Due to many factors, the global scientific community, particularly the United States, abandoned research on solar and wind energy and green living to focus on the more profitable and desirable genetic engineering and bioengineering. Building the perfect human became more important than climate control and preserving Mother Earth. 

I closed my eyes, thinking of nothing except the hard cock ravishing my cunt. We hadn’t even made it up the stairs.

“I’ve (thrust) (thrust) missed (thrust) (thrust) you,” he growled, voice husky with arousal. 

My face ate the carpet as he fucked me from behind, so I answered him by reaching back and digging my nails into his skin exposed from his half-down trousers. Damn, I needed this. We needed this. 

After pushing me forward onto the staircase, he'd bunched my dress over my ass, and I think he ripped my thong in his hurry to get inside me. I no longer felt its silkiness. No matter. Kurt was an aggressive lover, and I’d grown used to ripped clothing with his fucking. 

We grunted in time with the slapping of his weighty balls against my flesh. He was driving deep and hard, wanting me to remember where he was in the morning. No matter how luxe the carpet, my knees would also bear the scars of his rough fucking.  

Nerve endings fired from my waist to my toes as he stretched me. The friction between his blood-filled cock and my clenching pussy was too much to withstand, so my hand thumped his thigh to signal my rapidly approaching orgasm. He increased his efforts, and within the next minute, we both fell over the cliff, bathing each other with cum. 

I felt his weight upon me, and we lay on the steps until we recovered enough to finish the journey to the bedroom. 

After removing the rest of our clothes, we slid underneath the covers, and I snuggled against his warm body, resting my head on his shoulder. I played with the curly tufts of hair on his chest while his fingers drew pictures on my naked backside. That was how I liked us. Alone. Together. Intimate. Troubles always began when we left the bedroom, and our careers interrupted our harmony. I had news to tell him but selfishly decided to wait until morning; I wanted to enjoy this blissful feeling a bit longer.

~O~

I honestly had intended to tell him first thing in the morning. Truly.

His tongue, however, sidelined those plans as I awakened to a lot of attention on my buzzing clit. Goodness, this man gives a great licking! 

“Kurt… don’t… stop,” I sputtered, grabbing a fistful of his blonde hair.

My hips bucked as I came, and he dug his fingers into my flesh and wrestled to hold me still. After I finally settled down, he crawled up to cover my body with his, kissing me and letting me taste myself in his mouth. 

“Thank you,” was all I could utter as we tangled our legs together. 

When I finally opened my eyes again, I found him watching me. “What?”

“You’re incredible,” he said. 

Okay, this might be my “in” to tell him my news. “Well, I do have some incredible news to share.”

Interested, he propped up on an elbow. “Tell me.”

“The Havasupai Tribe invited me to visit their reservation and stay for two weeks.”

With that news, he sat up all the way. “Wow! Babe, that is incredible! No one has been able to talk to them in over a decade when they shot down every attempt to develop part of their lands.”

“I know. I have no idea what they want with me, though.”

Excitement grew, and he started talking faster. “This is our chance to restart negotiations about gaining access to their land. You'll open the door for us. The resources they have—“

“Kurt, I’m not going to try to get access to their resources.” I had to stop his line of thought, no doubt attempting to drag me into his politics.

“But we can’t waste this opportunity,” he protested with an edge entering his tone.

“There is no we in this; they invited me. And to my knowledge, no one else has been granted access to their reservation in a very long time. I’m interested in how they’ve been living independently all this time. These indigenous people are rooted in traditions that we all could learn from. And a break from work would be good for me. I’ve been thinking about taking my career in a new direction.”

“Which direction?” he asked, shaking his head as if he had already decided that a new direction would be very bad.

I took a deep breath before answering. “Solar energy.”

“Solar energy?" He looked like I'd just mentioned aliens. "You’ve made a name for yourself in genetic engineering. There’s no money in solar energy. And no future in it.”

Becoming defensive, I bolted upright and hopped on my soapbox. “Fossil fuels will run out. Climate change is a real thing. We have to be thinking about the next generation — our children. 

"And I want to give our children the best lives possible, too… which involves genetic engineering. You know this, Cassandra." He shook his head. "Hell, you did most of the work." 

He wasn't listening. "I know. And I was wrong."

"How can you say that? Because of your discoveries, children don't have to fight cancer."

"Just the kids with rich parents, Kurt. And you know it's gone way beyond that. People pick their kid's eye color, hair color, height, and intelligence capability. And it's only affordable for a few, so the rich get the designer-brand kids. Dad gets his son, the football star. The naturally conceived kids can’t compete. Class divisions are greater than ever. There's no sense of community—.”

"Oh my God, stop!” he interrupted. “We're improving! And that's a good thing. China's doing it. Are we just supposed to sit back and let them dominate us in every way?" 

"Kurt, I've been focusing on the wrong thing. It doesn't feel right anymore. We're killing our planet, and no one cares. I want to shift my focus back. Solar ener—“

"No!" His booming voice startled me, and I shrunk away from him. He took a deep breath before continuing in a more controlled tone, "Don't get sucked into those ridiculous notions. There's a reason scientists stopped that runaway train to nowhere. Do you wanna end up like Dr. Stevenson?"

Dr. Stevenson.

Hearing his name made my heart skip more than one beat. Dr. Jason Stevenson has been my professor, mentor, and… more. That was until he got himself exiled from the scientific community. All the intellectual greats, pressured by the government, decided to focus all resources on genetics. Jason had tried to thwart those efforts, insisting there was no reason to improve humans if there was no planet to live on. He'd asked me to join him on the green living project he was funding himself, but I refused. Others offered me big money to work on projects involving gene manipulation. Growing up poor, I couldn’t turn down the promise of notoriety and fortune in an exciting, high-profile field. He disappeared afterward, and no one had heard from him in over a decade. I'll never forget the disappointment in his eyes the last time I saw him. 

"Look, we don't even know what the tribal leaders want with me." 

"And I say it doesn't matter. You are key to starting talks with them again. We need access to their lands' resources."

"Then what? We'll just drain their resources dry, too." 

He moved behind me and started rubbing my shoulders. "Babe. Let's just relax. I don't want to fight with you. Maybe you've been working too hard. Get away. I hear their land is beautiful. Enjoy yourself. Clear your mind." He'd switched to his honeyed voice. As a politician, he'd learned to use different voices to fit various circumstances, and I hated it when he used those tactics on me.

Sighing, I leaned back against his chest, still annoyed with him but tired of arguing. Oh, he thought I’d end up doing things his way, but this time, he might be mistaken.

I was packed for the trip a few days later, and Kurt rode with me to the helipad. We both felt tension. I didn't like it when he tried to push his agenda on me, and he didn't like it when I didn't immediately fall in line. 

We got out of the car, and when the propellers started whirring, he made his move, pulling me against him and whispering, “I love you.” Then he pulled back and cupped my face, peering intently into my eyes as if he could penetrate my mind. “I know you’ll do what’s right for us all.”

Before I could respond, he released me, turned, and climbed back into the car. Typical Kurt, professing love and then ensuring he got the last word on our disagreement.

I climbed into the helicopter and clenched my eyes shut, focusing on box breathing to calm myself. Kurt said one thing right — I needed to go on this journey with a clear mind. Forty minutes later, the pilot told me we were about to land. I looked down at a subtle dirt patch I assumed was our landing pad. There was no one else in sight, even though I'd been told a guide from the tribe would accompany me on the two-day trek to their reservation. 

Once down, I stepped out of the helicopter, and a man came into view — surprisingly, a rather tall white man with a brimmed hat covering most of his face. 

As I approached the man, he removed his hat, and I stumbled, almost fainting at the sight of him. 

Dr. Jason Stevenson stood before me as if time had not touched him. 

"Hello, Cassandra." 

~O~

His long, dark hair, freed from his usual ponytail, curtained our faces, a few strands tickling my cheeks as our eyes bore into each other’s with each thrust of his pelvis. His hands roamed my nakedness, leaving no inch of flesh untouched from his sensual caress. Hard perfectly balanced with soft — that was Jason. 

When his fingers circled my plump clit, my body erupted.  

I suddenly bolted upright, gasping for air, waking from my dream with my hand cupping my quivering pussy. Drops of sweat covered my body from the waist down to my trembling legs. I hugged myself tightly and couldn’t shake the vision of Jason’s face inches from mine. 

Yesterday, I remained standoffish as much as possible while being led through the unfamiliar, sometimes tricky terrain of the Grand Canyon. Seeing him again unraveled me in unexpected ways. 

Fickle emotions wrecked me as I replayed our past over and over again. Sitting around the fire last night, we’d both steered clear of discussing our history; maybe that was for the best. We were left with small talk since Jason had refused to explain his presence, only promising it was best to show me when we arrived at the reservation. He once or twice mentioned my achievements in gene manipulation to say he knew about them. His expression and tone told me he disapproved, which annoyed me.

“What have you done in the past decade? Maybe look at that before you look down upon me!” I remembered barking.

He had answered me with a mischievous smile, further annoying me and increasing my dissatisfaction with some of my career choices; I’d stomped off to my tent to pout. 

Although, that annoyance hadn’t stopped me from experiencing a wet dream starring him. Still feeling the effects, I peered through a slit in the tent before stepping outside, not wanting to run into Jason yet. He’d always been highly in tune with my emotions, and I didn’t want his smug ass to catch wind of my aroused state. He’d surely credit himself. 

The awe-inspiring blue-green water called to me and was just what I needed to soothe my overheated body. I treaded softly atop the fallen leaves, around the bend, and out of sight of Jason’s tent. Just a quick dip before he awakens, I told myself. After shedding my shorts and tank top, I tested the pool with my toe, then wasted no time submerging myself. The water instantly soothed my flushed cheeks and breasts while coolness lapped between my legs, washing away the sticky evidence of my wet dream. Goodness, it felt refreshing! Coming up for air, I surfaced just in time to get splashed in the face with water. 

I was no longer alone.

After wiping the wetness from my eyes, I saw him — Jason — standing knee-deep in the pool with his huge cock hanging casually between his legs. I cursed myself for looking. I cursed him for smirking while catching me looking. 

"You've put on some weight." 

Fabulous, what every woman wants to hear. 

Pretending not to care, I replied, "Things change. I've changed." I bent over, flipping my hair to squeeze the excess water out, and bravely turned my plumper ass in his direction. Once upright again, I looked him in the eyes. "I was barely an adult when we met, Jason. Now I'm a grown-ass woman."

"I see that." His cock no longer rested between his legs but pointed in my direction. "You know, you were a very pretty ‘barely an adult,’ but you've become a stunning ‘grown-ass woman.’" 

I pulled up my shorts and turned my head so he wouldn't catch me smiling. 

Damn, this was going to be a long two weeks. 

That day passed quicker than the last. I lost myself in the beautiful surroundings, and as two nature lovers, we discussed the different varieties of fauna along the way. The highlight was spying a pair of bald eagles flying overhead. I’m not sure who was watching whom more intently. 

As the sun approached sunset, Jason abruptly stopped and told me I needed to close my eyes. He took hold of my hand and led me with his thumb caressing mine, just like when we were together so long ago. I didn't object; his grasp ushered in a sense of security and belonging. 

We walked several hundred feet before he stopped us again. 

"Open your eyes and see what we've created." 

My eyes opened, then widened, unable to take in all the sights before me. "Jason — you did this?" 

"We did this," he gestured to the group approaching us. Welcome to our solar and wind-powered, green-living, fully sustainable community." He beamed at my reaction and continued, "It's technology living in perfect harmony with nature." 

Some of the most beautiful people I’d ever seen gathered around us. They wore vibrant colors of turquoise, red, and orange. Their skin glowed. There was a powerful energy associated with them. I felt it. 

It became apparent they’d missed Jason by their hugs, pats, and smiles, but their demeanor changed once they looked at me. A few even stepped back. 

“What’s wrong,” I whispered to him, growing concerned.

“They don’t trust you.”

“Then why am I here?”

“Because they trust me.”

I nodded, immediately understanding. Who could blame the Havasupai for not trusting strangers? My kind had mistreated them at every opportunity. I diverted my eyes back to Jason, realizing the magnitude of what he’d accomplished here. 

Those people afforded me a rare privilege, allowing me to enter their sacred space, so I decided then and there that I didn’t want to make my time there uncomfortable. I’d remain as a silent observer only, careful not to disturb their everyday lives. That was the very least I could do for them. 

Over the next few days, Jason led me around the village and answered my numerous questions. I witnessed an unbelievably seamless merging of nature with technology. 

Round, glass-enclosed mini pods that dissolved into the backdrop of the canyon cliffs surrounded me. More significant structures stood a short distance from the pods, again colored to blend in with the natural surroundings. 

"This is our community center where many gather for meals or celebrations. Powered by renewable energy, like the pods,” Jason explained. 

He continued, "The soil is rich on the canyon floor, and I've taught them about soil regeneration and regenerative farming. They are mostly vegetarians but eat bison on occasion. Everyone tends and takes from the community garden."

“I’m awe-struck. You did what you always said you’d do.” Unlike me, I thought, frowning to myself. I’d sold out a long time ago. 

He casually grabbed my hand and led us toward a square glass structure with solar panels on top, I guessed it was a greenhouse. We entered, and various herbs, melons, and other fruits blew my mind. 

He gestured around the inside with a broad swoop of his arms. "This is our community medicine cabinet. And here’s the community seed bank. The thought is to replant what you use to keep produce in continuous growth." 

We naturally resumed holding hands as we walked about, discussing what he’d done. My excitement grew with each step we took together, not only over the sustainable living accomplishments but also over my closeness with Jason. He leaned in to hear my words as if what I was saying was of the utmost importance to him. 

He led me back outside, and we passed a few of the Havasupai who actually smiled at me. My heart warmed, and I returned their generous smiles. 

“And this is my greatest pride,” Jason said once we reached another of his creations. “Rainwater harvesting stores the captured water in these deep well tubes. The people can then use the water for irrigation and drinking. Before that, they only had one water source, and it would be threatened if uranium mining ever started again." 

I cringed at the mention of uranium mining and thought about Kurt for the first time in days, then quickly pushed him to the corner of my mind. I didn’t want anything or anyone ruining the joy and peace I’d felt since I arrived. 

What Jason had accomplished in their village truly astounded me. I blushed in embarrassment, remembering my snide remark to him about not doing anything in the last decade. 

I continued watching and learning from these incredible people. Jason was my constant companion, which proved unsettling in more ways than one. When he approached, the old familiar thumping heartbeat returned, along with an uncomfortable stirring in my nether regions. It was as if no time had passed for us. 

Moreover, the setting affected me. I’d forgotten how alive I felt in nature. I worked in a concrete jungle and was no longer inspired to return to the sterile lab and colorless co-workers. Like the mini pods, I effortlessly meshed into that environment.  

~O~

It was a particularly gorgeous evening, and I’d decided to go for a walk. The stars shone brighter there, and I’d looked skyward until something on the ground had caught my attention. 

Suddenly, I jumped at the sound of Jason’s voice. "Here you are. What are you doing out here alone?" 

I spun around and stepped in front of him, thinking I could keep him from seeing what I'd been watching. Being a foot taller than me, he simply looked over my head and noticed the erotic scene with two members of the tribe vigorously fucking in front of the pod's large window.

While I avoided his eyes, he chuckled. "Oh, I see now." 

I sputtered, with my cheeks burning, "I was… I was just leaving." 

He grabbed my arm as I tried to brush past him. "There's nothing wrong with watching. They’re passionate people. It's contagious energy, is it not?" 

"I wasn't watching." I met his gaze then, knowing he saw through my lie. 

"You know, thoughts of you have guided my hand many nights since I've been here. I've felt so alive and wished you were here.” He pulled me against him without warning and combed my hair with his fingers. It felt too good to pull away. “It could be your naked body pressed against the glass with them watching us." 

"Jason, we can't. I'm with someone."

"Oh yes, the senator.” 

His tone changed when he said, “The senator.” I should have figured he’d heard about my relationship with Kurt since he seemed to know everything else I’d been doing since we split.

He continued, “But I don't see a ring on your finger,” He lifted my hand while speaking and released it after planting a soft kiss on my fingers. “And he's a long way from here.”

“Jas—“

“I know you feel something being here.” He interrupted me, drawing me closer to him. “I see the sparkle in your eyes. I hear the pitch in your voice." 

While he was speaking, I couldn't take my eyes off his lips, remembering his passionate kisses like they were yesterday. He made an erotic thing of it as if he was making love to my mouth. 

"Do you still like being kissed here?" He tucked my hair behind my ear and gently kissed the sensitive skin on my neck. 

"And what about here?" He nibbled my lobe and flicked his tongue inside my ear. 

I dissolved against him. 

Kurt fucked me, but Jason made love to me. With Jason, it had always been more of a full-body sensual experience. He took his time. The more aroused I became, the slower his movements, drawing out my pleasure. “Exquisite torture,” I had called his lovemaking.

"Cassandra, make love with me." 

Not able to find my words, I responded with a kiss. He pulled away and led me away from the settlement. The moon lit our path, and I didn’t question where he was taking me. It didn’t matter at that point; I’d make love to him anywhere.

I heard the waterfall before I saw it and tugged on his hand, quickening our pace. Once I caught a glimpse, I gasped. 

He fell in step behind me and wrapped his arms around me. “Breathtaking, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” I whispered, not wanting to cover the sound of the water cascading down the rock walls, giving the pooled water below frothy kisses.

He led me to the edge and removed his shirt before turning to help me with mine. He lifted my tank top over my head and made no secret of locking his gaze on my bare chest. His hands scooped them up from the bottom, with my ample breasts overflowing from the top. He bowed his head and suckled one nipple, bringing me off my heels. I did a little dance on my toes as he switched back and forth between my nipples, pinching and sucking. He’d remembered what I liked. He withdrew his mouth when I started grinding against his crotch. Never one to rush, he would settle me back down.

I lowered his pants and underwear, and he lowered mine. We stepped free of our clothes and stood before each other. His body was lean and toned, and his dick grew thick and long under my gaze — the picture of masculinity. We held hands while allowing our eyes to wander. According to Jason, the first step in foreplay is absorbing the beauty of the other's naked body. 

The coolness pulled me in, with him beside me. As our shoulders fell beneath the surface, our arms and legs entangled in an erotic embrace. Our lips met again, and I can't adequately describe my sensory experience with the cool water touching our heated bodies.

We untangled and held hands, swimming toward the waterfall. Standing beside one another, we tilted our heads toward the stars and let the water soak our hair and drip down our faces. 

He maneuvered me onto my backside, and his hand supported my ass, keeping me afloat. His other hand freely roamed my frontside, caressing my breasts and tummy before slipping between my legs. 

"Close your eyes."

I obeyed and focused on his touches. I felt ripples in the water gently bounce my body as his fingers played with my lips. He took his time, stroking me, circling my clit, then gently probing my opening. When he slid his first finger inside, I gasped. 

His fingering always drove me wild. Gentle probing, then switching to furious finger fucking, and back to gentle probing again. He had always loved edging me — keeping my orgasm at bay. When his experienced fingers found my G-spot, my high-pitched cries echoed in the surrounding canyon.

I bucked wildly when his thumb teased my clit, the water churning with my rising and falling hips. My breathing became labored, and he knew what was about to happen and withdrew his hand. 

I twisted in the water and wrapped my legs around his waist. “I need you,” I begged. 

With one thrust, he pushed his rigid cock inside my pussy. We mashed our lips together and swallowed each other’s moans of pleasure.

Sliding his hands underneath my ass, he held me in place to fuck me harder. I matched his thrusts so he could screw me at even greater depths. We fucked and fucked. My breasts bobbed up and down, with nipples breaching the surface. 

My legs tightened around his waist as his thrusts quickened. We cried out together when we came. When he withdrew, the water cleaned us, but I wondered about his seed that the water couldn’t reach. I was on birth control, but a part of me wished I wasn’t. What was happening to me? I was losing my connection to everything back home alarmingly fast. 

Suddenly exhausted emotionally and physically, I lay my head on his shoulder and drifted off. He awakened me, telling me our skin was shriveling and we'd better head back. And so, we left the pool, and the warm night air dried us as we walked naked back to his pod. From that night forward, I spent the night in his bed. 

I didn't yet know what the future held for us, but I knew for the immediate future, I was happiest lying beside him, underneath him, and on a few occasions atop him. 

Time flew by all too quickly over the next week as I absorbed as much as possible from the reservation and its colorful people. On the day before I was to leave, Jason led me to the waterfall to talk. His mood turned serious, and I feared what he would tell me. 

He sat beside me on the bank and lightly stroked my back as if to calm me. “In a month, I’m leaving this place and heading to Africa. I’d like you to come with me.”

His statement caught me by surprise. “Leaving? Why? And Africa?" 

“Because it’s time, and there’s more work to do. The Havasupai have become self-sustainable. I plan to help the Indigenous tribes of Africa, starting with the Samburu, accomplish the same feat.”

“Will they accept your ideas?”

“I have spoken to several chiefs who understand the necessity for change, yet we agree their lands are sacred and have sustained life since the beginning of time, so nature will always be protected. Like here, technology will walk hand-in-hand with nature. And when the white man eventually uses up all their lands’ resources and falls to extinction, through his stupidity and greed, the indigenous tribes of the world will remain self-sustainable. Quite fitting, really, after how indigenous peoples have been treated.”

“Lofty goals. And… fully achievable from what I’ve seen here.”

“Join me.”

I shook my head in disbelief. Everything was happening so fast. “Why now?”

“Because you’re ready. You have followed one path, and now I believe you’re open to something different.”

“So once again, you ask me to give up everything and go with you.”

He sharply inhaled, then released his breath. “Yes.”

I wrapped my arms around myself in a hug in a failed attempt to ease the weight of what he was asking. 

Seeing my discomfort, he added, “But I won’t be disappointed in you this time if you say no.” He paused, then clarified his statement. “Of course, disappointed you won’t be with me, but not disappointed in you. That was wrong of me before. You were so young, and I put unfair demands on your life.”

“Do you mean that?”

“Yes, I do. Of course, I want you to join me, but only if it's the life you truly want now. I’ll respect whatever decision you make.”

“I guess we’ve both changed a lot since last time, but I’ll need to think about it, Jason.”

Then, he laid us back on the ground, and we nestled our bodies closer together, leaving no gaps between us. We drew closer, thinking about a possible future together. Maybe we feared our lives moving in different directions again. All I know is this: I wished I could stop time at that moment. 

~O~

We reached the hilltop and spied the helicopter in the distance. We’d have to say goodbye again and I wasn’t any more ready this time than the last. 

“He will use everything within his power to make you stay.”

“I know.”

“I just ask that you do what’s best for you and no one else.” 

“I love you… no matter what. I never stopped.” After those words, I passionately kissed him, creating a memory I could replay when needed. 

Out of breath, he broke our kiss, cradled my head against his chest, and whispered, “I never stopped either.”

Goodbyes were never my favorite thing, so I gave him one last squeeze, then abruptly pulled away and boarded the helicopter, not looking back. The winds picked up, and I anticipated a bumpy ride. Maybe a foreboding to the storm named Kurt I’d face once home.

As the helicopter pitched to the left and right, the essential things in life flashed in my mind: the future and what I wanted mine to look like, as well as what I wanted it to look like for my children and their children.

By the time we safely landed, I’d reached a decision. I didn’t make my choice to please a man. No, that would have been a mistake. Instead, I chose the future I wanted — and as luck would have it — the man I wanted came with that future.