Page 50 of Love on the Rocks
“Not happening.” I laughed, but there was a small part of me that shivered at the possibility.
Chapter 20
“Taste,asteri mou, is as intimate as touch. If not more so.” Mia wet her lips as Angelos set a silver serving tray laden with sweets before her. Baklava soaked in honey, loukoumi made from rosewater and speckled with fragrant rose petals. He held a dripping confection to her lips and Mia licked the honey from his fingers and purred . . .
- One Week with the Greek
NIKOS
Exasperated, I closedOne Week with the Greekand tossed it on the seat next to me, staring out at the white breakers as the catamaran cut a path across the agitated sea.
Was it possible to be envious of a fictional character? Because, honestly, I wanted to punch Angelos, that lucky son of a bitch, right in his square jaw.
Within three days of meeting her, Angelos had his rebellious mistress licking honey from his fingers and purring at his feet. And here I was, three days after making Callie come on my tongue, completely ignored and probably still despised.
What’s more, I’d cut my weekly trip to Kos short for her. Instead of staying the night and going out with fellow volunteers like we did once a month to blow off steam, I’d decided to hitch a ride back to Lyra. Just to have the privilege of having Callie ignore me again.
Three days. I strummed three chords on my guitar.
Three days since I’d tasted her.Strum. Three days since I held her luscious body in my arms.Strum. Three days since my world turned on its head.Strum.
At this rate, it would take me a hell of a lot longer than three days to tame my rebellious mistress. Could I even call her that when she’d made it clear she had no desire to even speak to me again?
The problem was my attraction to her wasn’t just sexual. It would be easier if it was. No, I genuinely admired her. She was whip-smart and had a wicked sense of humor, and I knew now that my first impression of her—that she was stuck-up and superficial—was completely off the mark. It was all an act. She was a woman in an industry dominated by men, and I could only imagine what it must be like to have to prove yourself every day. It made sense that she’d developed this hard exterior.
When I found myself softening toward her, I tried to remind myself that she was still the enemy. She was working for Greystone and was determined to see their project through even if it meant sacrificing Lyra. I couldn’t let feelings or physical attraction get in the way of my own determination to protect the island. It sure as hell didn’t make sense then that part of me wanted her to stay—even if it was just to antagonize me with her hard-headed ways.
That’s why I didn’t mind that I hadn’t heard back yet from Diana Russo about my grandfather’s cup. I wanted the cup to be authentic in order to delay the construction of the hotel, but that would mean Callie would be leaving. And I wasn’t sure that’s what I wanted anymore. How fucking crazy was that?
As the boat pulled into Lyra, my pulse thrummed in anticipation.
“Got something planned for tonight, Niko?” asked my colleague Vassilis when he saw my expression.
“If I’m lucky.” I slapped my hand against his back. He picked up the book from the seat next to me.
“What is this?” He laughed, staring at the illustration of a tall, swarthy man with his white dress shirt wide open holding a voluptuous red-haired woman with a distressed pout on her lips.
I snatched it back from him and winked. “Research.”
Even though I knew she’d pretend she couldn’t stand the sight of me, I’d decided I was going to bang on Callie’s door. After all, the last time I’d showed up unexpectedly, it hadn’t turned out so bad.
As I headed toward the stairs, I spied Yiannis carrying a large box. His eyes grew wide when he saw me.
“Niko, I thought you weren’t back until tomorrow morning.” He transferred the box to his other arm, hiding its contents from me.
“I decided to come back early. There were two other doctors on shift,” I explained as we started up the stairs.
“You must be exhausted. You should rest this evening.”
“I’m fine,” I assured him. More than fine. I was buzzing with the possibility of having Callie’s legs wrapped around me. “No emergencies while I was gone? No one toppling off the rocks?”
“No, no. Nothing’s happening, nothing at all.” He hummed nervously.
“Okay, what’s up, Yianni?”
“Nothing. Teresa is here for the weekend.” Teresa, his girlfriend, lived on Rhodes during the tourist season. They’d been together for as long as I could remember, but they still hadn’t gotten married.
“Is she staying with you or her parents?” He looked at me like I’d lost my mind. Her uncle was one of the local priests. There was no way they’d be spending time alone at Yiannis’s house.
