“It’s your business,” I told her. “You’ve already said you want a last burst of freedom, and you’re a grown woman. I can’t tell you what to do. Your decision.”
She was silent a moment, then said, “I don’t want to put you in an awkward position, but you won’t tell Richie about any of this will you?”
I shook my head no. “It’s up to you whether and what to tell him.”
“You know, I bet he hasn’t been unblemished the past few months,” Michelle said. “All these soldier guys are horny as hell, and there are plenty of bars with women hanging around.” She paused, then added, “But even so, I’m not planning to sleep with Brian,” not sounding very convincing.
Her stated intention was also belied by her choice of bathing suit, a skimpy bikini that left little to the imagination. I picked a more conservative two-piece, but Michelle noted I had overlooked the one-piece that was also packed.
“I wonder if you’re not planning a little expedition of your own, girl.” she said, smiling and hitting me on the arm.
“I have been thinking about what you said,” I admitted, “being unattached and having the chance to see what it would be like with another guy. And since we’re a thousand miles from home, there wouldn’t be any chance of being seen and reported by anyone, you in particular since you’re likely to be a co-conspirator the way you’re going.”
Michelle giggled, but did not say anything else.
“I do like Shane,” I sighed, “but I’ll only carry this further if it seems right.”
We went down to the pool. The guys were already there, not au natural, but their swim wear left as little to the imagination as Michelle’s bikini. Brian was in a tight speedo, and Shane’s were not even trunks.
“My bud’s worried about the rude impression he’s making on you ladies, but he has no choice since he neglected to pack his trunks along with the rest of his civvies, and has to fall back on his spare briefs,” Brian explained.
“Well he has nothing to be ashamed of,” Michelle said, giving a whistle as she gazed at Shane’s middle in mock admiration. It was dark and the pool lights off, but there was ambient light, and I thought Shawn actually colored at the raunchy compliment. I had to suppress a smile, thinking that was so cute.
We all dove in, and Brian came up under Michelle, her legs straddling his broad shoulders as he rose. She shrieked. He pranced around, and she rode him a while before being thrown off. She came up and dunked him, and they continued to frolic as they went off to one side of the pool.
“I’m glad you came back down,” Shane said to me. “I was afraid you wouldn’t.”
“Why”
“Afraid I might be scaring you off, I guess, holding you so tight while we danced. I was afraid maybe you could read my mind about what else I was thinking.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“See, I am going to scare you off,” he said. I could almost see him kick himself mentally.
“No,” I said, touching his arm. “I think you’re a really nice guy, Shane. You don’t scare me. In fact I think you’re good for me. You’re bringing me out of the funk I fell into when Dan and I broke up. What I meant was I literally don’t know what to say because my home had a lot of restrictions and I don’t have much experience with this girl meets guy stuff.”
Michelle’s laughter at the other end of the pool caused us to look over just as she and Brian joined in a deep kiss. They were in up to their shoulders, waves around them indicating hands might be moving in underwater activity.
“Michelle always knows what to say. I guess I’m still learning. But I do like you — very much,” I told Shane.
We looked into each other’s eyes a moment. Then it happened — I can’t say whether he kissed me or I kissed him — we both just leaned into it. Shane put his arms around my shoulders, and mine went around his waste as our lips deeply meshed into one another, and then, oh my god, he was inserting his tongue into my mouth, and I was responding the same. Our arms pulled each other close, and through his skimpy briefs I could feel his maleness growing and pressing against me. By the time we broke off, we were both gasping, but we only looked at each other momentarily before joining faces again. I don’t know how long we remained that way, but I found myself feeling all sorts of sensations “down there.”
We were brought out of it by Michelle’s voice. “You guys appear to be heating up the atmosphere at this end of the pool but the air’s cooling down, and Brian says he and I should go up to the guys’ room to avoid a chill,” she remarked with a coy smile.
“Y’all don’t have to be in any hurry to join us,” Brian added as he and Michelle went up the stairs out of the pool. “Stay here and enjoy that water y’all are heating up.” He winked at Shane. Michelle giggled.
We watched them walk away, Brian’s hand on the small of Michelle’s back, just above her skimpy bikini bottom. It was evident where that was going. Poor Richie, I thought. I suddenly felt chilly for real, breaking my embrace with Shane and putting my arms around myself.
“Lisa, you look cold as well,” Shane said. After a pause, he added, “You know, you said a minute ago you’re still learning. Well, I’m not too experienced at this either, but I do know this is something special, that I really like you and . . . well, I’m gonna suggest we go up to your room so you can warm up too. No pressure. Also no boundaries, if we both agree.”
“Okay,” I nodded, my legs feeling a little weak.
Shane’s face lit up, and he took my hand to help me up the steps out of the pool, then quickly retrieved his towel and wrapped it around his waste to hide the evident bulge in his briefs before collecting the fatigues he had peeled off at poolside. I wrapped my towel around my shoulders. We joined hands again as we made our way to the room. Once there, it felt odd walking in the door with a man who was all but a stranger. I looked at his face, and saw a look of such hunger that it unnerved me. What was I doing, I asked myself. I had to say something, establish some sort of control.
“I think Michelle and I have a partially full bottle of wine in one of our suitcases. Would you like some?”
He responded by throwing his arms around my shoulders and pulling me into him. Our lips meshed again, a passionate kiss with tongue interplay, almost violent in intensity. One of his hands dropped to my lower back, pressing our midsections together. Conservative me was overcome once again as I participated fully. When we broke for air, my towel that had been loosely draped around me fell to the floor. Almost as if I had sent a signal, Shane’s own towel loosened and fell from his waist to the floor, and the large tent in his briefs was fully outlined. I couldn’t help but look at it. The sight turned me on as much as the kissing.
He followed my eyes, and actually colored a little, saying, “I’m sorry Lisa, but I can’t help the way my body is reacting, you’re just such a beautiful woman. Don’t worry. No pressure. It’s still completely your call where this goes.”
I found his shyness and thoughtfulness as touching as his sexual outline was provocative, and kissed him again, taking the initiative in pressing my midsection against his. The reaction was quick. He literally swept me up in his strong arms, carrying me over to the closest bed. It was the one Michelle had chosen and occupied briefly while waiting for the shower before we had gone to dinner at the restaurant, the bedspread removed and sheets parted. He set me down on it. “Am I going to let him do this?” I thought.