"Are you trying to see into my soul?"She squinted at him, and he jerked back, laughing.
"What?No!Why are you making this weird?Close your eyes."He leaned his forehead against hers, watching her, waiting for her to follow his lead.
She popped one eye open."Nope.You're definitely trying to see into my soul."
Gray groaned, rubbing a hand over his face."Okay, first, no.I was trying to create a moment.And second--" He brushed his fingers over her stomach, and suddenly, she shrieked, shoving him away.
"Ack!"she pushed him backwards."What are you doing?Soul stealing and now this."As she motioned to her stomach, Gray was thoroughly confused.
"What did I do?"He was looking from his hand to her stomach and back in utter confusion.
"You were close to my belly button!"At this, Riley gagged.Now Gray really didn't understand.He'd touched so many places the night before, what was she talking about?
"Your belly button?"
"Yes!Ugh, never go near it.Belly buttons freak me out.Never ever, ever go near it, and trust me, I won't be touching yours either!"and she let out another small gag.
"Riley, you've lost me.You have a belly button issue."At this, she stared into his eyes to steal his soul.
"YOU DON'T?"Riley was embarrassed for him.
"Ummm, no.And I've never met anyone else in my entire life who has a belly button issue.Who's the weirdo now?"and he pulled her back towards his chest, making sure not to touch anywhere near her belly button.
"Gray, I'll explain it simply.Belly buttons are a no-no zone.Staring into my eyes to see my soul will never work.If you want a pathway into my soul, feed me a cookie; that will get you there!"At this, she leaned her head into his chest.
"Cookies are the way to my soul."And she laughed.
"Cookies are the way to your soul.Got it, I'm glad we cleared that up."Gray rested his chin on top of her head while Riley continued to laugh at her own joke into his chest.As he watched the moon, he knew being here with Riley was the way to his soul, and he'd give her every piece even if she never asked for it.
Chapter 47
Unwelcome surprise
"Whatdoyouthink?"Riley held on to Phoenix's pectoral fin.The first thought in Gray's head was to think about the past few nights they'd spent together, but that thought would have to wait.
Instead, Gray studied the small pectoral fin."If we design a smaller cuff, it could work.I don't want it to chafe against his side or be too tight."
"Agreed," Riley compared the existing cuff to the fin."We may need a few prototypes before we perfect it."
They'd finally gotten the Velcro to work on the older dolphins, and with a change in training they'd also made sure they weren't scared when the Velcro came off.Now, they needed something for the younger dolphins they were studying.Phoenix was the logical choice to start with since he was Riley's primary dolphin to care for.
As they brainstormed beside Phoenix, the young dolphin rested calmly near the edge of the dock, his pec fin still resting in Riley's hand.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over them.They looked up to see a young woman beaming down at them, hands planted confidently on her hips.
"There you are!I was thinking this place was too big to find you, Gray!"the woman exclaimed brightly.
Gray's face paled, a flicker of discomfort crossing his features.Riley glanced between them, sensing the sudden tension.
"Hi there!I'm Shelley, and you are?"She extended a manicured hand.Riley hesitated before reluctantly shaking it.
"I'm the head trainer, Riley."
Riley wasn't sure what was happening.From the small hints Gray had dropped, she knew he wasn't a fan of Shelley, from his lab back in California.Could this woman be her?
"Gray, you're being so rude," Shelley chided playfully."I have to introduce myself?And no hug?Oh, and who's this adorable little dolphin?"She leaned closer, noticing Phoenix for the first time.
Gray cleared his throat, struggling to find his voice."Shelley...wh..what are you doing here?"
