Adam's body brushed hers, and she felt the vibrations from his stirring energy while his fingers went tap tap tap on the subtle swell of her hips. 

“Let’s fly, Charity,” he whispered in her ear before hoisting her with ease above his shoulders. Charity grabbed hold of the wobbly rope ladder, and a hush fell over the crowd as she began ascending with the grace of a ballerina. 

Her anticipation grew with each step of the tedious climb. It was hard to focus her eyes straight ahead, ensuring her petite hands and feet didn't miss a rung when she only wanted to look up. Skyward was where her spirit would find freedom. 

When she stepped onto the small wooden platform, her heart pitter-pattered with excitement. She struggled not to fidget while waiting for Adam to join her and Lucas to reach the platform across from them. The handsome men were the perfect picture of virility, with their white tights showcasing the definition of their well-muscled physiques, and she wore a sparkly blue leotard like a second skin. 

The three aerialists struck their poses with their backs arched and one arm raised into the air, signaling they were about to begin.  

It was time to fly!

Charity grasped the bar with one hand and inched toward the platform's edge. 

Just breathe, she told herself.

She indulged in one last lingering look at the audience resembling multi-colored specs on the ground before looking across at Lucas. He needed to time the release of his swing with her jump so that she could catch the bar. 

When he yelled, “Hup,” Charity jumped, and the audience disappeared. The encompassing tent disappeared. The ringmaster disappeared. It was just her, Adam, Lucas, the bars, and the air around them.

The first rush came when she grabbed the bar with her other hand and realized nothing was beneath her feet anymore. She likened it to when a bird took flight from a branch. She was swinging toward another bar and must decide when to let go of her bar and grab the other. The timing had to be exact.

Closer.

Closer.

Let go!

She performed the somersault, watching her world flip upside down before reaching for the other bar with stretched fingers. It was in those moments that her soul found complete freedom. Even the strongest hold of all — gravity — lost its grip on her. Her hands clasped the bar, and the audience erupted in applause as she swung toward Lucas, and he caught her on the platform. That was just the warm-up; now, they’d perform the partner stunts.

“Hup.” Adam and Charity hung by their knees and flew toward one another. She arched her back so she could see him coming. What a vision! This handsome man reached for her. Maybe their lovemaking gave her the courage needed to release the bar. Or perhaps it was this release and catch that gave her the courage to make love with him. Either way, their eyes connected, silently communicating. And again, she flew like a bird until he caught her. 

Again and again, they played catch until it was time for the male-only stunts. They each wanted their turn to fly, for there was nothing like that moment when they defied gravity — their only opportunity for a winged existence. With each release, the audience below audibly gasped. Part fear. Part excitement. The combination of emotions electrified them all but fell short of the unequivocal exhilaration coursing through the aerialists’ bodies, minds, and spirits. The majority would never try the trapeze, but those few kindred spirits would leave with the unquenchable longing to fly. And one or two would see the bigger picture of what circus life truly represented.

One such audience member, Robert Owens, couldn't peel his eyes off Charity. Her beauty and fearlessness captivated him. She loved life, that much he knew. He subconsciously fiddled with his wedding ring as he watched her athletic body effortlessly fly forty feet above him. 

When all three aerialists were swinging and Charity was being tossed back and forth between the men, Robert's thoughts took a dirty turn, picturing them taking turns with her in bed. Their apparent trust in one another and perfect timing undoubtedly resulted from a more intimate connection. A carousel of carnal pictures of him joining the three aerialists in the air and bed rotated in his mind.

Eventually, reality reappeared, and Robert glanced at his wife beside him. The spark was replaced by predictable monotony. He glanced around at others with their necks craned and wondered how many walked in his boring old shoes. 

☆

After the show, the adrenaline rush from the evening needed a release, so Adam, Lucas, and Charity shed their leotards in the dressing room tent and headed outside to a spot of grass somewhat removed from the others. Privacy wasn't needed, though. If the clowns wanted to watch them have sex, so be it. People from all walks of life comprised their circus family, each bringing their own beliefs and cultures so no one judged. They formed an eclectic mix of free love and support. 

The night wind whipped around the three naked bodies, highlighted by the full moon. Lucas, the youngest at twenty-two and newest to the team, performed a few vertical jumps in rapid succession, his euphoria irrepressible. "Whew! I'm still jazzed. Was that crowd tonight especially into us, or what?" 

"Were they?" Charity busied herself, spreading the blanket on the ground. "I didn't notice." 

"You never notice," said Adam. "Your head’s in the clouds as soon as your feet touch the platform." 

She smiled at him, appreciating that he understood her better than her family. They’d joined the circus simultaneously, and twelve years her senior, she looked up to him. 

Lucas had a playful quality that both Charity and Adam enjoyed. He was an unwavering professional during their shows but quite comical outside the big top. Smiling ear-to-ear, he brushed past them and claimed his spot on the blanket. He waved his stiff cock at them and teased, "One of you better start sucking, or I'll have to try sucking it myself." 

Adam laughed. "You’ve already tried, and it didn't go well, remember?" 

“Don’t worry. I’ve got you, sugar.” Charity knelt beside him and wiggled her perfectly rounded bottom in his face as she situated herself to please his cock. She knew what he liked and kissed his sensitive head a few times before opening wide and taking him deep. 

"God, that feels good!" 

Adam stood beside them, watching and enjoying slowly massaging his cock to an erection. He jacked himself hard, then slowed his stroke, edging himself as he watched Charity suck Lucas. Seeing his girth stretch her mouth reminded him of when Lucas took his hole for the first time, introducing him to the pleasures of his prostate. 

Adam knelt behind Charity. His cock would thrust right beside Lucas's face, which he knew Lucas would enjoy. 

One hand tapped his cock on her bottom while his other hand trailed down her crack to the wetness between her legs. "Where do you want me, sweetheart?" 

She dragged her lips up Lucas's shaft until his tip popped out of her mouth. "You decide, sugar, but please let me finish looking at the stars." 

"You got it, gorgeous." 

Lucas had grown impatient and entangled his fingers in her ebony locks to press her face back to his cock. She took the cue and sucked him back into her mouth. 

The wetness coating Adam's exploring fingers told him Charity's pussy was ready and waiting, so he slid his cock inside her warmth, causing her legs to tremble. While Lucas had girth, Adam was long. She panted around Lucas's cock as Adam deepened his thrust. 

"Sweetheart, you're tight." He continued pumping his cock in and out of her pussy. "Tight and wet," he moaned. 

Lucas lost what little control he had with Adam's pistoning cock and Charity's scent by his face. He tightened his grip on her hair, sputtering obscenities while cumming. Charity swallowed as much as she could, but cum dribbled out both sides of her mouth. She showed Lucas the mess he’d made, then, like a lady, gathered his excess cum with her fingers and licked them clean. 

Adam was also losing control and fucked her feverishly. Her pussy was taking a beating from him, and she wrapped her arms around Lucas's thick thigh for support. 

Lucas slid a hand behind Adam to gently caress his weighty balls, eliciting an "fuck, man, don't stop" from Adam. At the same time, Charity pushed her hips backward, meeting each thrust, allowing him to bottom out inside her tightness. 

“Fill me up, sugar,” she purred, and Adam spurted his seed deep inside her until he’d emptied his balls of every last drop.

As soon as Adam pulled out, Charity spun around, and the three became a tangled mess of limbs as the men came down from their orgasms. The night air cooled their heated flesh as they lay together on the blanket.

They took turns tasting each other’s mouths with slow, passionate kisses. The kissing told one another it wasn’t just sex; they genuinely cared about each other even though there were no strings attached, each free to "let go" whenever they wanted.

Lucas pulled away first. "Your turn, darlin'. Just relax and let us take care of you." 

Before she could respond, Lucas settled between her legs. She rested her legs on the ripples of his muscular back and shoulders while he feasted on her pussy and thumbed her engorged clit. Adam straddled her tiny waist and played with her nipples before lowering his head to take turns sucking each one. 

"Don't stop," she pleaded. Every inch of her tingled and ached with arousal. 

Charity became enraptured, and it took both men to hold her down. While her eyes focused on one exceptionally bright star, she tried to endure the toe-curling sensations, holding herself on edge for as long as her strength would allow; then…  her spirit flew above her, watching from above as her tremoring body released all the pent-up energy, arousal, emotions from the day. 

Adam lay on her right, and Lucas on her left, and the three drifted off, thinking of the pleasures that had been and would be again tomorrow in their dynamic circus life. 

☆

Robert Owens appeared the next night at the circus  — alone. After the show, he waited outside the main tent, hoping for a moment with her. 

There she is!

"Miss, may I ask you a question?" he called out.

Charity turned toward him, and her beauty stunned him. She was even more mesmerizing up close and had an aura around her. Gold flecks sparkled in her eyes. She glowed. 

With a tone laced with longing, he could only utter, "What… what’s it like?" 

Having been asked the question before, she knew what "it" was. "It" wasn't just the aerial acrobatics but the circus lifestyle. But before answering, she observed him for a few moments. The downturned corners of his mouth, hollowed eyes, and slumped shoulders told her what she needed to know. He was a spirit trapped in a mundane existence. She could have been gazing at her reflection had she not left her sleepy hometown behind several years ago. 

So she simply offered, "Sugar, if we stay in one spot for too long, we inevitably become bound to it." She grasped his hands and rose to her toes to kiss his cheek. "That's why it's not enough that I grab the bar; I must eventually let go to reach for another. In those moments, after I let go, I feel that indescribable high. Understand?" With a wink, she released his hands, turned, and walked away. 

He lingered until she was out of sight, then Robert Owens laboriously walked back to his static life as if cement encased his feet.