The ice along the trail leading to the hot springs was unexpected. Poppy had been on the footpath years ago; although maybe it had been later in the spring—she couldn’t remember, anymore. Today, though, a slick layer of ice covered the narrow footpath that snaked up the side of the mountain to the flat rock formations that cradled the secret baths of warm mineral waters.

Poppy was an outdoor girl. Her parents spent entire seasons in the wild with her as a child and instilled in her an undying love of nature that, despite her new Manhattan life, was impossible to shake. Now, back in Santa Fe with John, her Manhattan-born and bred boyfriend, she was wondering if she had chosen the wrong hike to introduce him to her favorite mountains.

“I’m entrusting you with my life here, you know,” John called ahead to her. His voice could not hide the anxiety that he felt walking on a trail that allowed little room for mistakes. But, determined to embrace Poppy’s passions, he soldiered on, refusing to look at the treacherous drop-off that lay just inches away.

“You are doing great,” Poppy called back to him. She knew she was asking a lot of John, and she planned to reward him with a soak in her favorite hot springs. This time of year, the pools would be empty, considering the iciness of the trail, and she planned to take advantage of the privacy.

At the final bend before the series of pools, Poppy stopped and pulled John close. “Thank you for coming here with me. I hope you will like this as much as I always have,” she said.

Taking his gloved hand in hers, they walked the final few feet to an opening in the trees. There, a ledge of rocks lay staggered, nestled into yet another steep rise in the mountain. Three small pools steamed in the late afternoon sunlight. Their green-blue water reflecting the snow-tipped pines that surrounded the pools. Farthest from them, a small waterfall made the only sound as they stopped and absorbed the pristine tranquility of the spot.

“Ready?” Poppy asked, walking through the small snowbanks to the edge of the pool closest to them.

“As ready as I will ever be,” John smiled and shook his head, wondering how such a logical and sensible New Yorker could have fallen for such a free-spirit. But, here he was.

As Poppy and John stepped to the edge of the upper pool, snow crunching beneath their boots, they looked across the snow-touched valley. There, they could see the final pool. Lower than the rest, it was nestled secretly into a carved-out section of the mountain.

“Now what do-” John began, before Poppy cut him off.

“Shh.” She motioned silently for him to look down.  

As John and Poppy leaned forward, they saw through the gauze of steam two figures, entwined. Four legs extended into the dark turquoise depths of the center of the pool. Poppy’s eyes followed the long, perfectly muscled female legs up to a bare creamy white ass. Two hands cupped the woman’s ass and slowly guided it back and forth, causing only the slightest ripple in the water.

Poppy turned and smiled at John, who had already taken a step back from the edge of the pool. She reached back and took John’s hand. Shaking his head, John resisted momentarily, then gave in and followed, like a child. 

Poppy and John walked slowly around the rocky edge of the pool until they could better see the couple. They watched as the two bodies, locked together, moved in a quiet unison just below the shimmering surface of water. Their eyes never straying from the other’s.

Poppy was rapt. As she watched, the world disappeared around her. It was only the mountains, the pool and the two bodies that she saw. It was the perfect love-making for such a beautiful sacred spot. The two were one with each other and one with nature. The balance of it all captivated her body and soul.

She felt herself warm as she soaked in the vision of the two seamlessly fused bodies. And she knew what she wanted. 

Forcing herself to look away, she turned to John whose gaze passed between the pool below and Poppy. As they stepped back from the edge of the pool, he whispered into her ear, “Should we leave?” His breath on her cold ears sent a new wave of excitement through her body. She shook her head.

Refusing to spoil the sounds of only the water and wind, Poppy held her finger to his lips and stepped away. She took off her mittens and daypack, dropping them to the side. Locking eyes with John, she unzipped her fleece and let it fall, too. As she shed her clothing, piece by piece, the sting of the frozen air meeting the heat of her body only electrified her. 

Now she stood in front of John, clad in only her white cotton bikinis and an athletic bra, comfortable having nothing between her bare skin and the world. Wordlessly, she motioned him to her. Dropping his bag, he approached her. Her comfort disarmed him. 

Poppy unzipped his jacket and pushed it off his shoulders. She stepped away from him.  And waited.

With an acquiescent smile, John stripped to his boxer briefs. Now both felt the bite of the air on their exposed bodies. Poppy let her cold hands rest on his chest. John stood motionless, fighting his instinct to recoil from her frigid fingertips. Slowly, she traced her fingers down his gym-chiseled torso and hooked the top of his underwear. Despite his obvious nervousness, she could see his cock, nicely hard. Ready for her.

In one quick movement, she yanked his boxer-briefs down. Relaxing just a bit now, John reciprocated, slipping his hands under her panties and sliding them down over the soft curve of her ass. 

Craving warmth now, Poppy pushed her body into his, as he pulled off her bra. Skin to skin, she felt his apprehension melt and his hard cock grow against her.

“I want to feel you in the water,” she whispered in his ear, backing away from him.  

But instead of sliding into the pool they stood next to, she stepped off the pool’s edge and padded softly down the rocks to the lower pool. The pool, where they had watched the couple, just moments ago. 

Part way down, Poppy turned, her taut stomach twisting, and shot John a teasing look. He had followed her just a few steps and stopped, watching her. A look of disbelief writ large across his face.

Poppy knew, though, that John could not resist her. She descended the remainder of the rocks. Now, she could see the couple clearly, and they could have certainly seen her. But, if they noticed her standing opposite them, they gave no indication. Still locked in a slow, silent, meditative, rhythmic dance, they had moved to a deeper ledge in the pool. There, they sat upright, the water covering all but their shoulders and heads. Poppy watched the woman straddle the man’s lap. The slow bob of her breasts, barely breaking the water’s surface, was the only indication that he was moving inside of her.

And now Poppy was close enough to hear them breathe. Their slow and perfectly synchronized breaths mirrored their gentle, languid movements. Her body reeled with desire, imagining the control the couple exercised over their pleasure. She felt the fullness of her pussy and gave herself over to her cravings. 

Silently, Poppy stepped into the water. The slippery warmth of the rocks on her toes was a welcome relief from the stabbing cold her feet had been fighting. As she eased her body into the water, a blanket of warmth wrapped around her. Her body, no longer distracted by the cold, absorbed the sensuality of the water, and the tingle of pleasure spread throughout her entire being.

As Poppy lay there, feeling the weightlessness of her limbs, she closed her eyes to the couple. She wanted only to hear them breathe and feel the warmth of the water around her. Slowly, as her focus on the couple’s breathing became more intense, she meshed her breath into theirs. She felt the gentle ripple of water dance around her chin and ears and knew its motion reflected the lovers’.

Despite the couple’s distance from Poppy, the connection she felt with them grew.  Her hips began slowly rocking, and she felt the wetness of her pussy mingling with the water of the pool. In this meditative state, her arousal grew gently, in a way that she had full control over. She knew she could sustain this feeling and intended to do so, at least until John chose to join her.

Moments later, she felt John’s body sliding into the water next to her. With her eyes still closed, she reached over and let her hand find his cock. Its hardness surprised her. She had assumed, wrongly, that between the cold and the publicness of it all, he would be less aroused than he was. But, she was pleasantly surprised.

As she softly stroked him, he let out a soft moan. Poppy opened her eyes and looked at John. His eyes were fixated on the couple, who had again changed positions. Now, the woman kneeled, straddling her lover on the rocky ledge as he, sitting behind her, pushed into her. Her body, now clearly visible, was a sensual combination of curves and long lines. Her ample breasts bobbed just below the surface of the water, in synch with the movement of his cock into her pussy.   

Now the woman’s eyes, no longer able to meet her lover’s, had locked onto John’s. And he accepted her gaze fully. Seeing John’s connection with the women filled Poppy with an intense longing. She squeezed John’s cock tighter as another moan escaped him. With her other hand, she slowly traced the lines of her thighs up to her pussy. Lightly, she grazed just the outer lips with her fingertips. The sensation sent a new wave of pleasure through her, and she felt herself longing for the control she possessed just minutes earlier. 

Letting her fingers slide ever so slightly to the tip of her clit, she held them there, motionless. As she absorbed the sensation, she let her eyes wander beyond John and the woman to the man. In his slightly reclined position behind her, Poppy took in his body. His chest and arms were strong, not overly large, but clearly muscled. A series of tattoos blanketed his shoulder and crept over his bicep. But it was his beard and eyes that Poppy was most taken with. A thick dark beard covered his chin and cheeks that Poppy felt a sudden urge to feel against her body. His eyes, though, were a clear deep blue that reflected the water in which they soaked. 

And when their gazes finally met, Poppy felt herself sink deeper into her pool of desire. As she stared into his eyes, she found herself stroking both herself and John harder.  John’s subtle movements had become stronger, and it was clear that he was craving more. John reached behind Poppy and slid her onto his cock, mirroring the position of the couple.  Now, with John inside of her and her eyes still locked on the man across the pool, she felt her body begin to move with a new intensity. As John’s cock pushed against the most sensitive spots inside of her, she felt herself fighting to stay connected to the man across from her. 

With all four engaged in their silent circle of love-making, Poppy needed to feel the couple. She watched the tension in the man’s arms and chest building, and she knew he was fighting the same desire. Now, imagining the couple was no longer sufficient for Poppy or for anyone else, she desperately hoped. 

Then, in a single slow movement, the woman slid from her lover and glided over to them. Kneeling on the ledge next to John, she leaned in and kissed him. At the same time, her fingers found Poppy’s clit. With John’s cock still inside of Poppy; and now, the woman’s fingers rubbing the thick tip of her clit, she felt herself crumbling under the pleasure.

Doing the only thing she could to remain composed, Poppy closed her eyes to the man, hoping that it was enough for her to regain some control. 

And then she felt his hands on her waist.

“Can I?” he whispered in her ear.

“Mmmm,” she nodded her consent.

Slowly, he lifted her off John, and the woman’s fingers left her pussy. As Poppy left John, the woman took her place. This time facing John. 

Poppy watched as John’s cock slowly entered the woman’s soft, bare pussy. His head rocked back as he grabbed her ass and pulled her closer to him. 

Now, with the man reclined on the ledge next to John, the man pulled Poppy onto his cock. The sensation of him sliding into her, his cock still slick with the woman’s wetness, sent a shiver of excitement through her body. Capturing Poppy’s gaze again, the man slowly guided her back and forth. Holding her hips firmly, he tilted his pelvis so that his cock, thick and substantial, found the most delicate areas of her pussy.  

The slow, hypnotic movement of the man transfixed Poppy in the same way it had when she watched him with his lover.  The quiet of his movements and the steadiness of his breath led Poppy to a place where she only felt the sensations in her body. Her nipples enchanted by the soft warm rush of water that passed by with each motion. Her clit growing more and more prominent with every thrust, while the inside of her pussy took in every ridge and valley of his hot wet cock.  

She felt her breath start to stray from his, becoming more rapid and forced.

“Stay with me,” he whispered.

She could only nod, as she closed her eyes once again and focused on her control. 

After she had come down from her peak, the man again whispered in her ear, “Now look at your lover.”

She did as he asked. Poppy watched as the woman rode John with the same controlled gentle movements as the man. The woman’s tits mirrored Poppy’s as they slid back and forth on John’s smooth chest. Her ass flexed as John cupped it—never directing it, just holding it.  Her face registered the calm gentle support of someone leading another on a new journey.  

In John’s face, though, Poppy saw the same mounting eagerness that she had fought to quell moments ago. 

“Wait,” the woman instructed, in the same whispering hypnotic tone as the man. “Your time is coming soon. Look at her.” 

As John obediently opened his eyes to Poppy, the woman’s gaze shifted from John to her lover.  

Immediately, the couple’s breath and movements fell into sync. The connection between them was thick with a psychological desire that also filled Poppy and John’s body.

Feeling the connection between all four now, Poppy sensed her body again clawing toward climax.  

With her eyes locked on John, she watched the muscles in his face and neck tighten as his ecstasy grew along with hers. Despite John’s clear desire to slow his progression towards orgasm, it was clear that he was beginning to give himself over to pure pleasure. 

Sensing this, the couple responded. Poppy suddenly felt the man’s strength in his hands. He grasped her ass more forcefully now, pulling her into him so that her clit was fully stimulated. 

A groan escaped her, as she felt another rush of blood into her already engorged pussy.  The heaviness of it all was unbearable.  

“Good,” the man murmured to Poppy, his eyes still focused only on his lover. “Let yourself go. Now.”

“Yes,” was all Poppy could muster, as she closed her eyes. She felt herself explode in a rush of wetness and movement. All the control that she had was gone in a rush of bliss. The man guided her through her climax, letting her ride wave after wave of pleasure as it coursed through her body.

Finally, Poppy opened her eyes and looked at John whose gaze was locked on her. 

“Now,” the woman said to John, as she began rocking more quickly. With her movements intensifying, so did the man’s.  He unleashed his desire as his cock reached deep inside of Poppy with a fervor that unhinged Poppy once again.

Poppy watched as all three gave themselves over to the instincts of their own bodies and began their climax. The storm of gasps and groans echoed softly against the lichen-covered rock walls behind them. The water, previously so placid, now swirled around them in its own fit of desire. Despite the torrent of pleasure, though, there remained a perfect balance between the three, with no one coming more spectacularly than anyone else.

Watching the purity of the moment, Poppy felt one last rush of pleasure course through her body as she embraced the final moment of ecstasy that enveloped her body. As John and the lovers’ movements slowed to a gentle rocking, Poppy surrendered to her final orgasm. She closed her eyes and felt the strength of her pussy as it tightened around the man’s cock. Over and over again, her pussy squeezing and pulling the last drops of come from the man’s still hard cock. 

As the last vestiges of pleasure drained from her body, Poppy opened her eyes. John smiled and reached for her arm. As he did, the woman left so that Poppy could take her place. Poppy’s long body stretched out along John’s as she absorbed his familiar embrace. He kissed her softly, resisting words, fearful of spoiling the remains of the moment. And Poppy lost in his gaze, now soft and lazy from euphoria, felt the world slip away.

And silently, the couple drifted to the far side of the pool. Through the steam, their bodies once again intertwined into one, absorbing the heat of the springs.