“Carstairs!” she shouted furiously. She dug through the mud and found an ear and jerked it hard. “I’m me! I’m here!”
Carstairs blubbered at her in pitiable relief. He tried to sit in her lap.
Melissa punched him. “Behave yourself, you fool!” There were knees digging into her back, and Melissa brushed at them absently. “Get away and give me room to… What?” She turned her head slowly.
Eric Trent was sitting on the lounge. His mouth was open.
There was one of those silences.
Melissa suddenly remembered her towel. She pulled it up higher. That was bad. She pulled it down lower. That was not good, either.
“Turn around, you gaping i***t!” she snarled.
Trent behaved as though he hadn’t heard her. There was a look on his face that was half a smile of amusement and half an expression of arti
