Chapter One
Aella paused, catching sight of a small face peaking out of the entrance to the cave ahead of her. He was covered in a black woolly coat, and although she couldn’t see if from here she knew there would be a white patch on his belly. She smiled, ducking quickly behind the outcropping beside her. She swished her aquamarine tail -- silently counting to ten -- idly flicking it back and forth.
Tilting her head, she waited another five counts. The rock against her back was silky smooth in the water. She pressed against it, waiting for the right moment. Darting out, she gave a heave of her tail, powering through the waters toward the small body. He reared back, moving his flippers to sink into the cave. Giving chase, she squeezed her body through the opening, wincing at the pull on her hip where it scraped against the wall. She flexed her muscles, bending and twisting to follow the small, black body through the narrow passageway.
Reaching forward, her fingers grazed his backside, just missing him. She laughed, her voice ringing out inside the cave. He turned his head to look back at her, flitting away when she made to grab him again. Aella shook her head, determined to catch him this time. She was going to catch him -- if it was the last thing she did.
The cave walls rushed past her. The ledges and crags would normally capture her attention, but she had different prey on her mind today.
He flicked his tail at her, mocking her attempts. She laughed again. A bright, cheerful sound. He twisted around to watch her for a moment. She knew he was always drawn to the sound of her voice. She would have him in a minute, when the path opened up ahead of them, and her bigger body would have the advantage.
Suddenly, she sensed a larger presence in front of them. She looked up, crying out a warning seconds too late. He slammed into the figure in front of him, his small body taking the brunt of the impact.
She swam toward him, reaching him in seconds, running her hands down his fragile body. She ignored the large male hands that tried to get her to let go of her bounty.
“Easy, easy now,” the man crooned.
“Is he hurt? Oh gods, I know better than to play tag in the caves.” She also knew better than to be this close to the shore where any fisherman or tourist with a fancy underwater camera could ruin her day. Not that her father wouldn’t take care of things eventually, but it wouldn’t be pretty.
“He’s fine, just a little stunned.”
Aella stroked the body of Phocas, crooning softly to him. He couldn’t be injured, she didn’t know what she would do without her little seal.
Phocas jerked, blinking open his large, soulful eyes. She cried out, hugging him tighter to her. He wriggled and she set him loose.
“I apologize, I didn’t see him until he was already upon me.”
Aella finally dragged her attention from Phocas to look at the man in front of her. She just barely managed to stifle her gasp. Damon! She’d been so distracted by Phocas that she hadn’t really noticed who they’d run into.
Tall and leanly muscled, Damon towered over her. His chest was chiseled, his arms corded with ropy muscles. His raven hair was pulled back from his face with a tie. He had prominent cheekbones and a narrow, aquiline nose. He should be intimidating, but she couldn’t stop looking at him. Every new feature was like another piece of a puzzle, fitting into an altogether breathtaking picture. It was like this every time she saw him, but it only served to get worse the older she became.
This one-sided attraction was beyond frustrating.
His lips curved, and she finally noticed that he had been taking his own leisurely perusal of her. She could feel her cheeks heat up. Against her will, she raised her arm, bringing it up to cover her breasts. He chuckled darkly, and she ducked her head in embarrassment. She should have just stayed still. Now she looked like an innocent. And maybe it wasn’t so one-sided after
Aella paused, catching sight of a small face peaking out of the entrance to the cave ahead of her. He was covered in a black woolly coat, and although she couldn’t see if from here she knew there would be a white patch on his belly. She smiled, ducking quickly behind the outcropping beside her. She swished her aquamarine tail -- silently counting to ten -- idly flicking it back and forth.
Tilting her head, she waited another five counts. The rock against her back was silky smooth in the water. She pressed against it, waiting for the right moment. Darting out, she gave a heave of her tail, powering through the waters toward the small body. He reared back, moving his flippers to sink into the cave. Giving chase, she squeezed her body through the opening, wincing at the pull on her hip where it scraped against the wall. She flexed her muscles, bending and twisting to follow the small, black body through the narrow passageway.
Reaching forward, her fingers grazed his backside, just missing him. She laughed, her voice ringing out inside the cave. He turned his head to look back at her, flitting away when she made to grab him again. Aella shook her head, determined to catch him this time. She was going to catch him -- if it was the last thing she did.
The cave walls rushed past her. The ledges and crags would normally capture her attention, but she had different prey on her mind today.
He flicked his tail at her, mocking her attempts. She laughed again. A bright, cheerful sound. He twisted around to watch her for a moment. She knew he was always drawn to the sound of her voice. She would have him in a minute, when the path opened up ahead of them, and her bigger body would have the advantage.
Suddenly, she sensed a larger presence in front of them. She looked up, crying out a warning seconds too late. He slammed into the figure in front of him, his small body taking the brunt of the impact.
She swam toward him, reaching him in seconds, running her hands down his fragile body. She ignored the large male hands that tried to get her to let go of her bounty.
“Easy, easy now,” the man crooned.
“Is he hurt? Oh gods, I know better than to play tag in the caves.” She also knew better than to be this close to the shore where any fisherman or tourist with a fancy underwater camera could ruin her day. Not that her father wouldn’t take care of things eventually, but it wouldn’t be pretty.
“He’s fine, just a little stunned.”
Aella stroked the body of Phocas, crooning softly to him. He couldn’t be injured, she didn’t know what she would do without her little seal.
Phocas jerked, blinking open his large, soulful eyes. She cried out, hugging him tighter to her. He wriggled and she set him loose.
“I apologize, I didn’t see him until he was already upon me.”
Aella finally dragged her attention from Phocas to look at the man in front of her. She just barely managed to stifle her gasp. Damon! She’d been so distracted by Phocas that she hadn’t really noticed who they’d run into.
Tall and leanly muscled, Damon towered over her. His chest was chiseled, his arms corded with ropy muscles. His raven hair was pulled back from his face with a tie. He had prominent cheekbones and a narrow, aquiline nose. He should be intimidating, but she couldn’t stop looking at him. Every new feature was like another piece of a puzzle, fitting into an altogether breathtaking picture. It was like this every time she saw him, but it only served to get worse the older she became.
This one-sided attraction was beyond frustrating.
His lips curved, and she finally noticed that he had been taking his own leisurely perusal of her. She could feel her cheeks heat up. Against her will, she raised her arm, bringing it up to cover her breasts. He chuckled darkly, and she ducked her head in embarrassment. She should have just stayed still. Now she looked like an innocent. And maybe it wasn’t so one-sided after
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