chapter17 You were always mine

Asher reclined on the lounger, raising an eyebrow slightly. "What'd you find out there?"

"Just some shells and stuff, they looked cool," Scarlett replied, eyeing him. Catching his raised brow, she stepped closer and laid out her finds in front of him.

Asher's gaze swept over them like he was inspecting produce, a hint of disdain in his voice. "They're pretty average."

"They're still beautiful," Scarlett murmured.

"I'll find you some better ones later," Asher said nonchalantly, after a moment's thought. Then he asked, "Aren't you gonna take a break?"

"I'm not tired," Scarlett said, her eyes lingering on him. "I wanna play a bit more."

Asher glanced up, giving her a casual once-over. "Rest in the car for a bit. We'll catch the sunset over the ocean before we head back."

"Okay," Scarlett said with a coy smile, heading towards the off-road vehicle with her hat in hand.

She settled directly in the second row, catching a nap for a while, even dreaming sweetly amidst the floral scents. When she woke up and got out of the car, she saw Asher dripping wet, with water still dripping from his hair, and several large shells lying on the sand nearby.

Asher saw her and lifted his chin slightly, motioning towards the items beside him. "For you."

Scarlett quickly picked them up. All seven shells looked pretty unique and beautiful. She held up one shell, smooth on the surface with orange-red ripple-like patterns on the back, and asked, "What's this? Looks kinda...?"

"A parrot shell."

"A parrot shell?" Scarlett smacked her forehead. "Right, it does look like a parrot's beak. Perfect name."

Asher chuckled.

She picked up another shell, creamy white with pink diagonal stripes, cone-shaped, about twenty centimeters in diameter. It looked like a tiny palace with iridescent colors. "This one's gorgeous and kinda weird. Rarely seen anything like it."

"You've got a good eye!" Asher smirked, a hint of pride in his voice. "This is a Conus Gloriamaris, quite rare and valuable."

"No kidding?" Scarlett ran her fingers over the granular ridges on the shell, admiring the flame-like patterns with a pearly sheen. "It's absolutely stunning."

The shells he found were large and glossy, perfect works of art from nature. Scarlett handled them as if they were treasures, her eyes sparkling. "Asher, thanks a ton."

Asher glanced up, his eyes shimmering. "No biggie."

"Were they found in the water?" Scarlett pointed to the sea, referring to the shallow water area.

"Yeah."

"Can I go take a look later?"

"Not here, deeper waters. Wanna give it a shot?"

"You dive that deep?" Scarlett looked at him admiringly. "Asher, you're a beast!"

Asher was quite pleased with her praise, his eyebrows raised. Then Scarlett asked, "When you caught them, were they just shells?"

"Of course not. Figured you wouldn't like those soggy things, so I cleaned 'em up. Also easier to preserve that way."

"Oh!" Scarlett smiled warmly. "Thanks a bunch."

"Keep 'em. I'll take you swimming."

"Sure thing." Scarlett carefully placed the shells in the car, took off her jacket and put it inside, tied up her hair, and ran barefoot towards the water.

The waves crashed against the rocks, one wave receding only to be followed by another from a distance, stirring up white foam on the beach. Scarlett stepped on the smooth stones and sand underwater, slowly wading in until the water reached above her chest, then she stopped moving forward, swinging her arms to swim in the water.

As Asher passed by her, he flicked his tail lightly, splashing water on Scarlett's face, making her unable to open her eyes.

Scarlett panicked, trying to find her footing in the water, stabilizing herself, and wiping the water droplets from her face with her hand. When she saw Asher two meters away, she looked at him with a playful glare.

She clasped her hands together and splashed water towards him.

Asher lightly dodged to the side, then splashed the water with his tail, drenching Scarlett as if caught in a downpour.

As the water receded, Scarlett opened her eyes, pouting with dissatisfaction. "No using your tail, or you'll be playing alone."

Asher grinned, revealing his white teeth. "I won't use it."

Seeing Scarlett's annoyance, he swam over to her, about to comfort her, when suddenly Scarlett moved her hands, and a large splash of water came towards him. He could have easily dodged it, but for some reason, he didn't.

Seeing him hit, Scarlett's eyes lit up with mischief.

He chuckled, his mouth twisted. "Watch me get back at you."

Saying that, he also used his hands to splash water, attacking Scarlett.

The two of them engaged in a water battle at the seaside, with water splashing everywhere like blooming lotus flowers, accompanied by Scarlett's screams.

After a while, Scarlett was defeated, unable to fight back, and held her arms up to shield her face, begging repeatedly, "Stop, I give up, stop playing..."

The sunlight cast a golden glow on Asher's face, his eyes sparkling. He approached Scarlett, grabbing her left wrist. "Come on, let's swim. What's the point of just playing in the shallow water?"

With his strong grip, Scarlett couldn't break free, and he pulled her forward. Her body floated up, and she struggled, paddling with her other hand.

Asher gently flicked his tail, and the two of them swam far away without much effort. Scarlett couldn't keep up with this speed, worried that the fast-moving currents would separate them. Suddenly, he stopped abruptly, but Scarlett, unable to stop, crashed into him, wrapping her legs around his waist instinctively.

Asher's face showed a triumphant smile, and he tightened his grip on her, whispering in her ear, "Don't worry, I've got you. Just enjoy the swimming."

"You, slow down a bit," Scarlett said helplessly, moving her legs off his waist, only using one hand to hold onto his neck, leaning slightly to the side to avoid pressing her chest against him.

Asher's tail swayed gently, and his hands traced Scarlett's smooth waist. Thanks to the moisture of the water, it was slippery to the touch.

He held her in his arms and swam in a circle in the water, gently and softly.

This kind of gentleness made Scarlett feel very comfortable, and she gradually relaxed. She thought Asher wouldn't harm her.

"Why don't you lie on the water, I'll carry you. That way, it'll be super comfy," he suggested.

Scarlett nodded, loosened up her body, and let the buoyancy of the seawater keep her afloat. She faced upwards, a position that made it hard for her to sink.

Asher took hold of one of her hands and guided her gently, swimming for a while before turning her body so she faced him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close.

Scarlett's feet brushed against his rounded tail, eliciting a soft chuckle from him as it wrapped around her from behind. He found her as slippery as an eel, the contact between their bodies yielding a soft, pleasant sensation that stirred something within him. He felt an urge to wrap her entirely in his tail, brushing it over her back and legs.

Scarlett's attire was minimal, pressed against his chest. While the seawater was mildly warm, her cheeks flushed slightly. She had never been this close to a man before, realizing that swimming with one might not have been a wise choice. Feeling embarrassed, she gently pushed him away, "Asher, let's head back to shore, okay?"

Asher looked at her calmly. "But didn't you want to come out and play?"

"But... I'm starting to feel uncomfortable being in the water for too long."

Though they hadn't been in the water for long, her discomfort softened Asher's demeanor. He gently brushed her damp hair aside and said, "Let me slowly take you back, then."

He withdrew his tail but kept his hand on her waist, guiding her back towards the shore.

Once they reached shallow water, Scarlett's feet touched the ground, and she gently freed herself from him.

"I can walk by myself," she whispered.

Asher didn't hold onto her anymore and walked straight to the shore by himself.

Having swallowed quite a bit of seawater, Scarlett didn't want to swim anymore. She sat down on the white sand beach, feeling much more grounded on solid ground. The warm sunlight nourished her skin as she let her hair down and ran her fingers through it.

After a while, Asher brought a chair over and placed it next to her. Scarlett was surprised to see that he had transformed into human form, wearing only a pair of dried seven-point pants, revealing his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and well-toned muscles. Scarlett couldn't help but marvel silently; wasn't he someone who disliked wearing clothes?

Lying on the chair with his eyes slightly closed, Asher spoke after a long while, "Do you enjoy coming out to play?"

His voice was warm, and Scarlett replied leisurely, "Yeah. But you seem to prefer staying in the yard."

"I find going out a hassle. After playing for a while, besides having more space to swim, I don't see much difference." He tilted his head and looked at Scarlett, "But it's quite interesting when I'm with you."

Scarlett thought to herself that maybe teasing him in the water was more fun. She pursed her lips and remained silent.

"If you like it, I can take you out to play more often in the future," Asher said, looking at her with his glossy eyes.

Scarlett was genuinely happy to hear this, and her smile widened. Glancing at the sun, which was no longer early, she asked with concern, "Shall we watch the sunset before we go back for dinner? Are you hungry?"

"Let's decide later. Come, let's take a walk," Asher said, standing up.

Although she wanted to rest for a while, seeing him waiting for her, she slowly sat up and removed the towel from her body.

Suddenly, Asher bent down, took her hand, and pulled her up, whispering, "Slowpoke!"

Though it sounded like a complaint, there was no hint of reproach in his tone. It felt somewhat unnatural.

"Let's go," he said, holding her hand as they walked along the beach, never letting go.

Scarlett kept her head down, attempting to retract her hand, but Asher held it tightly, and she couldn't pull away. She glanced at him, his face calm and natural, while her heart pounded, feeling the warmth of his hand, as if there were tiny beads of sweat on it.

Feeling strange, she moved her hand slightly and awkwardly spoke, "Asher, can you let go?"

Asher raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked deeply into her eyes. "You were mine to begin with, so why let go?"