Chapter 1

It was a warm summer day when I threw a bag into the back of my old Honda and prepared for the drive west to my convention. Other herbalists were meeting for our annual convention, which would last the weekend. I asked Mike if he wanted to go with me thinking it could be a little getaway, but he didn't want to hang around 'us nature freaks'. I laughed and kissed him good-bye and promised to call him when I got there.

I was looking forward to the drive since it would take me through western New Mexico and southern Arizona. The convention was in Phoenix - not the kind of place I wanted to be in the summer, but I didn't have much choice. The conventions were usually very good and occasionally I got to have a little 'fun'.

It was late morning and I was really into the easy rhythm of driving on long desert highways, but the heat was really coming on. My air conditioning was on full blast, but I was still hot. Then the unthinkable happened - I saw the engine light come on and my car started to buck. I pulled over and sure enough, steam began to spew out from underneath the hood. My car sputtered to a stop and I found myself in the middle of nowhere without a running vehicle.

I took a long swallow of water from my water bottle and realized it was almost empty. No problem, I thought, that's what cell phones are for. I picked it up and the dreaded words of: No Service greeted my gaze. I cursed loudly and threw it down on the seat.

It was quickly getting hot in the car so I rolled down the windows to let some air circulate. It was unbelievably hot and I started thinking I should have left earlier to avoid the heat, but it was too late to think about that. I sighed and got out of the car to scan the road.

I had broken down on a long stretch of the highway near the border of Arizona and New Mexico. I could see mountains looming up in the distance, but I didn't notice any towns nearby. I would have to rely on a passing motorist to help me out.

During the next hour several cars passed, but none stopped. I began to get angry and a little panicky. No way was I going to attempt walking. I knew by the map it would take forever and by then I would be melted. I sat in the car to get out of the sun for a bit and closed my eyes in despair.

Suddenly the quiet was broken by the sound of an engine, but I could tell it was slowing down. I opened my eyes to see a small pickup truck pull in behind me. Relieved as I was, I was so dizzy from the heat. I looked in the side mirror and saw the door open followed by a dusty pair of cowboy boots. Soon a compact body in jeans and loose shirt began to stride up to my car.

"Having problems?" a voice asked.

I turned my head and looked out the window.

"Yes - I'm so glad you stopped. I've been out here an hour or so..."

"Engine overheat?"

"I guess so, I don't know much about cars," I said lamely.

"Well, pop your hood and I'll take a look."

I reached down and pulled the lever. My rescuer walked around to the front of the car and I got a good look at him before he opened the hood. He was about 5'7" with long, blonde hair with a bit of a wave to it. He had a short blonde beard. I figured his eyes were blue, but he had sunglasses on. His body was lean, tanned and muscular. I estimated him to be about 25-26.

He spent a few minutes under the hood while I sat there dripping in sweat. I could feel it running down between my breasts and under my arms. I wanted to drink a gallon of water and take a cool shower. I could care less about my car at that point. I started to drift off again until the shutting of the hood startled me.

He walked over to the window again.

"I'm afraid it's the water pump."

"Shit," I said. I really didn't know what that meant but it didn't sound good.

"I can give you a lift into town. My buddy has a garage and can come out and tow your car."

"That would be great, thank you."

I reached behind me and grabbed my bag and opened the door. As soon as I stepped out, the heat swelled up to meet me and the world started to sway a bit. I felt very weak and suddenly I could feel myself started to go into a swoon. The ground rushed up and I fell into the dust.

Almost immediately I felt myself being lifted up by a strong pair of hands. I stumbled to my feet and clutched the arm of my once-again rescuer.

"Are you ok?" he asked in a soft voice.

"I-I think so," I managed.

"Let's get into my truck and out of this heat."

He helped me over to his truck and I slid into the front seat. It was running and the AC was on. Immediately the coolness hit my skin. He got in next to me and handed me a bottle of water. I accepted it graciously and began to greedily suck down the fluid.

"Good think I showed up when I did," he said as he put the truck into gear and we sped off.

"Yes, thank you very much," I said between gulps. "By the way, my name is Diana."

"Nice to meet you Diana. My name is Six."

"Six?"

"Yeah, I'm the youngest of six kids. It's a nickname."

I chuckled as he adjusted his sunglasses and we rolled over the hot pavement into whatever town was next on the highway.

Mike got home from work early and thought he was going to enjoy some time alone. Not that he ever minded being with Diana, but it was nice to have the house to himself every once in a while. He quickly changed into a pair of shorts, grabbed a beer and went into den to watch TV. It was another scorching day so he turned up the AC and got comfortable.

After a few beers and a couple of hours of flicking through channels, he started to get bored. Diana hadn't called yet and already he missed her a little bit. He picked up the phone and punched in her cell phone number, but there was no answer. Probably out with her new-age buddies, he thought and hung up.

Invariably boredom led to horniness. He wandered over to the computer and began to surf the Net for porn. Mike smiled when he got to the bondage sites that Diana had book marked and remembered some of their previous sessions with one of her many female subs. He started clicking on pictures of women in some interesting positions and almost immediately his cock began to twitch in his shorts. He reached down and started to rub it almost unconsciously as he scanned the various pictures.

His hand moved inside his shorts and closed around his thickening cock wishing Diana was there to take it into her mouth. Then the doorbell rang.

He removed his hand and jumped up wondering who it could be. His cock softened a bit, but not enough to unnoticeable. Silently cursing, he walked to the door and opened it a bit. Standing outside was his neighbor's wife, Dawn. She looked distressed.

"Um, hi, Dawn," he said, hoping he wasn't noticing his semi hard-on.

"Hi, Mike. Sorry to bother you, but I have a problem."

"Oh?"

"Steve is out of town and I can't get my AC working. I think it's a really simple thing to do, but I just don't know how. Can you take a look at it please?"

"Sure, I'll be right over. Just let me put some shoes on."

"Ok, thanks so much."

"No problem."

He shut the door and willed his cock to go back to normal, but it was hard since Dawn was once one of Diana's slaves and he spent a weekend fucking her. Since then, he rarely saw Dawn. No doubt Steve was enjoying his horny wife. Diana said that they even had other women join them as Dawn was discovering she had a bisexual side. He knew by experience that Steve was a lucky guy.

Mike put on a t-shirt and sneakers and walked outside into the heat. Dawn was waiting for him at the front door and he stepped inside their house. Instantly he felt the stifling air engulf him.

"Shit, it is hot in here," he mumbled.

"Yes, I've been at work all day. I thought the AC would be running all day, but it never came on."

"Alright, let's go downstairs and check it out."

She led him down the stairs to the basement, which was much cooler, and opened the slider that led outside. The condenser unit was there and he began to inspect it. He started sweating again almost immediately and kind of wished he hadn't volunteered for this job, but he knew Dawn needed the help. He tinkered around with it for a few minutes and finally got it going. Dawn was relieved.

"What was it?" she asked.

"Loose wire. You should get it serviced soon so it doesn't keep happening."

"I will. Thanks for your help."

"Anytime," he said and followed her back into the house.

When the got upstairs, the cool air was beginning to radiate throughout the house.

"Can I offer a beer for your troubles?" she asked.

Mike almost said no as he felt a little uncomfortable around her. He was getting an image of her with nipple clamps on her breasts and her mouth filled with his cock. Quickly he tried to get the image out of his mind otherwise his cock would act up again. He wasn't sure if Steve appreciated him fucking his wife without permission and he knew it would happen if she saw his cock getting hard.

But she was so grateful for what he just did; he decided to have one beer to make her happy.

Six and me rolled into a small dusty town in the foothills during the heat of the day. No one was about as the heat was relentless. Everything seemed white from the glare. I felt much better from drinking the water, but I still wanted a shower. And a nap. We pulled into his friend's garage and he jumped out to talk to him. I stayed in the truck and watched.

Six's t-shirt was tight across his back and I could see the muscles rippling underneath. He was muscular without it being too noticeable. My gaze moved down to his tight, firm ass and I unconsciously licked my lips. I really needed to rest, I thought.

After a few minutes, he came back and got in the truck.

"Ok, here's the scoop. Dale says he can go out and tow you, but it will take a while to get a new water pump. He doesn't have any for your car and he'll need to call around."

I sighed, thinking I may not make this convention.

"Ok, well I appreciate the help. Is there a motel around here that I can stay in until my car is back to normal?"

He laughed and I looked at him curiously.

"Nope, there's nothing around here. Even if there were, I wouldn't let you. You can stay at my sister's house."

"Which number is she?" I asked, making a weak joke.

He laughed again and took off his sunglasses. His eyes were a brilliant blue and I melted a bit.

"She's number two and her name is Emily. We'll go over there now."

We drove to the other side of the town, which only took us about five minutes. Emily's house was a cute adobe structure surrounded by cactus and sage bushes. I immediately liked it.

I slid out of the truck and felt my clothes sticking to me. I couldn't wait to get under some cold water.

"She's not home - she's teaching today," he said as we stepped inside.

The cool air washed over me again and I looked around admiring the décor of the place. It was cozy and very neat. I set my bag down on the floor and looked around.

"Nice place, huh?" he said, watching me.

"Yeah it is. She lives here by herself?"

"Nope, I live here too," he said casually.

I raised my eyebrows but said nothing. I had no idea what he did for a living but figured he couldn't afford a house of his own.

"Ok, there's the bathroom. I'm going with Dale to pick up your car. I'll call Emily and tell her about you so she doesn't wig out when she gets home. She'll be here in about an hour."

"Great, thanks again, Six," I said warmly.

He smiled at me and I melted a little more.

"Anything for a lady in distress."

And with that he went back out into the blinding white light.

No sooner then I heard his truck pull out did I go into the bathroom and start the shower. I stripped off my sweaty clothes and stepped into the cool water. I let out a long sigh as the coolness enveloped my body and washed away the sins of the day.

Sometime later I was dozing in the comfortable rocking chair with a book in my lap when Emily came in. I opened my eyes and looked at her standing there. She was taller than Six and very slim. Her blond hair fell about her shoulders and there was a big smile on her face. There was no doubt she was his sister.

"Diana," she said brightly.

"Yup, that's me," I said starting to get up.

"You don't have to get up. I heard the heat got you."

"Yeah, it did. I'm so glad your brother came along when he did."

"That's Six. He's always helping out people," she laughed.

She set her book bag down and pushed back her long hair.

"Let's have some iced tea," she said walking to the kitchen.

The sound of that got my mouth watering again and I followed her. She poured two tall glasses with ice and lemons and we sat at her kitchen table and chatted. She told me she was divorced but had no kids. I think she was around 40 by her looks. Six moved in after her husband left her and they were very close. I asked a couple of cautious questions about him and found out that he worked with Dale at the garage and no, he didn't have a girlfriend. Not that it mattered to me, but I was just curious.

After another glass of iced tea, I started to notice the shadows lengthening. I suddenly thought about Mike and figured I better call him and let him know what happened.

"Can I use your phone? I have to call my boyfriend and let him know where I am. My cell phone doesn't work out here."

"Sure, you can use the one in the living room," she said.

I went out there and dialed our number. It rang four times and went to the answering machine. He was probably out with his buddies after work, I thought and left him a message telling him what happened. I told him I would try again later.

As I hung up, Six pulled in. I watched him walk up and again admired his body. When he got closer I saw that we was covered with dirt and grease. He came into the house and smiled at me.

"Well, we got your car and had a hell of a time getting the old pump out. Dale is going to get your new one tomorrow so you should be ready to go by tomorrow afternoon."

"Great, thanks again," I said a little gloomily. I was probably going to miss most of the convention, so I figured I better just return home tomorrow.

"Well, I'm going to get cleaned up," he said as he made his way to the bathroom.

I went back to the kitchen and watched Emily start dinner. She sensed my gloominess at once.

"Not good, huh?" she asked.

"No, it looks like I won't get out of here until tomorrow afternoon, at least. I think I'll just drive back home."

"Sorry to hear that. Well, at least while you're here, we'll try to make it enjoyable for you."

"Thanks," I mumbled and drained the last of my tea. Soon I was going to need something stronger, I thought.

Dinner was great. Emily was a great cook. I began to forget my troubles and started to enjoy being in their company. Six spent the whole dinner entertaining us with stories about his experiences working in Phoenix. Apparently he hated big cities and it was evident by the stories he told. I was laughing hard and so was Emily even though she probably heard them all before.

We were all drinking beer by then and I was feeling much better than I had that afternoon.

"So, Diana, are you ready for some fun?" asked Six mischievously.

"What kind of fun?"

"I thought I'd take you down to the local watering hole for a few beers and maybe a little dancing. It is Friday night after all."

My eyebrows raised in surprise at this suggestion. Emily smiled at me and said nothing. She knew I had a boyfriend, but Six did not. I figured I might as well - there was nothing better to do.

"Are you coming too, Emily?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"I'm going to visit a friend. Us 'old' folks like to sit in and drink wine on Friday night."

I made a face and she laughed.

"You two have a good time."

So with that Six and I got ready to go out on the town. Emily whispered to me that Six was a perfect gentleman and I had nothing to worry about. I nodded at her and we stepped out into the warm night.

Jake's was your typical western bar and apparently the only place to go on a Friday night for miles around. The place was packed. Six led me up to the bar and we found a spot at the end. In no time we had two cold beers in front of us. Since it was a small town, most people knew Six and even who I was. I guess word traveled fast.

We spent the time just drinking and talking. I found him very easy to talk to about anything, but I was purposely vague about the details of my life. He didn't seem to mind and had no problem filling in the gaps in our conversations with stories about himself. I began to lose myself a little in his blue eyes and I wondered how his hair felt under my fingers.

I think he noticed me looking at him that way and I saw a faint blush creep into his cheeks. He set his beer down and looked at me.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked suddenly.

I looked around and was immediately skeptical. I had no idea how to do whatever dance they were doing out there. Loud country music was playing and everyone was moving in synch across the dance floor.

"I'm not sure-"

He slid off the barstool and grabbed my hand and pulled me out to the floor. I could see he was in his element.

"Now just watch and follow me. In no time you'll get the hang of it."

"But-"

"Trust me," he said with a dazzling smile and I felt compelled to follow him.

He placed his hand on my left hip and took my right arm and began to glide me around the floor with him. I gamely went along with it, not wanting to disappoint him. My eyes crept upward and I watched the other couples strutting across the floor. Most of the women were dressed much better than me and I felt a little inferior in my simple jeans and white cotton blouse. At least I remembered to bring my western boots.

Six was a patient teacher and in time we were sliding across the floor to the music. I began to laugh and he let out a hoot.

"You're a natural!" he shouted over the din.

"Thanks," I said, smiling back at him.

In fact, I was enjoying it. I was also enjoying his hands on my hips. I pushed aside thoughts of home and went with the moment.

The two of us danced along to the music for what seemed like an hour before I finally needed a break. He pulled me back to the bar and ordered us two more beers.

"How about a shot of something?" he asked.

"Um, like what?"

"I prefer tequila on a night like this," he grinned.

"And what kind of night is it?" I asked.

"One with many possibilities."

I narrowed my gaze at him and wondered exactly what he had in mind as he ordered two tequila shots, but I said nothing. He handed me the glass and lemon and we proceeded to do the ritual. The bitter liquid hit the back of my throat and I almost choked. I grabbed the lemon and sucked on it hard.

I let out a loud 'Whew' and he laughed that easy laugh of his. He took the glass and the lemon from my hands and placed them on the bar. The music changed to a slow song and he looked into my brown eyes.

"Let's dance again," he said in a low husky voice.

I wasn't sure if I should, I could see things had changed subtly, but I really wanted to and the expression on his face was telling me I should. I nodded and followed him out to the dance floor.

"So where is Diana this evening?" Dawn asked as they sipped beers in her kitchen.

"She's out of town at a convention. She'll be back on Monday."

"Oh," was all she said in reply.

Mike saw the situation looming in front of them. Both of their significant others out of town for the weekend...

"She's an herbalist," he said, clearing his throat.

"Oh yeah? That's cool. I'll have to talk to her about a few things."

"She's pretty good, I guess," he said, laughing. "I don't know much about it."

"It's a new age thing."

"Definitely."

The silence closed in on them again. Mike drained his beer and decided he better head home. Diana might be trying to call him. Besides, he felt uncomfortable with Dawn. Although she looked unbelievably hot, he thought that it wouldn't be a good idea to hang around much longer. A couple of beers later, things could change.