For some minutes, they lay still, each wrapped in their own respective worlds, soaking up the sun and the beauty of the countryside. She was afraid to move and avoided all physical contacts. His closeness and near nakedness were affecting her and she was having difficulty breathing and her heartbeat was almost galloping.
 She turned her head slowly and stole a look at him. He lay on his back, facing the sun. The big black sunglasses he wore made it impossible for her to see his eyeballs. He was so still and almost breathless that she thought he must have fallen asleep. She took her eyes away. His closeness and the sight of his lean, tough muscles were driving her nuts and making her head spin round and round in circles. It has always been so whenever he was close to her. You may call it Lucas’s effect, she wouldn’t know but there was something in him that elicits something passionate and magical in her. She ran her tongue across her dry lips. She felt something crawling up her arm and she started. It was an insect, she brushed it away quickly. 
 “What is it?” he asked and sat up. 
 She returned his gaze; peering in through the dark glasses he wore, but she could only see her own reflection in the mirror-like sunglass. “Nothing,” she brushed off the insect.
 “Sorry about that,” he said and reached for the kit bag and brought out a sun tanning lotion.
 She sat up too, her eyes widening at the sight of the lotion. She knew exactly what he was about to do. “No, I don’t want that,” she protested. 
 He didn’t even look at her as he gently uncorked the bottle. “Rub this to my back,” he ordered as he lay on his stomach.
 She took the bottle from him reluctantly and turned it listlessly in her hand. She could not bring herself to do it. 
 “Come on, get on with it.”
 She swallowed hard, pulling herself together with a lot of effort; she poured some of the contents of the bottle into her palm and rubbed them together. Her heart was beating so fast that she thought she was going to have a rupture.
 “What are you still waiting for?” he snapped. “Rub it on.”
 Gently, she let her hand touch his naked back and all at once, she felt something like an electrical disturbance surge through her entire body. She shivered unconsciously. Summing up courage, she began to rub the lotion all over his bare back and legs. When she was through, he turned on his back, lying face up. Again, she hesitated; she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
 “Go on, finish the job,” he commanded carelessly, throwing his arms and legs apart nonchalantly. She looked at him, but the dark glasses bounced off her reflection.
 “I …I…can’t. I …don’t want to do it,” she protested.
 “Come on. It’s almost finished, please.” 
 She picked up the lotion again and started to apply it to the rest of his body. She was breathing so fast and heavily by the time she was through. So, she collapsed on the towel, more from nervousness than exhaustion. She was glad it was over.
 For minutes, she laid panting and wishing he would not ask to rub the lotion on her too. But if he intended to do that, he didn’t show it as he lay motionlessly, staring at the sun. It was as if he had forgotten about her or fallen asleep. She shot him a quick look, but the black sunglasses, once again prevented her from seeing his eyeballs. He seemed to be totally engrossed in his thoughts and quite oblivious to her existence. She turned on her stomach and relaxed. 
 Just as her breathing gradually stabilized and she thought he had forgotten her, he sat up and reached for the lotion. She sat up too, her heartbeat racing. 
 “No, I …I don’t want it. I mean it. I don’t want it, please,” she protested, but he merely pushed her back and pinned her to the ground with his powerful legs.
 “Sh …sh…. It won’t hurt,” he hushed her up. “It’s good for the sun and helps repel mosquitoes and insects.”
 She tried to shift away, but his legs would not budge. “I …I know,” she cried again and looked at him with imploring eyes. “But I …I don’t want it. 
 He was hardly listening as he unhooked her bra straps and exposed her chest and breasts. He poured a little of the lotion on her chest and with his strong, sensitive fingers, he began to rub the lotion all over her body. 
  “No. It’s okay, please.” she pleaded in between gasps. “It’s okay. Can we…can we swim?” she tried to break away from him. 
 “Turn,” he commanded. She glared at him, but the sunglass bounced off her repel. Then his lips came down and found hers and muffled her protests.
 “I love you, silly girl,” he muttered and released her. “Of course, race you in the water.” 
 She stood up, glad to be free at last. “Okay, catch me if you can,” she dared him and dived into the water. He went after her, splashing and thrashing like a teenager. She was a good swimmer, better than him by miles and glided through the water like a fish. But with strong powerful strokes, he caught up with her after expending a lot of energy.
 “Give me my prize,” he pulled her close as he demanding a kiss.
 She refused. “There’s no prize for you.”
 “Why? I won the race. All races have prizes, you know?”
 “You cheated. You broke the rules. All games have rules, or don’t you know that?” she tried to get away from his hold.
 “I didn’t. Give me my prize.” 
 “Okay, wait.”
 He relaxed his grip. “Waiting.”
 “Close your eyes. Don’t cheat.”
 He looked at her slyly. “No games?”
 She suppressed a giggle. “No, no games.”
 “Okay. Eyes closed.”
 “Are you sure?” she waved her hand across his face. “Don’t cheat.”
 “Okay. Clos….” But before the words could escape from his mouth, she slipped out of his hands, and with powerful strokes, swam away.
 “Come back here,” he cried and raced after her excitedly a like 10-year-old. “Give me my prize.”
 “Come and get it,” she dared him as she ran along the banks. But when she discovered he was closing up on her fast, she paused briefly, and bending down, scooped a handful of seaweed and mud and threw at him. The dirt landed on his unsuspecting face. “That’s your prize.” 
 “Oh shit!” he cried as the dirt landed on his face. “If I catch you, you just wait.”