Northern California provides a backdrop of awe-inspiring beauty as a couple discovers the simple pleasure of making love under open blue skies.

Sounds like you two are going to have a wonderful vacation,” I said. Bob had come into the office after lunch with a smile and a handful of travel brochures. As he told me about the various spots he and Sheila were planning to visit, he interrupted himself and said, “Listen, why don’t you and Cathy spend some time at our place. It’s up by the Russian River.” The place he was talking about had been his parents’ house. He had inherited it. For quite some time Bob and Sheila had tried to coax us up there, but something had always gotten in the way; this time however, I said, “You’re on.”

My work load is heavy. I assist physicists with cancer research. The last few weeks had been extremely tiring. At least we were winding up the latest business. Now I was really looking forward to this.

The Russian River winds its way through Northern California about sixty miles north of San Francisco. The Russians established a post at Fort Ross in the early nineteenth century; in fact, at one time this area constituted one of the farthest reaches of the Russian Empire. Much of its beauty remains as it must have been centuries ago.

About a week after Bob and Sheila had left on their vacation, Cathy and I finally had a break from our grueling schedules and decided to visit Bob’s place on the river. So Friday we rented a car, and early Saturday morning, we were on our way north.

The traffic around the Golden Gate Bridge was heavy, but finally we turned off the main thoroughfare and found ourselves winding our way through vineyards. I drove with my hand on Cathy’s thigh. The vineyards and small farms eventually gave way to thick redwood forests. Picturesque inns nestled in the woods along the highway.

As we drove through this scenic country, Cathy reached over and took my hand. ’I’m already beginning to unwind.” In turn I began to massage her pussy through her panties. I was finally relaxing too. Driving was not the taxing endeavor it is in San Francisco. Instead the roadway, with its generous curves and smooth pavement, lent my hand a hypnotic, tranquil rhythm that brought Cathy to a slow climax. Finally we saw the lodge Bob had told us to look for. According to his directions, we would be turning off the highway onto a very narrow road in less than half a mile.

Within twenty minutes we had reached Bob’s place — a rustic, two-story wooden house with grapevines in the front and stately redwoods behind it. As Cathy and I got out of the car, the late morning’s warmth enveloped us. We walked into the sparsely furnished house, and Cathy changed into fresh clothes. We knew the river wasn’t too far from the house, but to get to it we would have to cut through the woods out back. Putting a bottle of wine and some food in a small backpack, we began our walk. The symphony of living sounds and silence in these majestic woods was stunning; we entered with the sounds of leaves crunching beneath our feet.

“This is beautiful,” Cathy said, nestling against me. I buried my face in her soft brown hair and kissed it, smelling sunshine in it. The warmth, the quiet and the musky smell of the plant life around us quickly acted as aphrodisiacs.

We slowed our pace. After twenty minutes we reached the river, and we stood hidden in a spot that was covered with foliage. As we stood there, two people in a canoe slid smoothly by. Cathy and I turned to one another and smiled. I drew her close; our eyes met and our lips came together. She put her tongue in my mouth. I stopped her, and we both spread open a blanket in a small clearing. I glanced up for a moment and my eyes fell on Cathy, who was standing like a Celtic maiden in a forest grotto.

My eyes fell on Cathy’s full breasts, which were covered by a thin t-shirt. I had gone down on my knees to smooth out the blanket, but as she reached me I rose and pulled up her t-shirt. With tantalizing slowness, her upper body was exposed: first her taut stomach, then her full breasts. Without taking my eyes off her body, I buried my face between her breasts. I hadn’t been this excited in months, and Cathy was equally aroused. A streak of sunlight fell right across one of Cathy’s nipples. My tongue licked up the light taste of her salty sweat; I traced a path from her breasts to her neck. Her hands went under my t-shirt and began to caress my chest and nipples. After we sank down onto the blanket, Cathy removed my t-shirt. She kissed my chest, then stroked my right nipple with her cheek, smiling.

While I have always found the scent of Cathy’s body an instant cock-hardener, it was particularly erotic that day, there with the smells of the trees, plants and foliage, the sounds of the birds and the nearby river and the musky warmth of that spot. As Cathy and I began to make love, our bodies became part of that melange of sights, sounds and smells. Everything harmonized.

My pants were bulging with a long erection; Cathy’s shorts were coming off. For an instant I snapped out of the sensual trance and looked at our surroundings. No one was around, and I reassured myself it was highly unlikely that someone would come walking through this isolated spot.

Cathy’s tongue was coursing down my stomach as her hands tugged off my briefs. As soon as they were off, her eyes eagerly took in the sight of my stiff cock; then, with hungry delight, she made her tongue dance like a dervish over my cock. I threw back my head and thrust up my hips. A few leaves fell and settled on my forearm. Cathy’s hands played over my cock, and her fingers lightly stroked my nipples.

I wanted to make this moment last. Taking Cathy’s face in my hands, I drew her face up to mine. Her breasts softly pressed against my balls. Her mouth opened and I fucked her wet orifice. Then I put her on her back. Her eyes searched mine. She tried to pull off her panties, but I stopped her. For the moment I found it appealing to have her nude except for this skimpy item covering her mound. I lowered myself to her side and lay next to her. After my eyes took in her creamsmooth flesh, my mouth fell on her neck. I sucked lightly but firmly, sending her body into squirming gyrations of pleasure. My tongue slowly slid down to her breasts as I sucked her flesh with delight. I slipped a finger under her panties and stroked the silky softness of her pussy.

Cathy breathed in as two of my fingertips toyed with her clitoris. Now, finally, I peeled off her panties. I drew myself up and pushed my tongue down her throat. I lay down on the blanket and pulled her ass and pussy up to my tongue. Her head bobbed on my cock. Sixty-nine.

As her mouth fell over my heated cock, I pulled my face between her legs. Our tongues explored each other’s most intimate parts with sweet abandon. I was further charged when I sensed Cathy was approaching orgasm. Cathy and I don’t always come together, but this afternoon we peaked at precisely the same shattering moment. Seconds later we fell back on the blanket, unable to utter a word, our upper bodies still heaving.

“That was wonderful,” I said. Her hands gently cupped my crotch. ’’Oh, yes,” she said.

After resting, I suggested taking a swim. With delight we stood up and Cathy reached the water’s edge first and jumped in. I dived in right after her and swam underwater until I reached her. Encircling her legs with my arms, I drew her down, and we bobbed back above the water playfully. After a half hour of roughhousing, we pulled ourselves out of the river. Our wet bathing suits were molded to our bodies. Reaching our picnic spot, we fell on our backs on the blanket and laughed between heaving, exhausted breaths. Then we realized how hungry we were.

I reached for the knapsack, which was lying off to one side, and placed it between us. I unzipped it and brought out our lunch — Chenin Blanc, cheese, crackers and fruit. We dug into the food with relish. Like the sex we’d had earlier, eating was also a heightened sensory experience: The food tasted richer. We sipped the wine and lay back quietly. None of the troubles which beset me at home-bills, office work, family matters crossed my mind.

Cathy and I had truly entered a whole new world, a world of peace and harmony where we were one with nature. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the aggravations large and small, we were discovering our true selves and rejoicing in a new awareness of each other. I felt so at ease, so comfortable, and you could see that sense of contentment in Cathy’s beautiful face. The tension had drained away from both of us. Like me, she was savoring this wonderful escape from the hectic life we led back home, losing herself in the beauty of the great outdoors and feeling sexier, more female, than she had in a long time. Being out here was making a brand new man of me and a new waman of my wife.

My eyes were again drawn back to Cathy’s body. The wine had gone to my head, and tantalizing thoughts began to run through my mind.

“This is great,” Cathy said as she lay back, admiring the turquoise-blue sky peeking through the tree branches. “We should have done this sooner.” She put her hands inside her bikini bottom.

I leaned over and kissed her. “We have to come here again.”

As I drew back, she put her hands around my neck and pulled me toward her. “I’d forgotten how much fun two people can have together,” she said. “Do me again,” she pleaded.

I began to kiss the exposed flesh above her breasts. Within seconds I was tugging at her bathing suit. When her breasts were exposed, my lips fell on them again. I chewed on them. Her hands traveled over my chest to my stomach and under my swim trunks. She pumped my cock. I licked her body. Within minutes we were making it for the second time. But this time it was furious. My body was on top of hers. I lost myself in deep tongue kisses while my shaft and lower body rotated and plunged together with her hips. I fucked faster and faster. Our screams echoed through the natural chamber we were in. Cathy threw back her head and came. She is incredible when she comes. As inspiring as nature can be, I think watching a woman come wins hands down.

After another swim and a good shower together, we drove to a coastal fishing village and had dinner. After shopping for some food the next morning, we returned to our spot and spent another fun-filled afternoon. On our way back to the city, we felt refreshed, positively reborn. In fact, when Bob returned to work, some of the weekend glow was still there. After telling me about his vacation, he commented on how rested I looked.

In thanking him for letting Cathy and me use his house, I was honestly able to say that it was one of the best weekends we had spent together since our honeymoon. He shot me a smile and winked.

We were high on the possibility of spending time back at the river. In the meantime, Cathy and I have returned to nine-to-five in the city. But we’re content keeping a happy eye on the calendar, counting the days till summer.