A Stronger Love Ch. 02

Ashley started the stopwatch app. I looked at her, feeling my heart catch in my throat, and she gave me a look that was almost plaintive. "I love you," she said, and blew me an air smooch. I could only give one stiff nod in response. My legs... I'd always been proud of their thickness and strength... today they'd be put to the test.

"Ready... go!"

I flexed my legs and squeezed... but Donna was equal to the task of matching the force I could exert. Her legs didn't budge, not one iota. I hunched over slightly, being extra careful not to adopt a posture that could strain my lower back - Ashley and I had done some practice in preparation for this contest, and we'd worked out some of the pitfalls I had to avoid. I would just have to flex my adductors, my inner thigh muscles, harder than Donna could flex her abductors.

Long seconds passed... "30 seconds," Ashley called out. I still hadn't made any headway, though Donna's legs had begun to tremble finely. But then, so were mine. Both she and I kept our gazes focused on our leg battle, but I was acutely aware of how every muscle on her ripped body was standing out, resisting me.

One minute, and I'd shifted her legs in just slightly, a fraction of an inch, maybe. The longer I took to squeeze her legs together, the longer I'd have to last when it was her turn to go on the offensive.

One and a half minutes... We were both sweating little rivulets now. I'd moved her in an inch or so, but there was still a discouraging amount of space between her knees. Our heavy breathing and gasping was almost synchronized. I glanced up, at the same as she did. She bared her teeth in a smile. She knew she was standing up really well against me, taking a lot out of me, draining my energy very effectively.

Just before two minutes was up, she gave a loud cry, almost a roar, and accompanied it with a big surge of effort. I don't know how she did it, but her abductors were just so strong... she actually moved our legs apart again, reversing almost all the progress I'd made. She also began to raise her arms out to the side, in a half-flex, a show of dominance and superiority.

Ashley couldn't hold back a little whimper of dismay, and she gnawed her lip again, as I moaned and struggled to recover from this setback. Adductors and abductors were not very often-trained muscles, generally speaking. The pertinent machine in the gym was usually unoccupied; it was a really ill-conceived piece of exercise equipment, since few people wanted to be observed doing those particular motions. But now, as I desperately tried to channel every ounce of strength through my thighs, I wished I had spent time on that machine, never mind how obscene the exercise looked.

The next minute was sheer agony. Our legs wavered back and forth, inwards and outwards - I was making slow progress again, but intermittently she'd manage to actually force my legs out ever so slightly, before I could squeeze hers back in. The lactic acid build-up was forcing tears from my eyes, that was how much it hurt.

Finally, her shaking legs were only a couple of inches apart. I gathered myself for the final push, and she also braced to resist with whatever she had left. Her arms were all the way up in a full flex by then, as if she was taunting me with her muscular display. My arms were still by my sides and out a bit - I couldn't afford any showboating.

And finally, this stage of my ordeal ended - her knees came together at last and we both expelled our pent-up breath with a whoosh. Ashley hit the timer button on the stopwatch app, and as Donna and I both slumped back in our chairs, taking in huge gulps of air, with sweat pouring down our faces and bodies, Ashley wordlessly held her phone up.

4:42. Four minutes, and forty-two seconds, rounded down. That was how long Donna's legs had lasted against mine. A whopping four minutes and forty-two seconds.

Donna laughed weakly and raised her arms, and whooped. "I got you now, Katie," she crowed. "You'll never last that long against me. I'll crush you inside a minute. You wait for me, Ashley darling. You're mine tonight!"

I didn't reply. I couldn't. This brief respite, surely it wouldn't be enough for me. My legs already felt as if I'd done 10 sets of 10 squats for endurance training. How was I supposed to last 4 minutes and 43 seconds against her superior legs? And yes, I bitterly admitted to myself, in terms of muscular strength and conditioning, she did have superior legs. Arms and legs. And core. She was stronger.

It was going to happen. I was going to lose utterly, get crushed right in front of my Ashley's loving, trusting eyes. And then... the forfeit...

Then Ashley did something amazing.

She crouched down beside me, and laid her hands on my bare thighs, stroking the skin she had lovingly oiled just a while ago. She gave me one long look. Then she bent down and planted a firm but gentle kiss on each of my legs, one each.

I shivered, and took a breath. Then I felt the jolt through my body. My muscular fatigue seemed to just... wash away. Adrenaline, endorphins and oxytocin combined in a potent internal cocktail. Every muscle fibre in my body went taut, and I felt a warm pulsation begin in my lower abdomen. I was ready.

I moved my legs into the defensive position, and Donna sat up, surprised that I was taking the initiative and truncating our rest time. Ashley rocked back on her haunches, looking up at me, a little wide-eyed. I straightened up, crossed my arms under my breasts and locked gazes with Donna yet again.

"Bring it, bitch."

She smiled humorlessly as she copied my pose and pressed her legs to mine on the outside. "You'll regret not resting enough, Katie," she said. "Not a smart move, honey."

I didn't care. I was riding on a high, the kind of high my Ashley never failed to give me with every little thing she did. Besides, it was a gamble either way. With her athleticism, her recovery rate was probably akin to mine, or possibly even better. At least like this, with the both of us not fully rested (and with my body in this do-or-die state), there was a chance she'd tire out more quickly than me and be unable to squeeze hard enough to beat my time.

Only one way to find out.

Ashley reset the stopwatch. "Get set. Ready..."