Lisa's Gift

by Mackenzie McKade

  Probably one Manuel wouldn’t forget soon, too.

  Nothing was said as they pulled beneath the hotel’s portico. The rain had stopped. The fresh clean scent surrounded them.

  As they climbed out of the car, Manuel gathered one of Jana’s hands into his own. He bent slightly and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. “Muchas gracias, señorita.” Then the old man turned to Nicolas who started to hand him some money. Manuel shook his head, waving his hands. “La casa paga. Que le vaya bien.” Then he winked.

  When Nicolas shrugged, unsure of what just happened, the porter holding their bags translated. “Your passage, uh…ride is on the house. And he wishes you well,” he said to Nicolas.

  With a jerk, Nicolas pulled her into his embrace. They began to laugh as they walked into the lobby.

  Puerto Vallarta was a city brimming with joy and happiness on the surface. Desk clerks, guest service representatives and porters were all smiles as they checked Jana and Nicolas into their room and ushered them to the third floor.

  The room was a suite and was okay as far as hotel rooms went, but the real beauty lay in the scenery. From the balcony they could see the ocean roll in to kiss the shore. The sunset was hidden behind a blanket of gray clouds, unlike the ones in the brochure Lisa had brought home once they’d decided to take the trip.

  As Nicolas tipped the porter, Jana leaned against the railing and thought about her risqué performance in the taxi. What had come over her, she couldn’t say. But the blissful look on Nicolas’s face, as well as Manuel’s, was worth it. Not that she would repeat that kind of performance at home. Being away in a foreign country made her feel freer—more daring.

  “There’s a fiesta on the beach tonight. Want to go?” Nicolas asked as he joined her. He placed his warm palms on her arms and only then did she notice the chill that had set in. With the cloud cover the temperature had dropped to the seventies, but it was the fact that her clothes were slightly damp that made it seem colder. “You need to change your clothes.”

  She glanced over her shoulder at him. Her eyes were bright and shiny. “A fiesta sounds wonderful. Do you think the weather will hold out?”

  He turned her slowly around and drew her firmly against his chest. “If it doesn’t we’ll have our own fiesta right here.” Then he captured her mouth.

  Locked in his embrace, swept away by his caress, Jana didn’t want this moment to end. Once more she found herself wanting something that belonged to Lisa.

  Nicolas.

  When the kiss broke, he whispered, “We don’t have much time. The event begins in fifteen minutes. I’d rather take you to bed, but I don’t want you to miss anything.”

  She pulled away and for a moment she didn’t think he would let her go, but he did.

  T-shirts and jeans would have been Jana’s choice of attire, but for the trip she and Lisa had gone shopping. She never would have spent her money frivolously, but she didn’t want to look like a poor urchin next to the exquisite appearance of her friend. So in her suitcase were sundresses, an assortment of bathing suits, various shirts and short sets, and a couple pairs of jeans because she couldn’t help herself. Additionally, she had a few evening dresses for the nights.

  As she rifled through her clothes, hanging some and placing others in the wardrobe drawers, Nicolas approached. “Wear something easy to get in and out of.” He patted her sharply on the ass, making her jump.

  Her choice was a short sundress, sandals, and a light cardigan just in case the evening became cooler. Evidently it met with Nicolas’s approval as he smiled when she walked out of the bathroom.

  The walk down to the beach was short. Masses of people seemed to be heading the same direction. As they approached, Jana could hear the tide rushing in. The night was alive with torches strung along the beach. Already a band played. A small Mexican woman pushed her way through the crowd. Dressed in a colorful skirt and peasant blouse, she held a big brown jug in one hand. Draped around her neck were numerous small jugs identical to the one she held. She smiled, showing a mouthful of teeth.

  “Señor y señorita.” She placed the large jug at her feet. From her neck she extracted two small cups and looped one over Jana’s head and then Nicolas’s. Then she retrieved her jug and filled each cup. “Tequila. You will never be dry in Mexico.”

  Jana and Nicolas looked at each, tipped their cups, and slammed back the alcohol with a shudder. It was fiery hot going down, immediately warming Jana’s blood.

  The woman laughed as she quickly refilled their cups.

  Nicolas raised his brows in question.

  “Why not?” Jana said, and she sucked down the drink. Nicolas followed suit.

  When she filled Jana’s cup for the third time, Jana’s gaze dropped down to the cup. “I don’t know about this.”

  “Why don’t we take a seat,” Nicolas suggested, leading her away from the brown jug and the woman who seemed eager to get them shit-faced. Before they reached an open table with six out of eight seats vacant, he tipped his cup and dumped the tequila on the beach.

  “Good idea.” Jana happily emptied her cup too. “One more and the night would have been over for me.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re a lightweight?” he teased.

  “No. But tequila is not a lightweight either.”

  As they sat down the entertainment began. Jugglers, flame eaters, dancers dressed in colorful costumes—it was a spectacular show of Mexican culture and fun. Jana found herself laughing and enjoying the company surrounding them. Two couples over the age of seventy shared the four bottles of wine Nicolas purchased.

  The crack of thunder and release of Mother Nature’s tears drove everyone from their seats and toward shelter. Quickly, Jana scanned the area, noting an unoccupied umbrella to their right. As she darted off a hand around her biceps halted her. “No, this way,” Nicolas said. Then the damn man proceeded to drag her further into the downpour toward the beach.

  “Nicolas?” she squealed as the rain soaked her to the bone.

  He smiled and that mischievous spark in his eyes flickered. “Look at it this way; we’ll have the beach to ourselves.”

  Through a shower of rain they left the party-goers who were fleeing for shelter. When they were down the beach a distance he pulled her to a stop. “Let me take your sandals off.” He reached down and grasped Jana’s ankle, raising her foot and slipping off her sandal and then doing the same with the next one. He held them in one hand as he wrapped his other strong arm around her shoulders. His pace was casual, slow, as if a thousand raindrops made no difference in their stroll toward the ocean and into the darkness.

  Nicolas held her tight and Jana could swear his embrace took away the damp chill, leaving her warm and feeling safe in his arms. She couldn’t help snuggling closer, loving the feeling of closeness.

  No one but the two of them existed at that moment.

  By the time they reached the water that lapped the shoreline, the rain had eased into a drizzle. The ocean rushing in on a nearby rock caused a misty spray to rise, falling softly over them as he turned her into his arms. Sand shifted beneath their feet, water moving sensuously around their ankles.

  “I want to make love to you on the beach.” Nicolas’s face was an array of light and dark shadows cast by the moon peeking from the clouds. “I want to bind your wrists and heart, render you helpless, while I capture your body…” he paused, “…and your soul.”

  With each of his words, Jana’s pulse beat faster. It wasn’t what he said but how he said it. There was almost an ache to his tone, as if he reached down deep to find the words he wanted to say. If she hadn’t known that this was just a game between two people, she would have sworn he meant every word, felt every word from his heart.

  It was silly, she knew, but she wanted it to be true—wanted to feel like she belonged to him—truly belonged to him, if only for a moment.

  The first to go was her cardigan as he pushed it from her shoulders and off her arms. He tossed it aside, the wa
ves tugging at a sleeve as if wanting to tease it further into the water. When his fingertips grazed her thighs, a tremor raced up her spine. Achingly slow, he raised her dress until he bared her body—she wasn’t wearing panties or a bra. For a second she worried about being discovered, but she wanted Nicolas—now.

  “Beautiful,” he breathed, tossing her dress next to the cardigan and sandals. Without hesitation, he began to undress. It was a sensual striptease that had Jana’s breasts heavy with desire and her nipples drawing into taut nubs of arousal. Moisture released between her thighs as he took his time to undo his khaki shorts and push them over his hips, down his legs, and then stepped out of them. From a pocket he extracted a condom and slipped it over his long, hard erection. Then he took her dress and smoothed it out over the sand.

  Jana couldn’t resist his masculine allure. She placed her palms on his chest, needing to feel his strength. Power and control pumped beneath her touch. Again, a nagging thought of being caught slipped into her head, but vanished quickly. A smile raised the corner of her lips. If anyone was as crazy as they were, they wouldn’t be there to spy on two lovers. They’d make their own beautiful music.

  Besides, she recalled the thrill she experienced knowing that the taxi driver watched as she went down on Nicolas.

  Gently, Nicolas eased Jana onto her dress upon the sand, water foaming up around her feet, legs, and hips. Tiny bubbles teased and tickled as the sand shifted beneath and around her. The two shots of tequila she’d drunk earlier warmed her body. She could feel it relaxing her as he moved between her thighs, parting them further. He slipped the little brown cup from around her neck, untied the ribbon, before tossing the jug aside. Without a word he wrapped the strip of silk around her wrists and then pressed her arms above her head until her breasts rose invitingly, begging for his attention.

  His touch was tender, almost tentative, as if he wanted to stretch the moment out to its fullest. Slowly, he dragged his palms down her forearms, across her biceps and then cupped her face. For seconds he simply stared at her, their eyes locked in a magical moment as the ocean sang and the rain began to lightly anoint them.

  No foreplay. No warning. He simply leaned forward and, with a single thrust, drove his cock into her pussy. She arched, releasing a whimper as he moved deeper and deeper into her cradle. He was long and hard. Her body welcomed him.

  As he filled her with an incredible sensation of oneness, the heavens lit up. It was a production like Jana had never seen. The electrical storm produced an orchestra of lightning that danced throughout the sky like fireworks in celebration of their joining. Being this close to the water, they should’ve been afraid of the storm, but nothing could have dragged her away from this precious moment.

  Every stroke as he slid in and out of her body was meant to bind her closer to him—tie her to him so no man would ever be able to satisfy her.

  Mine. He wanted to leave no doubt in her mind it was true.

  The moonlight on her body, the way the lightning reflected off her eyes, made her look ethereal. As if he coupled with an angel instead of a mere woman.

  She arched beneath him, a cry upon her lips. “Nicolas.”

  Perfection was in the warmth that surrounded his erection. An ache began at the base, threatening to push onward. He willed himself to hold back his climax. Looping her legs into the bends of his elbows, he tilted his hips and ground against her clit, sending her back once again off the sand.

  “Ahhhh…” She released a throaty moan. “Ohhhh…” And then her body clamped down on his cock with her orgasm, pulling him deeper into her cove, deeper into ecstasy.

  He couldn’t help the groan that ripped from his throat as sensation after sensation tore down his shaft. It took everything he had not to increase the pace, not to slam against her body. Instead he slowed his rhythm, wringing out every thrust so it was slow and sensual.

  When both of them were spent, the warm water lapping at their bodies, he held her close. The thought of Lisa surfaced and he pushed it away. He had six more days to figure out how to make Jana his—all his.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Jana was happy walking arm in arm with Nicolas down the cobbled streets of Puerto Vallarta. This morning, Nicolas awoke her with a kiss. The sex that followed had filled her with such contentment. She sighed just thinking about the way he touched her tenderly, made her feel wanted—even loved.

  It was late afternoon as they entered the outdoor restaurant situated between two three-story buildings connected by large wooden studs overhead. The arbor was draped with greenery and exotic flowers of rich reds, yellows, and blues releasing their sweet scent. Nicolas offered Jana a chair. Off in the distance, several Mexican women hand-washed their laundry in the small stream flowing across the dirt road. She watched the women at work. Quietly, Nicolas took the seat next to her, pulling the tablecloth askew as he sat. He straightened it and then turned his attention back to Jana.

  It was like taking a step back to a much simpler time. She breathed in the scent of spicy Mexican food mingling with the not-so-pleasant smells of everyday life. Here people lived as they could afford. A couple of children played in the stream, splashing and laughing. There were no video games, no television, and no mall to hang out in.

  Several macaws perched in the trees, flapping their vibrantly-colored wings that matched the hues of the flowers above her. Their screeches echoed over the lively music of three guitarists who floated around the restaurant entertaining the tourists.

  “Are you having fun?” Nicolas asked as he placed his hand atop hers.

  Jana couldn’t forget Lisa’s words or the fact that her friend had intentionally lied to her. “Yes, but—”

  His hand slowly left hers as he sat back in his chair. “Yes, but you wish Lisa were here.” Disappointment turned the corners of his mouth down.

  Was she that transparent? Actually it wasn’t really that. She was confused. Guilt and greed played havoc with her emotions all morning long. Lisa was pulling away. And Jana was finding it difficult to be sad about the happiness she had found with Nicolas when it was just the two of them. Each morning when she woke, Nicolas always cuddled with her, leaving Lisa off to the side alone. When they made love his attention was on her.

  No wonder Lisa was beginning to pull away.

  Before Jana could answer Nicolas, an elderly man holding the reins to a donkey appeared, strolling through the restaurant. There were no health inspectors to stop him. No signs that warned no animals allowed. In disbelief she watched the man and the burro climb the several flights of stairs to the building off to her left. Not once did the donkey hesitate, taking each step like he had done this a million times.

  “Uh… Do you see what I see?” she asked, releasing a giggle. “Exactly what do you think he has in mind to do with that donkey?” When a mischievous smile hiked the corner of Nicolas’s mouth she felt a heat of embarrassment flush across her face. “I didn’t mean that.” He continued to grin. “Nicolas, is sex always on your mind?”

  “When I’m around you it is.” His gaze fell to her low-cut halter top, caressing the swells of her breasts. The sting of arousal tightened her nipples. “Let’s get out of here and I’ll show you.” He reached for her hand, dragging it beneath the table and placing it on the bulge between his legs. “See what you do to me?”

  Thank God for the tablecloth hiding her hand.

  Lust burned hot and bright in his eyes. He wanted her and the knowledge released a flood of desire. She wore no panties at Nicolas’s request. When he slipped his hand beneath her skirt, easing his palm against her thigh to touch her sex, her eyes widened and her gaze darted around the room.

  “You want me, too.” His voice was low and hoarse as he inserted a finger and began to stroke.

  “Nicolas!” She squeezed her thighs together, trapping his hand.

  “I think it’s time for you to address me as Milord.”

  “But—”

  “Part your thighs, doll.” She didn’t mak
e a move as his eyes narrowed and his voice firmed. “Spread your legs or you will be punished in front of all these people.”

  Jana didn’t know what came over her, but she did as he commanded. Her heart pounded in her ears. As a waiter approached, she started to shift in her chair but a shake of Nicolas’s head stilled her. He inserted another finger deep inside her, moving them at a slow rhythm in and out of her chamber.

  “Are you ready to order?” the short waiter asked. He held a tablet and a pencil.

  Nicolas continued to finger-fuck her as he casually addressed the waiter. “We’ll start with two margaritas and we’ll order after they arrive.”

  “Gracias, señor. Señorita.” He nodded and then turned to leave, but Nicolas wasn’t going to let her off that easy.

  “Sir, before you go.” Nicolas flicked her clit and she jumped, drawing the waiter’s attention. Jana fought down the heat she was sure was turning her neck and face as bright red as the birds across the way. “I noted the large baskets on the donkey's back.” He pressed down on her clit and rubbed slowly.

  The dark-haired man smiled. “Donkeys are still used for delivery in many parts of our city. José and Paco were probably making a grocery run for Juanita. She is blind and doesn’t move too well any more.”

  Unconsciously, Jana’s hips rose against Nicolas’s hand. A flame was igniting and she was helpless to stop it.

  “Gracias. Could you please send the musicians to our table?”

  Jana was going to kill Nicolas.

  “Sí,” the waiter said before taking his leave.

  Nicolas faced her. He leaned forward and brushed a kiss across her pinched lips. “Admit it. Knowing that someone may be watching turns you on. If you lie you’ll be punished.”

  “Yes,” she murmured. Yes. Yes. Yes. She had never considered herself an exhibitionist, but it was damn hot having Nicolas stroke her pussy, not knowing who or when someone would notice. Fuck, the episode in the taxi had been hot, but this was even more thrilling. Another wave of desire released in his hand.