Page 58 of The Little Greek Guesthouse

Afterwards he led the way, both still buzzing with adrenalin, to the cliff edge, where they stripped to their swim gear. Nina peered down at the sea far below, her heart racing and skin tingling as she anticipated crashing into the cool water.

‘Don’t be scared,’ George said. ‘It’s safe, I’ve done it loads of times. No rocks.’ He turned to grin at her, blue eyes bright, and her heart leapt.

‘I’m not scared,’ she said, her teeth chattering a little.

‘Together?’ He held out a hand.

She nodded, reaching for him, and together they ran and leapt, soaring through the air, landing in the clear sea. Under the surface Nina opened her eyes, blinking in the turquoise water, waiting for the swirl of bubbles to clear and reveal the sight of George’s tanned, toned body next to her.

They surfaced, gasping and laughing, Nina’s body singing with the thrill of what she’d just done. They were still holding hands.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Nina was stiff as they walked back to the car, her hands throbbing. But she was still euphoric, the sense of being so high up and the thrill of leaping into the sea still soaring through her.

‘That was amazing,’ she said. ‘Thank you for bringing me.’

‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘I haven’t had anyone to belay me for a while so I’ve just been bouldering. This was fun.’ He turned to smile at her, his eyes light in the sunlight. ‘Let’s do it again soon.’

‘I’d love to.’ She grimaced, groaning at her protesting calves as she sat in the car. ‘Might need some recovery time, though. And my friend’s coming over so I might be busy with her for a while.’

‘Oh?’ He waited patiently for a family to walk past before reversing out of the spot.

‘Yes, my friend Heather.’

‘Your BFF?’

Nina laughed. ‘What are you, eight? But yeah, we’ve known each other forever.’

‘That’s nice. Well, just let me know when you want to climb again. You know where I am.’

She smiled, knowing she wouldn’t be able to wait too long. ‘Heather’s not an early riser, at least not in the holidays; she’s a teacher so she spends most of the summer recovering. So I’m sure I’ll be able to sneak out one day.’

He nodded, concentrating on the road. They were silent for a while. George pressed play on the CD player, and Nina found herself quietly singing along to ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’.

Trying to, at least. She wasn’t a natural singer, and those notes were really high.

She cleared her throat, and broached a subject that had been playing on her mind for a few days.

‘So will you be going back? Now Maria’s better?’ She found herself holding her breath as she waited for his answer. She had no idea what life he’d left behind. What job, what friends. What wife or girlfriend. Every time she’d tried to ask him something personal he’d been vague or changed the subject.

‘Ah – maybe. Haven’t really decided.’ His shoulders stiffened and his fingers tightened on the steering wheel. ‘I – well. Things back there are kind of – up in the air, right now. So.’

Nina nodded, although this really didn’t answer her question. And certainly wasn’t the answer she’d been hoping for.

They were stopped at a light. He turned to her, speaking softly. ‘I don’t know. It depends on – I don’t know. There might be . . . if there was – another reason to stay.’

She found herself, in that battered car that smelled of oil and the warm fragrant air drifting through the open windows and the tang of George’s sweat, staring back at him. Those bright blue eyes, framed by long pale lashes. The freckles that smattered his lips.

The car behind blasted its horn, making them both jump, snapping them out of the moment. The lights were green. George cleared his throat and waved an apology in the mirror as he pulled away. Nina stared out of the window, trying to catch her breath, trying to ignore the burning of her cheeks.

Pull yourself together, she thought. Whatever that moment was, it had gone and she was glad. This was a friendship, pure and simple, and that was exactly what she needed; she didn’t have the capacity to deal with charged moments between them right now.

‘So,’ George said, his voice straining to sound carefree. ‘You want to come in to see Yia-Yia? Or would you like me to drive you to your doorstep, milady?’ He put on a fake cockney accent. It was terrible.

‘Wow,’ she said, laughing. ‘I hope you don’t have any ambitions to go into acting.’

He grimaced, blushing. ‘God, I know, sorry. I don’t know what I was trying to do there.’