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ChapterSixteen
Olivia groaned as her phone alarm went off. Day ten of survey meant waking up early for breakfast duty. No easy feat, considering she’d been up past midnight. She hadn’t planned to stay up late, but when Rick brought out his guitar, she couldn’t resist joining him. After everyone else drifted away, she spent another hour talking to him. She loved hearing about the projects he’d worked on and the people he’d met. Though her life seemed dull in comparison, he’d listened eagerly to her family anecdotes and tales of academia.
When she got to the camp kitchen, no one was there except Rick, who whistled as he filled the kettle with water. Even at five thirty in the morning, with his hair still mussed from sleep, he looked as devilishly handsome as ever. For a moment, she watched him from the doorway, freely ogling his broad shoulders and sturdy biceps.
When he turned to face her, his smirk suggested he knew exactly what she’d been doing.
She bit back a grin. “Um…hi. TJ’s not here yet?”
“I didn’t wake him. I figured we could handle breakfast on our own.”
Her heart rate kicked up a notch. “So, we’re alone?”
“For the moment.” He moved in closer and caressed her cheek. “I’ve been dreaming about you every night.”
His gentle touch sent shivers through her. “Same here. But I want more.”
“Me, too.”
A thought came to her. “Didn’t you say Dr. Roth was really excited about my Geometric site? Do you think we could convince him to send us back there?”
He grinned. “Are you hoping to find more artifacts or trying to be alone with me?”
“A little of both, maybe?”
He brushed his finger across her lower lip, making her tingle with anticipation. “I think we could make that happen.”
Her breath caught. “Soon?”
“The sooner the better.”
The kitchen door burst open. “Hey, guys, sorry I’m late for—” TJ stopped short. “Oh, shit.”
Rick pulled away from her quickly, but their intimacy was impossible to miss.
Olivia cleared her throat. “Sorry, TJ. That was totally unprofessional.”
“Like I care?” TJ said. “I kind of wondered about you two, anyway. On that first day, you were giving off serious enemies-to-lovers vibes.”
Despite Olivia’s discomfort, a laugh tumbled out. “Enemies-to-lovers? I didn’t realize you were that familiar with romance tropes.”
“My sister loves all things romance, so I’ve watched my share of rom-coms.” He glanced around furtively. “I won’t tell anyone, but you shouldn’t let Grant get wind of this.”
“That was the plan,” Rick said. “You don’t mind keeping things quiet?”
“Hell, no. I love a good secret. You want me to leave, or—”
Olivia blew out a long breath. “No, you can stay.”
Not only had the mood passed, but TJ’s appearance had made her realize how careless they’d been. Anyone could have woken early and walked into the kitchen.
At least now Olivia had a plan. After today’s survey, she’d approach Dr. Roth during lab and ask if she and Rick could dig more test pits at her Geometric site. Then they’d be guaranteed some uninterrupted time together.
With the second week of surveying almost over, the teams had moved from the coastal plain to the hilly areas around Kouklia. Although Olivia’s success in finding a site had given her a boost of confidence, the hill country was a huge challenge. Today’s drive took them a half hour from camp, past tiny villages and farms. At one point, they waited patiently as a shepherd crossed the road with a large flock of sheep.
Earlier in the week, Brynn had switched to Grant’s team so she could work with Courtney. Knowing that Grant was now responsible for the two most demanding members of the field school filled Olivia with a malevolent glee. In return, Rick’s team had gotten Alisha, an easygoing Black woman who took delight in one-upping TJ’s stories. Though she’d only worked on one other dig, she’d traveled extensively due to her father’s job in the foreign service.
At the moment, she and TJ were going toe to toe over their experiences in Italy. “I still think Rome is overrated,” TJ said.
