Page 52 of The Billionaire Offer
Slowing to a gentle stop in one of the narrow tunnels, I turned to him and put my arms around his shoulders, pressing my body up against his as I kissed him deeply. I didn’t even really know why I did it. I just felt compelled to, like I was sealing in all these feelings with a kiss in a place that had withstood the test of time regardless of the harsh conditions the structures faced on a daily basis.
He grinned against my lips, resting his forehead against mine once we broke apart. “Yeah, I know.”
“I didn’t say anything,” I whispered.
“You didn’t have to,” he murmured and kissed me again before turning me around. “Now, let’s catch up to Arun before we get lost.”
While there was no one else I’d rather have gotten lost with, he had a point. We hurried—carefully—to catch up to our guide, but I couldn’t stop smiling even in the dark. As awesome as this tour was, that kiss had been everything, and that, under the circumstances, told me everything I needed to know about my feelings.
I am absolutely, unequivocally in love with Bart Philips. Again. And this time, I’m going to do everything in my power to keep him.
CHAPTER33
BART
“Are you serious?” Serenity exclaimed as I led her onto the private boat I had waiting for us. “We’re going on a cruise down the Nile?”
“Yep.” I grinned. “It was on our list and it seemed like the perfect thing to do after the pyramids.”
She grabbed my hand and held it as we walked onto the deck and took a look around. The boat wasn’t huge, but since it was just for the two of us, it didn’t need to be. Arun and our driver had brought us here, but the guide wouldn’t be joining us for the cruise. Apparently, the owner of the boat would also be at the helm, and he would point out all the landmarks we needed to see.
As he welcomed us warmly, he shook both our hands before grinning and pointing to a shaded area at the back. “You sit there. I will bring food and drink when we are underway.”
“Thank you,” I said, loving the accents here and how genuinely friendly all the people we’d encountered were.
Egypt was fast becoming one of my favorite places. The culture, the history, the food, and the people were unbelievable, and I was more than glad we’d come. It was the most foreign place I’d ever been, and although my dad hadn’t had many other places like this on his bucket list, I was sure as fuck thinking about adding a few to my own.
After we got back from Hawaii, we’d both have to spend some time at home. I had my tournament coming up and I knew Serenity had to get to work on her album. At the same time, however, I was seriously considering compiling a whole new list while we were there and asking her if she’d be interested in continuing our travels.
Obviously, we’d have to see how her album did and whether she’d be able to get away at all after her first single came out, but I could wait. All I knew was that I’d gotten a taste of the exotic and I wouldn’t be able to just leave it at this.
Already, my mind was spinning with ideas.Turkey. India. Peru. Cambodia. Morocco. The Balkans.
I suddenly had the intense desire to see them all. The only thing that was bothering me about Cairo so far was seeing all the children in poverty. I’d read about it, but seeing it firsthand was something entirely different.
I knew I’d had a sheltered life in that sense. Plenty of people didn’t grow up surrounded by technology, air-conditioning, and an easy life, but it was beginning to occur to me that I actually had the power to make a change now.
I just didn’t know how, but my friends had their causes and I had a feeling I’d found mine. When we got home, I’d have to look into it, but for now, I settled down on the loveseat at the back of the boat with Serenity by my side and my arm slung around her shoulders as I held her close.
“Having fun?” I murmured, turning my head toward her as we sailed past other boats and tour groups, waving at the people who waved at us and taking in the scenery around the banks.
She seemed to struggle to yank her gaze away from it all, but when she finally did, she smiled at me and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “I’m having the best time. You?”
“Same,” I agreed. “This is pretty spectacular, right? I have a shuttle booked to take us to Luxor, and then on to Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh, but now I’m wondering if we shouldn’t do a cruise to Luxor and then take the shuttle to the rest.”
“That sounds awesome,” she said breathlessly. “We still have a few more days here, though, don’t we? I’m not sure I’m ready to say goodbye to Cairo yet.”
“Well, we don’t have to go anywhere until we are, but we do have a few more days anyway. Let’s see how we feel the day before we’re supposed to leave. We can make the call then.”
Serenity nodded, but then her eyes grew wide as she pointed at something over my shoulder. “Oh, look! A crocodile. I didn’t think we’d see one in real life.”
I turned to look at the beast, glad it was so far away from us, and as I shifted in my seat, I caught the faint whiff of sunscreen from her. “We should probably reapply your sunblock. It’s been hours since we left the hotel.”
She giggled, arching a brow at me but also reaching into her backpack to pull out the bottle. “You just want an excuse to rub some more on me, don’t you?”
“Guilty as charged,” I admitted. “Can you blame me? You look fucking hot in that sundress and I haven’t touched you since last night. Plus, the sun around here is brutal. It’s important to be vigilant. Read any guide. It’ll tell you the same thing.”
Laughing as she handed it over, she turned her back to me and swept her ponytail out of the way. “Who am I to argue with good travel advice? If the guides say you have to do it, I suppose you have to do it. We are under shade netting, though. I doubt we’ll get burned under here.”
