I study his naked body – the hairy chest next to the soft skin beneath his arms. The faint outline of his ribs beneath the flesh, of his hip bones. ...ender. Delicate. I want to scrape my fingernails across them. To mark him. To watch the blood rising to the surface. He hasn’t looked back at me. My silent, predatory gaze seems to be unnerving him now. I can see he wants to relax and sleep for a while – that I am too intense for him. But he stays still as I devour him with my eyes. I am restless.. "I want anecklace." Suddenly, I wanted one, too. They were my breasts. A partof me. What they wanted could influence what I thought. "I want anecklace."I left the bathroom, genuinely hoping I'd find a necklace somewhere.I'd never worn one before. The thought echoed in my head now, alongwith my chest. "I want a necklace." Where would I have one? I got aflash of inspiration. I opened a drawer that hadn't seen daylight inyears and pulled out a box that hadn't been opened in longer. I. Maybe she just liked having him stop by and say hello.When Lisa didn't comment Tom continued."I suspect now that Brad has had the hots for you for a long time. He was just waiting for the right opportunity to present itself so he could step in and replace me in your life. And you gave him that opportunity."Suddenly Lisa remember what Brad told her that night. Brad had said, "I have to confess that I have always had a crush on you."Lisa realized that Tom was closer to the truth than he knew but. So what did I do? I enlisted in the Army. At least there my feet would be on dry land.Stuffing my hands into my pockets I turned and watched the nearest boat begin to pull up it's nets. Yep, big difference that change made for me. In the Army you still struggled. Except there it was to stay alive. And as for the dry land part, well who knew I'd be walking in rice paddies along the Thai and Cambodian border at the end of the war. So much for being a kid and thinking you knew it all.My instincts.