As Faye and I walked along the beach, I could feel eyes turning toward us from every direction. Gazes swept freely over my body as if the men might rush over and pin me down at any moment.
That raw desire both frightened and stirred something in me, and the attention felt like a stimulant that awakened a physical reaction.
When we arrived at the meeting spot, Stevie had eagerly gone into the water for a swim. Only Gaston remained lounging on a beach chair under the sun.

When he noticed Faye and me approaching, I could clearly feel the way his eyes lingered on me, filled with the same admiration and hunger I had seen in every other man's gaze.
Faye didn't notice his look. She had been dying to go to the sea for weeks, so she quickly kicked off her sandals and sprinted toward the waves for a swim.
Suddenly, it was just me and Gaston on the sand.
I wasn't much of a swimmer, so I decided to stay behind. I settled into the beach chair next to Gaston and decided to sunbathe.
Without Faye around, his gaze grew bolder and eventually fixed on me without looking away. The memory of last night's electric tension came rushing back, and my face began to burn.
"Sun at the beach is pretty intense, Vera. Did you put on sunscreen?"

"Oh… I-I did…"
Startled, I briefly glanced at him before lowering my head.
"Did you get your back?" he pressed and kept his eyes steady on me.
I was about to say yes, but when I glanced toward Faye's and Stevie's distant figures in the water, I ended up saying, "Not yet."

Gaston softly chuckled and picked up the sunscreen Faye had left nearby. "Let me help you then."
Heat rushed to my face as if I was returned to last night's charged atmosphere. Just the thought of his hands touching my skin again made my body tremble uncontrollably.
"Okay," I whispered and obediently turned over to lie flat on the beach chair, burying my flushed face in my arms.
Gaston positioned himself behind me and pressed his muscular frame hard against my lower body. Then, the cool sunscreen hit my back, followed by a pair of calloused palms rubbing against my skin.
I moaned softly before I could help myself, not expecting Gaston to make such a quick move at all.
Encouraged, Gaston leaned into it. He massaged the sunscreen in with slow, powerful circles and kneaded with enough pressure…
His palms seemed to carry an enchantment that drew my body into a subtle, involuntary sway with their rhythm.
Stevie had always been busy with work and never gave me a massage.
I never imagined Gaston would be this skilled, and when he mentioned that my bikini straps were getting in the way, I didn't stop him from unclipping them. We were out in public, so I was certain that he wouldn't dare try anything more.
With that thought in mind, I gave him a silent permission.
When Gaston noticed that I wasn't resisting, his touch grew bolder as his hands moved to the side of my chest, where my skin spilled out from the pressure of lying flat on my stomach.
I was completely immersed in the sensation, and my body began reacting to the massage.
The world around me seemed to have completely faded away and was replaced by the sound of his heavy, ragged breathing and my stifled whimpers.
"All done."
Without warning, Gaston withdrew his hands just as I was lost in the sensation and tied the straps of my swimsuit back in place.
"The sunscreen's done, Vera. I'm going for a swim."
Without waiting for my response, he turned and jumped into the sea.
The sudden plunge from pleasure left me aching and unsatisfied. I stared after his muscular back as he walked away and pursed my lips in frustration.
We were both adults. I was deeply irritated that he had stirred my lust, only to walk off like it meant nothing. Maybe he was trying to punish me for last night.
As I scanned the waters, I noticed two familiar figures in the distance. It was Stevie and Faye.