I didn’t think it was a coincidence that Sebastian chose that moment to pull off his T-shirt, flaunting his golden skin, baring his chest, naked in the sunshine. He knew I wouldn’t be able to stop myself having a quick ogle. Of course the other men immediately followed suit and I was soon surrounded by a surfeit of taut, tanned and toned flesh. I pulled my sunglasses over my eyes and tried to think cooling thoughts.
We settled in a loose group around our fire pit, Sebastian securing a spot opposite me, but every time I stood up to get some more of the food, or pass something around, he’d stand up, too, and ‘help’. Then he’d brush up against me: seemingly innocent little touches. Each time my skin blazed with need and I wanted to yell at him to stop – or to not stop but do something about the heat that was rising within me. Somehow I managed to follow a conversation with Shirley about her idea to keep chickens as a way of making some extra cash. I knew nothing about poultry so it was a fairly one-sided discussion.
Bill and Mitch kept up a friendly banter of profanities as they proceeded to char vast quantities of meat. I resolved to stick to cold cuts and salad as I helped to lay out the rest of the provisions.
Several Marines from Mitch and Bill’s unit wandered over to pass the time and help reduce the mountain of food. All the men were eating like their lives depended on it, and my concern that there was too much quickly vanished.
Donna introduced me to all the visitors and I could read surprise on the faces of several when she explained I was the wife of Lieutenant Commander Wilson. Clearly, David’s reputation had gone before.
Kurt and Stefan regaled us with tales of college life, each trying to outdo the other. They were attractive, intelligent young men, good company and entertaining. Stefan was following in his father’s footsteps and studying medicine at UCLA; Kurt had chosen civil engineering and went to school at McCormick in Chicago. Unfortunately, the brothers seemed to have a well developed rivalry which, on this occasion, they were using to take turns flirting with me. It was beyond embarrassing, particularly as I could see Sebastian’s murderous looks from across the fire pit, and Ches’s amused expression. Fido just stared at me, which was more than a little unnerving.
During the course of the afternoon, Sebastian became quieter and quieter and I sensed that his temper was beginning to fray. Worse still, Fido’s dog-like devotion to me was also becoming more apparent. Every time I reached for something, he leapt up to hand it to me. I had never been so popular: and it had never been less well timed.
I couldn’t help wondering if all the sex I’d been having was giving off some sort of invisible signal; some sort of scent, a pheromone, perhaps. Could that happen? I’d never previously been in a position to need to ask the question.
As unobtrusively as I was able, I stood up, determined to slink away by myself for a while.
“Are you okay, Caroline?” asked Donna.
I cringed as every eye focused on me.
“Oh, I’m just going to go and get some shots of the volleyball game and sandcastle competition,” I said lightly.
“I’ll come with you,” said Sebastian immediately.
“No, no! I’m fine. Stay and enjoy yourself,” I said, just one shade too forcefully.
His eyes darkened with anger and he slumped back to the sand, a surly expression on his face.
Honestly! Did he want to make it so obvious?
I hurried off to take some photographs, including the ghastly pie-eating competition. Even though I ached for Sebastian’s company, there were too many eyes everywhere. I returned half an hour later, when my blood pressure had returned to normal, and avoided meeting his too ardent gaze. But I did see Donna raise her eyebrows and smile. The woman was just too damned observant. It made me nervous.
Ches was interested in my old SLR so I showed him how to change the focus and how to read the built-in light meter. I let him take a few snaps of our group. Bill, of course, bombed the photograph, scooping me up into a huge hug, which earned him a furious look from Sebastian, of course. Then Ches insisted on taking one of me. I didn’t mind: it wasn’t like I’d have to look at it – all the photographs would be developed at City Beat.