked open his eyes, mildly surprised to see that the moon had not passed much further through the night sky. He smiled up at the stars, his limbs feeling pleasantly boneless, and allowed his braced leg to return to the pool's bed. He trailed his hand in the water, casually washing away the evidence of his release, then carefully splashed some water onto his flat stomach, making sure it didn't touch his slowly softening penis. He gazed up at the moon and the night sky, blinking slowly against the spreading languor that his orgasm had released.
His horse snorted, and Vin rolled his head in that direction, smiling at the black gelding's expression.
"Hey, now," he called softly. "It ain't nothing you haven't seen before."
The gelding shook its head in seeming disgust, and Vin chuckled quietly.
"Then again," he added, "it's not like you got the equipment for it anymore."
Vin let his head fall back again, letting the night air dry the water from his skin, almost drowsing in the afterglow. Finally, he straightened with a sigh, not relishing the thought of falling asleep on the rock and getting a rude awakening if he rolled over. Wading out of the water, he took time to settle his gelding for the night, hobbling him within easy reach of water and fodder before turning his attention to his own comfort. He briefly considered lighting a fire and cooking a late meal, but a fire didn't seem all that wonderful a thought. Still nude, he rummaged some cold biscuits out of his saddle bags and spread out his bedroll for the night. He knew he should dress again--one learned very quickly when camping out that it was best to be dressed and ready for surprises--but the air felt wonderful on his bare skin. He decided it was worth the risk that some other night traveler might stumble upon his camp site.
<But best not to leave too much to chance,> he thought with a smile as he settled his mare's leg beside him and stretched out on the bedding. The gelding moved easily in the dark, and beyond that familiar sound the call of night-hunting owls and coyotes was like a lullaby.
Tomorrow it was back to Four Corners and whatever troubles the others might have gotten themselves into. Vin was mildly surprised to realize he was looking forward to getting back. But for now, there was the stars above, and the soothing company of only himself. The night seemed to settle around him and, lulled by his swim and the release of his orgasm, Vin drifted off.
~finis~
