Page 58 of Pomegranates and Olive

"I need to get back home." The idea of returning to Sydney numbs me, but my time here is nearly over, for now. "What about you? Will you stay here? Or will you move on now that the season is almost over?"

"I'll leave soon enough. I was thinking of cruising along the coast for a while and then I want to visit some olive mills in Puglia."

"Don't you need to work?"

"Not in the monetary sense of things."

"Well, don't youwantto work?"

"I’ve got a lot of projects ongoing and if I find myself with a little free time I've still got the factory to run, as well as the pending approval for the resort. I'm also a partner at my father's construction company and I oversee my mother'spansionin Istanbul when I get up that way. I'm run off my feet most of the time and —" He stares straight at me, his grey eyes meeting mine for what seems like forever. "— why don't you come with me?"

"Where?"

"On my yacht. We could sail onto Venice after Puglia if you'd like."

"Like for a week? A month? A year?"

"All of those things."

"That's hilarious." I giggle softly at him. "Yeah... sure thing... why not, eh?"

"You think I'm joking?"

"Of course you're joking. It's a ridiculous idea."

"I'm asking you to go on an adventure with me."

"You know I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Where would I sleep anyway? Tora isn't that big."

He shakes his head in exasperation. "Do you remember what you said to me on the flight? You said you wanted an adventure. I can offer that to you. A real adventure. You said you wanted passion. I can promise you that. You said you wanted a new life. I will give it to you, if you let me."

I do.

I do want all those things.

And I might even want them with Deniz, but the timing sucks and real life still needs to go on.

"You're asking too much of me right now."

"You just need to say yes. Everything else will fall into place."

"I've already screwed up one guy's life back in Australia —" Waves of self-loathing roil in my stomach when I think about Luca and I wince. "— and God knows I've still got to go back and deal with that mess."

"I like you, Russo."

"I think I might like you as well, but I really need you to be patient with me. I can't go cruising around the Mediterranean. I have to go home. I have a life there. I have a job. I have bills, a huge mortgage. I'm just not spontaneous like you are."

"I think you're spontaneous. Didn't you jump on a plane to come here?"

"Deniz! Please stop!"

"Just tell me why you can't come with me."

"Luca and I have a shared history that is too hard to just walk away from. We need to sit down like adults and talk everything out."

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