GÖREME, CAPPADOCIA, TURKEY
A rainbow of colors painted the sky. Competing against the endless blue of the atmosphere, the array of balloons floated.
Bucket list destination fulfilled.
And I’d done so with my favorite person. The hot air balloon ride across the city was both relaxing and fascinating. The unique landscape of Cappadocia was like something from a fantasy world. The experience of floating through the sky with the perfect view of the landscape felt like a dream. The sight of multiple colorful balloons leisurely gliding through the crisp blue sky was magical.
While a tourist hot spot, Cappadocia wasn’t crowded. The calm and collective small-town vibe was both unexpected and appreciated.
Never had I been to Turkey or Istanbul. Sharing such an experience with my man unlocked a heightened level of intimacy. Pun intended.
“Is this your first time?” I asked Duke as our balloon floated through the air.
“Yeah.”
Firsts . So many of them we’d been sharing with one another, and it filled my heart. An eruption of euphoria spilled across my face. For the two months we shared, my life overflowed with new adventures. With that awareness came immense joy. Sharing unique experiences with him was top-tier and utterly priceless.
A luxury experience, our private balloon contained a bottle of wine, two glasses, and an array of cheeses. Twenty-four hours ago, the heaviness of meaningless troubles about our age difference and secret relationship weighed against us. Now, suspended above ground, once again, we were weightless.
“I love you.”
Dyspneic gasps of air sprang from my lips. Left and right, I glanced around, seeking the source of endearment.
“I’m talking to you, Serenity Grace Miller.”
The austere countenance coloring Duke’s handsome face left no room for uncertainty, and neither did he. A man of confidence. It leaked from his tone, his demeanor, and his actions. He was poetic. We were poetic. Our bonding was poetic at that moment.
“ You love me ?” I asked, palming my chest and widening my eyes.
“Hell yeah, I love you, baby. It’s the reason why I’m having difficulty with you keeping us a secret.”
“I love you, too, Duke. It’s the reason why I want to be careful when sharing that intel with the world. Remember that flight in Ghana? People can be fucking cruel. Even if unintentional. I don’t want the opinions of others to rip us apart.”
We floated above G?reme, and my truth floated between us.
“What’s authentic can’t be destroyed, Bee. I’ll follow your lead on this one, but don’t take too long getting us there.”
To the point of distraction, he eyed me, nearly melting me into a puddle as he spoke. He didn’t ask for much. He never asked for anything, in fact. At the very least, I could grant him the one request.
“Come ‘ere, Bee.”
Without hesitation, our distance was annihilated. Cloaked in his arms, the world felt minute, paling in comparison to how unstoppable he made me feel. I was invincible. He was invincible. We were invincible. Floating among Cappadocian clouds.
Menemen, a combination of scrambled eggs, tomatoes, and onions, was a flavorful party in my mouth. Turkish food was superb and heartily seasoned. Enjoying said breakfast on the rooftop terrace of our hotel overlooking caves, caverns, and the valley of G?reme was phenomenal.
Removing the cap from his cigar, Duke fired it up and took a puff. The creamy, sweet aroma wafted through the air and away from us as he freed it from his lungs. The Keith and James fedora he wore gave maturity and wealth. The syrupy warmth of his eyes glowing in the sun was its own wonder of the world. Those full pink lips were a chef’s kiss. I was fucking obsessed.
“You look like you’re ready to get into some fucking trouble,” he grinned when he’d caught me hawking.
“Maybe I do.” Under a sultry gaze, my lashes swayed.
“Come ‘ere.”
In an instant, I was beside him, cuddled in his lap and endeavoring to climb inside his skin.
“ You love me .” Like a baby, I whined, still shocked he’d shared those sacred words earlier.
“Mmh hmm,” he laughed, suffocating under my breasts.
“ I love you back .”
“No, you don’t,” he fussed, fighting to regain his breath. “Baby,” he tapped my forearm repeatedly.
“Hmm?”
“I can’t breathe.”
On day two of our adventure, we explored the village of G?reme. A hike around the desert led us to the famed rock formations endearingly called fairy chimneys.
While they looked man-made, the fairy chimneys were a result of volcanic eruptions. Ash littered the landscape, condensing into a porous, soft, and malleable rock. I didn’t give a damn about the back story. They looked like giant penises.
Our survey of the city led us to a pottery-throwing class for the afternoon. The feel of clay and water between my fingers left me with an overwhelming sensation of power. Forming something from nothing. Adding to that was the overwhelming sense of relaxation from its coolness. From the constant turning of the wheel as the clay spun in my hands.
How had we gotten here ?
From that peculiar night at Genevieve to this present moment with a man I undeniably cared for. Absent restraints or conditions, I loved this man. And while it frightened me, I didn’t have the will to run from it. The luxury of utter contentment and safety had lulled me from fear.
My gaze fell on him, making a mess of his clay. The wonky mug he created was precious nonetheless.
“What?” He asked, issuing a crooked smile.
“You love me.”
Laughing, he rose from his wheel to kiss my lips. “I do.”
On day three, we explored the underground caves of Derinkuyu. The warm, creamy-colored caverns were nothing like what I’d anticipated. At the sound of “caves,” I thought, dark and fearful. Hospitable and bright shirked those expectations. The caves of Derinkuyu were far from what a cave ought to be.
That was the wonderful thing about travel. Confined notions and beliefs were expanded with exposure to the magnificence of the surrounding world. Such adventure kept me grounded, embracing cultures, customs, and beliefs that varied from my own. Sharing that adventure—those experiences with Duke was even more rewarding.
On day four, we went horseback riding in Red Rose Valley. Upon return to our hotel room, I was spent. Immediately shedding my clothes, I prepped for a shower.
“Your day isn’t finished yet, Bee,” Duke announced.
“What do you mean?” I asked, curious to know what more was even possible. Tirelessly, Duke ceased to amaze me. Slowly, I was beginning to learn that absolutely nothing fell outside of his aptitude when it came to me. Far and deep, his consideration for me ran.
“Open the box,” he instructed of the large container resting in the middle of our bed. With my focus on cleansing my sweaty limbs, I hadn’t noticed its presence.
“What is this, Duke?”
“Just open it, Bee.” Unamused by my hesitancy, Duke disappeared to the bathroom.
Lifting the lid from the behemoth of a box revealed a peach-colored dress. The flowy garment boasted a deep V-cut near the busts and long train, which I didn’t realize until I had it on. After freeing his bladder in the bathroom, Duke stiffened as he regarded me with his toasty brown orbs. Gripping his chin, he nodded his approval.
“Good. It fits. Now you can go do your photo shoot in the morning.”
“A photoshoot , Duke? Seriously!”
“You’ve been raving over how beautiful everything here has been. I wanted you to have something to remember it by. The photographer is slated to capture you near the balloons and in the Turkish rug shops early tomorrow before liftoff. In the morning, do your makeup and shit. I couldn’t find an artist out here I felt was skilled enough to enhance your beauty.”
Collapsed into a frown, my face prepared to ugly cry.
“Don’t do that, Bee.”
“Why not? You consume me.”
“ Consume , baby? You mean like when I’m devouring that pu—”
“No,” I tittered.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I emphasized my level of overwhelm with a sigh.
“I’m consumed , Duke Stepford. Overflowing with love, adoration, exultation, and appreciation. The way you consider me. The way you know my thoughts and feelings sometimes, even before I know it myself. The way you love me…”
“What you describe of me, I feel magnified by ten with regard to you. Never have I felt so adventurous and youthful in my life. Never have I wanted to explore and share the world with anyone the way I desire to do with you.
“Now that I think of it, you used the right fucking word. A consummation, a completion . That’s what’s supposed to happen, Bee. I found you. Lost among so many, too many who were unworthy. Wholly and unreservedly, I believe you’re my twin. My person. The other portion of my soul. A substantial fragment of me that’s been missing. I found you, Bee, and I’m never fucking letting go.”
The solo shoot on day five turned into a couple’s shoot. Though Duke tried to decline, I insisted he participate, refusing to continue the shoot without him in it. His inclusion was paramount in the souvenir of our memory. It marked the subtle shift in our connection as we plunged into love. Into surrender. I wanted all parts of this trip tattooed on my heart permanently.
Day six consisted of quad biking in the Cappadocian valley. We ended the day with Turkish baths and champagne at a hammam, the Turkish name for a spa. It was so needed after our week full of activities.
On a large stone slab, we were instructed to lay naked. Surprisingly warm, the slab issued immediate relaxation. A masseuse attended to each of us, scrubbing our bodies from head to toe. Utilizing sinks built into the room, water was added to the mix as our bodies were exfoliated from all the dead skin. My body never felt cleaner. Every nook and cranny was touched and cleaned. Only after the cleaning did they begin the actual massage. It was undoubtedly a luxury service. The deep-tissue massage added another hour to the already lengthy experience. As the service was being rendered, I contemplated adding something similar to my spa enterprise.
Once the masseuses left, Duke ambled toward me with a look that only he could give. A look that set my body ablaze. Set my heart in a craze and my head in a daze.
“What?”
“There’s something I’ve been wanting to do to you for a while,” he confessed.
“What might that be?”
The mischievous smirk on Duke’s face informed I was in for yet another adventure.
Ankles to stirrups, my feet mounted into the Frequent Flyer. Seated in the swing, Duke rocked me back and forth, sliding his dick in and out of my wetness. From the position, we were both granted a view of the mess we were making between us. My creamy center was generous, showing its appreciation by spitting up all over Duke’s hard dick.
“ Fucccccck , Duke .”
Early, he’d bent me over and slowly inserted the tiny, lubricated butt plug with a diamond head. I didn’t know what to expect until he parted my sea. The added sensation of it as we made love threatened to shatter all my senses. It made me tighter, wetter, and feverish as I indulged in the feeling of him inside me. It made Duke longer. Made him fuck me deeper, faster, and harder.
He kept telling me how tight I was. Kept telling me how good I felt. Kept swirling his hips and painting my insides with his name.
We shifted from that station, sliding the straps up to my knees. The position offered full access to my well as my body swung back and forth. Insistent fingers gripped my thighs as he urgently plunged inside.
“ Creamy ass pussy ,” he praised, laying smacks on my ass. “ And that ass fat, too . Mmh .”
This was what he wanted to do to me. And that sexual deviant lying dormant in me had come out to play in the most thrilling of ways.
Pausing the camera again, we shifted positions. Laid flat across the seat of the swing, Duke stood behind and wheelbarrowed into me. My breasts swung freely as he persistently rocked me, and I stared into the camera. Passion painted my face and filled our room. From that position, I felt him touch spaces and places I’d never felt before.
I felt him in my soul .
Again, we shifted, placing the seat across my back. With Duke standing in front of the door, I mounted him, placing my feet against the door for leverage and holding the straps for support. Bending my knees, I bounced on his dick from the horizontal placement. Back arched, head tossed back, titties bouncing freely, we drowned ourselves in the sensation and titillation of the new position.
He grunted and thrusted, pumping into me firmly. Toes curling, I purred, gripping the swing and tightening internally against his invasion.
We came together .
It was the most vulnerable experience I’d ever had with a man. Fracturing to bits, both of us dying little deaths. It was intense. As he held me close, unsteady breaths were freed against his chest. His fingers raked through my hair as I listened to the sound of an unsettled heartbeat. We stayed in that position until our waves of pleasure subsided.
“Come on, Serenity.”
The way he said my name as if it were the best thing to spring from his lips was everything. He was everything. This was everything.
Gently, Duke removed himself from inside, leaving behind the deficiency of his absence. He unhooked the straps and grabbed both my hands to assist me from exiting the contraption. Freed from the swing, I eagerly followed him to the tripod we’d set up to record our playtime together.
“I’ve gotta edit it, babe.”
“What do you know about video editing?” I asked with my head in the crook of his shoulder from behind as he sat on the bed.
“You want to run the risk of someone else doing it and possibly misusing our content?”
He had a point. Still, curiosity reigned. Eager to see what we looked like on screen, I reached over his shoulder and pressed play. Together, we watched our bodies commingle in silence. His angular physique against my soft curves, rippling with every stroke, had my teeth digging into my bottom lip. After several moments of watching one position, Duke fast-forwarded to the next position. The breaths freed from my chest were deeper, heavier, and focused on our flick.
“We look so good together.”
“Because my woman is fine as hell.”
“But you’re a natural. Is this something you did often before—”
“I’ve done some experimenting ,” he clarified, shifting slightly.
“With your wife? Is that who I saw on your phone the night we met?”
Maybe I’d been far too keen with my questions. Maybe I was jealous of a woman who no longer had access to him. Stopping the video, Duke turned to look me in the eyes.
“What video?”
Embarrassment rose along with my cheeks as I recalled the video on Duke’s phone from months ago.
“You gave me your phone to show me a picture of you and Pre. I swiped right and saw a video of you and this woman …”
“You were snooping?” He smirked.
“I wasn’t. I thought you had another photo of my brother, so I swiped.”
“How much did your sneaky ass see?”
“I saw all of it,” I shrugged.
Recalling the way my body temperature rose and my legs anxiously bounced that night, I flushed and covered my face.
Dragging my hand away, Duke tipped my chin toward him.
“How did watching me inside her make you feel, Bee?”
His line of questioning forced me to swallow and wet my lips. The way his eyes were cemented to my skin made my heart triple-beat.
“A little envious. A little horny.”
“Our video is much better than that one.”
“It is,” I agreed.
“How does watching me have my way with your body make you feel?”
I sighed, and my lids committed to the famed bedroom eyes. “ Horny .”
Shamelessly, I craved him. For the last hour, we’d been indulging in each other on camera, and the thought of more time together thrilled me. Ignoring the tiny fissures he’d caused over the last sixty minutes, my body responded of its own volition, making me wet all over again. Chartless seconds and amorous gazes passed between us before another word was uttered.
“Hands to ankles.”