Mariana peered out from the shrubbery, her eyes glued to the form of the man she had been tailing for the past few days. Following Paul had not been her objective, merely a fortunate by-product of her mission of reconnaissance. Her clothing clung to her body as she sweated in the intense southern humidity, but she dared not reveal herself to him. Not yet.

He picked his way through the brush, swiping at flies with his free hand and sweating nearly as much as she was, though he had not the disadvantage of boob-sweat. Mariana paused on this thought and absently glanced down at her own modest cleavage under her shirt and cursed her father for making her female. Not that she wished she was a man, mind, but just to avoid the specific feature of boob-sweat. She laughed it off silently and resumed watching Paul.

He stopped and laid his pack aside next to a decently sized pond and took his clothing off before he waded into the water. She had only met him once before, and had certainly never seen him naked. His muscles surprised her, though she admittedly should have imagined that he was as muscular as he was. Scars traced several lines across his back from previous battles won.

A devilish grin spread across her face. Mariana waited until he was fully submerged in the water up to his neck and called out to him “Fancy seeing you here.”

Paul’s face went even more red than the sunburn which already adorned his visage and he searched for the owner of the voice. “I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage,” he called back.

Mariana stepped from her hiding place and spoke plainly, “I’ve been behind you for a few days now.”

“Well in that case, you are just as warm as I am. Come on in and cool down.”

“You wish,” Mariana replied while eyeing up the cold water. The sight of it almost made her feel hotter. “Fine. Turn around.”

“I think I’m owed a look,” he said as a giddy smile crept onto his face. He watched her as she took off her dagger and set her bow aside.

“Fair enough,” Mariana said just before Paul turned away anyway, ever the gentleman. She stripped her clothes off ina way that was almost performative as she expected him to peek and laid them next to her other gear. Free of her clothing, she enjoyed the breeze on her naked body for a moment before she waded into the water, wincing as the coldness met with her tender parts.

The pair lounged in the water for a few minutes, talking of nothing in particular as the sun’s rays carved paths through the leaves above. After some time, Paul looked into her eyes. “Where were you during the siege? We could have used the alliance of Macinna.”

“We could not reach Pitt in time. I am sorry,” she replied as she diverted her eyes.

“Will you aid me in my reconnaissance of the Baaman Capitol?”

“Yes,” she replied, “that is also my mission.”

“Okay,” Paul said, beginning to get out of the water, “then there is no time to lose.”

Together and unembarassed, the pair got out of the water and Paul spared her naked body not a second glance as they dried off and dressed. She had been attracted to Paul from his honor and chivalry on their first meeting, and it only increased when she saw his physical attractiveness as well. She was slightly disappointed that he had not looked, but also relieved that the tension would not interfere with their mission.

They girded themselves with their accumulated gear before walking off together toward the capitol.