Page 39 of Troy Story
“We should get back,” Dusty said. “We don’t want to piss off Stuart and Kerim.”
“No way,” Emilia said. “We already missed our break. If we go back to the site without eating, we’ll have to wait until lunch, and I’m starving.”
Dusty conceded. After ordering tea and three types of cake, they sat in the shade with Mort and enjoyed his company. Emilia and TJ took turns regaling him with dig stories, each more hard-core than the next.
When Dusty peeked at her watch and saw it was eleven thirty, she told them to finish up quickly. As she cleared her teacup and plate from the table, she spied Dr. Hughes walking toward the café. By now, he must be dying to know how their mission had gone.
Telling the others she was going on ahead, she raced out to intercept him. At the sight of her, he stopped and waited in a shaded area free from the crush of tourists.
He frowned at her. “About time. What took you so long?”
“Sorry, but…”Wait.Why was she apologizing after she’d just put herself at risk? Clearing her throat, she infused her voice with confidence. “Once Dr. Wagner agreed to talk to us, we didn’t want to rush him. The more we let him talk, the more we learned about his goals for this new site.”
“He didn’t suspect anything?”
“Nope. We pulled it off perfectly.”
Dr. Hughes chuckled. “That idiot.”
She winced at his words. Now that she’d spent time with Dr. Wagner, she no longer viewed him as an imperious jerk. Despite the stern image he projected, he’d treated her respectfully. He was a true professional, which was more than she could say for Dr. Hughes.
Still, she had to play along. “I’ll say. He told us everything.” Suddenly afraid the German dig director might materialize out of nowhere, she moved in closer. In a hushed voice, she told Dr. Hughes what she’d learned.
After she was done, he bristled with indignation. “A royal archive? That’s impossible. No one’s ever found evidence of anything like that at Troy.”
“I know. I suspect he was just trying to impress us.” She took a step back, wanting to put an end to the conversation. “Anyway, it’s done. Are we all good?’
“We’re good. If you behave yourself for the rest of the dig, I see no reason you should leave any earlier than you’d planned.”
If I behave myself? What the fuck does that mean?But she knew better than to voice her irritation. “Will you include Mort in your publication like you promised? Or give him some kind of credit?”
“Of course. I’m a man of my word.” He cast a glance toward the café, where Emilia and Clarissa were clearing their table. “I suggest the lot of you get back to the site as soon as possible. Wouldn’t want Stuart to get more anxious than he already is.”
“Yep. Right.” Wiping the sweat from her brow, she hustled over to the café to urge the others along.
As they walked back to the site together, she pushed her lingering guilt aside.
She’d done what she had to. And if luck was with her, she’d never have to worry about it again.
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
On their next day off, Stuart was once again denied a relaxing day at the beach. Rather than allow the crew to “squander” their free time, Dr. Hughes had insisted they embark upon a field trip. So, instead of lazing in the sun, they were driving to Bergama, a city near the ruins of Pergamon, a well-preserved site that had risen to fame during the Greco-Roman era. While Stuart agreed Pergamon was worth a visit, the drive was a grueling three hours each way.
In anticipation of the long day ahead, they’d all risen at 6:00 a.m. and shared a quick breakfast. Stuart assumed he’d be driving one of the Land Rovers, as he did during their workdays, but Kerim volunteered to take his place. “That way, you and Dusty can ride together.”
Stuart could have done without Kerim’s knowing smirk, but he accepted the offer gratefully. When he hopped into the front of Dusty’s vehicle, she was already in the driver’s seat.
She flashed him a cheeky grin. “You’re here. What say we ditch this road trip, check into a hotel in Güzelyali, and spend all day fucking like bunnies?”
He chuckled at her candidness. “Behave yourself.”
“Oh, please. Are you telling me the thought didn’t cross your mind?”
Of course it had. Though he was glad they weren’t rushing into things, his fantasies about her had ramped up considerably. He placed his hand on her thigh, inching up past the hem of her shorts to caress the bare skin underneath. As he imagined touching her everywhere without inhibition, he craved her even more.
He tried to clear the tempting visions from his head. This wasn’t the time for lewd daydreams. “As much as I’d love to whisk you off to a hotel room, it wouldn’t be a good look.”
“I guess we’ll have to wait for the right moment. Such a shame.”
