Nathaniel
It’s been a week since we arrived in La Selva and I’ve been going out of my mind.
Although our days have been busy with research, it doesn’t mean I don’t have time to think about Marin and regret my decision from our first night here. To make matters worse, she tests my restraint every fucking day wearing short little shorts and smelling so fucking delicious I want to scarf her down.
She’s been intentionally keeping her distance when we’re in the lab together. Whether it’s side-by-side at the lab computer, or as I peer into my microscope and she notates my findings on the laptop, or while we’re out in the field collecting samples and getting wet and dirty from the soil and humid moisture, she never allows less than a foot of distance between us.
I don’t blame her. I’m mad at myself, too, for not taking her to bed when she asked, but as time goes on, it was the best decision under the circumstances. Even though I still want to fuck the hell out of her, and my desire burns hotter every day.
Instead, I focus on my research. The plan is to head out and collect needed samples to bring back and analyze. I probably don’t need Marin to come out with me on this overnight trip, but I want her with me.
When I first mentioned this to Marin yesterday, she got excited about exploring more of the rainforest terrain. However, now that we’ve set up camp with a storm quickly approaching, and the sounds of the wildlife in every direction, her enthusiasm has waned, and she’s been on edge for the last hour as we set up camp.
“You know,” I mention as we clean up after the dinner we made over the open fire. “When I was here for my college internship, I’d never slept outdoors before. I nearly peed the sleeping bag the first time I heard the distant thunder and squirrel monkeys during my first overnight.”
Marin giggles, giving me a skeptical look. “You did? Really? Doesn’t seem possible.”
“Trust me, it was a very long night. And although I was with three other fellow interns, I was the only city-boy. There was no way I was going to show those guys how scared I truly was.”
“What’d you end up doing?”
I shrug and lift my chin, undeterred by the embarrassment. “When it came down to it, I peed in my water bottle instead of leaving my tent to piss outside. I was that scared.”
“Oh my God, you were chicken.” She laughs and flaps her arms, mocking me at my expense.
“You have no idea. I dare you to go into those woods after the fire goes out. We’ll see just how brave you are then.”
Marin looks behind her at the darkened tree line, biting down on her lip and shaking her head, eyes wide and her ponytail flying side-to-side behind her neck.
“No way. I may be here on a dare, but that doesn’t mean I’m dumb enough to get mauled and eaten by a cheetah.”
As if they know they’re being discussed, the sound of a large cat’s growl echoes through the trees from off in the distance.
Marin scoots closer to me and I’m about to place a reassuring arm around her shoulder when the rain begins pelting down and we scurry to clean up around us and head to our tents. As I watch her enter through her tent flap, I can’t help but notice the tanned smooth skin of her legs in the short-khaki shorts she wears. I sigh, wondering how I’ll survive the night and remain silent as I get myself off.
“Do you need anything? Got your flashlight and bug repellant?”
Just her hand pokes out of the tent showing me a thumbs up sign and I chuckle.
“Okay. Goodnight, Marin.”
The sound of the now pouring rain nearly drowns out her voice, but I hear, “Goodnight, Nathaniel.”
Not even ten minutes later, as I’m nestled in my sleeping bag with a book in hand trying hard to keep my mind off Marin in the tent next to me, I hear her panicked scream.
I scramble out of my tent flap and rush over to Marin’s tent.
“Marin? Are you okay?”
“No! I’m freaking sopping wet,” she proclaims in a high-pitched bark. “There’s a huge leak in my tent!”
As she pops outside on all fours, I can see she’s drenched from head to toe and I let out a loud laugh.
“What the hell happened?” I say through my laughter, lending my hand so she can stand up. I automatically lead her into my tent to get us out of the rain.
Searching for something she can use to dry off with, I find the T-shirt I’d worn earlier in the day on the floor and hand it to her.
My eyes follow the path her hand takes over her shoulders, her arms, her legs, and her chest.
Wearing only a pair of boy shorts and a cropped T-shirt that clings to her breasts, I do my best to look away. But when she runs the cotton material over her bare stomach, my eyes return with interest, tracking the motion as it rounds her belly button and then moves down to the juncture between her legs.
My mouth is suddenly dry and parched, my jaw clenching as I watch the most erotic sight unfold before me.
It’s when she lifts her hair from the back of her neck to wipe it dry that she catches me staring and stops. My gaze is homed in on the small pebbled buds poking out from her shirt and the little slip of exposed skin underneath her breast.
It’s then that she notices my bare chest and the briefs I’m wearing. And my extremely hard erection. There is no denying I am aroused and very interested.
Her eyes peruse my body as her hand drops to hang listlessly by her side. Marin’s lips part and her pupils dilate, and I step forward. I reach my hand behind her neck and pull her into me so severely that she gasps in a breath. I swallow her sharp exhale of breath with my mouth. The kiss is hard and demanding.
I’m vaguely aware of the swish of material as the shirt hits the ground and her fingers slide up my torso. She tentatively circles one of my nipples and I growl.
I fucking growl.
Marin’s hands continue to coast over my ridged abs, which ripple underneath her touch, and then they swing around my waist to my lower back, then down to the curve of my ass and she squeezes.
Holy fuck, I like that. My own hand dives under her cropped-shirt, lifting it to expose the underside of her breast. Her skin is so supple. Her nipple so taut. Her breast so full.
Marin sucks in a breath when I tweak the tip of her nipple and I gain an extreme sense of satisfaction when it turns into a sexy moan.
I deepen the kiss, my tongue sliding past her lips to explore her mouth, darting in and out, toying with hers.
“I’m going to fuck you tonight.”
I pull back to assess her response. Her eyes bore into mine with such dark intensity my cock surges and swells from the sizzle of heat it produces.
“‘Bout time.”