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Sienna came up ready to squeal. “It’s a lot cooler than I thought. Where’s the hot in hot springs?”
Xandros bobbed in the water beside her mother. “We must get closer to shore.” He swam with a powerful stroke.
Once they hit the warm flow, it was wonderful, despite the crowd. They splashed and played and floated for at least an hour before Xandros herded them back to the boat.
Over dinner that night, he tagged along, seating himself next to her mother. “What can I arrange for you all tomorrow?”
Tamryn was the first to whine her opinion. “I want a beach day. I’m tired of ruins and volcanoes and hiking.”
Sienna realized Carter had kicked Tamryn under the table when she squeaked, but she didn’t apologize for her rudeness. “What Tamryn means,” Carter interpreted, “is that we appreciate all the tours you’ve given us, but tomorrow is our last full day on Santorini and swimming and relaxing in the sun would be super.”
Tomorrow was their last day? All right, Sienna had known that from the beginning, but she’d put it out of her mind, letting herself imagine this vacation with Carter could go on and on.
The sparkle in Xandros’s eye showed he wasn’t offended at the rejection. “We all need a beach day, especially since you’re so close to the end of your holiday. If you go to the black sand beach at Períssa or Perivolos, you’ll find shops and cafés, beach bars and restaurants. I can arrange for mopeds to get you down there.”
“That’s nice of you, Xandros,” Carter said.
“Aren’t you coming with us?” Sienna asked, looking at her mother. Was it terrible that she didn’t want Xandros or her mother along? She wanted Carter to herself on this last day.
Xandros declined with an elegant shrug. “Paperwork and phone calls to catch up on.”
On the heels of that, her mother said, “I think I’ll walk to Skaros Rock.”
With a lift of one eyebrow and a smirk, Tamryn asked, “Didn’t you see everything when you were here before?”
Mom smiled as if she didn’t hear the snide edge. “That was thirty years ago. I’d like to see it all again.” She and Xandros exchanged a look, and Sienna was sure that no pictures of Skaros Rock would be taken tomorrow.
As if he followed her train of thought, Carter squeezed her hand. “It’s sweet,” he murmured in her ear.
And it meant she could spend the day with Carter.
* * *
At the caféthe next morning, Angela threw herself at Xandros. “Thank you for having the mopeds delivered last night. Now they can go whenever they want.”
He held her tight. “And we can do as we please.”
She felt giddy enough to giggle. “Do you want to see Skaros Rock?”
His mustache twitched. “Absolutely not.” Nuzzling her ear, he whispered, “I have bigger plans for you today.”
“I’m looking forward to something huge,” she said with a laugh.
His answering chuckle vibrated through her. “Are you talking about sex, naughty woman?”
They sat down, and Angela leaned over the table to say, “Are you up to it?”
He grinned. “Definitely. Drink your coffee, then you—” He leaned in for a kiss. “—are all mine.”
It was the most delectable day she’d known in thirty years. The first day she’d returned to Xandros had been amazing, but they filled today with long, lazy bouts of lovemaking, extraordinary food, lounging by the pool, playing in the water, then doing it all over again.
In a bedroom, he found a swimsuit that fit her, even if it was skimpier than she was used to. The back plunged and see-through lace ran down the center, reaching almost to her belly button. She’d slathered sunblock all over, and he climbed on top of her on the lounger, the sun beating down on them, their skin sliding deliciously together.
“Are you afraid of helicopters?” he asked.
She let out a laugh that didn’t make a sound. “You want to take me for a helicopter ride?”
He shook his head, slowly, then bent to kiss her, his taste luscious with the rum drink he’d made them both. “I meant helicopters flying overhead.” He marked her with a love bite. “I want to make you cry out right in this spot.”
