The Birthday Gift

As she posed with her arm stretched above her head, her back arched like a cat’s on the dark silk sheets. Her legs were spread, demurely, under a long hemline, and while she wore no jewellery on her ears, fingers or wrists, the anklets on each leg jangled hypnotically every time she moved. Her black hair floated to the tops of her shoulders, and I knew her full sensuous mouth would feel good under mine.

My heart rate kicked up a notch as she sat up, as if waking from a delicious nap, all rumpled and soft. She lifted her hair off her shoulders, and the nape of her neck was the perfect angle for a ripe, juicy bite. Her hand glided across her shoulder and I imagined those fingers on me, drifting over my chest, tickling and scratching.

Get a fuckin’ grip on yourself, Marcus. You’ve turned into a horny schoolboy. I clicked off several shots. She’s a client. You never mess with clients.

I blamed it on her eyes. Those eyes; large, inquisitive and innocent, were the exact same shade of the forest floor I trekked on each week. There, I could breathe crisp fresh air, and feel the crunch of dried leaves underfoot. Here, with her eyes on me, with flecks of green and gold, I could take a deep breath.

Mellow shades of orange and pink cast a perfect glow onto the set of my studio warehouse, and I knew I couldn’t waste any more time fantasising. The rain coming later would ruin the light, and I had a job to do. Tonight was our last session.

She moved again, this time turning her back and showing me the dip of her waist. Just the right tilt of her head, just the right slant of shoulder. She was a natural, and my camera loved every inch of her. I clicked again. She turned her gaze towards me and her eyes seemed hotter this evening, the green flecks sparkling like she knew something I did not.

“How’s this pose, Marcus, is it ok?” Her voice was husky, shy and vulnerable, as if she didn’t know the camera wanted to eat her up. That I wanted to...

I cleared my throat. “It’s great, A, hold it there a moment. Now lower your shoulder a little more.”

She did so, and her shoulder strap slid down, revealing more bronzed skin. I captured it quickly, so she could slide it back as she usually did. But this time, she left it alone.

“Marcus...”

I moved to adjust the lighting to accommodate the dimming sky. “Yes?”

“Have you ever...ah...do you...” She drew a deep breath. “I just wondered... have you taken boudoir portraits before?” The question poured out quickly.

“Boudoir?”

“You know, when the models pose —”

“I know what it is.” A light sweat broke out on my lip. “Why do you ask?”

Her cheeks flushed a gorgeous pink. I kept my hands steady as I reached for the camera.

“Well...” she glided her hand over her hair. “I wondered if you take nude shots of your models. Have them pose... provocatively for you.”

My stomach tightened. She’s got your number, you pervert. “Uh...no. I’m not that kind of photographer.”

“But my poses —”

“These are different, you’re dressed.” Liar. “I would never —“

“You don’t want to?”

Shit. “Want to?”

“Would you want to take boudoir shots?”

“I’ve never thought about it.” Liar, liar.

“Think about it now.” She kept those damn eyes steady on my face. “Of me.”

“Of you?” My throat dried. “That’s not what our contract says —”

“Is that what I am to you, after these three weeks? Just another contract?”

This is a fuckin’ trap, Marcus, that’s what this is.

“I...”

“Of course.” She nodded as if she understood. “You photograph hundreds of women. Of course I’m just another contract.”

“No, A, you’re a client, yes, but you’ve been great. You’ve been the best.”

“The best? Really?” Her eyes lit up, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Absolutely. Of course.”

I made a move to turn off the lights and finish up the session. She stayed right where she was on the silk sheets and watched me.

“But here’s the thing, Marcus. You haven’t answered my question.”

I wasn’t keeping up. “Which question is that?”

“Taking boudoir shots. Of me.”

“Right.” God help me. “So, uh, why the sudden interest?”

“I’ve been thinking about it. A lot.” Her voice went deep, and a sizzle of heat zinged through my veins.

“A lot?”

“I’ve been wondering if it would be awkward... for a photographer to do that.”

“Right. Well, I think a pro would make sure the model was comfortable.”

“And you?”

“What about me?”

She bent her knee, smiled slowly as she showed me her bare calf and foot, anklets jingling.

“You’re not usually this dense, Marcus. And I didn’t think you were a coward. Would you...make sure your model was comfortable, taken care of?”

I met her eyes, and tried to control any tremor in my voice. “Have I ever made you uncomfortable, A?”

She shook her head. “I’m not saying that.”

“So I’m not taking good care of you?”

“You do. I think.”

“You think?”

“I have nothing to compare to.” She shrugged. “This is my first time modelling for you.”

“So I can do better.” Oh, I can do a lot better.

“I suppose you could, yes.”

The rain was finally falling, and the pitter-patter hitting the roof echoed the thrumming in my chest. Are you a coward, Marcus?

She continued. “Photographers tell models how to pose, what expressions to give. You’ve never done that with me.”

“I’ve never needed —“

“And I’ve yet to see a single photo so I have no idea if they’re any good.”

I chuckled. “You’ve been perfect, A. You’re a true natural.”

She jutted out her chin. “You said I’m the best. Prove it. Show me some shots.”

“Not until they’re ready.” My turn to shake my head. “I made that clear from the beginning.”

“Not even one shot?”

“No.” There was no negotiating this. Not even for her.

She smiled. Triumphantly. “Fine. Since you deprive me of my shots, and you refuse to give direction, then I want our next shots to be what I want.”

I placed the camera down on the stool I was leaning against and folded my arms. “You forget this is our last session tonight.”

“I’m turning 33 this week,” her voice turned gentle. “Did you know that?”

“No, I didn’t —“

She stood slowly. “And I really want to celebrate it.” She strode towards me, her eyes glinting gold in the light. The room seemed to shrink as she got closer, and the air grew warmer. Are you a coward, Marcus? I gripped the stool to avoid reaching for her.

“If tonight is our last session, then I’m no longer a client, am I?”

Her words struck me like fireworks in the night. “After tonight. That’s right.”

She closed the gap between us, and lifted her arms to rest on my chest. The heat of her hands seared through my shirt.

“You’ve never taken any nude shots of anyone.” She tipped her head up to me, her full lips parted as if hungry for sustenance only I could give her. “Let me be your first. Tonight.”

I grabbed each of her wrists and held her tightly against me.

“You have no idea what you’re asking for, A.”

“Not “A”. Not tonight. Tonight I’m Alessandra.”

“A, I don’t think I should —”

“Then don’t think. Just feel. I want us to feel.” She stepped even closer, and the silk dress she wore was flimsy defence for the softness of her thighs rubbing against mine. “I know you see me, Marcus. But when you look at me, every session, do you know how much you make me feel?” She looked down at my hands, tightly clenching hers.

“Pick up your camera, and give me this birthday gift. Please.” She whispered the plea, and I searched her eyes for the answer I knew would be there. The session wasn’t over yet. But maybe it was already midnight, technically the next day, and she was no longer a client. I relaxed my grip. You’re a fool, you. But you certainly are no coward.

Picking up my camera, I took her hand and led her to the tall window. Sunset over, the wooden floors and white walls were now speckled with soft light from the street lamps and mingling rain.

“No second thoughts?” There was no turning back after this.

She looked at me from the half shadow, and her smile was confident as she bent down. She reached for the hem of her dress and pulled it up over her head in one smooth motion, then shimmied it off her arms and dropped it to the floor.

My eyes swept up her ankles, her smooth thighs, her flesh coloured panties, to the lush breasts encased in a simple white silk bra, to the tops of her shoulders. Her neck, that spot I’d imagined ripe for me, was curvy and sexy and it was all I could do to tighten my grip on my camera and not lunge for her like a predator frantic for its prey. She was exquisite silhouetted against the moonlight, and my breath came hard and fast, my skin taut and weak.

She turned and faced the wall, tilted her head back, lifted her arms above her head like a dancer and placed her hands on the wall. She spread her legs, up on tiptoes. Her back was elongated, and the curve of her ass was perfectly full, perfectly alluring. She was a sexy siren, waiting for me to play cop and pat her down.

“No one has ever looked at me the way you do. I want to see everything. Show me, through your eyes.”

I lifted the camera and started shooting. She’d given me 360 degrees to work with, her face and body illuminated by the window. I caressed every curve and line with my lens, wishing it was my skin against hers. I climbed high on a stool to capture her cleavage against the silkiness of her bra, and the tone of her ass raised high over long legs. I zoomed in on the sweep of her eyelashes against her cheek, the tilt of her jaw and the sass of her lips. Then I lay down on my back and shot upwards from between her legs. Her thighs quivered intimately, but she didn’t move a muscle. Every click was a frenzy of need, each shot closer to the centre of her being.

She dropped her chin to look down into my lens, and the heat in her stunning eyes pierced through, burning into me. Bending closer, she trailed a finger down my cheek, rubbed her thumb back and forth across my bottom lip, then pushed it into my mouth to moisten it. I bit into it, feeling the give of her flesh between my teeth. She gasped and pushed her thumb deeper into my mouth, silently asking for more. I was on my knees on the wooden floor, a slave to her every desire.

I reached behind her, dragged my hand firmly from her ass down to the back of her knee, tickling her thigh. She rewarded me with a husky moan, and the rawness of it hit me straight in the gut. I bent the knee and propped her foot up on my shoulder.

Giving her what I hoped was a seductive smile, I aimed the lens right at the apex of her thighs, and as I clicked one shot after another, of the small sexy mole on her inner thigh, the swell below her belly button and subtle curve of her waist, she steadied her foot on me and reached back to remove her bra.

Dropping it in my lap, she then tucked her thumbs into the top of her panties.

“Shall I continue?” There was a laugh in her voice.

“Don’t.” I clamped my hand down on her foot.

She bit her lip. “No?”

I’d told her before she didn’t know what she was asking for.

“You said I don’t take good care of you.“ I put the camera down. It was time to show her. “And that I don’t give you direction.” I grasped her other leg tight.

“Tonight I’ll do both, Alessandra.”

Her eyes widened upon hearing her name, and I wasn’t surprised it felt good on my tongue. As I knew she would be.

“Hang onto the window ledge and don’t let go. Understand?”

Her eyes flashed, but she did as I asked. This was the birthday gift she’d asked for.

One hand on her foot, the other stroking her calf, playing with the anklet, I took a moment to admire her new pose for me. She was classy and sultry and everything I’d imagined in the last three weeks.

I turned and kissed her ankle. Nibbled my way up her calf and flicked my tongue around to taste the back of her knee. It was slightly damp with sweat, and I rubbed her other leg, feeling for the same. Her knees buckled and she grabbed onto my shoulder to catch her balance.

“What did I say, Alessandra?”

“Hmm?” Her eyes were closed, lips parted and wet.

“What did I say?” I nipped the fleshy part of her calf, put some heat into it.

Her eyes flew open. “To not let go...” she grabbed onto the ledge again, “and to...to...”

I smiled against her leg. “That’s all you need to do. What do you think will happen if you forget?”

She groaned. “You’ll stop.”

“That’s right.” I kissed her knee, squeezed her other leg and dragged my lips and wet tongue down the front of her calf towards her foot. “Would you like me to stop?”

“Definitely not...”she breathed, “Don’t stop.”

I couldn’t if I tried.

“Keep still.”

I threw her foot over my shoulder, kissed my way up her silky thigh, and brushed my scruff across the soft skin, tickling her. I heard her giggle above me so I nipped hard at that small mole I’d spotted. This time I felt the quiver in her tummy as she moaned and thrust her hips forward.

I wanted much more than that.

Level with her panties now, I eased my middle finger under the seam, gave it a good tug, and slid it over her ass. Sliding them halfway down her thighs towards my face, they weren't going any further but I wasn’t about to let her leg go. Before she could react I lifted her leg, ducked my head into the opening and gave her three wet, intimate kisses. Her scent, sweet, fresh and dark with arousal surrounded me and my hands began to shake as she gasped and tried to close her legs.

“Marcus! I...”

“Open your legs for me, Alessandra.” You haven’t even kissed her mouth yet, idiot! But there was no stopping now. “Let me give you your gift.” My voice sounded low and desperate to my own ears.

“But I’ve never... never...”

“Never had a man go down on you?”

“No! I mean...” she looked down at me, licked her lips. “I’ve never...um...come from this... and I...”

“And you...?” I was drunk from the heat and sound of her.

“And if you kiss me like that again, I will.” She hid her face behind her arm, suddenly shy.

“Oh, Alessandra...that’s what you need to do, right now. Please.” I moved in closer, breathed her in like a bouquet of wild flowers and used my tongue this time.

She grabbed my hair and pulled me in. I didn’t have it in me to stop her and I couldn’t get close enough. She was nectar sweet and sticky wet, and she was marshmallow soft and searing hot on my tongue, against my lips. Her hips began gyrating to a beat and rhythm she controlled and I let her chase it. Her foot rubbed my back while she stroked herself across my tongue. Up, then down, then slowly around, I kept my tempo steady and held on like the devil was after me.

If she can hold a pose for hours for you, then fuck it, so can you.

Her moans were fervent and urgent and I craved it all and more. I wanted to climb into her and onto her and feel her shatter into a thousand pieces of pure pleasure. I could hardly breathe but the wetter she became the more I wanted. As her hips thrust harder and her legs clamped tighter around my head, I resisted the urge to undo my fly and kept my eyes on the prize. Her neck and chest were flushed a ravishing shade of pink when I flicked my eyes upwards. She was slick with sweat and her parted lips, wet and sensuous, shot a bolt of heat straight down to the tip of my cock.

Fuck. You’re gonna fuckin’ explode in your pants like a teenager.

Sweetness flooded my mouth as she gripped my hair tight and let out a deep, guttural moan.

“Oh my god...” She came apart for me, her thighs quivering and her hips bucking wildly against my face. She was glorious and hot as I held on tight and my heart stuttered as I realised that having this tiny taste of her tonight would not be enough. I wanted it all.

Time stood still as I softly lapped at her, kissed her inner thighs and listened to her sharp gasps fade to breathy sighs. I could hear the rain again, the light tinkling blending with the rhythm of her hands stroking my head, her fingers running through my hair.

“Sit down, Alessandra.” I guided her down to the floor.

She sat across from me, kept her hands in my hair and looked deep into my eyes with a dreamy smile. “That was...” she laughed softly.

I laughed with her. “Good, I hope.”

“Better than. It was glorious. More than I imagined.”

Imagined?

“Don’t look so surprised. You never knew, did you?” she fiddled with my hair.

“I...no. I didn’t know.” Fool.

“You were always focussed on the job. My poses...I wanted to seduce you, but you never reacted...”

Hah.

“...so tonight, our last session, I decided to...” she grimaced. “I was very forward, wasn’t I?”

“You wanted to seduce me. For weeks?”

“Well, yes. I...well, I guess it’s time to leave. Session’s over, right?” She started to stand, but I pulled her down, and sat her on my lap. Locked my arms around her.

“Aren’t you cold? Being naked on the floor?” At some point she must’ve removed her panties.

She ducked her head into my shoulder, and mumbled something unintelligible against my shirt.

I kissed her neck. I ran my hands up and down her back, and cupped her ass and squeezed. I kissed her earlobe, and nibbled along up to her temple. This time the moan was unmistakable as she leaned into me.

“Sign a new contract with me.” The words were out before I could stop them.

Her head flew back as she stared at my face.

“You know, a photography contract. That’s what I meant. New theme, new poses.” Could you be any more of a fool, Marcus?

She grinned. “Oh yeah? What kind of theme, what kind of poses?”

I lay her down on the floor, and covered her with my body. Held her face close to mine with both my hands. “The kind of theme and poses I’ve imagined the past few weeks.” I smiled. Her eyes were more flecks of green than gold up close. “Naked ones. Dirty ones. Seductive ones.”

“Really. But here’s the thing, Marcus.”

I rubbed my nose into her neck, sniffed and laved that favourite spot with my tongue. “What’s the question this time?”

“Not a question, but a statement. A serious one.”

I lifted my head and looked down at her. “Okay. What is it?”

“I don’t pose naked, or dirty, with men I’ve never kissed.”

I smiled. “So you’ll pose naked and dirty for kisses. Is that what you’re saying?”

“If the kiss is worth it, of course.”

“Of course.” I cradled her face gently, and leaned down into her lips. Wet, soft and absolutely yielding, she wrapped her arms around my waist and started rubbing her leg up mine. I pulled back.

“Happy birthday, by the way. Which day is it this week?”

She pulled my head back down to hers. Those green flecks sparkled once more as she smiled.

“Oh, my birthday is next month. I wanted you to give me an early birthday gift.”

Nothing wrong with being a fool, Marcus.

THE END