AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Anytime.” He locked eyes with her but couldn’t pull away. When she tugged off her hair tie and freed her wild curls from her ponytail, his desire grew. Even if she was as sweaty and grimy as he was, he wanted her more than ever.
“What? I know I’m a total mess right now.” She held up her hands. “I have a ton of dirt under my nails, and my hair—”
“Olivia. Stop.” He couldn’t take it any longer. Leaning toward her, he cupped her face in his hands. Her eyes caught his, but she didn’t shrink away. He kissed her softly, seeking out her consent. When she opened her mouth wider and slid her tongue against his, he was a goner. The taste and feel of her flooded his senses.
He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, his desire only increasing as she groaned with pleasure. He tangled his fingers in her hair, relishing the feel of it as he devoured her mouth. She placed her arms around his neck and pulled him toward her, kissing him back just as fiercely. He wanted to go even further, to burrow his hands under her shirt and caress her glorious breasts until she cried out in ecstasy, but alarm bells went off in his head.
What the fuck are you doing?
With great reluctance, he pulled away from her, painfully aware of how aroused he was. She stared at him, eyes wide, still breathing heavily. Considering the line he’d crossed, he deserved her fury. Instead, her bemused expression turned to laughter. Real, honest-to-God laughter that was so contagious he couldn’t help but join in.
“I can’t believe you kissed me now when I’m sweaty and disgusting,” she said. “Nice timing.”
“I’m equally sweaty, and you kissed me right back.”
She grinned and swung her legs against the side of the pit. “Maybe I did.”
Neither of them spoke, and he was torn between apologizing and trying to kiss her again. Now that he’d gotten a taste of those lips, he wanted more.
She let out a lengthy sigh. “This isn’t a good idea, is it? Grant asked us not to ‘indulge’ in this kind of behavior. Not us, per se, but you know what I mean. Even if Dusty thought it wouldn’t be a problem, she doesn’t realize how much Grant hates you. And me, by extension.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You talked to Dusty about me?”
“Maybe? Because I thought the two of you were…together last year, and I was…sort of jealous.”
“No. We’re friends. Same with me and Frida. Or me and Juno. I’m not trying to score with every woman I meet.”
“I know. I wasn’t trying to imply it, either. I just didn’t want any awkwardness with Dusty.” She gathered up her curls again. “Have you seen my hair tie?”
“Leave it. I like it down.” Even in her grubby state, she was so beautiful with her hair like this, all messy and wild.
“Yeah, I remember that.” She let out her breath. “Wow. I remember a lot.” She glanced at the pile of dirt on the tarp. “We need to backfill the pit. That should get our primal urges under control.”
All he wanted to do was kiss her again. Scratch that—he wanted more than kisses. He wanted to lay her down behind a bush, run his hands over her curves, and taste her everywhere. But she was right. They had a job to do, especially if they wanted to be back in time for dinner. If they were gone too long, the rumors would start flying.
He stood and retrieved the shovel. “If you want to write up a summary in your field notebook, I’ll backfill the site.”
Filling a pit was hot, dusty, and not nearly as satisfying as excavating it. When he was done, they used the wipes in the dig bag to clean their hands and faces. As they trudged back to the Jeep, he continued teasing her but kept his hands to himself.
Remembering her request, he stopped at the small grocery store in Kouklia, where he bought them each a vanilla ice cream bar coated in a layer of thick dark chocolate. They ate them while leaning against the Jeep, not caring if the chocolate melted onto their hands and the ice cream dripped on their clothes. Seeing Olivia so happy filled him with a warm glow. Whether it was due to her spectacular find, the kiss they’d shared, or the sheer joy of ice cream on a hot day, he couldn’t say. But he’d take the win.
