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In the Jungle Ch. 01

By: bobalous



I'm declaring a contest of my own... of sorts. If you go to my author's page, I have submitted the first chapter of 3 stories on the same day (10/30/15). I will write and post the next chapter of the highest rated story every week or two (or maybe three) until all the stories are done. 

These should all be pretty short stories, around 3-4 chapters. If there is one or more stories that aren't well received (less than 4.25 rating), I will post a summary and ending to them, so that those readers who liked that story aren't left wondering what happens next.

If you really like this or the other stories and want to read more, please vote 5-stars, so that I know and will keep it going. If you hate it and want to save others from the pain you've felt, I'm giving you the power to make it stop. I also enjoy reading your comments, so feel free to tell me what you thought of the story, or what's on your mind. 

Thanks for reading!

***Bret***

I was a second year graduate student, when I traveled to western Amazonas, Brazil to collect mayfly specimens for my graduate project. I was part of a group of researchers looking to make our discoveries in this remote corner of the world. We had met in the capital of Brasilia where we took a crash course in rainforest survival and then signed our life away agreeing to the government's terms of the scope of our research.

We spent 3 days in the capital getting acquainted with our fellow researchers and learning about the hundreds of painful ways to die in the jungles of the deepest Amazon. 

After Brasilia, we flew on a small prop-plane into Tabatinga, Brazil on the border where Columbia, Peru and Brazil all met. I was young, single, and a fairly outgoing man. Along with me on the expedition were three dozen other graduate students from all over the world, along with a few professors, and some government officials from Brazil. 

I had gotten to know some of the ladies of our expedition while in the capital, and on the ground in Tabatinga, I had turned up my efforts and charms. My odds were good. Of the 30 students on this trip, there were only ten other men, and 29 women. Seven of those women had husbands, fiancés, or serious boyfriends, so I focused my efforts on the remaining 22 women. 

My competition was light. Six of the men were similarly attached, which left Paulo - a Brazilian, Michél - a Frenchman, and Samuel - my fellow American. There was only one other American with us on the trip, Annabeth. I spoke decent Spanish, at a conversational level, but not fluent. I was able to understand less than a fifth of the Brazilian's Portuguese, but I was a hit with the Latin American women in the restaurant the first night, flirting my best in their native tongues.

We single people all went out to dinner together. The plan for the next day was to separate into two groups and go to our respective field stations, mine along a tributary of the amazon in the far west, and the other group would travel south. I made sure to pay extra attention to the women who I would not be spending the next 2 months living and working with. 

I was a decent looking guy, 22 years-old, and I worked out enough that I felt confident with my shirt off. One woman in particular, Marisol, from Mexico City was especially interested in me and we flirted shamelessly. Like me, she was an entomologist. We were both studying phylogenetic (DNA) relationships among our bugs, discovering family trees among different species.

We talked about the similarities and differences in our programs, and then shifted to talking about families, pets, homes and undergraduate work. She was as interested in me as I was in her. 

Marisol spoke English as well as I spoke Spanish, and between the two languages, we were able to communicate freely and laugh at each other's jokes, switching constantly between languages. The look in her eyes and her body language was clear, even to a slow man like me. It started with little touches, and then grew to arms around shoulders, and finally we were clinging to one another.

After dinner, the single people all agreed to go out on a bar crawl, but we gave up after only 5 bars, when we found a nightclub playing live music. I danced with Marisol for over an hour, attempting to copy whatever dancing styles the men and women around me were displaying. I failed miserably at dancing, but succeeded in my true mission, which was to show Marisol a good time, and leave her laughing and breathless at the end of each song. 

We had just finished dancing to a song, and I stared right into her big brown eyes. She looked away for just a moment, and then looked back at me with a hunger that mirrored my own. I pushed a strand of her black hair behind her ear, and leaned in. 

Marisol met my lips halfway. The kiss was tenuous at first. Her lips tensed, and I realized that mine were the same. I relaxed and parted my lips slowly. Marisol mirrored my actions, so I gently brought my tongue out to play. She responded by pushing her tongue into my mouth. Her hands crept down my back, until both gripped my ass. I kept one hand on her cheek, and let my other explore down her body and onto her cute butt. She was wearing a tight floral dress, which showed off her perfect body. I had not expected the firmness I found there, nor had I noticed before then that she wasn't wearing panties. 

I squeezed her butt in my large hand, and my middle finger felt the wetness starting to run out from her center. She broke the kiss, and without a word she took my hand and led me out of the club as the next song started. 

The two of us took a taxi back to our hotel, and luckily she spoke more Portuguese than I did. Between kisses, Marisol directed the driver where to go. On the short drive, we continued making out in the back seat, and my hand crept up her leg. 

Marisol spread her legs wide, giving me full access to her wet pussy. I pushed one finger in, then a second. Her voice caught, and she stifled a low moan. The taxi driver swerved, and I broke the kiss long enough to notice that his eyes were not on the road. 

I continued driving my fingers further into Marisol's wet center, ignoring the audience. I pushed deeper until I could feel the little knob of her cervix along the top. I brushed it several times with both fingers, and then settled into rubbing her g-spot. Marisol came hard and she filled my palm with her come.

I broke the kiss and cleaned my hand by licking it all off. She tasted earthy, and just a little sweet. I didn't think it was possible for this woman to get any more turned on, but my display drove her even more out of control. One of her hands was down my pants, grabbing at my erection, and the other grabbed my wet hand, licking her own juice off of me.

Around this time the taxi driver announced that we had arrived at our hotel. I handed him a few bills, said "obrigado!" (thanks!) and jumped out of the taxi, pulling Marisol with me. I glanced back and noticed that the cab driver had his cock out and in his hand as he pulled away. Marisol had my shirt off before we got though the security gate, and was working on my belt as I led us up the stairs. Two other women from the research group were sitting outside in the hotel's central courtyard talking, and stopped as Marisol continued her attempts to strip me as we stumbled through the door into her hotel room.

Once through the door, I turned on Marisol, and unzipped her dress. I pulled it over her head in one movement, and she kicked off her sandals. I held her hands, but took a step back to take in the beauty before me. She had not been wearing a bra, and her youthful B-cup breasts made almost perfect hemispheres, standing tall and perky on her chest. Her dark nipples stood out from small, dark areolas, and displayed just how turned on she was.

My eyes tracked down her flat stomach to her neatly trimmed pubic hair, and the shaved lips below. 

Marisol gave me less than 5 seconds to admire her beauty before her hands grabbed the waistband of my jeans and pulled them down around my ankles along with my boxers. My cock jumped as it escaped from my pants. She was on it immediately, and it disappeared entirely into her mouth in seconds. 

She skipped over the gentle teasing, and launched straight into a vigorous blowjob, and she looked so beautiful doing it. After nearly a minute, I realized that she was kneeling on the hard tiled floor, and I pulled her up to her feet. I removed my shoes and socks, and then pulled my pants the rest of the way off. 

"I have a condom." She said in Spanish, and produced one from her luggage. I realized that I had forgotten to grab one from my room, and was grateful that she remembered. We worked together to slip it on me, then she pulled me onto the bed, with me falling on top of her. Marisol broke our kiss just long enough to guide me into her. Her pussy was running wet with her desire, and I slid all seven of my inches into her with one steady push. She gasped and I could feel the start of an orgasm building. Unlike in the cab, she made no attempt at silence as her pleasure built. I kissed her neck and nibbled her earlobe while pumping my hips in time to her pulsing. 

Marisol's long scream turned into panting curses in Spanish, few of which I understood. I brought her down slowly from her orgasm, and read her body for cues as I adjusted angle, speed and the force of my strokes. Her lips met mine, and when she broke the kiss her eyes rolled back in her head, I knew I was on the right path, and I led her to a second screaming orgasm in the space of five minutes.

As I began driving her to her fourth orgasm of the night, she begged me in Spanish to finish with her. This time I paid attention to my own pleasure, driving into Marisol's wet pussy hard and fast. She was very vocal as she came, which took me to the edge and beyond. I buried my face in her long black hair, filling my lungs with the delicious floral and feminine scents therein. I reached my peak and screamed out my own cries into the pillow below her. 

As I came down from my high, I rolled off of Marisol, removed the condom from my cock, and wrapped it up in a tissue from the bedside. Then I offered the box to Marisol, which she gratefully accepted. I lay on my back, and she laid her head on my shoulder, her arm across my chest, and one leg curled over my groin. I stared down at her beautiful caramel skin, her wavy black hair, and those beautiful black eyes which twinkled as they stared back into mine. Her face was permanently stuck in a toothy smile.

She got up, and I could hear her use the toilet, and running the water in the sink for a long time. 

As soon as Marisol came back to bed, her hand was on my cock, and I could feel it rising again. Marisol wasted no time, pulling me to my feet by my newly erect cock. Once we were both standing, she fished another condom out of her bag and rolled it on using both hands. The animal lust in her eyes had not diminished one bit form our earlier peak.

Marisol bent over the bed, standing, but resting her forearms and forehead on the mattress. I took my cue and nestled my hard cock on her shining pussy lips. I eased myself in, and quickly had Marisol panting her way up to another orgasm. I lasted longer the second time, losing count of Marisol's orgasms, if there was even a break in between. 

I crashed on top of her, humping into her firm, round butt as she screamed a string of Spanish curses into the mattress. I finally spent myself a second time into the condom inside her pussy. Once I stopped pulsing, Marisol threw me off of her and attacked my face with tongue and teeth. 

"Never..." she said in her native tongue. "I've never been fucked like that." I just returned the kisses with her same ferocious intensity. 

Marisol was done trying to speak English for the evening, so it fell to me to keep speaking Spanish, which was difficult in my tired state. Eventually we let our hands and lips do the talking, and 20 minutes after we last finished, my cock was beginning to come back around. Marisol was helping me along by rubbing her smooth leg up to my stomach, and down to my knees, occasionally reaching in to adjust or squeeze my cock with her hand.

When I reached the desired level of arousal, Marisol again skipped to her luggage, withdrew a third condom, and straddled me, so that her pussy was pushing my cock into my stomach. She slid up and down several times, producing plenty of lubrication and driving the last vestiges of softness from my manhood.

From my supine position, I was treated to the visual wonders of Marisol's beauty. Her breasts hung just inches from my face, and I carefully massaged and groped them, pulling and teasing the nipples. Marisol's long hair draped across her shoulder and over one breast, and I brushed it with my fingers, enjoying the silky smoothness and thickness of it. 

Finally, Marisol rolled the condom onto my hard member and lifted up onto her knees so that she could guide me into her waiting slit. She slid down slowly until she bottomed out, exhaling with a thin blow as she did. Once I was all the way inside her, she fell forward onto my chest. I lifted my knees up and began thrusting up into her, slowly at first, then harder and faster as she began swiveling her hips in time with mine. I led her through another screaming orgasm, then she said "I can't take anymore" in Spanish. She climbed off of me, and rolled off the condom, then scooted down so her mouth was over my rod, and began blowing me. She showed an incredible talent, along with enthusiasm and speed, and in only another minute or two, my seed pulsed into her mouth. 

She sucked on my cock head until the last pulses were finished, then stood up and ran to the bathroom to spit and brush her teeth. 

I waited for her to return and could tell that she was thoroughly fucked for the night, and needed her sleep. She crawled across the bed to me, and kissed me for a moment before cuddling back into my shoulder. 

This time she steered clear of my penis, but when she saw it beginning to re-inflate, she said in Spanish "We have an early morning and you are going to kill me if you keep this up." 

"I understand" was my reply. 

I gave her one final toe curling kiss, and stood to get dressed. Marisol watched me with lidded eyes, and was barely conscious as I kissed her goodnight.

Outside the room, the courtyard had cleared, and I thought I was alone. I walked along the second floor balcony towards my room, but noticed a person sitting in a chair next to a potted palm next door to Marisol's room. It was a woman. She was drinking a beer, and mostly hidden by shadows. 

I recognized her as Annabeth, the only American woman on our expedition, and one of the two women sitting in the courtyard as Marisol and I had rushed up to her room. 

I had no doubt that Annabeth had heard most of our interaction, if not the whole thing. I nodded to her and muttered good night, but she made no attempt to acknowledge me.

Back at my room, I stripped my clothes off, showered quickly, as there was no hot water in the hotel, and I climbed into bed, setting the alarm on my cell phone for 6am the following morning. I was asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow. 

***Annabeth***

The first time Annabeth saw Bret, she couldn't take her eyes off of him. Tall, dark and handsome, there was an innocent kindness in his eyes. She caught herself staring at him all through the orientation in the capital, and thoroughly read everything about him that she could find. 

There wasn't much to go on. There was a short bio and a picture for each researcher in a packet that she had received, and she read it several times. His picture did not do him justice. The lighting was terrible, and he was making a squinting face from too much sun. He was an entomologist, and his research seemed extremely complicated. Annabeth couldn't make sense of it, but she wanted to know more about the man. 

Every chance she had to talk to him, he was caught up with someone, or someone would be talking to her. On the second day, she looked for him after leaving the last session for the day. Her heart fell as she didn't see him anywhere. She started to head for dinner when Michel, the French man from the expedition called her name. He introduced himself in heavily accented English. 

He was kind of cute in a Euro-trash sort of way. 'Why put all my eggs in one basket?' she thought to herself and decided to try flirting with him. 

"So you're French, huh? The language of love!" Annie threw in a little smile.

"Yes." He replied in French. "Do you speak my language?" 

Annie had grown up in three French-speaking African countries. Her mother was a middle-level ambassador who was fluent, and Annie had been bilingual in English and French as long as she could speak. She almost jumped at the chance to speak with him, but decided to tease him.

"Hmm?" She asked. "I'm sorry... I..."

Michel interrupted her. "You're ass in so tight, the only way it would look better is covered in my cum!" He said in French.

Annabeth tried to not look shocked, and Michel smiled at her. "That means that I think you are a beautiful woman." He said in English. He stepped in and grabbed her bicep. Switching back to French he said. "Your tits are too small, but your mouth is fuckable." 

Again, he switched to English for Annabeth's sake, stepping in even closer and whispering in her ear. "That means that I would love to take you out to dinner."

Annabeth knew self-protection. Her father was an Army ranger in charge of Embassy security, and she had drilled Judo and Kung-fu alongside the Army's own combat styles from an early age. Annabeth was tensing her body, getting ready to throw the pig into the most painful wristlock she could imagine when Bret came around the corner. Michel was still leaned in close, and it looked like they had been kissing. Annabeth was even angrier.

"Hey guys, we're all going out for some Churrasco downtown." Brett had said, looking embarrassed for breaking them up. "You two want to join us?"

Michel turned and said "That sounds good. We would love to join you."

"No!" Annabeth had finally found her voice. "No thank you." She said angrily and quickly used the distraction to move away. 

"Alright." Bret had said once her back was turned. "Her loss." The words held a little extra sting coming from Brett. She wanted so badly to go out to dinner with Bret, and to learn everything she could about him, but that French pig had attached himself to her, and Bret had seen it. 'You two' he had said. Bret had invited Annabeth and Michel out as a couple. 

Annabeth went to her room and struggled not to cry. She had almost beaten Michel up for what he had said, and he would have deserved it. He still didn't know that she had understood his French, but she didn't want to ever get caught alone with Michel again. He was a pig. 

Annabeth looked through the station assignments that they had been given. Michel would be at the west station with her, but so would Bret. She just hoped that Michel hadn't blown it for her and Bret.

The rest of the time in the capital was a blur of classes and signing triplicates of documents she couldn't read, and she never caught Bret alone again. He was on her little commuter aircraft over to Tabatinga. One of the shorter women was struggling to stow her bag in the overhead bin, and she saw Bret stand and come help her. He did it without being asked, and he seemed to say something to her which made them both smile. 

When the aircraft was unloading, he again helped her get her bag down, and even carried it for her off the plane and down the stairs, since it seemed too heavy for her. He was such a gentleman, and looked so hot doing it. Annabeth watched him the whole time. She loved his genuine smile and the way the muscles in his arms and shoulders bunched under his t-shirt while he effortlessly lifted the bag. 


In the Jungle Ch. 01



Once he handed the woman her bag back, he turned and walked away. He wasn't looking for more, or trying to hold her in his debt. He was just being nice. Annabeth realized that she was infatuated with him.

Annabeth had never had trouble with men. Skinny, blonde and beautiful, she could rock a burlap sack, and still get a dozen requests for her phone number. She knew that she intimidated most men, but had been on her fair share of dates with attractive men. 

She had several short-term boyfriends, but most of the men who were interested in her were looking for hook-ups or trophy wives. They didn't understand or care about her PhD or her work. She had never pursued a man before, because she never had to. Her heart raced as she tried to think of ways to get Bret to notice her, to ask her out. 

That night, she caught a cab to the restaurant, and found Bret already deep in conversation with an attractive Hispanic woman. They bounced back and forth from English to Spanish, and Annabeth sat close enough to catch the English parts, though she didn't speak enough Spanish to follow.

Michel was there. He gave Annabeth a little space, but was still acting too familiar for her taste. Finally, he seemed to get the hint and moved on to another woman. He again tried the French 'dirty talk' game with the new target, and Annabeth had to restrain herself from announcing what a pig he was.

After the meal, Annabeth went out to the first bar with the single people, but couldn't stand seeing Bret with his date. She caught a taxi with the woman who Michel had tried to hit on. She also turned out to secretly speak French, and they stayed up in the courtyard sipping guava juice and making small talk about men and which low animal they most closely resembled. 

Annabeth voted pig, since dogs were too loyal. The Brazilian woman laughed, and told her in French that Americans castrate their dogs to guarantee loyalty, and maybe that would be a good policy for some men. 

Brett came back an hour later, shirtless and sucking face with his date. As angry as Annabeth was, she couldn't help but stare at Bret with his shirt off. Her companion had noticed too, and they watched as the two lovers climbed the stairs and walked into the hotel room right next to Annabeth's.

The bartender announced that the bar was closing for the night, and Annabeth's companion excused herself to bed. Annabeth ordered one more drink a beer this time, and went up to her room. She arrived just in time to hear Bret and his date reach a mutual crescendo. There was silence for several minutes before she could hear the heavy breathing and moans start back up. 

The woman wasn't acting. Annabeth could tell that right away. She lay back on her bed listening to the two lovers grunting, moaning and breathing, and began touching herself through her panties, imagining that it was her with Bret. 

With her eyes closed, Annabeth could picture Bret with his shirt off, and that was enough to bring a surprisingly strong orgasm to the soft flesh under her fingertips. Once she came back down, though, Annabeth thought she heard less of Bret and more of the screaming animal he was fucking. They finally finished again, and Annabeth tried doing a little reading. When the neighbors started up for a third time, Annabeth grew angry again. 

She pulled pants back on, and drug a chair outside to finish her drink where the moans were a little less audible over the sounds of the jungle. She was angry, but somehow it just made Annabeth want him more. 

Annabeth was shocked out of her revelry by the sound of the door opening, and Bret walked past, noticing her as he passed the potted plant she was sitting by. He said goodnight, but Annabeth was too shocked to respond. The potted plant hid her door, and Bret must have thought she was eavesdropping on the two lovers. Her anger grew, and she finished her beer.

She returned to the room furious. She fumed while brushing her teeth and showering the sweat and cigarette smoke off her skin in the cold water. Exhausted, she curled up in bed and fell asleep gently rubbing herself through her pajama bottoms. A gentle orgasm ushered her into unconsciousness. 

***Bret***

Six in the morning came way too quickly, but my mind was buzzing with the excitement of the trip. The two groups would get into 2 separate boats, and our boat would spend 12 hours motoring through tributaries and small channels to the field research station where the real work would begin. 

My graduate program hinged on successful collection of enough different species of mayfly nymphs that I could paint an accurate picture of the evolution of these bugs. It would mean flipping over stones in the smaller pools and streams, and grabbing whatever was underneath them. I didn't actually care much about my project, but it was funded, and I was getting a free doctorate just for putting in the work.

I decided to take in a quick breakfast at the hotel courtyard before checkout. Annabeth was sitting at a table with Samuel, and they were conversing in English. Her eyes followed me as I walked through the restaurant, but I thought I could see anger in her gaze, and I didn't want to deal with it this morning. 

I found Marisol sitting at a table with two other Mexicans, speaking Spanish, and I asked to join them. They had already ordered, so they were almost done eating before my food came. When they walked away, I took a little satisfaction at Marisol's gait as she left. She realized she was walking funny, and turned around and winked at me.

I ate alone for a time in silence before a shadow fell across my table. I looked up and saw Annabeth standing there.

"Did you have fun last night?" She asked me with a touch of anger in her Texas accent.

"Sure." I replied. "Did you?"

"Not as much as you did, apparently." She rolled her eyes, and began walking away.

"It's Annabeth, right?" I asked her. She turned back to face me.

"Annie to my friends, but you can call me Annabeth." She said defiantly. "And you're Bret, right?"

"Yeah." I confirmed. "You're going to be at the west station with me, right? You're a primatologist?"

By her reaction, I could tell that she was impressed by my knowledge of her identity and her work.

"Yeah, So?" She asked.

"So you and Samuel are going to be the only two native English speakers in my life for the next two months. If you have a problem with me, let's get it out in the open." I replied.

"What makes you think I have a problem with you?" She snapped.

"Tone of voice, body language, the way you didn't respond when I said 'goodnight' last night... should I go on?"

"Fine, Bret, yeah! I don't like you. I don't like men who trick women into bed and engage in meaningless sex! I don't like Americans who give the rest of us a bad name running around like dogs in heat!" There was fire in her eyes, but she stopped herself from saying any more.

"Annabeth, you're from Texas, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, Austin." She snapped.

"I'm guessing southern Baptist? Your parents made you take a purity pledge?" I guessed.

"NO! I was raised secular, and I've had boyfriends before... I'm just not a slut like you!" She was shouting now, and people were starting to notice. Annabeth didn't care.

"Fair enough." I replied. "As for giving Americans a bad name, I speak Spanish. I'm friendly without being overbearing, I discuss the weather in Celsius, the days travel in Kilometers, and I made several friends last night. What happened between me and Marisol was consensual, beautiful and none of your business. If that's the only reason you have for not liking me, then you're an asshole and the next 2 months together are going to be hard on both of us. If you have a problem with me that doesn't involve who I have sex with, I will try to work on it."

"Fuck you, asshole!" Annabeth screamed and stormed off.

I watched her leave. She had a really cute face- very symmetrical, with soft and delicate features. Even when she was upset, she was a joy to watch. As she had spun away, her honey blonde hair had whipped around her head, and I could feel a twinge of arousal. Her tall, slender body swayed beautifully as she stormed out into the courtyard. I guessed from her blonde hair and long lean build that her ancestors had been Nordic, then I remembered that her last name was Eriksen, which confirmed that.

As she reached the stairs to go up, Annabeth turned back to face me. Her mask of anger dropped for just a moment, and I saw what our fight had really been about. Annabeth wasn't mad at me, she was jealous. She wanted it to be her that I shamelessly flirted with, seduced and made scream so that the whole hotel could hear. 

She was skinny, blonde, beautiful and smart. She had never had to work hard to get the attention of a guy she liked, and it was vexing her that I had pursued a woman she hadn't even considered as competition. She had my attention now, though, and I needed to figure out what I wanted from her. 

I had intentionally pursued a one-night-stand with Marisol because I knew that she would be at the South research station, and I would be at the western station. Our paths would not cross, and we would not have to decide where our relationship was going. Annabeth would be different. I guessed that she was looking for commitment, and maybe even a boyfriend when she got back to the states. I was just looking for fun and adventure in one of the last truly wild places on earth.

I was broken from my revelry by the sight of my fellow researchers heading to the vans for transportation to the river boats. They were lugging their packs full of clothes and equipment along, which meant I needed to go too. I paid for breakfast and returned to my room for my gear.

The boats were shiny and new, owned and operated by the Brazilian government's national parks department, they had an open upper and enclosed lower deck with benches for seating. I stowed my backpack below deck, and returned to the top deck with my camera and notebook. I found an empty seat on the edge of the boat where I could do some sightseeing, and settled in for a long ride. 

The other American man, Samuel, sat down beside me. We had talked briefly before, and I liked him, despite my first impressions of him. 

Samuel Davis (Sam to his friends) was 60-70 pounds overweight. Most of his clothes were t-shirts and shorts, and today he was wearing a t-shirt with the sleeves cut off and an offensive slogan on the front ('Speak English or GTFO' which was ironic considering our location and his inability to speak Portuguese.). He spoke in a high voice, and a thick Tennessee accent. He had started sweating upon arriving in Brazil, and hadn't stopped. He already had a Farmer's tan/sunburn, and I could tell that he would have an even worse sunburn by the end of the boat ride.

On his right arm, Sam had a tattoo of the confederate flag, with a banner underneath reading "We shall rise again!" Paradoxically on his left arm was an American flag reading "Live free or die." 

I had no tattoos. I had never liked a design enough, or felt strongly enough about a cause to immortalize it on my skin. I had once thought that if I lost a close friend or family member, or did something life altering like competing in the Olympics, that would merit an ink spot, but I didn't want one just to have it.

Sam was a botanist studying at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. We were headed for a center of biodiversity, and his PhD project was to collect subspecies of known plants for comparison to their more common relatives. He was mainly looking for plants related to the Cacao tree, from which we get chocolate. He was passionate about his work, and I was jealous.

We talked back and forth for 10 minutes while the boat got under way. I made eye contact with Annabeth when she came up on deck. She looked around quickly, and decided to come sit on the bench across from Sam and myself. Sam and I both greeted her kindly.

Annabeth held onto her rage for one more minute, and then she seemed to slump in her seat, and put her face in her hands. 

"Look, Bret..." She started, still not able to make eye contact. "I'm sorry. You were right. It was none of my business who you sleep with. Is she here?"

"No, Marisol will be at the south station for the next two months, and I don't expect to see her again." I said.

Anna straightened up, looking at my face for the first time. I could see a flash of something that looked like excitement in her face. 

"It's just..." Annabeth tried not to show her interest in me, and I was being careful not to lead her on. "I think you're right. Us American's have got to stick together. I admit that I don't speak Portuguese, and you seem to be good with languages and people. I know I'm going to be homesick before this trip is over, and I think having a friend that I can talk to would really help me with that."

I looked over at Sam, who had a goofy grin on his face. I realized that he had that same grin since Annabeth had mentioned "...who you sleep with." I looked back to Annabeth. She blushed a little and said:

"That goes for the both of you. I think I could really use some conversations in English from time to time." 

"I accept your apology and offer my own." I replied. "I'm sorry we fought, and for calling you an asshole."

Annabeth's eyes cast down. "You didn't call me an asshole, you said I'm an asshole if I couldn't like you because you slept with Marisol. I did, however call you an asshole without a qualifier and I'm sorry." There was a long pause, then she said "I want to be your friend, and I'll try not to care who you sleep with." 

Sam was looking between us, trying unsuccessfully to hide his grin. I suspected that he was going to have questions once he and I were alone. I'm not the kind of guy to kiss and tell, so Samuel would just have to use his imagination.

"So, Annabeth, you're working on the Capuchin monkey's social structure in the wild?" I changed the subject.

I remembered her information from my handout of each researcher's title and project synopsis. I had been bored, so I searched for more information on everyone's research, men and women. 

"You can call me Annie... and yeah, I'm working on social structures of wild White-fronted Capuchins at NYU." She said, blushing again.

"I read the paper Dr. Matthews wrote with you on captive breeding patterns. How do you propose to do that in the wild?" I wasn't faking interest in her work. Come on, who doesn't love monkeys?

"Are you stalking me, Bret?" Annie asked, flashing her brilliant smile. I felt butterflies in my stomach at the gesture. "I'm just kidding." The same smile came again, and she reached out and put her hand on my knee. The flirting had started, and I wasn't sure I wanted it to stop. My skin tingled at her touch.

"For my PhD I just need to get some data on calls and social interactions. There was a rumor of a new subspecies showing up in some bush-meat markets in the area north of where we are going to, so that would be a huge coup for me if I could locate them and observe a different social structure. Eventually I'd like to go all Jane Goodall of the new world monkeys, so this is like a dry run for me to see if I like field work and living with the monkeys."

She continued "you have me at a disadvantage. You're an entomologist, right?" 

"That's right," I said sheepishly. "Mayflies."

She grilled me for several minutes, and I tried to show interest in my own research, but bugs just can't hold a candle to monkeys. Thankfully, Samuel started talking about his cacao tree research, and how many seeds he planned on bringing back, and how he planned to collaborate with a university in Brazil to sprout and grow the seeds and send him clippings for his own plant-genetic research. 

We told each other about our families. Mine was boring: accountant mother, college professor father, one sibling, a brother named Marc. We were raised Lutheran, though I stopped going to church when given the choice. I grew up in suburban Denver, a good student, and I played soccer and the trombone. 

Annie's history was way more exciting. She described her parents as 'Fire and ice.' Her mother is a diplomat, specializing in U.S.-African relations. She is unflappable, cool-headed and brilliant. She described her mother as instantly likeable, though almost impossible to truly know. 

By comparison, her father is larger than life. He was an army ranger, and was working diplomatic security in Africa when he met Annie's mom. He is a man dedicated to his passions, quick to anger, quick to love, quick to forgive. He's a big tough guy, which made dating difficult in high school, and few college boyfriends survived the 'meet the parents' phase of their relationship.

"...although he was a great filter for the assholes that put on a good show for me." Annie laughed. 

Annie clearly worshipped her mother, but loved her father. I could understand that her descriptions of her family were for me more than Sam. Annie was trying to let me know that her outburst that morning was from her father's side of her personality, and by knowing about her father's personality, I would understand her better. The message was that Annie is a passionate person with a lot of love to give.

Sam's upbringing was nowhere near Annie's globetrotting childhood nor my solidly middle class boredom. He was the middle of 5 kids, and he actually grew up in a trailer park in rural Tennessee. He was secretly brilliant, though no one in his family seemed to recognize it. He got good grades and was the first person in his family to attend college, and had a life goal of never returning to Sneedvile, TN. His PhD in botany would guarantee a six figure job somewhere on the east or west coast, and he would live his own life with his own family. 

The three of us Americans talked for almost an hour before Sam got sick from the motion of the boat, and lost his breakfast over the side. I offered him a Dramamine from my backpack, which he gladly took, then went to lie down below. Once he was gone, Annie sat back down with me. She was flirting harder with me. I knew that I would be in close quarters with her for the next 8 weeks, and I had to tread carefully with her.

I had been looking forward to this trip for over a year, since my PhD advisor started chasing the funding and approvals for me. I was looking forward to adventure, sightseeing, and hopefully a little time with the native ladies. Marisol hadn't been Brazilian, but she wasn't American, either. 

Dating Annie felt like going to the most exotic foreign location, viewing a marketplace full of untasted delicacies, and then ordering a hamburger. I knew that she was right, that in a few weeks we would both be homesick, tired of trying to learn Portuguese, and ready to find comfort in each other, but I wasn't ready to start a relationship with her yet.

I withdrew from her contact, and thanked her for her little flirtatious compliments without returning them. Annie could immediately tell that I wasn't responding to her best material, and she was getting upset with me. 

"Let's go meet some of the Brazilians on this expedition." I said. We rose together, and I saw Dr. Joao Salas, the national parks department's biologist and survival expert who was responsible for keeping us safe from the plants and animals that wanted to kill us. 

I greeted him in Portuguese, and introduced myself and Annie. 

"Ah, you are the Americans, yes? How did you find Brazil?" He said in passable English.

"In an airplane." I quipped. I smiled to let him know that it was a joke. He laughed.

"It's so beautiful here." I said with a more serious face. "I went dancing last night. Everyone was so kind. I know I'm going to like it here."

"We are honored to have you as our guests." He replied. "I will give a safety seminar when we arrive at the research station. Australians like to complain about their dangerous wildlife, but I can promise you that the Amazon has more poisonous, dangerous and deadly plants, animals, fungi, bacteria and people. It will be a full-time job keeping you soft scientists alive." He said the last part with a smile, but there was seriousness to his voice that said he wasn't really joking.




In the Jungle Ch. 01



Annie was mostly silent while we spoke, but she seemed to take in the whole conversation. We talked about man-eating anacondas, jaguars and Caiman crocodiles. Then there were poisonous trees. There was an old wives' tale that if you fell asleep in the shade of a certain tree, you would never wake up. It turns out that the sap droplets really are poisonous, and one should stay away from them altogether. 

Then he told us about the fish: the Candiru which can swim into your urethra if you pee while swimming, the piranhas, which are really scavengers unless they get really hungry, electric eels, which really can kill a person just by getting too close, and others, of varying levels of danger. He warned us about poison dart frogs, which were afraid of nothing, because nothing messed with them. There were also over a dozen known venomous snakes. 

When he started talking about spiders, leeches, mosquitoes and other creepy-crawlies, we thanked Dr. Ernesto for his time, and walked around the boat to find someone else.

Jesús Carillo was one of two physical security experts. He spoke Spanish, but was a brusque misanthrope. He didn't want conversation, and all that I could get out of him was that he was Venezuelan and had served in the military.

His 'partner,' Alfonso Diaz was a Columbian, and a warm and friendly person. Columbians and Venezuelans have a long history of unfriendly relations, and you didn't need to know either man to see the tension between them. 

Alfonso spoke a little English, so we spoke that for Annie's benefit, and I translated when he slipped back into Spanish. 

The biggest human danger on the Amazon was from pirates. The American military had funneled millions of dollars in equipment and training into Columbia to fight the drug producers and traffickers. The Columbian Military used some of that money to fight leftist rebels in the south and east, who were in turn supported by the socialist government in power in Venezuela, rich with their own oil money.

Deserters and rebels from both sides of the conflict spilled over the borders into northern Brazil, and started shaking down villagers and taking shipments off the Amazon River. They brought their military equipment with them, and were causing real problems in northern Amazonas State. We were in the west part of the state, and according to Alfonso, we would be safe. Two armed security guards was just a precaution. 

The boat had motored upriver past the little town of Benjamin Constant, where the river had narrowed from more than a mile across down to a half mile. The river swung in all directions, seeming to loop back on itself, so that 10 miles as the crow flies turned into more than twice that distance in a boat. 

We turned up several channels and tributaries, so that the river was down to 200 yards across, then down to only 100 yards. I filled up half of my first memory card taking pictures of wildlife, little villages, scenic vistas and the people on the boat with me.

Annie had stuck by my side all of that time, but she had backed off, and was no longer openly flirting with me. Finally, I sat down, and she sat next to me. 

"Do you have a girlfriend back at home?" Annie asked me.

"No." I said flatly. There was a long pause, and I followed it up with "I've had exactly two girlfriends in my life, three if you include the middle-school classmate that I held hands with for a week before she broke up with me by giving her friend a note for me..." I trailed off.

"How about you? Is there a Mr. Monkey Expert in your life?" I already knew that she wasn't married or engaged, and she hadn't mentioned a boyfriend. 

"Nope." Was her reply, followed quickly with "No misters, no boyfriends, and no real prospects." She had an intimidating confidence that was beautiful, but I guessed that would probably scare most men away.

Annie was silent for a time, and then said "Did I screw things up between us this morning? I have the tendency to come out swinging before I know the situation, and I really am sorry how I acted."

"You didn't screw things up." I replied quickly, and then considered my next words carefully. "You and I can still be friends. You didn't screw that up." Annie was staring at her hands, and at these words her eyes flashed to my face. 

"Friends only?" she asked with a little worry in her face. 

"Look" I responded. "We're going to be seeing each other for almost every breakfast and dinner for the next two months. There aren't exactly a lot of nice first date restaurants where we are going, and I doubt either of us would have time for anything other than friendship out in the field."

"You just said we'll be seeing each other every day for at least two meals." She said. "Our days will be full, sure, but there will be a lot of down time. I want to spend that time with you."

Annie sat there, her hands folded in her lap, not looking at me. She was deep in thought. Finally she said "Why don't you tell me what you want?" I thought for a moment, then decided to be brutally honest.

"Annie, I want to get my work done, and in my spare time I want to have sex with every beautiful woman who will have me. I don't want to deal with jealousy, anger, or attachments." I paused when I saw a little anger flash across her face, then I continued 

"When the two months are up, I will be going back to Colorado, and I don't want to try to maintain a long distance relationship. I don't want to move to New York, and I doubt you are willing to move to Colorado, so I don't see a point in us trying to have a relationship. 

"I doubt you'd want the type of relationship that I do, so I don't want to lead you on, I don't want to promise you something I can't deliver, and I don't want to hurt you."

Annie gave a little chuckle/sob at that. 

"Why me?" I asked. "You're in the middle of Brazil. Wouldn't you want to try a fling with a local?"

"No." She whispered. "I like that you and I speak the same language and come from the same culture."

"Then why not date Samuel? I'm sure you've seen the way he looks at you. He'd jump at the chance to be your boyfriend for this trip."

At this, Annie angrily looked into my face. Her eyes were red, but there were no tears. Even upset, she looked perfect. Her cute, angelic face turned into a snarl as she said "Pretend you were a girl. Would you date Samuel?"

"He seems like a nice enough guy." I responded. 

"As a friend, sure. Now picture his chubby, sweat soaked body on top of yours, and tell me that you'd consider a relationship with him."

"Okay" I admitted, I'm not attracted to him. "What about Paulo or Michel?" I asked about the Brazilian and French men in our expedition. "You and Michel seemed to have hit it off a few days ago."

"I spent the first seven years of my life in Mozambique, Mali and Cote d'Ivoire." She responded. "Before Michel knew that I speak perfect French, he said some things around me that showed his true character. He's not a nice guy, and I couldn't be attracted to him."

"But you are attracted to Paulo?" 

"He's not awful. I just... I don't trust him the way I would with you. I talked with him a little over dinner last night. I didn't connect with him in any way, and I don't think I could." She looked back down at her hands.

"...and you think you could connect with me?" I asked.

"I already have." Annie looked back at me. "This has been the most honest conversation I think I've ever had with a man."

"Annie," I started. "You are one of the most beautiful women I've ever met. Not just on this trip, but in my whole life." Annie blushed. "I'm not the dog that you think I am. I've had two girlfriends my whole life, and counting Marisol last night, I've had sex with a total of four women. 

"This trip is going to be my one chance to go wild, have adventures, and make some bad decisions before I go back to the reality of my boring middle-class life. I need my work to come first, but I am really looking forward to the social life at the research station. I'd like for that to include you, as a friend. I'm sorry, but I am not looking for an exclusive girlfriend. If we can be friends with benefits, I would like that, but I don't want to promise you something that I can't deliver." I was surprised at myself for offering that, though I really did want to sleep with Annie

I turned back away from Annie, expecting her to start crying or leave, but she stayed. She was silent at first, and then she finally said "Did you bring any condoms?" 

I turned back to face her, and there was a lustful smile on her face as her eyes met mine. If she had started with that smile, I would have caved-in to whatever she wanted. 

"I have a lot." I responded. "I brought enough for..." 

I didn't finish my sentence because Annie had leaned in and was kissing me. Her tongue played carefully over my lips, and when I parted them, it rushed into my mouth to start wrestling my tongue. One of her hands went to my shoulder, and the other wen to my waist. I raised my hands to her cheek, and the other to her leg. 

Suddenly she broke the kiss, and looked around. The wheel house was in the middle of the boat, so we could only see about half of the people on the upper deck, but they were all staring at us. Annie stood up and grabbed my hand and led me down the stairs and below deck. It was air conditioned here, so the benches were full of people. I could see Samuel's sneakers sticking out where he lay on a bench.

Annie led me into one of the little bathrooms to the back of the boat. It was barely bigger than an airplane bathroom, but it had a bigger sink. She kissed me and whispered "Grab a condom."

I found my backpack where I had left it, and fished out one of my condoms. I had brought 100 condoms for a 60 day expedition. I'd had high hopes while packing, but fully expected to bring most of them back home with me.

Annie had stripped to her bra and panties when I returned. If she had been intoxicatingly beautiful when dressed, she was a goddess now. Her simple black panties matched her black pushup bra perfectly on her long, lean body. She was extremely fit, with muscle definition in her legs that told me she was a runner at least, and could probably compete in many sports. Her flat stomach had just a touch of softness to it, and her hips, waist and chest formed the perfect hourglass shape. 

When she saw me staring, she again flashed her dazzling white smile, and I felt unworthy to even stand in her presence, let alone be the subject of her attention. She pulled me into the bathroom, locked the door, and immediately pulled my shirt off over my head.

Her fingertips traced the shape of my hard-earned muscles in my arms, chest and shoulders. Her breathing grew deeper, and I could feel a tremble in her hands as they moved down my abs to my belt. Annie deftly unfastened my pants, and removed my jeans and boxers together. I stepped out of my shoes, and allowed her to strip me entirely naked. 

Annie was on her knees removing my socks and working off my pants, and when she looked up, her face was inches from my tumescent cock. She again looked up with her brilliant blue eyes, and smiled at me before taking the head into her mouth. She brought both hands up to help her, and her left hand found its way to my sack while her right grabbed my butt, holding me in place. I could feel her tongue swirling and working on the head of my penis, while her hand began stroking me. 

I put my hands on her shoulders, and the condom was still in my right hand. Feeling the rough plastic on her skin, she reached out and grabbed it. She bit the corner, pulled out the rubber, and rolled it down over my length with both hands, applying an exquisite pressure.

"Are you ready?" Annie asked me. I think she knew the effect that her smile had on me, since she kept looking for eye contact, then flashing that million watt smile at me. 

"So ready" I whispered. 

Annie stood up and dropped her panties as she did. I pulled her into another kiss, and my hands found the clasp on her bra, unhooking the garment, and letting it fall from her chest. She was a small B-cup, with little, pink nipples. Her breasts looked perfect for her body, and gave her a sporty look. I took one nipple in my mouth while I gently twisted the other. Annie let out a small gasp, and then pulled my lips up to hers.

After what felt like several minutes of kissing and petting, Annie hopped up onto the sink counter and spread her legs wide. She wrapped her ankles around my naked butt, and pulled me into her. When I was close enough, she grabbed my wrapped cock, and began rubbing it on her labia. 

I looked down and saw that she was clean shaven, or possibly waxed. Annie kept rubbing me between her folds until she had spread her lubrication all over both of us. This done, she aimed my head at her opening, and pulled me into her with her ankles, still gripping my butt. I let her draw me in at her own pace, stopping when she stopped. She was breathing heavy when I finally bottomed out. 

I started sawing in and out with a gentle pace, reading Annie for clues about which angles she liked and didn't. We built the pace slowly, and I could feel her orgasm rising up with my ministrations. I was watching her face and focusing on her pleasure as she reached her peak.

Her lidded eyes flew open, and her mouth gaped wide. In all of my years of watching porn, I have never witnessed a more beautiful orgasm. She sang out softly in between rasping breaths, her small voice like an angel's, cooing her pleasure for only me to hear. 

All of my hard fought control was over in that moment, and I came with her, struggling to maintain the rhythm that was bringing both of us so much joy. I felt my cock begin to slide within the condom, as my sticky semen lubricated its hold on me. Annie was still coming down from her peak, so I didn't dare stop or pull out. 

Finally her mouth closed, and she seemed to regain control over the grip her hands had on my biceps. She blew several lung-fulls of air over my chest, and then coughed and swallowed. Her eyes flew up to meet mine, and her million-watt smile returned. Within her, my deflating cock gave a strong pulse, and Annie giggled at the sensation.

I pulled out of Annie, and helped her down off of her perch on the sink. Instead of going straight for her underwear, she pulled me into a full-body hug, and kissed my neck. 

"Okay, so now I know Marisol wasn't faking it. You really are that good." She whispered contentedly. "Now I just need to figure out how you gave her three orgasms in five minutes."

"I would have lasted longer if you hadn't been so intoxicatingly beautiful." I whispered into her ear, and followed that gesture with a little nibble on her earlobe. Annie gasped and then withdrew so that she was looking into my eyes again.

"Flattery will get you everywhere with me." She whispered before pulling me into a kiss.

It was several minutes later when we broke our kisses, and started to pull on our clothes. I pulled off and tied my condom, and Annie licked the residue off of my limp penis. She made a disgusted face and spit in the sink, then looked at my face and said "It tastes like a rubber balloon. Your cum tasted fine, though."

We pulled on our clothes, giving each other's bodies little kisses as we squeezed around and bent over in the cramped space. When we were finally dressed, Annie fixed the collar on my shirt before checking her own blonde hair and minimal makeup in the mirror. Deciding that we were both presentable, she opened the door. 

Three of the female Brazilian graduate students were gathered and talking near the bathrooms, and gave us knowing looks as we exited. Annie walked out first, confidently returning their smiles. I felt a little embarrassed rutting sober and in the light of day, but met their smiles. 

We checked on Samuel, who was still nauseous, but feeling better with the Dramamine. Several other people were struggling with the motion of the boat as well, and I offered medicine to them. My Portuguese was poor, but they understood, and several accepted, thanking me in English.

Still the boat chugged up the river. A lunch of beans, rice and steak was served in the small galley, and Annie and I got plates together. Samuel turned green at the mention of food, but we got him to drink a little water. Annie and I went back up to the top deck to eat our lunch in the open air. We joined a group of Brazilian women and Michel, the man from France, though we both gave him dirty looks when he tried flirting with Annie. 

Michel spoke as little Portuguese as I did, and was struggling to flirt with the women. His English was pretty good, but my presence seemed to keep him from flirting too hard with Annie. I made a real effort to join in the conversation. 

Portuguese is the official language of Brazil. It is closely related to Spanish in many ways, and many native speakers of each language find they can learn the other with little difficulty. For me, the language was too close to Spanish that when my brain went looking for the Portuguese word, it came up with the Spanish one. Somehow listening to the language was much easier, and I could understand it, if not speak it. 

I understood much of the conversation, and was able to show that I was listening, even if I couldn't fully participate. The women were impressed, and mentally opened their social circle to include Annie and myself, since we seemed to be a package deal.

Eventually the group decided to go enjoy the air conditioned interior of the boat, and I begged off. It was a cold and dry January in Colorado, and I was fully enjoying the warmth of my tropical vacation. Annie stayed outside with me.

"So... who's my competition?" She asked innocently. 

"You have no competition; you are in a league of your own." I responded.

"You know what I mean!" Annie smiled coyly at me, not her full bright smile, but warm nonetheless. "You made it clear we aren't exclusive, and you're on the prowl for other women. If I wasn't here cramping your style, who would you be flirting with?" 

"I was flirting with those Brazilian women over lunch." I said. 

"Was I messing it up for you?" She asked innocently.

"No. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Like with you, I'm going to be spending the next two months with them. I want to get to know them, not seduce them and drag them down to the ship's bathroom for steamy, hot sex." I grinned at Annie, and she smiled back. 

"I guess that was pretty forward of me... I swear I've never done something like that before." She looked embarrassed for the first time.

"Me neither." I said. "But maybe I would have if I had known how good it could be." 

Annie smiled, and lay her head on my shoulder. "It was pretty amazing."

We were silent for a long time then she said "Oh my god! You totally changed the subject on me. I want a name!"

"Anice Mueller would be near the top of my list." I responded honestly.

"Which one is she?" 

"The Brazilian ornithologist. Tall, straight hair, glasses. She is doing her doctorate on recovery of several different parrot species that have been the subject of conservation efforts." I told truthfully.

"Do you memorize everyone's research proposal?" Annie asked.

"Everyone in our group, yeah." I replied.

"Okay, who is that and what does she study?" Annie pointed to a short woman in deep conversation with one of the professors. 

"Maria Sallum. She is an entomologist looking for mosquitoes. She is doing a lot of the same phylogenetic work as me, but with a medical angle, since some of her subjects transmit malaria." I said. "She's also married, and has a daughter."

"Wow... and the professor she's talking to?"

"That's Gliberto Alves. Also entomologist, also mosquitoes, but he works on a different genus." She stared at me. "Married, two sons."




In the Jungle Ch. 01



"So tell me more about your research. It's just mayflies, right?"

"Yeah," I said "They can live for months or even a year as larvae, and niads, then they molt into adults and die in just days. Some species live only a few hours as adults. Mayfly niads live in the slower moving streams, so I won't be collecting them on the main river. I have special permission to go upstream to where they are, hiding under rocks."

"You mean on your own?" Annie sounded worried. Joao's warnings about the dangers of the jungle had rattled her.

"Yeah, I found some little tributaries on google earth that might bear fruit. I even brought along camping gear so that I can stay the night and go extra far." I was extra excited about this part of my trip.

"How are you going to get around out there?" Annie was getting more worried all the time.

"I have a machete for land, and an inflatable kayak for water crossing." The machete I had bought in Brasilia for a few bucks. The kayak had cost hundreds online, and was guaranteed for life. It could be inflated in minutes, and packed down to about double the size of a rolling pin. It had a telescoping paddle, which fit inside the bundle.

"Aren't you scared?" 

"Sure, but that's half the fun, taking the risk, and hopefully getting the rewards. I know I would regret it if I spent my two months in the Amazon puttering around camp and covering the same ground. I don't want to be safe, I want to get the full experience."

Annie was quiet for a long time, then said "please be careful out there."

"So you're just collecting the mayflies or doing more with them?"

"Collecting for now. My project is to collect them, and get them back to my lab at Colorado State University. Since they live in slow-moving water, Mayflies leave an incredible fossil record. Good enough that we can tie living species to their fossil ancestors. I am going to find as many different species as I can, sequence a few key genes, and use the fossil record to try to tie down their rate of evolution."

"Sounds interesting." Annie lied. 

"It's not."

"Then why are you working on it?" She asked me.

"Free PhD." I responded. I had no other good reason to be working on such a boring project. Annie had no reply to my honesty.

After that we talked about nothing important for several hours. We walked around the boat, went below, tried talking with our fellow scientists, and finally tried to lay down for naps on different benches.

We were awoken by shouts as we arrived at the research station. It had started raining while we were asleep, and it was dumping hard. Everyone above deck was soaked as though they had jumped into the river. I found a poncho in my backpack, but decided that it was way too hot and humid to risk putting it on. Instead I wrapped it around my backpack, and stepped out into the warm showers outside. 

The research camp consisted of two dozen shipping containers that had been refitted as living quarters, laboratories, offices, a mess hall and a rec room. They had been floated up river on a barge, and placed on shore with a crane. There was a floating dock that led from the river through the grass and vines, and up onto the bank. 

The spot had been chosen for its elevation above the river, as well as its proximity to virgin forest. This was a center of biodiversity, which meant that many plants and animals had evolved here, and there were ancestral versions of common plants and animals that were found nowhere else in Brazil or the world.

Our living quarters were tiny: 8'x8' with a metal and nylon cot, and a few shelves for personal items. We each got our own rooms. There was a little window in each, but no air conditioning. The camp had been built in the shade of several majestic trees, but the rest of the vegetation was kept at bay. There was a generator which gave lights and power to all buildings, but only the rec room, mess hall and labs had air conditioners.

Samuel, Annie and I were all placed in living quarters within the same shipping container, along with Michel and two of the Married Brazilian women. Annie was excited that we shared a wall, but I wanted a little more separation to pursue other women. It would be awkward bringing a woman to my room at night if she was loud and Annie was next door.

I had barely set my backpack down and tested the comfort of the cot when Annie appeared in my doorway. 

"Can I come in?" She asked.

"Of course!" I replied too eagerly.

Annie closed the door and climbed on my supine body, straddling me, and aggressively kissing me. I returned her kisses with the same passion, and before I knew it, she was stripping her clothes off again and tearing mine off as well. I didn't resist.

"Condom!" Annie hissed into my ear. My room was so small that I didn't even have to get up. I unzipped the pocket, pulled out a condom and ripped off the wrapper without even breaking the kiss. Annie sat up on her knees and rolled the condom on for me. Her hips were making little humping motions on my thighs while she did this, and she eagerly slid down, taking all of my shielded length inside her. If she had been a goddess in the bathroom, she was a titan in the bedroom. 

She had to know by now what her bright smile did to me, and she sat up and hit me with the full wattage. Her blonde hair was a halo around her face, and her sapphire eyes squinted in joy and pleasure as they met mine. Annie pushed her hair behind one ear in a very feminine gesture before putting her palms on the frame of my cot, and grinding her hips in a circular motion. Her small breasts appeared larger as they hung down near my chin, and swayed with the rhythm that Annie was keeping.

Her first orgasm struck suddenly, and her back arched as her muscles clamped around my cock. She was trying hard to be quiet, but still letting out the little singing breaths as she came down from her peak. Her arms seemed to lose their strength, and she fell forward onto my chest, still breathing hard into the base of my neck. 

I pulled her up a little so that I could get my knees up, then started pumping my hips into her - slowly at first, but gradually increasing the tempo. If I was not wearing a condom, I would have been overstimulated and lost it, but instead I was able to bring her up to another orgasm without spending my own. I continued my rhythm though her orgasm while both of my hands grasped her tight little butt.

"You have to come with me on the next one!" Annie gasped as she came down. "I don't think I can take any more after that."

I rolled us over without pulling out, which was a little awkward on the concave cot. Once on top, I ground my pubic bone into her clit, and gave my own little hip swivel which drove Annie crazy.

"Bret, you'd better come now... I'm... almost..."

I could feel her orgasm start when her muscles began fluttering and squeezing on my cock. The little singing voice that I was starting to love started up again. I buried my face in her hair, and breathed deeply, taking in her intoxicating scent. That was enough to push me over the edge, and I planted little kisses from her collarbone to her ear as I groaned and spent myself inside of her.

I slid off, and lay next to her, both of us panting, and smiling. It was really hot in the metal box of our room, and we were both dripping in sweat. I put a few inches of air in between us, and rolled onto my side to look at her as I lay there. She rolled her head to look at me, and hit me again with her smile. I hoped that I got used to that beautiful grin of hers soon, because at the moment I was powerless against it. She could have asked for anything at that moment, and I would have moved heaven and earth to give it to her.

We lay there for several minutes before someone called out in Portuguese, then English that we would be eating dinner in 20 minutes then have a welcome informational meeting. I sat up and pulled my condom off. Annie was stretching on my cot as I went sorting through the pile of clothes on the floor, separating mine from hers. Everything she did was feminine and beautiful, and I had to remind myself not to fall for her, because if I let my guard down, I knew I would.

"Three." Annie said with a smile. I looked at her furrowing my eyebrows in a questioning look. "You held back and gave me three orgasms. Just like with Marisol." Annie had a satisfied glow when she said this. "You really are that good, aren't you?"

"It takes two to tango." Was all I could think to say.

Once dressed, we stepped outside into the narrow hallway that ran down one side of the shipping containers. The rain had stopped while we were in my room, and Annie slipped into her room to change into dry clothes. I was headed towards the exit when I noticed that Samuel's door was open. He smiled up at me when I looked in, and said "How do you do it, man?"

I motioned him to follow me out, and said "Do what?" 

"Seduce women like that? This morning she was spewing hate at you over breakfast, and just now she couldn't wait to get into your room to knock boots." Samuel was still smiling at me. After basking in the glow of Annie's smile, Sam's grin looked like a gargoyle's mask.

I decided there was no point in denying it. I imagined gossip would get around, and lying to Sam this early in our friendship would erode any trust that we were building. I decided to take a different route.

"She was spewing hate at me at breakfast?" I asked innocently. Sam had not been there when she was shouting at me.

"She badmouthed you a little. She was also staring daggers at you, though you probably didn't see them." Sam said sheepishly.

"So a beautiful woman sat with you at breakfast and spent time staring at me and talking about me... and you think I had to work to get her attention?" His grin faltered at that, and he realized that I was right. 

"So you two are dating now?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, what do you think for tonight: Dinner and a movie or drinks and dancing?" Sam grinned at me again.

"I mean is she your girlfriend now?" He clarified.

"No. We're not committing to each other. We buried the hatchet and we're friends now, but that's it."

"Friends with benefits, you mean." Sam added. I could tell he wanted to live vicariously through me, but unfortunately for him, I didn't kiss and tell.

"Sam, don't go starting rumors around the camp. If you and I are going to be friends, we need to trust each other."

"Right on, chief." Was Sam's reply, and he gave a sloppy salute with it. I realized afterwards that Sam didn't speak any language other than English, so he probably wouldn't be gossiping about me much anyways around the research station. He did seem to perk up at the mention of us being friends though. I was serious about that. Despite his appearance and hygiene, I really did like Sam.

In the fifteen minutes that we had left, Sam and I wandered around the research station, taking in the landscape. Nearly four acres had been cleared of all but the biggest trees, and a native Bermuda grass had been planted for erosion control and to keep the mud down. Rows and rows of native trees had been planted nearby, and I soon learned why. They were each some sort of fruit or nut tree, and they brought the wildlife in. Birds and monkeys were immediately visible in the young trees, and I was sure that fruit bats and insects would also be in abundance come nightfall. 

I found a ripe guava that had not yet been set upon by the animals, and cut it in half with my knife. I offered one half to Sam, and enjoyed the other half. We set off through the shipping containers looking for the one that had been set up as a mess hall.

Dinner was once again beans and rice, though this time there would be pork skewers instead of steak. I sat with Sam and Annie, and two of the Brazilian women that I had flirted with over lunch joined us as well. They watched me, and paid attention when I talked. They tried their best to join in the English conversation, and I tried my best to speak Portuguese with them. I was embarrassed several times when I used the Spanish words instead of the Portuguese, but the women were good sports. 

As soon as dinner was over, Dr. Joao Salas got our attention. The first and most important announcement was a big secret of the Brazilian government. He impressed on us repeatedly that this was not to be shared beyond the people in this research station. He gave the speech twice, once in Portuguese, and once in English.

Doing aerial surveys of the area, the Brazilian government picked up infrared images of an uncontacted native tribe 40 miles southwest of our Research station. The observation had been at night with canopy penetrating observation equipment. It first picked up the heat signatures of campfires, and then further flyovers allowed them to count warm bodies. 

The lack of disturbed vegetation ruled out illegal loggers or farmers. The presence of children ruled out pirates, and there were no known contacted villages besides us within 60 miles of the native village. Joao directed our attention to a map on the wall of our location. There was a big red circle around the location of the village, and we were given strict instructions not to cross into that part of the forest. I took a picture with my cell phone to study later. There were also streams that I hadn't seen before on satellite maps, which could prove useful to my research.

Joao Further instructed us what to do if we somehow did come into contact accidentally. We were to assume that any interaction could become violent, and not to fight back. We were to run away. The Brazilian government carefully protects the safety of its uncontacted natives, and we had no rights when we were in their territory. 

Joao then ended the meeting by officially welcoming us all. He announced that he would be leading us on tours in groups of 3-5, and showing us the plants and animals that we were to avoid, and how best to not die or be grievously injured out on our own.

After the meeting broke up, Sam and I walked over to check out the rec room together. There was a television and a weight room, and some dart boards along one wall. The two women from lunch and dinner came up and continued our conversation from before. 

The apparent leader of the two was named Carmen, and her minion was named Aline. They were both mycologists, studying the mushrooms in this old growth forest. I found Carmen's work especially interesting, as she was looking for novel antivirals in shelf mushrooms. Aline was a simple taxonomist like me, looking to collect something new that she could get DNA sequences out of.

Both women were flirting, but Carmen had clearly won the pecking contest, and she was making sure Aline didn't step into her territory (me). That left Aline starting to flirt with Sam, who appreciated the attention. Annie came in and saw Sam and me deep in concentration with the Brazilian women.

She came up to my side and whispered in my ear "I need your cock right now." I looked at her and she was giving me that same smile that she knew I couldn't resist. There was no joking, just desire in her smile. 

I said "Desculpe me" (Excuse me) to the women and "Excuse me" to Sam, and I followed Annie back into her room, where she pushed me onto her cot, unzipped my pants, and fished my cock out of my fly. 

I had started hardening when she whispered in my ear, and reached my maximum growth when she smiled at me. Annie didn't waste time nibbling or licking, she grabbed my length with both hands and her mouth and started bobbing, twisting and stroking. The whole time she kept those deep blue eyes on my face, and the best smile she could manage with my cock in her mouth.

It didn't take 5 minutes before I announced my impending climax, Annie continued exactly as she had been, and accepted my seed in her mouth without spilling a drop. 

"Mmmm..." was the only sound she made as I filled her mouth. She made a show of swallowing it all, though I wouldn't have minded if she had spit.

As soon as I deflated, she stuffed me back into my fly, carefully zipped me up, and offered me a hand up. We kissed briefly, and returned to the rec room. Carmen and Aline had left Sam alone, and he was sitting with a professor watching a soccer game on the satellite hookup. 

Carmen and Aline seemed suspicious of Annie, but when she went to sit with Sam, they challenged me to a game of darts. I flirted a little more, but found that I didn't have the energy or desire to push our relationship any further that night. I played 3 games, losing all of them, then retired to my room for the night.

The sun had set by the time I set up all of my electronics charging, and had unpacked some of my belongings onto the shelf. There was a knock on my door, and Annie was once again asking for admittance into my room. 

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" She faked an innocent look. "I don't know if I can make it back to my room safely."

I had to laugh at her joke. I slid over, and she curled up on my chest with her head on my shoulder. She had stripped down to her sports bra and panties, but made no more effort to seduce me again that night.

******

The next three days were a blur of activity for all of us. Annie came to my room every night, and stayed until the morning. We had sex before bed, and when we woke up, and sometimes during the night. If we were both in camp during the day, Annie would often pull me away for a quickie or a blowjob.

I felt stupid when I realized that it had taken me three days to see her plan. She was keeping me to herself by sexually exhausting me. On the fourth day I realized that there was a second part to her plan: She was using up all of my condoms. I realized one day when we were in her room that she had a pack of birth control pills sticking out of her bathroom bag. 

I had brought enough condoms to use almost 2 per day for the length of the trip. In only 4 days we had used up 12. At this rate, we would run out, and Annie would announce that we could do it without condoms. She knew that I always used them, and probably wouldn't have sex with anyone else if they ran out.

I further confirmed this when I counted, and saw that 16 were gone from the original 100 I had brought. She was slowly siphoning them away, hoping that I would have lost count. Furthering her deviousness, she pushed Sam to make some moves on Aline, and then offered him some of my condoms. I said nothing even as I saw what she was doing. 

On the afternoon of the fourth day, Dr. Joao took Annie, Sam and me out into the forest. We took almost a mile hike, and he showed us how to identify almost everything that would hurt us. He advised us to stay out of the water, and check ourselves at the end of each day for leeches, ticks and spiders. We were to always check our boots before we put them on, even inside our rooms. 

Annie and I had done our research before we came here, and had packed solid hiking boots, long pants and long sleeve cotton shirts. Sam had just brought shorts and t-shirts, and was constantly slathering on sunscreen and bug repellent. 

Near the end of our hike, Sam grew excited when we neared a tree, and picked a football sized pod off of the trunk. It turned out to be a Cacao tree, and I offered him my knife to cut it open. He showed us the seeds, which were once used as currency by the Incas, and he offered us some of the pale white filaments, which tasted sweet and surprisingly fruity. 

By the fifth day, I had to get out of the research station. I was spending almost all of my free time with Annie, and she was sucking and fucking me dry. The worst part was that I was loving it. I was starting to fall for her, and I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

I talked with Dr. Joao first, and cleared my plans with him. I would paddle 4 miles upriver to where there was a small tributary stream that I had spotted from google earth, and confirmed on the map in the mess hall. I would travel upstream until I found what I was looking for. I would take my camping gear, but leave most of my food behind. I was planning on spending two days upstream, and one night, returning before sunset the next day. 




In the Jungle Ch. 01



I then had to clear the same plan with the security officer. Since I kind of hated Jesús, the Venezuelan guard, I approached Alfonso, the Columbian. He gave me a radio to use in case of trouble, and offered to use the boat to take me as far upriver as it could go, but I wanted some independence, so I declined.

I said goodbye to Sam and Annie, as well as several of the Brazilians that I had befriended, and went down to the floating dock to inflate my boat. It was a nice piece of equipment. It had a thin rubber bladder protected by an incredibly durable fabric. It inflated in about 3 minutes, and weighed only about 7 pounds. 

It had space behind the single seat for my backpack or a small person. I brought along my pack with the tent, my smart phone (Even though there was no cell service), tablet, a satellite texting device, the radio from Alfonso, a solar charging panel, my med kit (antibiotics, anti-malarials, pain killers, etc.), an emergency medical kit, and emergency survival kit, my machete and more food that I would need for twice my expected time away from the station.

I launched silently with no sendoff, and I was gone up the river. The kayak was really easy to paddle and maneuver, even against the current, and in no time I was around a bend and headed off on my own.

I found the stream without a problem. The brown, muddy water of the main river gave way to a clean, clear stream. I paddled ½ a mile upstream before the channel split, and the water was too shallow to continue by kayak. I deflated and rolled up my boat, and put it away on my backpack.

I started collecting here, putting each mayfly niad I found into its own small collection tube, and marking the location in my notebook. I also took GPS and photos of the collection site before hiking upstream. 

I've lived in Colorado most of my life and am used to some pretty beautiful hikes, but had never seen anything like this. There was a waterfall every few hundred yards, with breathtaking plants and animals all around. I hiked 2 miles upstream before deciding that I had collected all of the species that could be found along this stretch of the stream. 

Against Dr. Joao's advice, I stripped my clothes off and went for a swim in a clear pool below a particularly beautiful waterfall. I wished that Annie was here with me now, skinny-dipping, and sharing the beauty of this place with me. 

That she was on my mind even while I was taking a break from her was further confirmation that I was falling for her. 

When I reached the fork in the river where I had taken my boat out, I took a break for lunch and then hiked up the other fork. It was just as beautiful, but I could tell that I was covering the same ground in terms of my collections. I made a change of plans after only ½ a mile, and turned back. 

I was about to go all the way back to the research station when I remembered my original goal. I wanted time away, to camp and enjoy my freedom. I inflated my boat and let the current take me back out to the main river, and downstream about 3 miles. 

I found another small stream, and decided to go explore it. It hadn't been on the map, because it was so small. I checked my GPS and saw that I was only about ½ a mile from the research station as the crow flies, but following the curve of the river I would still be a mile away. 

The sun was getting low by now, so I set up my tent along the little stream, using my machete to clear enough ground, and piling the branches and bushes up. I made a little meal with a small gas stove of freeze dried spaghetti, and turned in for the night.

***Annabeth***

The morning after Bret and Marisol had been together, Annie had lost her temper at Bret over breakfast, and was shaking back in her room. She had meant to be smooth, and sexy when she confronted him. She wanted to joke about how much noise they had made. Instead, she made a fool of herself. 

To make matters worse, she had vented about them to Samuel over breakfast. Sam was a sweet man. He was clearly interested in Annie, but he didn't push it or make her feel uncomfortable. They could be friends, even if she had blown it with Bret. She just hoped that her infatuation with Bret hadn't been totally obvious to Samuel.

Once on the boat, she stowed her baggage. Michel was sniffing around, and she went up on the upper deck before he could approach her. She was looking for Samuel, hoping for some light and friendly conversation. Her heart dropped when she saw that he was talking with Bret. She was about to turn around when both men looked up at her. 

Annie swallowed hard and approached. She apologized for her outburst, but was surprised at how calm and nice Bret was about the whole thing. He knew far more about her than she knew about him. Annie initially thought that Bret had studied her work out of interest in her, but soon realized that Bret was interested in everyone. 

Bret put Annie at ease, and just as she had been ready to give up on him, she found that Bret was interested in still being friends with her. He seemed more amused at Annie's temper than anything else. Annie loved hearing about Bret's personal life, and was jealous about his stable and conventional upbringing. 

She enjoyed talking with the two American men, though she wished that Samuel would give her a chance to talk to Bret alone. Eventually, the motion of the boat helped her out, and Samuel excused himself below deck. Bret went with him, and Annie's heart was melted by how Bret offered medication to anyone who seemed affected by seasickness. He saved none for himself, giving what he had freely. He was such a caring man. 

Annie followed Bret back up on deck and gave him her best material. She tried touching his arm or knee when she spoke to him, tried to work in little double meanings, compliments and flirtations. The harder she pushed, the less interested Bret seemed. Finally, he suggested meeting people. 

Bret was a people person. Everyone loved him. Annie met more people and learned more about them from 30 minutes with Bret than she had in four days alone. Bret was considerate, translating when she didn't understand something, and he was engaging in whatever language he was speaking. 

Annie wanted him more, but understood him less. For a brief moment she had wondered if he was gay, then remembered how he had connected with Marisol the previous night. Maybe he just wasn't into blondes? 

Bret walked all over the boat, taking pictures and pointing things out on the shore. Annie tried to regroup. She swallowed a great lump of pride and decided for the direct approach. She asked him if he was in a relationship, which she knew he wasn't.

She was crestfallen when Bret admitted that he didn't want a relationship with her. She had to fight hard to keep from crying when he admitted that he just wanted to sleep around. Just as she was about to give up, Bret offered to be friends with benefits. It wasn't what she was looking for, but it was an opening. Annie could work with that. 

When Annie smiled at him, she saw desire in Bret's face. The cool and friendly man she had lusted after finally lusted after her. She made a mental note to use her smile every time she wanted to fan the flames of Bret's lust. She wracked her brain trying to think of a space where she could set her hooks and claim this man as hers. The only private space was a bathroom. It would have to do. 

Annie grabbed Bret's hand and drug him down to the bathroom. She almost had him inside the door when she remembered he had a condom, and sent him to go get it. A plan suddenly occurred to her. She was on the pill, and trusted that Bret was probably clean. If she could help him use up his condoms, Annie thought she could get Bret to herself for the rest of the trip, since he wouldn't sleep around without condoms. 

She was interrupted by Bret coming back. She immediately took his shirt off and was rewarded with the smooth, hard muscles she had only glimpsed the night before. She grabbed greedily at Bret's arms. It immediately took her back to her fantasies the night before. This was so much better than anything she had imagined. 

She lost herself in the feel of the feeling of those muscles until she realized that she was almost panting in lust. She mentally crossed her fingers, hoping that he had a nice cock, and began taking his pants down. She got pants and boxers around his ankles and looked up. 

It was beautiful. The size of a man's cock didn't particularly matter to her, but the color, texture and shape were perfect. He was cut, which was a huge relief to Annie. She had been with an uncircumcised man before, and found it unattractive. Bret's was perfect, hard and beautiful. 

Annie couldn't help herself. She grabbed it, almost too eagerly. A small drop of pre-cum was starting to leak from the tip, and she closed her mouth around the head, enjoying the small spark of salty flavor that she licked off. She explored with her hands. One went to Bret's butt. Perfect, just like she had expected. The other fondled his balls. 

Annie had always enjoyed the feeling of a man's sack, hanging there, full of nerve endings, but also so tough and rubbery. She played with him for as long as she could before her own need again overcame her. She felt roughness on her shoulder and reached up, realizing that it was the condom packet. She rolled it on and stood, enjoying her prize. After days of wanting and needing him, Annie had Bret all to herself. Now it was just a matter of keeping him.

Sex with Bret was everything she had hoped for, though the atmosphere of the little bathroom left a lot to be desired. The sink was hurting her butt, and she couldn't lean back like she wanted. Bret seemed to know this, and came quickly with her, staring right into her eyes as she stared into his. He looked so masculine, tensing up with his own release, and she had to remember to smile at him, which drove him even higher. He was so strong, and so gentle at the same time. 

Annie dressed and felt like she was back on top of the world. Three women were waiting outside of the bathroom as she left, and she winked and smiled at them. She had laid her claim on the best single man, and wasn't backing down from it. 

Back up on deck, Annie ate lunch and watched Bret flirt. Michel was there, but even the French pig couldn't rain on her parade, and to make a good day great, Bret was acting possessive of her against Michel. She was surprised when the women seemed to flirt back with him, though. To her surprise, she didn't feel jealousy. Mental images came to her of Bret fucking the long-haired woman while he ate Annie out. Annie had never felt any attraction to another woman, and didn't want to do anything with them, but she suddenly wanted to watch Bret fuck another woman. 

More images and fantasies came to her mind as she played with her food and watched Bret interacting. In time, she planned on facilitating a three-way. Just the thought of it made her wet, and she had to rub her legs together a few times to make them tingle, still feeling the stretching from their earlier liaison.

Once she again had him alone on deck, Annie asked Bret who else he wanted. She was going to be the best 'friend with benefits' ever. Bret gave up a name, and she had to agree with his tastes. If she had to pick a woman, Anice would not be a bad choice. Annie looked at the woman from across the boat. She pictured herself sucking on the other woman's nipples with Bret between her thighs. The thought shocked her. She definitely had never had lesbian or even bisexual feelings before, but she knew that she would enjoy sharing Bret with that woman.

The conversation moved on. Annie enjoyed his company for a bit before the full stomach and bad night's sleep made her drowsy. Bret suggested moving down into the air conditioned bottom deck and taking a nap. Annie agreed and fell right to sleep.

The research station was amazing. Annie had expected green forest, but was thrilled by the brightly painted shipping containers. The flowers and fruit everywhere provided splashes of color and tropical smells that delighted her senses. 

She got further good news when she realized that she had been put in a room right next to Bret. There would be no late night treks between buildings; she would have him to herself each night, and could sneak the 10 feet to her own room if she ever needed to. 

Annie found Bret sitting on his cot, taking things out of his backpack. She still had images in her head of the things she wanted to do with him, and looking around the room, she finally had a backdrop, which seemed to make the fantasies come even more into focus. 

Bret invited her in, and Annie could feel her lower lips sliding against each other, slick with moisture as she entered. She immediately jumped on him, pulling at his and her clothes to get naked as fast as possible. Annie had the presence of mind to ask for a condom before she lost all control. She didn't actually need one, but wanted to make sure they used them up. 

She felt a moment of panic when she saw the pocket Bret got the condom out of. It was packed full with enough for months of sex. Her thought was short lived as Bret began to caress her breasts, and she was back in the moment. 

If sex in the bathroom had been Annie setting her hooks in Bret, the reverse was true of sex on Bret's cot. Annie walked into the room in lust and left in love. He was gentle, but so firm. His body melded with hers, and she couldn't help but think how perfect they felt together. 

Bret graced Annie with wave after wave of pleasure, until she couldn't stand it anymore. At some point they rolled, though Annie didn't remember it happening. Bret came with her when she asked, and when she felt him pulsing deep inside, she wished that the condom wasn't there, and that she wasn't on the pill. She wanted to be with him forever, wanted to start a family with him, to grow old and build a life together with this perfect man. 

When Bret and Sam left to explore, Annie snuck back into Bret's room. She opened the pocket with the condoms, and counted. 98 were left. Annie felt sore, and couldn't imagine trying to have sex 98 more times like that in the next two months. Then she remembered her plan to bring another woman in...Anice. They would need some protection for that interaction. Annie broke four condoms off the strip and carefully hid them in her own purse in her own room.

Dinner with Sam and Bret was wonderful. Michel didn't show up, and Annie even flirted a little with the two women from lunch, Carmen and Aline. Sam even got into it, and Annie could see that Aline was somewhat interested in Sam. 

Annie left after dinner to go to the bathroom, and when she returned, she saw Carmen touching Bret. It was flirty, and Annie knew she needed more time with him before she was ready to share him. Annie had the advantage of familiarity, and she whispered something dirty in Bret's ear. That plus a smile threw a wet blanket on Carmen's advance, and within a minute Annie had Bret alone in his room. 

Annie was too sore for another round of sex that night, but had been wanting to finish the blowjob she had started in the bathroom earlier. She found Bret hard and willing, and relished every moan and gasp she teased out of him before he erupted in her mouth. 

The taste was salty and sour, and the texture was thick. Annie rolled it around on her tongue before she decided that she enjoyed it. She had given her share of blowjobs before, but had never cared this much for the man she was showing that love to. This was not something to get through, but something to be savored. Annie made a show of swallowing Bret's semen, and licking her lips with the smile she knew he liked.

That night, she asked to stay in Bret's room, not because she was worried about him straying, but because she really wanted to be near him. He agreed, and they sandwiched together on the little cot barely made for one person. Annie wasn't comfortable most of the night, but she did love lying in the arms of the man she loved.

Over the next few days, Annie walked into the woods during the day, looking for the Capuchin monkeys that she could hear calling at sunset. She caught only glimpses of them high up in the trees, and after a few days she began to worry about ever witnessing a genuine interaction between two monkeys at all. Bret was supportive and a great listener, though he didn't have any more ideas than Annie did. 

He did keep her company at night, and sometimes during the day. He still flirted with other women, but Annie knew that he had been with only her since they boarded the boats. She was worn out, but wouldn't trade a single moment with Bret for anything. She was even beginning to see flashes in his eyes and details in his wording that told her that he may be falling for her as hard as she had fallen for him. 

Annie still worried about how Bret viewed their relationship. She definitely wanted more of him when the expedition was over, but she had weeks to figure that out. Lying in his arms, she had two problems. Her period was about to start, and she doubted she could keep him happy for the few days she was irritable, stinky and messy. Also, she needed to find some monkeys. 

One of those problems was solved the morning that she woke up having started her period. Bret was leaving for two days and a night. She would miss him, but have a chance to rest and recover. Now she just needed to find those damn monkeys.