A Love Forged Under Fire

Author’s Note: For those of your who are looking for a story with immediate and gratuitous sex, please stop here. This is a tale of self-discovery, unexpected attraction, and love between two Honolulu police officers. Because of their particular sexual persuasion, this story takes time to develop. Hopefully, you will hang in there and be satisfied with the tale. Enjoy the telling.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

My name is Ryan Conners, and I have been a Honolulu police officer for nearly four years. Strangely, I can attribute me becoming a law enforcement officer to that lousy lying Army recruiter who sold me a bill of goods that being a military police officer was one of the best rear area jobs. Yeah, right, smoke and mirrors.

Towards the end of my enlistment contract, I pulled a tour in Afghanistan that showed me that what was supposed to be isn’t always true. The so-called rear area quickly became a hot combat zone especially when the Taliban often took the fight to us. Coming under the threat of fire while conducting area security or escort duties, and not knowing who was an ally, a battle-harden foe, or an innocent bystander kept me constantly vigilant and on edge. That deployment convinced me that it was time to head for greener pastures while I had all my bodily parts and wits intact.

When I mustered out of the Army, I was given a choice as to where I would like to start my civilian life. Since my parents had passed away and I had no immediate family or friends waiting for me, I elected to separate from active duty in Hawaii. I had spent a short tour with the 25th Infantry Division located at Schofield Barracks on the island of Oahu and had enjoyed the laid-back lifestyle and people.

With no saleable skills other than policing, I applied for and got accepted by the Honolulu Police Department that handled the capital island of Oahu. Transitioning from military policing to civilian police life was relatively smooth and after a period of being checked out and tested by those whom I worked with, I found acceptance and the comradery that I had in the Army among Honolulu’s men in blue.

Compared to the day-to-day struggles to survive the combat dangers of my previous military life, dealing with drunk drivers, domestic disputes, disorderly conduct, and other petty offenses was nothing. However, after four years on the job, I began to wonder if this existence was all that that the future had in store for me. That was then that Life threw me an unexpected curveball in the form of Marilani Souza, a rookie cop who was fresh out of the police academy.

“Ryan,” said my lieutenant in a rare closed-door session, “You have kept your nose clean for the last four years…stayed out of trouble…and have been rock-steady and consistent in whatever has come your way…”

“Oh, fuck! I am about to get screwed,” screamed in my head as I tried desperately not to cringe. “Every time a higher-up starts out by uttering such sentiments, the big “Wham-O” is sure to follow. Here it comes…the damn ‘BOHICA’ (aka ‘Bend Over, Here It Comes Again’)!”

“Since our station covers Waikiki and the surrounding neighborhood, police academy graduates start their first year here. In our district, they will encounter everything that might involve a police officer. To keep these newbies from getting into trouble and to break them correctly, they are paired with more seasoned officers such as yourself.

“Your fellow officers with more seniority have already gotten the views of the academy’s cadre regarding the members of the graduating class and have made their choices as to with whom they would like to be partnered. Since you were recently added to the veteran-rookie partnering program and have the least seniority, you are to be partnered with the rookie that everyone else passed on.”

When he saw the look on my face, my lieutenant quickly stammered, “Now, before you get all ape-shit about being forced to partner with someone whom nobody wanted, let me tell you a bit about your future partner.

“Her name is Marilani Souza but prefers to be called ‘Mari.’ She is twenty-four, not bad looking, and has a pretty athletic figure…here, take a look at her file picture. She is of Portuguese-Hawaiian-Chinese ancestry, stands at five-eight, and weighs under one-fifty pounds. Mari is a jock and excelled physically in high school and the police academy. On top of that, she graduated from a local community college with an associate in criminal justice before entering the academy.”

“Okay, lieutenant, if this Mari is that good, why is she the least desirable? I mean, come on, what is the real reason all of the guys passed on her?”

My lieutenant squirmed as if he was trying to disappear. Failing in doing that, he finally said, “This is not supposed to be a consideration…I mean the department could get into big trouble if was ever to be discovered that this was being discussed. It seems that Mari is gay…like flaming lesbian…big-time dyke-ville…and quite outspoken and defensive about her sexuality. A lot of guys can’t relate to (or handle) a rookie partner who looks like a woman but acts like a guy…and shoves her ‘butchiness’ in your face if you know what I mean?”

I was stunned at what I had heard, and yet, at the same time, not surprised. I remembered how women were not readily accepted in the Army Military Police and especially in a combat zone. I also recalled when I entered the department as an outsider with no local ties or roots, and how I struggled to break into and become a part of the “fraternal” order of police officers. In the end, my low-key (and often humble) approach, calmness, and willingness to put in long hours without griping got me accepted.

The fact that everyone knows that Mari was a known butch meant that she had openly and proudly declared her way of life. It also meant that her declaration would serve as a lightning rod for those in the force who were homophobic whether overtly or covertly, or those who were upset at being denied a chance to score with a naïve female rookie. I realized Mari’s battle to become accepted would be greater than mine.

Looking my lieutenant in the eye, I clearly said, “Don’t worry, sir. I’ll take Mari and do my best to be her mentor and more. When do I get a chance to meet her?”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~`

My first face-to-face meeting with Mari was one of anticipation and trepidation for both of us. When we shook hands upon the lieutenant’s introduction, I knew we were immediately checking the other out. I imagined that Mari saw a buff, pale-skinned, blue-eyed, blond who was several inches taller than her. While I had been told that I was good-looking, I only saw myself as being so-so.

To me, Mari was a natural cosmopolitan beauty who wore only a little makeup to enhance her rich brown eyes and inviting lips. I couldn’t tell much about her body shape or features due to her dark-blue service uniform and gear but from what the lieutenant has said, I would have expected her to be athletically trim. Despite her efforts to seem friendly, there was a certain cautiousness and defensiveness in Mari.

“I heard,” uttered Mari after the lieutenant left us, “that I was the last rookie to be selected. That makes you were the unfortunate ‘stuckee’ in the matter. Ryan, I want to be straight with you from the very get-go and so before you start hinting and putting the move on me, I’m gay… like into women…and am the dominant type.”

“That’s okay,” I said calmly, “I’m straight…love women…and have never heard any complaints from my ex-lovers. I’m cool with your sexual preference as I hope you are with mine.

“However, please understand that if I do ask questions about you, it will be to get to know you better since we will be partners for the next year or so. Sitting in a patrol car with a total stranger is a bit hard especially since we are assigned to the night shift. However, that being said, if you feel that I’m getting too personal or out of line, just tell me to ‘fuck off’ and I’ll apologize and back off. Is that okay with you? It is? Good, then let’s get rolling, partner, and I’ll show you our motor beat.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~`

Over the next few months, Mari and I got to comfortably know each other as we patrolled in our squad car. Wanting to set an example, I started the sharing process by talking about myself to casually pass the time.

“I was a “what the hell” child who was born to a couple in their mid-forties and who thought that they would never have kids. We live in a small little town in which my father was the school’s handyman and custodian and my mother worked in the school’s cafeteria. Things were tight on our family’s small budget and I learned to go without a lot of things and social pleasures that most kids took for granted.

“While I was friendly to all, I was quiet and pretty much a loner who didn’t hang around with any particular crowd. My grades were above average but I sucked at sports and had no inclination for extracurricular activities.

“When I was about to graduate, I sat down with my parents about what I should do after high school. I was surprised when they stated that they were barely making ends meet, couldn’t afford to support me in college or trade school, and only had a small nest egg for their impending retirements. They followed this up by pointing out that there were very few employment opportunities in our town as evidenced by their jobs.

“My dad then surprised me by saying that I should join the military like he had done when he was my age. He mentioned that an Army recruiter was scheduled to stop by our school to enlist those who were interested in serving their country. Since I had taken the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) as part of my career exploration class, talking to a military recruiter would be my chance.”

“So, what made you enlist in the Army and more so the Military Police, Ryan?”

“Sergeant First Class Ambrose Pierce of the United States Army…that lousy son-of-a-bitch set his eyes on (and teeth into) me the moment I approached his table. Smooth-talking and convincing as all hell, he quickly shot down his military competitors:

‘Those fly-boys will try to dazzle you about flying jets or operating high tech stuff but what they don’t tell you is that your chances of getting one of those glamorous jobs are contingent on having a college degree or years of technical training.

‘You can join the Navy but you’ll end up stuck on a ship in the middle of an ocean for half a year at a time. You better not drop your soap bar in the showers with a bunch of naked horny queer sailors around you, if you know what I mean.

‘Those Marines will say that they are the elite fighting force and the first in a combat situation. What they forget to tell you is that they are also the first to die. No, Ryan, the Army is the only way to go. So, what are you interested in doing?’

“I recalled after showing him my ASVAB score and my last report card, mentioning that I didn’t want anything too technical or that would require a lot of education or training. I said that I wanted something that wouldn’t put me on the battle line or in danger, and lastly that I want a military occupation that I could use in civilian life after the military.”

“I’ve got the perfect Army job for you — the military police. It’s a military occupation that consists of a nineteen-week course that almost no one fails. When you’re finished, you’re like a cop who enforces the law, investigates crimes, and safeguards important areas. You’re assigned to the rear area…not the front lines. And when you get out, you can apply to law enforcement agencies like the FBI. Can’t beat that in today’s Army.”

“And was he telling you the truth, Ryan?” asked Mari.

“Hell no! The son-of-a-bitch was lying through his shiny white teeth! What he didn’t tell me was that in today’s war, there is no distinct front-line and rear-area. The enemy comes at you from all sides, and you’re constantly alert for the telltale signs that you’re about to be ambushed or attacked. I’ve been out of service four years and I still get jumpy in times of danger.

“Whew, that was a mouthful, but enough about me. What about you, Mari?”

“Jeez, compared to you, my life has been rather boring. But since you asked, I am the youngest of seven children…yeah, my parents believed in have a large family. The only thing is that I was the only girl with six older brothers. My mother was delighted as you can tell by my rather girlish name, but I think…no, I know…that my dad was disappointed that I was a girl.

“My old man was determined that although I was biologically a girl, he would raise me as a boy. Although my brothers protected me from others, they had no qualms about bullying me. When I would go crying to my dad, he would spank me and tell me to stop being a sissy girl and learn to stand up for myself. He showed me how to defend myself and wasn’t hesitant to teach me the hard way even if it bordered on child abuse.

“What did your mother say to all of this?”

“Mom didn’t disagree with my dad that a girl needed to learn how to defend herself. However, she spoke up when my dad got a little too rough and went after my brothers with her wooden spoon if they were being particularly nasty to me. She did insist, however, that I have a room of my own…I was a girl after all…and shouldn’t be sleeping in the same room with boys, even if they were my brothers. So, she made dad renovate a portion of the attic for my room. It’s hot and small…but it’s mine.

“Ultimately, I could hold my own with my brothers…albeit with a few black eyes and split lips…but on both parties. Eventually, my brothers accepted that I had a low tolerance for being bullied and left me alone. By the time I entered high school, I was definitely a tomboy who was more comfortable in jeans and t-shirts than frilly dressed and other feminine attire.”

“However, me turning gay didn’t happen until my senior year in high school. I was a part of my school’s basketball team that had a good shot at the State’s championship. I was the starting forward and the team co-captain with the starting point guard, Faith. We were immediately drawn to each other in a way I didn’t understand at the time and I was quick to dismiss it as being teammates and good friends.

“We didn’t discover our special attraction until we both had turned eighteen and were in a hotly contested game with our cross-town rival. Faith managed to steal the ball, swiftly outmaneuvered the other team’s defenders, and made a swift run at the basket for an easy lay-up. However, as she left her feet, the opposing team’s center blatantly body-checked Faith, sending her flying to solidly smashing into the hardwood court floor.

“I just saw red and the next thing I remember was me punching out with the opposing team’s center who had four inches in height over me and at least sixty pounds. The coaches and referees pulling me off my battered opponent, and I was ejected from the game and suspended for the next three games.

“Needless to say, my coach and teammates let me know that they were upset that I had been ejected, suspended, and jeopardized the team’s championship run. In total disgust, they left the left locker room with my coach yelling at me as he departed to clear out my locker and to lock up after I showered and changed

“I felt like the lowest of the lowest, and stood naked and alone, sobbing pitifully in the showers. That is until I felt a tender caress and heard, “Thank you, Mari, for being so strong and coming for my defense.”

‘I turned and found myself in Faith’s embrace as she held me to her naked wet body. Pulling on my face down, she tenderly and then enthusiastically kissed me in a way that shocked me. ‘I’ve wanted you for so long,’ Faith murmured as she sensuously rubbed her slippery wetness against mine, ‘And I will have you…right here…right now.’ And did she.”

“Hey, Mari, you don’t have to say anything more…”

“Nah, I’ve got no problems talking about my sexuality. While Faith was the initiator, I soon became the dominant once I got over the surprise of being in a girl-on-girl relationship. Faith was the first person to show me affection and introduce me to passion and sex. However, although I have had several female-female affairs, I still am looking for that special lover, if you know what I mean?”

“Surprisingly, Mari, I do. I’ve known women but my relationships with them were somehow lacking. With nothing else but sex and companionship between us, it was a matter of time before either they or I slipped away, ending whatever we might have shared.”

“Well, I hope you find that special woman, Ryan, and here’s hoping that I find the lover that I am looking for.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mari and I might have continued to be good partners on the job and buddies who shared a breakfast or two after the shift if it wasn’t for that fateful dispatch call. It was well into the evening shift when we were tersely told that there was a report of a landlord-tenant dispute, and as the closest unit, we were to respond. Acknowledging that we were on the way, we headed to an old-time wooded neighborhood on the Waikiki slopes of Diamond Head.

It was pitch black when we approached the address of concern. An elderly woman frantically flagged us down and identified herself as the landlord who had called for help. Evidently, her long-time tenant who lived on the second story of her house had been drinking heavily and when she approached him to be quieter, he became agitated and abusive, bordering on becoming violent. Fearing he might not be in his right mind and for her safety, she fled her house and called 9-1-1.

Rather than drive up the tree-lined driveway with blue lights flashing, I opted to park our patrol car on the lane and walk up the driveway to the house in the least threatening manner possible. We had almost reached the house when the second-floor balcony suddenly became lit and a scraggy grey-haired man appeared.

“So, you call the fucking cops on me! I’ll show you!” was what he yelled at his landlady who was by our patrol car and at us before disappearing into the house. When he reappeared, he had what looked like an AR-15 rifle. I then saw him jam a magazine in and heard that all too familiar sound of a round being chambered.

When he lowered his rifle in our direction. I instinctively dove for cover and in the process tackled stunned and clueless Mari, knocking her behind the trunk of a nearby large ironwood tree. The next moment several rounds slamming into the driveway where we had just been standing and more rounds then followed, hitting and splintering our protective hard-wood tree.

I hastily called in that we were under fire by a lone active shooter from the second-story balcony. When I saw Mari cowering in shock, I yelled, “Mari! Get it together! Draw your weapon! When I return fire, you look around your side of this damn tree, and if you see the fucking shooter, shoot the bastard before he kills us!”

With that said, I waited until the shooter ran out of ammo and started to reload. Quickly looking around the tree to quickly acquire his location, I firing several rounds in his direction, causing the shooter to duck. An instant later, I heard Mari discharge her weapon, pinning down the shooter who had dropped flat to the balcony floor.

Before we knew it, the night was shattered by wailing sirens, blue flashing lights, and the hustling of bodies in blue with weapons drawn. Fortunately, when faced with overwhelming firepower, the shooter quickly surrendered and was hauled away. Mari and I were subsequently directed to report back to the station to complete the pain-in-the-ass forms and begin the formal debriefing process that occurred whenever a police officer discharged his/her issued sidearm.

Besides the lab guys who were gathering and documenting evidence, all other responding units had departed before Mari and I could get into our squad car and leaving the site of the shooting. I was about to head on back to the station as directed when I glanced at Mari and found her shaking uncontrollably with her hands shoved between her legs as she turned towards her passenger-door window.

Opting not to return immediately to the station as directed, I pulled off onto a little-known and secluded Diamond Head sidestreet that led to an abandoned World War II artillery site. Turning off my blue light and engine, I reached out to Mari saying, “Hey, are you alright?”

Resisting my touch at first, Mari mumbled, “I froze…and would have been killed if you hadn’t saved me…and then told me what the hell to do.”

When I turned her so that I could see how she was doing, Mari desperately threw her arms around my neck and kissed me as I’ve never been kissed before. It was a frantic soul-sucking kiss that was forged under the fire, a release of never before experienced fear, a heady relief from anxiety, and unbridled gratitude of having survived. Her kiss left me breathless, addled, but definitely want more. I then began to give as good as I released my pent-up feelings, and soon had Mari responding to my kiss and embrace with unexpected enthusiasm and exhilarating emotion.

When we finally broke our lip-lock the first thing out of Mari’s mouth was, “I’m sorry. I should not have done that. It’s just that I wanted to thank you for saving my life. I should have known what to do, but I froze and nearly got myself and you killed…”

“Mari, cut yourself some goddamn slack. This was your first time under fire. Hell, you should have seen what I was like my first time… a real train wreck…couldn’t stop shaking. It’s okay to have moments of indecision…to be scared…and to lose it. You don’t always have to be strong, Mari…not with me.”

Mari looked at me with tears welling in her eyes and a slight tremble to her lower lip as what I had just said sunk in. Then gently stroking my cheek, she leaned forward to tenderly press her lips against mine. Her kiss this time was not frantic or needy as the previous one but whispered softly of yet-to-be-spoken desires.

“Oooh, Ryan, what is wrong with me? Shit, I’m gay. I’m not supposed to be doing this…and am so confused. I don’t know what I’m feeling right now…or if I am supposed to be feeling the way I do. Ohhh, how I wish I could erase what just happened between the two of us.”

“Mari, I cannot forget your kisses even if I want to. However, I won’t press you for more or seek to take advantage of you. You’re my partner, and we’ve just been through one hell of a harrowing life-threatening situation. What just happened in this squad car, just happened, pure and simple…no explanations needed. It stays in this squad car and is only between us.

“Now, dry your pretty face…it is okay for me to say that your face is pretty…because we have a shitload of paperwork waiting for us at the station and debriefing interviews by the brass, those Professional Standards (internal affairs) guys, and maybe even the department psychologist. Pull yourself together, rookie, you’re about to get a crash course in the really nasty side of what police work is all about.”

With a smile on her face, Mari snapped, “Yes, sir! Officer Souza will have her shit together by the time we park at the Waikiki station.” Then after a slight pause, she murmured, “Thanks, Ryan, for being you…and for letting me be me…whoever the hell I really am.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After the buzz about the “Diamond Head Shootout” had quieted down, Mari and I settled into a comfortable partnership. This was partially due to the thumbs up that I got from my superiors for being calm in the face of imminent danger, and from the high fives that Mari got from our fellow officers for her willingness to pull the trigger.

But to me, a bond between us had been forged under fire and it grew stronger with each shift pulled together. We knew each other so well that our thoughts and actions were often seen by others as synchronized and presenting a united front while covering each other’s back in situations that required de-escalation of possible conflicts or those involving violence or arrests.

There was also a certain personal attraction to each other that could not be denied. We never brought it up, but it was always there, intriguing like a hint of perfume in the air. We were somehow more than partners and friends; however, neither of us wanted to explore those hidden possibilities or the potential between us.

That is until we filed out reports at the end of our Friday night shift. “God,” Mari exclaimed, “I can’t believe that we’re off duty with our scheduled three-day off-duty period starting tomorrow. Whatcha got planned, Ryan?”

“Well, when I graduated from the police academy, I was paired with an old crusty veteran on the verge of retirement whose nickname was Joe V. He gave this here “haole” (Hawaiian for Caucasian) rookie a really hard time in the beginning. However, when I took all the crap he could give without a complaint and kept steady, he backed off. As it turned out he was a former Army MP during the Gulf War and we traded our various war stories and developed a solid friendship.

“Anyway, Joe V. has this little beach cabin on the North Shore which he lets me borrow whenever I want to. He likes to lend it out to his fellow officers because it keeps the unwanted away knowing that a cop might show up at any moment. It is a no-frills cabin but it has running water, an enclosed internal toilet, a roof that doesn’t leak, and screens to keep the mosquitos out. I was figuring on picking up the key from Joe V. early tomorrow morning, driving up to the cabin, and spending the weekend there.”

“By yourself?” was Mari’s first surprising question.

“Yep, this haole-boy needs to kick back, relax, and tan his ‘shark-bait’ white body.”

“The sounds great! Would you mind so company…like me…tagging along?” was her second surprising question.

Looking inquisitively at my partner, I had to ask, “You and me alone in an isolated small beach cabin…for three days?” When she nodded, I knew that my answer would forever change the nature of our relationship, professionally and especially personally.

“The cabin is really primitive, Mari. There’s no electricity or gas, and lighting at night is by lamps you bring. There a toilet is inside but the shower is outside and only has cold water. There are only bed platforms, they are mainly to keep your sleeping bag off the wooden floor. I usually bring a cooler to store food, a camping stove for indoor cooking, and my mini-Weber for grilling food. If you want to give it a try with me, then let’s do it.”

“Count me in, Ryan. I’m your girl,” Mari quickly replied to my surprise. “I’m looking forward to the long weekend and being with you.”

After a short discussion, it was agreed that we’d bring our own sleeping bag or blankets, pillow, towels, and beach chairs. I said that I’d bring the camping stoves, and charcoal and Mari volunteered to bring the pot, skillet, cutlery, and utensils. I had a large cooler for the foodstuff and ice that we’d buy along the way, and a smaller cooler for bottled water would be brought by Mari. In the end, we agreed to bring a bottle of our own booze…vodka for Mari and Jack Daniel’s for me.

“I’ll have to scramble tonight to get my stuff together and packed. Call me before you pick me up tomorrow at six in the fricking morning…ugh! I’ll be waiting for you at the entrance of my family’s driveway with all of my stuff. Please don’t be offended, Ryan, but a haole guy picking up their gay cosmopolitan daughter for the long weekend in an isolated beach cabin may be more than my parents can handle.”

Laughing, I quipped, “And what do you think they will think after we drive away in my jeep?”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Hey, there, haole-boy! Right on time as always. Here’s the key and…what the heck…who is this in your Jeep?”

When Mari got out of the jeep, I quickly said, “Joe V., meet Mari Souza, my rookie officer who has been partnered with me. Mari, meet Joe V.” When Mari gave Joe V. a warm hug and a quick peck on his cheek, the old bastard was completely flustered.

“You’re partnered with this good-looking wahine…driving around in a squad car…at night? What has the world come to. How come I never had a sweetie like you, Mari. All I had was this butt-ugly haole-boy fresh out of the Army.”

“I actually was the last rookie to be partnered…cuz the word got around that I’m flaming gay…and so Ryan here got stuck with me.”

“You’re gay? What a waste of a good-looking female…no offense meant…just fact.”

“Why thank you, Joe V., and no offense taken. Ryan and I…well…we get along on the job, and this weekend we will see if we can do so off the job. Hey, I see Ryan is getting antsy. You know his thing about keeping to the schedule that he has laid out for us. Nice meeting you, Joe V., take care.”

“Yeah, and the two of you take care too. I’ll be very interested in hearing how your off-duty experiment went when you drop the cabin keys off on Monday. Don’t do anything that I wouldn’t do…which ain’t much. See ya!”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mari and I pulled up to the cabin a little after ten in the morning. After quick airing out the cabin and flushing the water through the toilets and pipes, we decided to simply unload and then head on to the beach to catch the last morning rays.

Setting down my beach towel on the sand and taking off my t-shirt, I laid down. Mari who had been surveying the isolated stretch of coastline, then unsnapped and pulled off her gauzy sundress to reveal a stunning skimpy black string bikini that barely contained her luscious light caramel body.

Her full B-cup-size breasts were amazingly soft and spongy with enough heft to hang provocatively and yet were firm enough to project noticeably from her chest. She had a flat stomach that hinted on her abs underneath, and a trim waist that gently flowed into nicely round hips. Mari’s high-cut bikini bottom hung precariously from her hips, and snuggly cupped her pussy and tight buns. Nice-looking thighs and shapely legs finished Mari’s vision of loveliness.

“What, Ryan?” asked Mari when she caught the look on my face.

“You’re fricking gorgeous!” popped out of my mouth.

“Heh, well, thank you. I’ve got to say that you’re not so bad yourself.” Then kneeling on her beach towel, Mari offered, “Come on. Sit up and let me put lotion on your back while you do your front…can’t have you burning this muscular white body of yours. Then you can do my back.”

When I knelt to rub lotion on Mari’s back and shoulders, I was able to watch her apply sunblock to the tops of her outstanding boobs. Her slick fingers slid under her bikini bra cups, proving me with tantalizing glimpses of her creamy breasts. Needless to say, I immediately sprouted a raging hard-on as I watched Mari slowly massage her quivering tits. Unable to take anymore temptation, I hastily uttered, “I’m going to take a quick dip,” and dashed to the water to cool down my overheated libido and the massive bulge that to my utter embarrassment had developed in my swim trunks.

Surround by the cold waters, I struggled to control my bodily reactions to what I had just seen and was failing miserably. Then I saw Mari get up and sensuously stroll to the water’s edge before diving in. Moments later she surfaced before me with her two hands pulling back her long dark hair from her face. In so doing, her breasts were thrust forward and upwards, displaying two large nipple bumps that pushed through the thin wet fabric of her bikini top.

I swear that the water around me was beginning to boil as I renewed my efforts to control my embarrassing bodily reactions to Mari and her incredible body. Then it occurred to me that Mari wasn’t deliberately trying to ‘get a rise out of me.’ She was so at ease with her own body that she didn’t even give a second thought of how others might react to it. So then, why was I embarrassed by my bodily reactions to her and her alluring body?

Determined to be more like Mari, I sucked in a deep breath and my guts before standing and openly displaying before Mair’s startled eyes my massive bulge in my shorts. Striding purposely out of the water to settle on my beach towel. I was about to lay back when noticed Mari looking at me or rather my highly visible erection from the water. I swear she gulped but the very next moment, she strolled out of the sea to lay casually next to me on her beach towel.

Our relationship morphed to a new level as we casually lounged together, ate the hamburgers for lunch that we had previously purchased, and went about cleaning and setting up the cabin. Mari made no effort to cover up her bikini and I made no effort to hide my physical reactions in the crotch of my shorts when she unknowingly flashed me stimulating views of her captivating body.

I had just lit the coals for the mini-Weber when I called out, “Hey, Mari, while it’s still daylight and warm I’m going to take a quick shower to wash off the sea salt and sand.”

“That’s a good idea, Ryan. Let me find my shampoo and body wash and I’ll be next when you finish.”

Quickly washing my short hair and body with my all-in-one body wash, I grabbed my bath towel from its cabin wall hook and dried myself. “Next!” was what I barked as I made my way to the cabin’s entryway.

As I passed Mari, I jokingly remarked, “I’ll be changing into my clothes for this evening. No peeking, you closet pervert.”

“Ha! We’ll see who the pervert is!” Mari chuckled as she slapped my butt in passing.

Drying myself thoroughly, I slipped into a clean t-shirt and swim trunks, and got out the food for the grill. Then after placing my wrung-out shorts and damp bath towel on wired hangers to dry, I grabbed a couple of hangers for Mari to use.

Rounding the corner of the house, whatever words I was about to say stuck in my throat as I watched her shampoo suds sensuously flow down the curve of her back, over her tight buns, and down her shapely legs. With head under the shower and eyes closed, Mari let her soapy right hand slip under a bra to cup and fondle her left boob and then let her left hand to the same do the same with her right tit.

After washing off her chest area, Mari turned so that the back of her head was under the shower and with her eyes still closed, lathered both of her hands while parting her legs. With her left hand, she held the front of her bikini bottom open to allow sudsy fingers of her right to slip under to gently glide up and down her pussy. Her hand then rounded her hip to the back of her bikini bottom where it washed her backside, revealing the top of her butt crack and causing her bikini bottom to be in critical danger of having a serious wardrobe malfunction.

I was stupefied with my eyes bulging, my jaw dropped, and one hell of a boner threatening to tear a hole in my shorts as she thoroughly washed out her bikini bottom. And that’s how Mari caught me when she finally opened her eyes.

“Have you been watching me wash my privates? I always suspected that you were kinky and now I know.”

I held out the hangers and stammered, “Hangers…for your…towel…and bikini.” Putting the damn hangers down, I beat a hasty retreat to the safety of mini-Weber and outdoor cooking slab with my burning face a bright red that wasn’t from the sun. Stirring the coals and setting the steaks on the grill, I heard Mari walk up the stairs and close the door.

I had just set the steaks on the grill when I heard, “Ryan, I’ve got the bell peppers, mushrooms, and corn for roasting. Is there anything else that I should bring?”

I turned in my beach chair and was stunned once again with what I came to call the “Mari Reaction” (wide eyes, open mouth, and raging erection). Holding a plate of vegetables, she wore a loose midriff tank-top that prominently emphasized her boobs, titty bumps, and bare belly. A baggy pair of board shorts hung perilously low enough on her hips and no hint of a panty, thong, or another form of underwear could be seen.

When Mari stroll down the stairs and over to the grilling area, I was mesmerized by the jiggling and sway of her braless tits under her thin top and the sultry swishing of her hips. Easing into her beach chair that was next to mine, she began placing the vegetables on the grill, flashing me side-glimpses of her bare boobs.

Letting out a deep sigh of resignation, I had to finally confess, “What is it about you that has me constantly sprouting hard-ons. You are beautiful when you are in uniform, but out of it, you are incredibly sexy.”

“Why thank you, Ryan,” Mari replied softly with a smile. “You know that I not doing any deliberate…I’m not a cockteaser who wants to play with your emotions and wreak havoc with your body. It’s just that I am very comfortable with my body, and if you haven’t guessed by now, I don’t like wearing a lot of clothes when I don’t have to. Still, I didn’t realize how you might react to seeing me today. I wish I could say ‘sorry’…but I won’t cuz I was simply being me.

“I have noticed, however, your erections and now know that I am the cause of your dilemma. However, don’t worry when you have an erection…I’m not offended… hey, remember I grew up with six brothers. I know you can’t help it. However, keep in mind that I cannot prevent my nipples from popping, or my boobs from jiggling, or my hips from swaying when I walk. This is your first time with me off-duty and with me being dressed the way I like to. You’ll get used to it and so, give yourself some time.

“Hey! You better flip the steaks and veggies our dinner will burn.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the glow of a fire that I had made in the mini-Weber, Mari and I sat in our beach chairs, digesting our meals, and enjoying our liquor…vodka on the rocks for her…and Tennessee sipping whiskey for me. I was relaxed (no erection) and had accepted that my partner was right in that it would take time for me to feel comfortable with her scantily clad body. I was about to tell her this when Mari leaned over and kissed me, blending the tastes of our preferred liquor.

“I wanted to thank you, Ryan, for being open with me about your reaction upon seeing my body and especially for not trying to take advantage of me. Most guys if put in your situation would have made a move on me…instantly and repeatedly. But you didn’t…and struggled with and resisted your own urges. I am, however, curious as well as confused as to why you didn’t?”

“Taking a sip of my drink, I mulled over my response before saying, “Because it wasn’t what you wanted and needed.” The look on Mari’s told me that I needed to explain more and after another sip, I clarified my response. “Mari, you remind me of an old Pointer Sister song that was one of my mom’s favorite songs. It goes something like this:

‘I want a man with a slow hand / I want a lover with an easy touch / I want somebody who will spend some time / Not come and go in a heated rush / I want somebody who will understand / When it comes to love, I want a slow hand…’

“When we first kissed after the Shootout, you were confused about yourself and your feeling toward me. I just figured that you needed and wanted a ‘slow hand’ when it came to me…to us…and that’s why I did what I did.”

“A slow hand…easy touch…no heated rush…yeah, that fits you. You know that I’ve never had a boyfriend. While a couple of guys tried to score with on me while I was growing up, they soon backed off when they discovered that Marilani Souza could throw a mean punch and had six older brothers who once they leas

“So, I was pretty much a blank slate in the love and sex department until Faith came along and left her mark on me by introducing me to feminine sex. The women lovers who followed encourage me to be the butch and I was comfortable being that. I’ve never told you but you really mess up my preconceived notions of sexuality and love when I kissed you that first time and you didn’t make a move on me.” With that, Mari lightly kissed me, saying ‘Thank you for being so understanding…”