Page 99 of My Turkish Fling
“I… never mind. Just something I thought. Something I should have thought of earlier.”
“Wait, what?” I stared at him in confusion. “Did you hide a camera in my house?”
“No, Janie.” He gave me a brief smile that was quickly chased away by a frown. “But I think that burglar did. I was just going to call you and get you to check your bedroom.”
A full-body shiver rushed through me. “Seriously? How could they do that? Why?”
“I don’t know why, but I should have thought of that. I mean, they took nothing—”
“That’s not true,” I blurted, mortified. “They took my yellow panties. I never found them. I should have told you.”
“What?”
“It’s not important.”
His eyes flashed with fury. “It fits! Panties, a hidden camera… It’s been bothering me this whole time. Your dressing mirror has that decorative frame. It’d be the perfect place to hide—”
“You were thinking of me?” I cut in, desperate to push away the creepy feeling. I had to focus on that one ray of sunshine warming my heart.
“Of course I am.”
“You didn’t know if you’d ever see me again.”
“I knew.”
“You’re rather sure of yourself.” I cocked my head.
“I didn’t think I’d see you here,” he said softly. “I only knew my own plans.”
“What if we made plans together? I don’t know how, but I had to come here and ask you, because I’ll regret it for the rest of my life if I don’t even try. I thought about it… and I know I’m supposed to be an adult, but I also want to love like I’m losing my mind and like nothing else matters. And if anything stands in the way, we fight. Together.”
I stared at him, fearing that my heart would pound right out of my chest.
He smiled. Fully, with eyes lighting up. “Let’s.” He lifted therim of my sunhat and brushed my hair behind my ears. When his lips found mine, my heart soared. I couldn’t feel the cobblestones under my feet. Nothing connected me to the ground, or the reality. Those strong hands held me, serving as my only connection to life on Earth. Emir. His heart was still open. He was still mine.
He kissed me deeper, lighting up desire that raced all the way down my thighs. Finally, I pulled away and I found my balance, cheeks blazing, every cell alight with new purpose.
“How are your sons? Who’s looking after them?”
“Alex is in Auckland and Josh is home with Tabitha, believe it or not. She offered, and it turns out she gets along well with him. She won’t shovel shit, though, so Josh is looking after the animals.” I pulled a face.
“I’m sure Josh can handle it.”
“I have to go back, obviously. But I’m hoping, like an idiot, that I can somehow bring you back with me. Whatever it is, we can handle it. Together.” My voice trembled and I had to summon all my courage to look him in the eye. I’d placed my bet and was now waiting for the roulette wheel to stop spinning.
His dark eyes peered straight into my soul. The corner of his mouth lifted. “My Janie.” He took my elbow, pivoting us up the hill. “Let me show you what we’ll be handling together.” His voice held a warning, but I only felt warmth. Overwhelming, indescribable warmth enveloped my heart as I trailed alongside him up the steep footpath, to a small doorway leading to a dimly lit shop.
A curly-haired man with a goatee sat at an outdoor table. He nodded at Emir, giving me a dubious side-eye. I stepped into theshop, noting the stuffy smell of storage and old cigarette smoke. As my eyes adjusted to the low light, I saw the floor-to-ceiling shelves, racks and random items hanging off large hooks in the ceiling. How was it physically possible to fit this much in one room? Although I couldn’t make out the back wall, so I wasn’t entirely sure about the edges of the space. I could only tell it was full.
“Has this featured on TV?” I asked, my voice a little hoarse. “Hoarders?”
Emir bumped his head on a hanging oil lamp and adjusted his position to stand between two different lamps, his expression mortified. “No. Maybe I should try that. It’d be hard to move around and find camera angles, though.”
“You’re right. It’s just… unreal.”
He sighed. “It is. My father has officially signed it over to me, so I have to sort it out somehow. There’s no storage space, so I was thinking of ordering a shipping container. See if I can dig up anything that’s worth anything to list online.”
I trudged deeper into the shop, taking a closer look at the items. Crystals, ceramics, mosaic lamps, vases, war memorabilia, tin cans, old hats. Some of it was likely worthless, but I could easily imagine the decorative and colorful household items in expensive antique and homeware shops in New Zealand.
