Bae felt deflated slightly at the awareness of her guards. Unsure how to proceed, she rested her forehead on Armel's chest and watched the waves crash onto the sand.

"It really is beautiful here," Bae told him wistfully.

"Fancy getting your feet wet?" Armel asked, teasingly, trying to return Bae to her previously happy state.

"What? Now?" She raised her head to look at him. "Can we?"

"We can do anything you want, Kumari."

He bent to his knee, gathering the ...