AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Will these do?” Oberon’s voice asked.
They followed Athena over the next dune to find a stack of buckets, bowls, shovels, and spatulas waiting on the sand in front of them. The dog gave them a cursory sniff, and then moved on after she judged they weren't a threat.
“That’s perfect, Oberon,” Naomi laughed, feeling excited. “Let’s bring these down closer to the water. We’ll build an amazing castle.”
Gage smiled down at her and grabbed everything in one arm, offering her the other.
She took it shyly, closing her eyes at the feeling of rightness that unleashed in her blood the moment they touched. She hadn’t wanted to say anything earlier, but she did feel the pull between them. She tried not to let herself think about what it would feel like when he claimed her.
If he claims me, she reminded herself sternly. But he won’t. I can’t allow it.
“Maltaffians prefer to remove their shoes in the sand,” Gage said. “It is pleasant to feel sand between the toes.”
“Terrans do too,” she told him. “Should we?”
“Sure,” he said, grinning.
They both kicked off their shoes and she picked up both pairs and carried them in her free hand as they headed toward where the cerulean waves met the golden sand.
It was a beautiful day, just warm enough that she didn’t mind the breeze coming off the water, just cool enough that it wasn’t unpleasant to crawl around in the sand, finding the ideal place to build a castle.
“Here,” she said at last.
“The tide will come in higher,” Gage said, frowning.
“That’s the magic of a sandcastle,” Naomi said smiling. “It’s only here for a moment.”
“How do we begin?” Gage asked, joining her on the sand.
“First we decide what the castle will look like,” she told him. “Let’s just build it with buckets and bowls to get an idea.”
The morning passed pleasantly as they planned their castle and moat, shaped the turrets, and decorated with tiny stones and seashells they found along the sand.
Athena lay a few feet off, her back to the water, keeping watch over the beach. Her lush fur had faded to the color of the golden sand so that someone passing by might not even realize they had a guard dog.
Oberon had tried launching flying discs and balls for her to chase, but the formidable beast merely stared at the toys, as if she could set them on fire with her dark eyes, and watched them crash onto the beach.
At last, the final touches were finished on the castle and Naomi leaned back to look.
“It’s perfect,” she decided. “Now for the moat.”
“Should we fill it up?” Gage asked her with a smile.
“Yes,” she told him.
“Hang on,” he said.
She watched as he leapt up, bent to grab a bucket, and then headed down toward the waves.
The sun glimmered in the slender golden chains that hung from his horns and his muscles flexed as he strode as gracefully as the hunting cats at the City Zoo. He was mesmerizing, and Naomi was left wondering how she could possibly resist him.
He returned with a happy smile on his face. She realized that this was the most relaxed she had ever seen him.
“Ready?” he asked, crouching beside her.
“Be gentle,” she cautioned him.
His eyes flashed with fire at her unintended double entendre, but he merely nodded at her.
