She stood very near him, hands on her hips, wide-legged, black pants still plainly in view. He stared pointedly until she twisted about and fell to her knees beside him, trying to pull the mini-skirt down with no success at all. Her inner thighs were tender brown velvet, rubbed and polished.

The green eyes considered him and seemed not so glacial now. «You do look at a person, don't you. But somehow I get the impression that you are a gentleman. Even if you are so huge.»

Blade chuckled. «I've never heard that size kept a man from being a gentleman.»

«No-o. I suppose not. But there is such a lot of youl And muscles. Are you an acrobat or an athlete or something?»

Blade, who had taken blues (similar to American letters) in every major sport at Oxford, nodded. «I was an athlete. In my long lost youth. Never an acrobat. And never a something, whatever that is.»

«All right.» She nodded vigorously, her brown hair rippling about her slim shoulders. «I will take it that you are a gentleman. And I wish to swim. I have no suit. So you will let me have the beach, please? I promise I won't be long. No more than half an hour.»

Something in her eyes-some hint of tease, or promise? — caused Blade to answer as he did. It was, — he divined, the answer she wanted to hear.

«Swim all you like,» he said. «With my permission. But I intend to remain here. This is my beach, remember.» He grinned. «I have no intention of being evicted by an interloper.»

She feigned indignation well. «But I have no suit! I told you that. I, well, I can hardly-«

There was no mistaking the tease in her green eyes. She leaned toward him, chin in hand. «You really don't know who I am, do you?»

Blade was about to admit his thought of a few minutes earlier, that she was vaguely familiar, but checked the impulse. It just might, somehow spoil the game that was slowly, but gaining points every moment, developing between them. Blade was, suddenly very much interested in the game. He was not a man to be unappreciative of what the gods send.