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ChapterOne
“Idon’t know if I could ever get used to this heat, especially since it’s Christmas back home,” Kim said and turned to smile at Carolina.
Kim handed her a small pickaxe and hand brush to add to the rolled canvas bag of archeological dig tools she’d brought with her.
“Me either,” Caro agreed, and hummed softly as she tucked each item away in their proper slots.
After three years of being married to a man who’d barely even looked at her, Carolina Moore had waited until the divorce was finalized before heading out to join Washington University’s exploratory expedition at Giza.
True, she was only an artist, but her interests were vast. Her ex-husband, a successful corporate attorney named Joffrey Carrion, hadn’t even bothered to show up at the final meeting between their lawyers. That had stung, and Caro did not think she would get through the season without her friend’s help.
When they had gotten married, Joffrey had insisted they maintain all of their accounts separately. Hell, he’d even suggested she not sell her condo, but sublet it. She did not understand at the time, but she sure did now. It was like the bastard knew their relationship would be as brief as their infrequent couplings. In other words, a lot of effort to go absolutely nowhere.
Ugh.
Well, goodie for her. He was right. Carolina wasn’t the neat, quiet mouse of a wife he’d wanted. She was smart, outspoken, and damn funny too, if she said so herself.
Joffrey would have preferred if she were some mute dress-up doll he could take out and put on display for social occasions—as long as he could return her back to her place. All alone on a dusty shelf until he’d needed her again. Like one of his Ferragamo ties.
She frowned thinking about the many times she’d felt like nothing more than an accessory to the man she’d promised to love, though to him, obey was the more important vow.
Bastard.
Well, it did not matter. She shook off her angsty feelings, and Caro reminded herself her marriage was history now. Kinda like the dig she’d gone to see.
Using her savings from her latest art show sales—which had been more than modest to her relief since she hadn’t been producing the last six months, Carolina had decided on this trip to get her through the bulk of the Christmas season. Last year, she had been managing Joffrey’s social calendar and acting as his personal assistant, seeing to their clothes—always complimentary—and his itinerary.
Who had time to sculpt when playing the doting trophy wife? Even then, she was a chubby, disappointing one at that.
“Yes, this is my wife, Carolina Moore, the sculptress, you might have seen her little show discussed in the New York Times.”
He never missed an opportunity to brag. Always acting the proud, but she knew the truth. Herlittle showhad been a smashing success the year they’d gotten married, raking in reviews, sales, and proposals from patrons wishing to commission for more pieces.
Joffrey had insisted she refuse to tend his needs, and like a fool, she had told her agent to take down information, but she had never reached back out.
As for the “little” nature of her work as he had loved to put it, Caro’s work had been so very important to her and was respected by the finest critics of the day. Her nudes and flamboyantly provocative figures were not the types of things Joffrey Carrion would ever want associated with his name.
Good thing she’d kept her own for professional reasons. That and who wanted to be named after roadkill?
Suits him perfectly,she thought with a snort.
Fucking Joffrey. The man had done a number on her self-esteem, but she would get it back. She just needed time, and this change of scenery had done wonders for her healing.
She didn’t even think he’d noticed what she did after the papers were signed. Probably did not know she was out of the country for the last two months.
Carolina had packed up at the start of the holiday madness, which usually began around Halloween, and had joined Kim, one of her oldest buddies, in Egypt.
She’d always loved being in New York during the holidays, but she didn’t want any reminders of her old life this year. True, she was leaving before Christmas, but the bulk of it would be over.
Kim sure was a lifesaver, she thought, thinking of all the work she would accomplish when she got back. Her brain was churning with fresh ideas, and once again, Caro thought about how lucky she’d been to visit such an ancient and mystical place.
Kim had written Caro in as a guest lecturer for her old alma mater. It wasn’t really a stretch. With degrees in art, history, and minors in mythology, Carolina was always on the lookout for fodder to fan her artist’s flame.
Egypt was full of things to tempt her muses. After all, divorce was hardly good material for sculpting, although she was tempted to do a small one of Joffrey with his head up his own ass.
Unfortunately, she’d signed an agreement upon the divorce that made her promise to not use any part of him, including his less than impressive manhood, in her art.
Oh well, there went her dream of painting on a grain of rice. It would’ve been true to scale.
