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They walked along the rocky shore, listening to the soothing rhythm of the ocean. When they reached a spot with no one around, Rick sat against a large rock and pulled her onto his lap. She leaned against him and let out a sigh. “This is so romantic. We had sex in Aphrodite’s temple, and now we’re visiting her birthplace. This must be a sign, right? Maybe the goddess is trying to tell us something.”
“Maybe she is.”
Was it a sign? Was Aphrodite trying to get through to him? To tell him he needed to stop running and stay with the one woman he’d never been able to forget?
He held her in his arms, breathing in the bracing salt air as they watched the waves crest onto the shore. Though he wanted to disclose his offer to work in Turkey, he was reluctant to spoil the moment. For now, he was content to sit with her and enjoy her presence. With two weeks of field school left, he still had plenty of time to tell her.
When Olivia’s phone buzzed insistently, he startled as though coming out of a dream. “Do you need to get that?”
“Let me see.” She peeked at it. “It’s my sister. I can tell her to call back later.”
“You can talk if you want. We should head back soon anyway.”
She swiped at the phone. “Sofia. Hey. How’s it going? Yes, I’m with him. No, I’m fully clothed. Why? Because I’m at a public beach.” She rolled her eyes and whispered, “She wants to use FaceTime. She insists on seeing you for herself.”
“Sure.” Rick couldn’t help but grin. The more he heard about Olivia’s little sister, the more he wanted to meet her in person.
Sofia’s face appeared on the screen. “Hey! It’s you! Mr. Hottie, in the flesh.”
“Is that what Olivia calls me?”
“No, that’s my nickname for you,” Sofia said. “Because I kept hearing how hot you were. It’s hard to judge by looking at a screen, but I think you’re the real deal. My sister didn’t lie about your hotness.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Olivia said dryly. “Is something up, or did you want to chat about Rick’s masterful physique?”
“Ooh, you’re a little snippy. Did I interrupt you? Don’t give me that crap about being on a public beach. You were in bed, weren’t you?”
Olivia laughed. “There are literally no beds at camp. No bedrooms, for that matter. Here.” She turned the phone so it was facing the waves. “Petra Tou Romiou—the birthplace of Aphrodite.”
“That’s so romantic. Didn’t I tell you Aphrodite would come through for you? It’s truly the island of love.” She gave a dramatic sigh. “I’m so glad I get to visit.”
“When are you getting here?” Olivia asked.
“In a few days. Just wrapping up things in Greece, then flying to Larnaca. I’m gonna be staying at the Aphrodite Gardens. It’s a fully loaded resort about ten minutes from Kouklia. Mouflon Tours is putting me up in exchange for some sweet promo content. Isn’t that the best? Maybe if you’re extra nice, I’ll invite you over for a swim. You, too, Mr. Hottie.”
He laughed. “I’d like that.”
Olivia didn’t look quite as comfortable. “Umm…Sofia? If you come here, can you please call him Rick? We’re not supposed to be flaunting our relationship.”
“Why? Because of Mr. Grumpy Gills? No worries. I won’t say a word.” Sofia squealed. “I can’t wait to see you. It’s been too long. But right now, I’ve gotta go. The nightlife calls. Catch you on the flip.”
When she was done, Rick stared at the screen, dazed by Sofia’s exuberance. “Wow. Your sister is—”
“A lot? She’s always been like that. At first, I was worried about her coming here because she isn’t shy about speaking her mind. We’re talking zero filter. But I think it’ll be okay. I can’t wait to hear all her stories.” She grinned. “I used to get so jealous of her, but for once, I have some scandalous stories of my own.”
“Like sneaking out to the Sanctuary of Aphrodite?”
“Exactly.” Olivia waggled her eyebrows. “Even Sofia’s never had sex in an ancient temple.”
More than ever, Rick wished they could go back there, but he wasn’t willing to risk it—not unless Olivia was fully on board. He stood and offered her his hand. “We should get going.”
She took it and rose beside him. “Thanks for bringing me here. Can we come back again some night?”
“We can try.” He didn’t know if they’d be able to finagle it, but he was glad his gesture had meant so much to her.
You’re getting in awfully deep. What the hell are you going to do?
A question he could save for later.
He didn’t need to make any decisions. Yet.
