The Birthday Gift

Arturo leaned back in his chair. "That was truly delicious. An excellent end to an excellent day."

A slight, tropical breeze captured their hair and the edges of the ivory shade sail above their table. Serena leaned into the teak edge of the tabletop, unknowingly allowing Arturo a fantastic view of plump cleavage beneath her red strapless sundress. As the wind feathered her silky brown hair across her suntanned cheeks and shoulders, he grinned.

She tilted her head and smiled back. "I'm so glad, my love," she crooned. "Happy birthday!"

The golden glow of the evening sunshine turned his dark brown eyes into effervescent honey. "You were right, of course." He let his head fall back. Serena couldn't help but admire his black wind-mussed hair and trim beard, as the sun pinged the nerves along the sunburnt angles of his clavicle and raised the goose bumps on his neck.

In a split second Arturo recalled every moment: the surreal teal of the ocean on their wine-tasting catamaran sailing afternoon, the purity of the lush white towels rolled up on their pool chairs every morning, the richness of the coffee and the perfect pistachio rice pudding for breakfast. But best of all, the sweet, sleepy morning sex after the nights of passionate, sheet-drenching fucking.

"It was perfect." Arturo forced his chin slowly back down to his chest and leaned forward. "I mean, it's no Hedo..." He grinned again and snickered. Serena allowed herself a quick guffaw. "But I loved it."

His sparkly brown eyes danced beneath his brow and met hers with delight. "Just what we needed...some sunshine, a beautiful tree palace..." He stretched his arm out toward the jungle canopy next to their dining deck. "And a few relaxing baby-free days to reconnect."

She raised an eyebrow and tempted him with the curl of her lips. "And you didn't miss all the naked women and public fornication?"

It was his turn to guffaw. "I won't lie to you, my sweet. I am, afterall, only a MAN."

They locked eyes and their laughter faded slightly as they watched each other's pupils dilate.

"You are my heart's desire. Thank you for bringing me here and giving me this gift. I took immense pleasure in every moment."

He watched the flush rise in her neck and remembered the first time he saw her blush, that night eight years ago when she had given herself to him. What was supposed to be a crazy "one-night-stand" had led to this...three years of marriage! And now they were the proud parents of a spectacularly beautiful baby boy, who was at home in the care of Serena's adoring mother.

It was Serena's turn to sit back and stare happily at her husband for a moment. But her revelry was jolted by a ding on her cell phone. She picked it up from her lap and glanced down. He followed her gaze.

"Everything ok?" He tilted his head. "Is it your mom?"

Serena's mouth slowly morphed into an impish grin. "No. Everything's fine, love." She looked up at him and set her cell phone face down on the table. "I'm glad you've enjoyed yourself. So have I. But...it isn't over yet." She shrugged her shoulders. "Your final gift has arrived. And it's waiting for you up in the main office."

Arturo cocked his head to the side and squinted his eyes. "Whaaat?"

He loved surprises. His eyes widened as he tried to read her face, but she wore a neutral poker expression. She smiled blandly and gestured up the stairs behind them. What could this possibly mean?

"Well, aren't you going to come with me?" he quipped.

"No, I'll stay here and take care of the bill."

"Babe, it's on the room! Come with me."

"Arturo," she lowered her chin and cast her wifely-wisdom glare upon him. "Trust me. You're going to love this. And..." She chuckled and raised her shoulders. "I'll be right here if you need me."

He smiled, in spite of himself, bathing in her amusement.

"Okaay, I'll go." He scooted his chair back from the table and lifted his 6'4" frame up to standing, shaking his khakis out and straightening his plaid linen shirt. "But not without a kiss," and he leaned down, cupping her chin and watching her eyes. Serena kissed her husband lovingly, pulled back as if to end it, and then pressed forward playfully for another kiss. He felt blood rushing to his groin and had to take a subtle, shifting step with his right leg to settle down. "I think I want to stay."

Serena laughed. "Get out of here," and gently pushed his face away with her palm.

Arturo slowly rose, and bumped his head on the sail shade. "Ouch."

"See you in a bit," she smirked. His hand grazed her neck while he turned to go, still watching her luscious lips.

"I can't wait," he murmured truthfully, before turning and bounding up the stairs two at a time.

* * *

Arturo made his way across the ivory tiles, past the verdant potted trees of the lobby, and waved at the older gentleman behind the teak-panelled desk. "Hello! My name is Arturo Jacque, room 36. My wife said a package has arrived for me?"

"Aah, Arturo! Of course." The deskman winked at him and disappeared behind an ornamental screen. Arturo heard a drawer open, and then shut, and the man reappeared, holding a dewy red camellia aloft in his palm. Arturo's confusion betrayed him, and the deskman chuckled. He held the camellia out and beckoned Arturo to smell the delicate blossom.

"It's intoxicating," Arturo acknowledged, "...but I don't understand?"

"Flowers, my son, are beautiful to behold. Their scent is bliss. And to touch them is to touch a butterfly's wing." The man sought Arturo's eyes, and the lights in the lobby appeared to dim. "Women..." He shook his hands and the flower trembled in Arturo's face. "Women are our flowers, our blessing, our angels. We, mere men! God gave us goddesses, you understand? Why he also gave us the strength and stupidity to crush them, I will never understand. But I know this. Love is the answer." The man's voice sunk into a whisper. "Never forget."

Arturo shook his head, confused. The man's eyes sparkled, a cloud in the sky shifted, and the angle of the setting sun suddenly poured into the lobby and onto the man's hands. He bowed his head and lifted the flower to Arturo's chin. The red of the petals was radiant.

"Do you know the Treehouse Bar?"

Arturo nodded, "Of course. That place is amazing. We had drinks there last night."

"Good." The man grabbed Arturo's hand, and placed the camellia gently into his palm. "Look for this flower behind the ear of a bar maiden. Go now. Go."

Arturo blinked and laughed, "Whaat?"

The man winked again, and gestured him out the door.

Arturo turned and headed down the long hallway behind him, which would lead back outside to a series of climbing treehouse decks on the eastern side of the resort, where the tiki torches blazed and the Treehouse Bar rested in the shadows of the treetops.

As he pushed the glass doors open onto the deck, the rush of sunset birdsong and sea-salted wind welcomed his body like the embrace of a long-lost friend. The decks were festooned with white twinkle lights, dangling from railings and branches in the nearby trees. Many resort guests were already gathering for pre- or post-dinner drinks. Sexy, tanned women and men lounged and laughed everywhere he glanced, enjoying this sunset party the Earth was throwing.

He followed the lights and laughter toward the bar, and had just reached the counter when he saw her. The glimpse of red tucked behind her ear, the blonde waves of her hair hiding her face.

"Good God," he thought, his eyes skimming the curves of her breasts and hips in her black fitted polo shirt and capri pants. She turned toward him just then, two drinks in her hands. As if in slow motion, she tossed her hair over her shoulder and her green eyes lifted. Her gaze settled on the red camellia in his hands and then bounced up to his eyes in recognition. He did not know that his mouth was gaping.

"Hey!" she said cheerfully as she passed him. "I'll be right with you."

He was transfixed by her tight, round bum as she hustled to deliver the drinks down to the other end of the bar. She was wearing pristine, white Keds. A dainty flower chain tattoo graced her right ankle. Arturo lost himself in a daydream, kissing her tattoo, and then he blinked, and there she was again. Right in front of him, smiling.

"Looking for me?" She pointed up at the camellia behind her ear and laughed.

"I...think...I...yes," he stammered. "So has anyone ever told you you look EXACTLY like..."

"Yeah, I know. I get it all the time." She rolled her eyes adorably and shook her head. "I don't see it, but...hey, there could be worse things, right?" She shrugged her shoulders and stared into his eyes.

She laughed. Arturo laughed.

Arturo stared.

"Sooo..." The bar maiden stuck her chin out and bit her lip. "I'm supposed to make you a Manhattan and one of our signature grapefruit mojitos. Does that sound right?"

"I...guess? I mean, the Manhattan anyway. Is the grapefruit mojito for you?"

"Me? No." The barmaid laughed. "No no. I wish." She winked at him and started mixing. "You don't know who you're meeting, then?" She wrinkled her brow and cackled. "This is awesome. I love shit like this...hold on! I'll be right back." She ran down to the other end of the bar and ducked behind a partition.

Arturo turned around to scan the growing crowd on the cascading decks around the bar. Was Serena punking him? He was so confused. This barmaid was gorgeous, but was it all just a big joke?

"Hi! Big guy!" There she was again, tapping him on the shoulder and holding out two scrumptious looking cocktails. "These are on the house. They tell me the Nest is ready for you." She set the cocktails down on the counter and he grabbed a $5 for her out of his wallet.

"Thanks. So, what—and where—is this Nest?"

"Oh my gosh, it's so cool! They call it the Nest because it looks like a huge bird's nest. It's basically a walled off, private porch with tons of pillows and an open ceiling and a balcony with a view over the bay. Just around that corner..." She pointed to their right. "And down the steps. It's marked reserved. But, yeah, well, it's reserved for you! So...have fun!"

He picked up the drinks and smiled at this beautiful, friendly lady who looked exactly like his lifelong celebrity crush.

"I'll see you later!" she said, and gave him the cutest wave he had ever seen in his life. For the second time this evening, Arturo had to sidestep-and-shift to allow his cock some extra room.

"Good God," he thought again as he headed down the deck. "Where is Serena? She must be watching this whole thing and laughing." He chuckled and kept scanning the decks, watching for his wife's face.

By the time he found the Nest, he was so convinced Serena would be there waiting for him that he barely noticed how quiet it was, how cozy and intimate the entrance, how beautiful the organic curve of the arch and walls, which were made of woven vines and tree branches.

He walked in laughing, ready to share this joke with Serena, but when he rounded the corner and looked up, he stopped dead in his tracks and almost dropped the drinks.

The woman leaning against the railing, staring out into the lavender sky at the crescent moon dangling over the periwinkle ocean, was not his wife. She turned when she heard him, and his heart skipped a beat. Her hair was different than he remembered, smooth and curled like multi-hued honey silk. Her curvy body, tanned and fit, her long legs and high heels. She wore heels! And a lavendar lace halter dress that matched the sky. But her eyes! Her smile!

"Hi, Arturo."

"Oh my god."

The woman tilted her head back and laughed. He took in everything, her mouth, her movements...she was embarrassed and nervous, but breathtaking.

"Maria!"

"Hi, you."

He stared at her in stunned silence. "Hi, beauty!"

"Did you bring me a drink?"

"I...I...DID!" He looked dopily down at the beverages in his hands. "This blisteringly hot bartender just gave me these...and she looks EXACTLY like..."

"I know, right??? So amazing. Exactly like her! And did you see her boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend? Whaa...no...?"

"Oh, he works right next to her! You didn't see him? SMOKESHOW. So hot. His name is Josh."

"Um, whaaat? Wait, seriously...???" Arturo's heart was beating very fast and he was almost shaking. This night was becoming increasingly confusing.

"Maria," Arturo stepped toward her. "Why are you here?"

Maria took a deep breath and smiled slowly. Her eyes twinkled like the lights all around them.

"Happy birthday, Arturo."

For the third time tonight, Arturo felt his manhood coming to attention.

"Where's Ryan?" he asked.

"The last I saw him, he was engrossed in a conversation with your wife. They were ordering dessert." Maria laughed at the look on Arturo's face. "She's lovely, by the way...your wife. I really like her."

"Oh my god."

"We're meeting up with them later."

"How did you...? When did...?"

"Shhh. Stop thinking. Just enjoy yourself. That's what tonight is all about."

Arturo set down their drinks and stared at her face. Her eyes. Her lips. Her neck and shoulders. The curve of her breasts and her hips.

"Come here." His voice was low and commanding.

Maria flung herself across the room and into his arms. Arturo caught her and lifted her up to his chest, tangling his fingers in her hair and burying his face in her neck. She wrapped her legs around him and clung to his body, pawing at the collar of his shirt, trying to be careful not to rip anything, but so hungry for the touch of his skin.

"You smell so good..."

"You're so TALL..."

They were both panting as she unbuttoned his shirt, leaning her forehead against his lips and he kissed her head with urgency. She raised her eyes to look at him. His eyes were so hungry, just like hers. She looked at his perfect nose, and his lips.

"Kiss me." And she gladly, passionately obeyed, lifting her chin and opening her mouth for him.

His hands had already found the hem of her dress and hiked it over her hips. He walked her over to the couch and threw her down on the pillows. He knelt down before her, grabbing her thighs and spreading them apart. He lowered his face to her knees and began kissing just inside, brushing his lips higher up her inner thighs, his hands now clamped at her hip crease, his thumbs digging into her groin.

He inhaled deeply, staring into her eyes, the fingers of his left hand creeping under the lacy edges of her thong and pulling it aside.

"Oh my god, Arturo..."

Every inch of her was new and unknown. There was only so much you could gather from pictures, after all. But THIS he had been imagining far too much. Only the gynecologists and womanizers of the world know how varied human vaginas are, and Arturo had seen his share. But it never failed to delight him how a woman's genital features were as distinct as her face. Arturo had to study this intriguing specimen before him for a moment. Maria's labia were long and narrow, but naturally separated at the top, exposing a high and prominent clitoris. She was engorged and hot for him.

"Beauty," he whispered.

He slowly looped his fingers around the hip string of her panties, and slid them down to her ankles, gently kissing each thigh as he deftly navigated the underwear around the heels of her shoes.

"Open your legs."

Maria spread her thighs wide for him, every muscle in her body contracting in anticipation. Arturo relished in how wet she was already. He looked up and they locked eyes, smirking at each other's dilated pupils.

With his thumb and forefinger, he gently pinched the folds of her clitoral hood and began to roll it in tiny circles while applying pressure against her pelvic bone. And he dove in face first.

"Fuck, you taste amazing," he muttered before covering her clit with his mouth and sliding a finger just barely inside, then out, teasing her as he sucked her clit like a straw.

"Fuck," she barked and her pelvic floor bucked against his chin. She was salt, steak and salsa, and he couldn't get enough.

"God, I just want to flip you over and take you."

"No," she whispered. "I promised we wouldn't."

"That's the deal, then? No actual fucking?"

"Not while we're alone. Serena and Ryan strongly insisted on those terms, and I want to respect their wishes." Maria scooted away from him and grabbed his hair, yanking his head back and kissed him hungrily on the mouth while she lowered her body off the couch.

"Plus, our hour in here is almost up...and I haven't tasted you yet."

"We only have an hour??"

Maria was making fast work of Arturo's belt and the button to his pants, giddy to get her hands on the massive bulge underneath.

"Oh, don't you worry. I'm just the appetizer." She looked up at him and side-grinned as they both felt him grow even harder and collapsed together onto the floor pillows.

She pulled the waistband of his boxer briefs down and he lifted his pelvis to help her.

"Oh my fucking god," she stared at his massive boner in awe as she rolled him onto his back and sat up to revel in the view. "So this is what 9.5 inches looks like in person." His pale peach shaft was surprisingly smooth, with a thick base and a tantalizingly tender, bright pink head, stretching vigorously beyond its hood. When she grasped him, her fingertips did not touch her thumb. She bit her lower lip and smiled, leaning down over him. "Gorgeous."

And with that, she turned her face toward his rear end, and licked him from his perineum right up to that shiny pink top of his uncircumcised head, gently massaging his balls all the while. Maria affixed her mouth around his glans and slid an inch of him further into her mouth as he whispered, "Fuck."

She began sucking and slid her lips back up to the corona of his dick, luxuriating in the feeling of the border of his glans underneath her lips moving just up, and down, and up again before sucking another four inches of his shaft into her mouth.

She tasted Arturo's salty precum on the back of her tongue and came up for air, spitting it back onto the tip of his penis.

"God, I wish I could just swallow you whole." She meant it, too. But some men were too big, even for her, and she spit more saliva onto his shaft before grasping him just beneath the crown and sliding him through her firm grip with a well-pressured pump. He groaned and she bent back over his cock to kiss and suck him again, her hand still firmly grasping and slightly twisting along the rock hard shaft in her palm.

At that moment, Arturo heard steps and laughter just outside the Nest and he bolted up to grab his pants. But Maria calmly placed her other hand on his chest and gently pushed him back toward the floor.

"Relax," she smiled and looked over her shoulder toward the entrance to their cozy nook in the trees.

"Heyyyy, friends!" the blonde barmaiden called. She pranced around the corner with two bottles of wine held aloft in one hand and a 2 liter of seltzer in the other. Her happy eyes scanned Maria and Arturo's tangled limbs on the floor and settled directly on the prominent cock saluting her. "Well, well, well. What have we here?"

"Josh!" She called over her shoulder. "Look what I found." And her lips curved into a devious grin.

A handsome blue-eyed man with curly light brown hair and a medium-length beard appeared behind the blonde and peered over her shoulder. He was carrying six wine glasses. "Hello, beautiful," he crooned, kissing his girlfriend's neck and staring Maria down with a flirtatious grin.

"Joshua, this man needs my help." She was smiling as she kneeled down and Arturo unabashedly whooped.

"You're goddamn right he does," Joshua agreed, setting the glasses on the end table to his right, where Arturo and Maria's cocktails sat sweating, untouched. "I'm sorry but there is just too much sexy to be sober in here," Josh laughed and handed Maria her drink.