Five minutes later, we pulled into a small gravel parking lot with only two other cars. A short path led to the front of the Akrotiri Lighthouse. The lighthouse itself was set atop large boulders, facing the sea.
“This is so cool.” Lila sounded giddy as she scurried across the rocks, almost slipping in the process.
“Careful,” I barked, moving quickly and grabbing her elbow.
“I’m fine.” She waved off my concern and positioned herself on a large rock. She plopped down and looked up at the lighthouse before turning back to the sea.
I sank down next to her and did the same.
“Smile.” She held up her phone to take a selfie of the two of us with the lighthouse in the background. Shifting a few times, she struggled to get us both in the frame with her short arms.
“Give me that.” I held out my hand for the phone before lifting it up and snapping a few pictures.
“You have to smile,” she insisted, pinching my side. The small gesture caused my whole body to light up.
“I am smiling,” I said, but widened my grin a little to appease her.
“How unreal is this?” she asked. “Would you have ever in a million years have thought that you’d be in Greece with me, sitting at an ancient lighthouse?”
“I definitely saw this coming,” I said dryly.
She smiled up at me before slapping my leg.
“They say sarcasm is the lowest form of humor, you know.”
“Who’s they?” I challenged, unable to keep the playfulness out of my voice. Being around Lila had made me feel more relaxed and comfortable than I had in years. And while that freaked me out more than a little bit, it was hard not to savor the unfamiliar feeling.
“The executive board of humor,” she said seriously.
Letting out a small laugh, I shook my head. “Whatever you say, Lila.”
Her name tasted sweet on my tongue. Almost as though, if I said it enough, I could lay some sort of claim over it.
SEVENTEEN
Lila
“So,you weren’t kidding. You do own a swimsuit.”
Harrison took the lounge seat next to mine and eyed me with a soft glare, but the twitch in his lips told me that his scowl was anything but sincere. I adjusted my sunglasses, taking immense pleasure in the fact that I was creeping into whatever good graces he possessed. He didn’t hate me anymore. I could tell. It almost felt like he liked me... but I didn’t want to get my hopes up too high.
“Believe it or not, I can relax.” He sat back as if to prove his point and scanned the immense black sand beach before us. He put his hands behind his head, causing his rather large biceps to bulge in the process. Harrison shirtless was certainly a sight to see. His sleeves of tattoos stopped at the edge of his pecs, leaving the rest of his chiseled abs and chest bare. Yeah, this wasn’t helping my crush in the slightest.
After the lighthouse, we had driven around for a while, just taking in some of the sights. We’d even gone to the very tip-top of a cliff to see an old church that had been touted as having the best view on the island. While it certainly did have a breathtaking view, the fact that it was hundreds of feet aboveeverything else had resulted in me panicking a little tiny bit on the way up. Harrison, ever the complainer, had insisted I’d punctured his spleen by holding on too tight.
After that, we had stopped at a little restaurant for lunch. When we had arrived and spotted the beach stretching out before us, I had insisted we stay for a while. Thankfully, we’d had the foresight to bring our bathing suits.
“You know what, you do look relaxed.”
“Aren’t you glad you listened to me?” He gestured to the four-wheeler that sat parked behind us.
“I guess you’re right about some things,” I said easily, shrugging.
I could admit when I was wrong. Driving around the island had been one of the highlights of the trip so far. There was something magical about the breeze in our faces as we climbed hills for views of the sea. This whole day felt like a release.
“Your order.” The waiter arrived and set down some type of feta dip with pita and the coffee Harrison had ordered. I winced when I saw it on its own. Shoot. I had ordered an espresso. The pick-me-up of a little caffeine had sounded perfect for midday, but the waiter must not have heard me.
“Thank you,” I said but at the same time Harrison asked, “You ordered an espresso, didn’t you?”
