Truth be told, as we ventured farther and farther into the forest, she looked like she was liking it already. Finally, once there were trees as far as the eye could see in all directions, I couldn’t wait anymore.

Putting her down, I shoved her against a tree, our lips mashing together. Her hands slid over my arms, enjoying the feel of my biceps. Her lips were smiling as I kissed her. Her pelvis was pressing into mine just as impatiently as mine was into hers.

I pressed her to the tree, smiling as she squirmed with want.

“This is fun,” I said, “but we haven’t gotten to the best part yet.”

Lifting the rope, I wagged it in front of her face.

“The best part is that I get to tie you to this tree and do what I want to you.”

I let her go and twisted her around so my whole body was pressing her to the tree trunk, my cock nestling between her ass cheeks. Grasping her dress’s zipper, I pulled it down slowly, enjoying the parting of the flowered material, the revealing of her perfectly smooth skin underneath. As I pulled, I traced the zipper’s path with my lips, kissing my way down her back while she murmured with pleasure.

I reached the zipper’s end and her panties at the same time. With one quick motion, I yanked down her dress, the tight fabric taking her panties off with it. Now, cupping that beautiful full ass with one hand, I undid her bra and tossed it aside with the other. My hand on her neck, I twisted Donna around so that, pressed to the tree, I could take her in.

Fear and desire flickered in Donna’s enrapt gaze. Her nipples were pink and puffy with arousal. I slipped a finger between her legs to find her just as wet as I’d hoped.

“Not yet,” I murmured, patting her cheek.

I picked up the rope and smacked her chest with its end playfully, enjoying the bouncing of her perky breasts.

“Now for the fun part.”

Donna’s eyes were on the rope as I advanced. Even as I tied her arms above her head and to the tree, I couldn’t take my gaze off those beautifully nervous baby blues. As I drew away, Donna’s lips found mine while her pelvis thrusted forward. She was just out of reach of my dick, and I patted her head.

“That’s the whole point, Donna, my girl. This—all of this—it’s all up to me, not you.”

Donna pouted and I raised a callous eyebrow.

“That is what you signed up for, remember?”

I took a step away and cast a glance around the forest.

“I mean, I could leave, if you’d rather. I am completely clothed, while you, however”—I gave her fully nude form another admiring gaze—“are completely naked.”

Donna’s pout was now a full-on scowl, and she glared at me.

“What’s that?” I asked, taking another step away. “You’re fine if I leave?”

I took another pace back, and from behind me came her sweetly desperate voice.

“No—wait!”

Smiling, I turned to her.

“Yes?”

Now, there was something else in her eyes: need.

“Please, Carter. Please, don’t leave me. I want this.”

I cocked my head at her, and she clarified.

“I need this.”

That was all I needed to pull off my slacks, stride up to her, and—grabbing her by the sides—pull her down so her arm bind slid down the trunk of the tree. Now, she was on her knees.

Then, my hand on the head of the girl with the pleading eyes, I pushed my cock into her mouth. Her eyes widened as her mouth did the same. Slowly, farther and farther, I shoved my dick in as her eyes opened wider and her lips parted more.

Then—oh fuck yes—my entire shaft was in as far as it could go, pressing against the base of her throat. I repeated the motion, shoving myself in faster and harder this time, and she gagged, still not releasing my cock from her warm, wet mouth. Sliding myself out, I slapped her cheeks with my hard-on.

“Good girl.”

Her pleased gaze flicked up to my face and then back to my awaiting dick. With a smile, she opened her mouth wide.

In and out I slid, slowly at first while my dick trembled with pleasure. Soon, I was sliding in so deep that I felt like I was down her entire throat. In and out I went, grabbing her by the hair, slamming myself into her mouth harder each time as the pleasure built and she gave in to me more, closing her eyes and opening her mouth.

I was on the edge, my cock slamming into the back of her throat, and then I was coming, my dick spasming while her whole body shook with it.

Then, I was empty, and everything was fuzzy. When I slid myself out of her mouth, she let out a little sputtered cough.

I patted her head. “You’re good at this.”

I slumped beside her so we were both sitting with our backs to the tree trunk and our butts on the grass.

“That was something,” I said. “Almost like deliverance, like—”

“Art,” Donna cut in.

I turned to look at her, but she was gazing off into the trees, apparently unaware that she’d said just about the last thing I’d expected her to.

“You like art?” I asked, and she nodded.

“I love it. I can look at a Monet or Renoir for hours. I try to make my own something like that, a swirl of color and jubilation. The world’s sad enough, I figure. I want people to look at my landscapes, my cityscapes, my symphony of shades, and be happy.”

“You paint?” I asked, and she smiled. She still wasn’t looking at me, didn’t seem to be here in the forest with me at all anymore.

“I do. There’s nothing else I can lose myself in so entirely; minutes and hours slide by and I hardly notice. Each brush stroke is like meditation for me.”

Silence, then, a smile lingering on her face, she asked, “Why?”

Now I was staring into the trees myself, thinking about how their bending shapes might suit my latest charcoal sketch.

“Because I do, too.”

Donna glanced at me, her eyebrows arching in surprise.

“Really?”

I nodded.

“I’ve tried it all, though what I always go back to is charcoal sketches. Black and white. Always seems to best encapsulate…how what I’m drawing is.”

Another one of those thoughtful smiles slid onto Donna’s face, and, for some reason, I found myself saying, “I’ll show you sometime.”

Glancing at me, clearly surprised, Donna was about to say something, so I rose.

Grabbing her and picking her up, I pressed myself into her so she could know just what I was thinking.

“Time for more.”

The disappointment on Donna’s face giving over to pleasure was my cue to take off my shirt. At the sight of my ripped chest and impressive muscles, Donna was momentarily speechless. Meanwhile, my hands were stroking and fondling her breasts, then one slid down to find her pussy just as wet as last time.

Leaning down so my forehead was against hers, I asked her insistent eyes, “Do you want it?”

Her gaze locked on my cock as I twirled my finger inside her and she moaned, “Yes, please.”

Easing myself into her so just the tip of my dick was in, I asked, “Do you need it?”

Donna’s pussy grasping at my cock was the answer.

So, sliding myself in, I fucked her. As I railed her tight hole, Donna’s cries were loud, almost animalistic, as if she were one of the creatures in the forest. Over and over again, I shoved myself in and out of that warm little channel, gradually building my speed and deepness until Donna was howling.

Holding her by the neck, I choked her slightly, and she collapsed back against the tree, her own body overtaken by her orgasm. Shoving myself into her as deep as my dick would go one final time, my cock trembled and spilled out its own hot orgasm.

We stood there, sweaty skin pressed together, my dick still in her, for a minute, our breaths perfectly in time. Gingerly, I pulled myself out, and turned to find Donna’s half-open blue eyes on the trees behind me.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” she murmured.

Standing there beside her, following her gaze to the trickles of light filtering through the trees, I almost saw it how she did—the quiet, staggering beauty of the scene.

“What are you thinking?” she asked after a minute. With a laugh, I got up and rifled through my pants, producing my cell phone.

“I’m thinking I have a call to make.”

Before I could tell if I was imagining her disappointed look at my brusque answer, I was calling Carlos.

“Carlos. I’ve been thinking there’s too much opposition to our latest proposed pipeline site. I want to look into other routes.”

Carlos gave his usual hemming and hawing, which I settled with, “We’ll talk about it in the office Monday. I’m not going to change my mind on this one.”

When I hung up the phone, Donna was beaming at me.

“You actually did it.”

“What, you thought this was all a trick—that I’d screw you over after what you’ve done for me? Say what you want about me, but I’m a man of my word.”

Peering into my face, Donna nodded.

“Yeah, I guess you are.”

I walked around the tree and untied Donna’s hands, frowning at the welts on her wrists where the rope had rubbed her skin raw.

“Your wrists…”

Donna gave me a shy smile.

“It’s fine. Well worth it.”

Our eyes met, and something told me to say nothing more, to get up and go—or else we never would. So I did. I picked up Donna’s clothes and tossed them at her.

“We should get going. I have an appointment.”

I could feel her glare on my back. The so-called appointment was a lie, but I didn’t care. The only time I really liked this girl was when my dick was inside her. Better to use her for what I was paying her for, not waste time bonding over art and trees and stupid shit like that.

“I’m ready,” Donna said, her voice cold.

Taking her hand, I smiled at her. “Good.”

The warm smile that greeted me almost made me want to disregard everything I’d just decided and kiss her and take her again, right there, right then.

But instead, I walked in the direction we’d come from, talking as we went along.

“So, for the next couple weeks, this…arrangement will suit you?”

“It will.”

“What is your availability like?”

“I’m free most evenings. Days, I work.”

“Good. I do too. I’ll probably want to see you several times a week.”

“That sounds good to me. I’ll just need to know in advance so I don’t make plans.”

“Of course.”

The rest of the walk was made in silence. The trees thinned out, our footfalls meshed with the general creaking and pattering of the forest, and I wondered what to say to her next. It was stupid, useless; I was paying her for her body, after all, nothing more. And yet, I wanted to talk to her. I wanted to ask her more about her art, about her life, everything.

Luckily, we arrived at the car shortly. Before I could open her door for her, Donna got in the passenger side herself.

“We’ll go back to the cave dwellings so you can pick up your car,” I said, and she nodded.

Another car trip of silence and too-loud air conditioning. Donna was quiet, pensive, and I kept my mouth shut, unsure what would come out if I started talking. When we pulled back into the now-empty parking lot, we both got out. Donna lingered for a minute.

“So, you’ll text me when you want to see me again?”

I nodded. “Exactly.”

“And there’s nothing I need to do or bring?”

“Nope.”

“And, Carter?”

Now she was looking at me.

“Yeah?”

“Did you mean what you said before? About showing me your art?”

Her gaze was insistent, and when I shifted mine away, I could still see those stunning blue eyes of hers.

“I don’t know. Probably not.” Seeing her falling face, I added, “Maybe.”

She nodded and strode over to her car.

“Bye, then.”

As I drove away, I watched in my rear-view mirror as Donna become a speck, and then nothingness.