Page 107 of Serenity
It took us twenty minutes to complete. Once we finished the trail, we made our way to the top of the temple ruins.
Slippery steps caused my feet to falter.
“I got you, baby.”
Duke grabbed me by the arm, preventing me from falling. We made our way up the ruin with his hand connected to mine. He refused to let go.
“I’m okay now, Duke, I promise.”
“Nah. Leave me the fuck alone with my precious cargo. I’ve gotta get you back to Paramour in one piece, woman.”
Embarrassment be damned, Duke was prepared to catch me in the event of another misstep. His arm remained outstretched until we made it to the top.
“This shit nice,” he responded, grabbing me from behind by the waist as we stood at the top.
A view of the jungle was visible from the apex of the pyramid. It offered a 360 panoramic vantage point of the ruins.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this.”
“What’s that?” He asked, resting his chin atop my head.
“Doing life with you.”
A morning of toucans and howler monkeys greeted us at the villa we stayed in. I woke with the sound, surprised to have beaten Duke awake. Comfortably on his back, he snoozed with an arm covering his face.
The Duke.
A sovereign, a leader, and the ruler of my heart. Today was his big day, and I sought to ensure he knew it and felt it. Early morning fellatio comprised my breakfast. I savored my man, sucking and slurping, enjoying his taste. Moaning in tandem, I connected with his eyes when they finally opened, never breaking contact. Eye contact always did it for him. Eye contact and trying to suck the skin off his dick. The unexpected wake-up left him with wide eyes, gasping for air. He deserved all of it and more.
When we finally made it out of bed, island hopping and snorkeling officially started our day. We saw jellyfish and sea turtles. We glimpsed a vivid coral reef. We cashed in on my voucher to swim with the baby dolphins as well.
Our day concluded with a tour of the sea by boat and dinner at a restaurant on the beach. Approaching our table, our waitress neared. Her hand hovered over a plate with a candlelit slice of cheesecake garnished with mint and strawberry.
The handwriting scribbled in chocolate was mistakenly placed in front of me before the waiter scurried off. Without a fuss, I turned the plate toward Duke for him to see.
“Happy birthday, Duke.”
Ear to ear, I grinned. All day, I’d been mum on the topic of his big day, intentionally making it seem like I’d forgotten. “You thought I forgot?”
“I hoped so. I told you not to make a fuss over me.”
“Duke, this is another year you get to see that countless others weren’t blessed to afford. I’m your woman. I’m supposed to celebrate you. I’m supposed to make a fuss about you.”
“You gonna help me eat this big ass slice of cheesecake, too?”
“With pleasure. I just have one more thing.”
“Bee…”
Ignoring his plea and without difficulty, I located the medium box resting in my monogram empreinte LV bag.
Sliding the green gift box across the dinner table, I averted my eyes, pursed my lips, and smiled.
Reaching across the table, he grabbed the box, dragging it closer to him. “Don’t be bashful with your gift,” he tittered. “What is it?”
“Something I hope you don’t already have.”
With his attention dipped toward the package, Duke opened the box to reveal yet another box made of cherry-glazed oak. The name inscribed on the top of the container revealed its contents before he could expose it.