“Hey, can I take that bag for you?” 

Sasha smiled at the sound of the familiar voice behind her. Struggling with her heavy backpack she turned to see Steve's' cheerful face as he stepped forward to take the load from her hands. Grateful, she let go of the wide handle as he shouldered the burden. Flexing her fingers, she welcomed the reprieve from her cargo.

“Oh, I hate this thing,” she said gesturing to her pack. “It is GONE when I get home! I may actually unpack it, take it out to the yard and set fire to the bastard!”

Steve laughed. “Oh, you’re not so keen to get home yet, are you?” 

Sasha cast him a sidelong glance. Was that a slight edge in his voice? She couldn’t be sure. Then he laughed again, and she supposed she had just imagined it. 

“Well I have dragged this bag halfway around the world,” she replied with a laugh as she followed him to the luggage drop. “I’m done with it!”

She was on her way back home to Mississippi after a year, working and travelling through Europe. Not ready to end her adventures, she extended her stopover on her return flight and booked a nine-day tour from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi. She had always wanted to visit Vietnam and reasoned that she may never have a chance to come back. And so, six days ago she met up with the assortment of personalities who formed this tour group.

Sasha counted herself lucky to be travelling with such an entertaining group of people, but it was Steve she’d been drawn to from the very beginning. Tall and broad, he was blessed with fierce, emerald eyes, chestnut hair that fell in soft waves just shy of his shoulders, and a light, though now thoroughly sun-kissed complexion. However, it was his voice that first captured her attention. The melodic and lyrical Irish lilt brought a gasp to her lips when he introduced himself to her. That accent was very likely her biggest weakness, and most definitely one of her biggest turn-ons.

Under the fierce tropical sun, her thin silky singlet was soaked with sweat and sticking to the centre of her back. She was used to the heat, but this oppressive humidity was something else. Steve looked as though he might spontaneously combust. Rivulets of moisture ran in competing paths down his neck, back, and arms and sweat beaded on his now crimson face. 

“Here, drink this before you melt,” Sasha said as she handed him a chilled bottle of water.

“Jesus, it’s hot! I’m soaked more than I’ve got any good reason to be!”

Flustered and lost for words it was her turn to flush crimson, unable to keep her mind out of the gutter. His eyes glinted mischievously, as though she had passed some test which up until now, she didn’t even know she was being assessed for.

The tour guide chose this moment to usher the group aboard the train. Sasha followed the others across the platform, grasped the railing, and climbed the two steps to board the Reunification Express. At 15.30 on the dot, the train lurched forward with a jerk as it started its slow progress north to Hanoi. The train lumbered in its progress out of Hue and through the countryside. It was to be an unhurried pace; 14 hours to travel almost 700 kilometres. 

Sasha noticed that she had the compartment to herself, a welcome development considering the two narrow bunks took up most of the space inside. She laid on her bed reading her guidebook, preparing for her arrival in Hanoi, but the tropical heat had sapped her energy and now her eyelids were too heavy to stay open.

“WAKE UP!” 

She sat upright with a jolt, at the loud and boisterous calls at her door. Looking out the window, she saw that she had slept for a few hours and the sky was washed with lavender and amber tones. She opened the door to find Steve swinging from the jamb, filling the entire doorway in the process. His eyes shone bright with laughter. Behind him, blocking the narrow walkway, singing some ladsy song were the friends he was taking this trip with.

“Shut up would ya, Christ!” he yelled over his shoulder, “I’m trying to tell her!”

Turning back to Sasha with a smile he said, “We’re heading down the dining car a bit earlier than they told us. There’s beer,” he added by way of explanation.

“Well, that’s reason enough!” she said in reply and grabbed her bag, preparing to follow him out of the compartment. He stepped aside and waved her past him with a flourish. She let out a laugh as she curtsied and stepped out of her compartment. The train chose that moment to lurch, rocking the carriages from side to side, ensuring she fell against Steve. He reached out to steady her, holding her waist for perhaps a second too long to be purely helpful. Steve was a solid wall of muscle and she let out an involuntary sigh as she struggled to compose herself before making her way along the corridor.

She sensed Steve fall in step behind her and she deliberately slowed her pace hoping he would close the distance between them. She felt a thrill course from the back of her neck to the base of her spine and back up again. I’m sure he’s checking me out, she thought, imagining his eyes roam across the curve of her ass. She quickly looked behind her and the unguarded desire in his eyes was plain to see as they feasted on her. His gaze shot up to meet hers, his lust exposed, but instead of suppressing it, a slow, wicked smile spread over his lips and a question burned in his eyes. 

Steve reached out to grab her hand, placing it on his chest. Feeling the heat of his body, she leaned against the wall of the neighbouring compartment and answered his silent question. “Please.” 

In a fraction of a moment, he closed the distance between them and plunged his hot tongue deep inside her mouth to taste her. His body, a solid wall of heat was crushing her breasts, as though he couldn’t get close enough to her. His mouth devoured hers, and in that moment, she was ready to be consumed by him. His lips blazed a path down her throat to the swell of her breast, and a low moan of ecstasy escaped her own. Reluctantly, he pulled away from her.

“I’ve wanted to do that since I first saw you,” he said, raggedly. “It can’t be any kind of surprise to you, I’ve been following you around like a horny fucking teenager all week.” His eyes were fierce, burning her with their intensity. 

“Well, I’m no good at reading these situations. You know, I thought so, but I also thought that might be just wishful thinking.” 

She felt his hands cup her ass, pulling her closer. “Read that?” His lip curled into a half-smile as he pressed the full length of his body into her. She raised her lips to his for another kiss.

With a sigh, he peered down the carriage toward the door to the next train car. “We were right behind the others, they’ll come looking,” he said, taking her hand and leading her towards the dining car. 

“Screw the dining car,” she said as she was pulled along behind him, “let’s go back to my room.” 

He laughed, but it wasn’t the melodious, light-hearted chuckle she was used to. It was low, it was wicked, and it was as sexy as hell. “Later,” was all he said.

Five minutes later, Sasha was jammed between Steve and the window, seated at a small table, studying the sparse offerings on the laminated dinner menu. She was keenly aware of the flush which crept up her neck as she struggled to regulate her breathing. The dining car was almost full when they arrived, with only one booth available. Instead of sitting opposite, Steve had taken the seat beside her. 

“Sláinte,” Steve said, beer raised as he chatted with other travellers. The mood in the dining car was buoyant. The amber sunset of this final leg was breathtaking, the dark, sultry night looming ahead.

Steve's friend, Pete responded in kind, raised his bottle, then proceeded down the dining car with Ali, a 20-something from South Africa. Sasha wordlessly raised her own bottle. She felt the flush creep up her throat, but there was not a thing could be done about it. There was nothing in his face or voice betrayed the fact that the long fingers of his left hand had slid beneath her skirt and were walking a path between her thighs ready to stroke her pussy through her rapidly soaking panties. 

“Could I have this one? Uhh. Number 23.” Sasha was struggling to keep her voice steady as she ordered from her menu. She took a long gulp of her beer, trying to recover a little composure. Steve chose just that moment to draw lazy circles with his middle finger over her swollen, panty-covered clit. She gasped, then promptly began coughing to clear the liquid that she was almost choking on.

“Are you OK?” Steve asked, his caring tone contradicted by the way his eyes blazed. 

“Yeah, Steve. I’m doing just fine,” she said, turning to him, a dangerous glint in her own eyes as her coughing subsided. Keeping an in-depth conversation going would have been a challenge, so she was grateful for the noise of the dining car. It took until that moment for Sasha to compose herself 

Sitting so close, the full length of Steve's thigh pressed against hers, the other passengers had no idea where each other’s hands were. The angle of her hand did not allow her to slip her hands inside his waistband undetected, so she stroked his thickening cock through the fabric. 

“Spicy Hot Pot.” She had not noticed the server standing by her table. Cheeks flaming, her wandering hand was brought to an immediate stop by the bowl being placed in front of her.

“Mmmm, Spicy Hot Pot,” Steve said sardonically. He leaned in close, under the guise of breathing in the aromatic soup. “That looks so good. It smells good. I bet it tastes good too.” As he said this, he slipped his hand under the elastic at the leg of her panties and sunk a finger into her soaking pussy. He slipped another inside as he said, “It’s hot though, you don’t want to burn your mouth.” 

“Thank you, Steve, for being so mindful of my safety and comfort,” she said through clenched teeth. She was torn between feelings of embarrassment and arousal, as well as giving in to the urge to laugh at the sheer audacity of his actions under the table.

In her mind, their interplay was on display to the rest of the carriage, but nobody was paying any attention to them. Steve withdrew his hand and Sasha's jaw dropped as she noticed his fingers. Nobody is watching, nobody is watching, she repeated to herself as she saw her juices glistening as he picked up his spoon. Dipping it into the steaming bowl, he then raised it and tipped its contents into his mouth.

“This is delicious Sasha, you chose well.” 

Steve seemed intent on eating rather than teasing her for the moment. Grateful for the reprieve Sasha ate, and as they discussed their trip, they settled into a comfortable camaraderie. Once the meal was finished, however, Steve turned to her and said, “You mentioned something about your room?” 

Heat suddenly flooded her cheeks and blazed a path straight to her clit, and he pressed her hand against the thickening hardness of his cock. “We have to go now, because I won’t be able to hide this if we leave it any longer,” he said in a low, urgent voice. 

He stood, pulled Sasha to her feet, and led her past the growing throng of people who were crowding into the dining car. Once through the doors leading to the next carriage, he pulled her against him again and assaulted her mouth with his own. She answered the fierceness of his kiss with the fire which he had been stoking all night. It took all her resolve to break that kiss and walk away from him, towards her compartment. He followed keeping pace with her, and they wordlessly headed down the walkway to her compartment. 

Locking the door behind them, she then slipped the thin straps of her black singlet down over her shoulders, pulling her arms free. She felt the silky material gather at her waist. He released her mouth only to begin the assault on her rapidly hardening nipple. His tongue swirled around her sensitive areola, teasing it to a stiff peak as he cupped and massaged her other breast with one hand. His other snaked around her back and stroked the rounded cheeks of her ass. He then lifted her skirt and slipped inside her panties to stroke his fingers down the cleft between her cheeks.

“Fuck, Sasha, you’ve got beautiful tits,” he whispered roughly as he began licking and sucking her other nipple. 

Just as he began, she backed away from him and wriggled out of her singlet, skirt and panties. He started to unbuckle his belt and undo the button and zip of his fly. She could see the huge swell of his cock struggling to break free of its confines. Naked, with eyes full of lust she reached inside the cotton of his boxers to free him. He sucked in his breath sharply as her hand curled firmly around him and she sank to her knees. 

“Fuck, Steve, you’ve got a beautiful cock,” she echoed his words, smiling slightly, her eyes locked with his.

Excruciatingly slowly she flicked her tongue in and around the tip of his cock. Precum pooled, refilling each time her tongue swept around the head. She slowly stroked the rigid shaft of his cock while her tongue continued to tease him. She kept her eyes locked with his and as she took the head into her mouth. She felt his fingers sink into her hair as he started to thrust. Immediately, she released him and smirked.

“After what you did to me in that dining car, it’s my time to tease you,” she said in a low growl. 

He gulped and nodded his acquiescence. Once again, Sasha curled her fingers around his rock-hard shaft and closed her lips over the head of his cock. She took her time teasing and tasting him, stopping with a smirk each time he began to thrust his cock into her mouth. Steve was letting her get away with this for now, but she knew he wouldn’t let her forever.

Pumping her hand as she took his cock deeper into her mouth, saliva trailing in rivulets from the corner of her mouth and leaving his cock slick. She watched as his eyes closed and his breathing became ragged. She cupped his full balls in her hand. They tightened in her palm, giving away how close he was. The way he growled confirmed it.  

“No, not yet,” he said as he pulled away from her. “Lay down.” He stepped out of his shorts and discarded them on the floor as he dropped to his knees. He pushed her thighs apart and slipped his index finger between her labia to scoop up her wetness. 

“Taste,” was all he said as he rested the tip of his finger on her bottom lip. Her tongue flicked out to do as he said and then he slipped his finger into his own mouth and sighed, “Mmmm, delicious.” 

He hooked her knees over his shoulders and hovered so close to her pussy that she could feel the heat of his breath, but not the touch of his lips. Not where she wanted him to be. He insisted on this painfully slow progress until she was whimpering, squeezing her breasts and bucking her hips in an attempt to make contact. He wasn’t going to give her what she craved, not yet. He was drawing out her torture, breathing in her growing arousal as he moved up the length of her body. His mouth closed around her nipple. Back arched, she tried to force her breast into his mouth, but he drew back, only lashing the little peak with the tip of his tongue. With his palms pressed to her thighs he held open. He smiled, watching her squirm.

Then without warning, finally he plunged his tongue inside her, as deep as it would go. She groaned loud and long with satisfaction and gratitude and grinded against his mouth. He stilled her again, holding her hips firmly with his strong hands. Just as she was about to protest this control, he fucked her pussy with his tongue, sinking into her glossy depths. She groaned deep in her throat, settling her head back into the pillow. Occasionally he withdrew his tongue and trailed it up her slit to circle the hard nub of her clit. With such lightness he flicked the tip of his tongue across her clit, an action so soft it could have been a whisper. Then he flicked it harder, forcing her to realise that it had been his muscular tongue all along. 

She was getting closer; her breathing was coming hard and fast. He expertly teased a total loss of control from her. His lips closed around her swollen and sensitive clit and he began to suck. She had to swallow her cries while she pinched and pulled on her nipples. Her belly clenched as the low, aching wave built, threatening to shatter her into a million tiny shards.

At that moment he moved up her body, guided the head of his cock to the entrance of her pussy, and pushed hard and deep into her body while devouring her mouth with his own. She gasped into his mouth as they both lay absolutely still. Her pussy clenched around the hard length of him. She wrapped her legs around his torso, lifting her pelvis to draw him deeper into her body and he started to thrust. Deep, penetrative strokes which she matched with her own upward ones. They rocked together and she felt the wave peak and crash. Her orgasm broke over her and he pushed her harder with each thrust of his cock. She bit back another scream, panting hard with her release.  

Steve lay still, smiling as he watched her ride out the waves of her orgasm. When he pulled out of her pussy, he flipped her over onto her hands and knees and sank his long, hard cock into her from behind. He thrust, setting a rhythm that turned Sasha into a wild animal, thrashing and pushing back onto his cock, fucking him harder than ever before. The rhythm they had built was pushing Sasha over the edge. She was slamming back against his cock as another orgasm ripped through her, the walls of her pussy clenching around him.

This was too much for Steve. He drove faster inside her until he was coming with her. With a final groan, he exploded, filling her with his milky essence. Withdrawing his cock from her body he collapsed on the narrow bed. Spent, she lay beside him, listening to his ragged breathing. Rolling onto his side, he gathered her against him so that her back was pressed up against his rock-hard chest, and his hand snaked around to cup her breast. His breath was ragged in her ear as he kissed her there.

“Fuck, that was hot. You are amazing, Sasha.” 

With a satisfied little sigh, she wiggled her ass to get closer to him, closed her eyes and murmured, “I know...”

Sasha and Steve were woken by voices and movement behind the locked door. Shocked out of sleep the announcer’s voice was shrill. “This train will soon arrive in Hanoi. Please ensure that you take all possessions with you as you depart the train.”

Steve planted a kiss on Sasha's cheek. “I’ve got to organise my bags, but I’ll come back to help you with your pack.” She felt a twinge of sadness as he left, knowing that their time together would be limited to only the few days they would share in Hanoi.

Much later that day she sat in the hotel bar with the rest of her tour group. Sasha and Steve's hook-up was now common knowledge, and they sat chatting with Pete and Ali. As the men went to the bar to refresh their drinks, Ali and Sasha chatted about their plans for the final days of the tour. She struggled to keep the sadness from her voice when she talked about going home. “It’s OK, we’ve still got a few days to hang out together. I’ll just have to be thankful for what I get.”

“And when he goes to Scotland,” Ali finished. Sasha's blank-faced stare told Ali she knew nothing of this plan. 

“Yeah, Pete and Steve will be flying into Heathrow after a few weeks travelling back through Cambodia and Thailand,” Ali explained. “They’ve got working visas and they’ll travel up and down the east coast for as long as their money lasts.”