Page 18 of Troy Story
What if she stood up, went to his side of the table, and sat in his lap? Ran her fingers through his thick blond hair and whispered in his ear, “Forget about Kerim. All I want is you.”
Are you serious? He was just cozying up to Clarissa.
She shook off her lustful thoughts and focused on boosting his morale. “For what it’s worth, you rocked the first day. We got a great overview of the site and the museum and still had time to rest. Not gonna lie, the site tour would have been more bearable if it hadn’t turned into ‘The Dr. Hughes Show,’ but that’s not your fault.”
Stuart let out a pained breath. “I wish he didn’t have so much riding on this summer. He’s so obsessed with restoring his former glory. Like, if he doesn’t find something newsworthy, he’ll have wasted an entire season. Which is such bullshit. The goal of our excavation is to learn more about daily life at Troy during the Late Bronze Age.”
She grinned. “I love it when you go into professor mode, Dr. Carlson.”
Oops. Had she just used the word “love”? But Stuart didn’t seem to notice.
After popping the Jolly Rancher in his mouth, he peeked at her drawing. “Did you come in here to sketch or to research your dissertation topic?”
“Research. But I ended up doodling because I didn’t have you to kick my butt.” She passed him her picture of the Trojan horse. “Like it?”
“It’s brilliant. I love all the details. Can I keep it? I’ll add it to my Dusty Danforth collection.”
Her heart swelled with affection. Over the years, he’d accumulated dozens of her sketches, including ones for every dig they’d been on. “Of course. I’m thinking of doing a whole series based onThe Iliad.”
“Sounds great. But Dusty…” He twisted the candy wrapper in his hands. “You told me to kick your butt. Can you think of what you’d like to write about?”
“I was just talking it over with Emilia. Maybe something to do with the site of Troy? I’m not sure what yet. There are almost too many possibilities.”
He brightened. “That’s still a great starting point. Your topic wouldn’t have to be based on this year’s dig—the library here is full of site reports and research materials from decades of excavation.”
“I guess.” In theory, the idea was solid. But in reality? She’d rather spend her free time drawing and hanging out with the crew than holing up in the library with a stack of dry-as-dust site reports.
“No pressure. Just think about it. Maybe you could ask Kerim for suggestions. He’s worked at Troy for years, so I bet he’s loaded with ideas.” Stuart paused a minute, then spoke in a less confident tone. “I didn’t realize you knew him so well. It took me by surprise.”
Was that what made you uneasy? Or the thought that I might have slept with him?Dusty gnawed on her lip, choosing to keep Stuart in suspense a little longer. “We had a lot of fun when he was in Bodrum. He’s an amazing sailor.”
Stuart gave a terse smile. “I can imagine. Listen, since there’s nothing for you to draw yet, are you okay digging with us for now? Obviously, we’ll need you to sketch the architectural features of the site, but it might take a while before we find any artifacts worth illustrating.”
“No problem. I’d just as soon spend my mornings on-site with everyone else and do my illustrations when we come back here in the afternoons for lab work.”
“Thanks. And…” He sighed. “Can you try not to piss off Hughes? He’s already got a grudge against you. Not because of anythingyoudid, but…”
“Because of my mom. She made it sound like they’re bitter enemies. I’m sure he’d love to kick me off the dig in retaliation.” Though she kept her voice light, the thought unsettled her stomach. She couldn’t risk losing her summer with Stuart.
“You’re not going anywhere. Not if I can help it. But I thought I should warn you to play nice.”
She flashed him a cheeky grin. “Are you aware this is the second time you’ve asked me to be nice? I’m not a terrible ogre.”
“I know. But you’re not afraid to assert yourself, either. Just like your mom. Speaking of which, let’s spend a half hour brainstorming ideas for your thesis, okay?”
She groaned. “Why don’t we go play poker instead? Losing to TJ sounds less painful.”
“Nope. I made you a promise, and I intend to keep it. I’d rather hang out with you than get my ass kicked at cards.”
“Really?” She caught his eyes.
He nodded, holding her gaze for a beat. She could have sworn something sparked between them. A tiny current. A flicker of attraction. Like he wanted more but didn’t know how to ask for it. But maybe she was just projecting her own feelings. For now, her safest bet was to focus on her dissertation.
Brainstorming a thesis topic was as unromantic an evening as she could imagine.
But it was time alone with Stuart, and that counted for a lot.
CHAPTEREIGHT
