Adonis in Athens - Page 32

He leaned over and kissed her. “You don’t need me for anything then!”

She reached up to touch his face. “Not true. You’ve made me so happy in two days, it’s a little hard to believe this is just a vacation.”

“No matter what happens between us,” he said quietly, “this is much more than just a vacation. Now come on—let me play tour guide.”

Monastiraki was like an entire neighborhood of flea market shops and stalls. She found everything from jewelry and clothing to souvenirs, gourmet spices and wines. Though she didn’t have a lot of spending money, since she wasn’t paying for two of the four nights she’d budgeted for at the hotel, she was able to buy gifts for her parents, Nicky, Raegan and Becca. She wandered through shop after shop, lost in everything Greek, completely unaware of how much time had passed.

Apollo followed amiably, watching her delight as he carried her bags, helped her barter with some of the more crotchety shopkeepers, and pointed out historical buildings in their midst. Finally, when the sun was high in the sky and they were both hot and sweaty, he nudged her towards a food court of sorts, filled with restaurant after restaurant.

“We can come back another day,” he said firmly. “But I’m dying of thirst and starving.”

She grinned. “Me too! And everything around here smells yummy!”

They chose a place where Apollo knew the owner and Paige discovered the joy of souvlaki. She tried both lamb and chicken, plucking the grilled, savory meat off the skewers and dipping them in tzatziki, which had become one of her favorite things. Afterwards, they walked back through the shops and she stopped in front of one selling hand-painted canvases of different images of Greece. There was one in particular that she loved—a sunset view of the Temple of Poseidon, so realistic she felt like she was there. It was too big for her suitcase, though, and she fretted over how she would get it home.

“I own a shipping company,” Apollo whispered in her ear. “I could probably stick it in a crate somewhere and get it to you.”

She bit her lip. She wanted it desperately, but it was expensive as well as difficult to transport.

“Let me buy it for you,” he said softly. “You haven’t let me buy you anything all day. What if it’s a belated wedding present?”

She smiled. “I want to say no, but I can’t—I want to look at this painting forever.”

“Consider it yours.” He spoke to the artist in Greek and within minutes they were moving back down the street, the painting securely wrapped in foam and ready for transport.

“Thank you!” She threw her arms around his neck happily. “This has been the second-best day ever!”

“I know you’re going to tell me last night was the best day ever, right?” he joked, laughing with her.

“Last night was the very best sex ever,” she amended, “but the best day ever is still watching the sun set while we were in Sounion.”

He kissed her forehead. “Well, tonight we watch the sun set at the Acropolis. Let’s take a cab back to the car to drop all this stuff off and then we can walk up there.”

“Okay.” She followed along, a little bit tired but having too much fun to care. She’d dreamed of seeing the Acropolis in person most of her life and now she was going to climb right up and touch it, walk on the same grounds as the ancient Greeks had more than 2,000 years ago. It was a little surreal and when they got to the gates, where Apollo paid the entrance fee, she felt somewhat awed.

“How many times have you climbed up here?” she asked as they set out on the path.

“Dozens,” he said. “And though I don’t go out of my way to come anymore, I still find it very inspirational to see what they accomplished so long ago, with no modern tools or conveniences.”

“I can’t even stand it,” she said, staring up towards the top where the Parthenon stood in all its majesty.

“Come on, sweet dreamer… Let’s get today’s adventure under way.”

“Wasn’t the whole day part of the adventure?” she asked.

“That was shopping,” he chuckled. “This is adventure!”

Laughing, they walked the rest of the way up, pausing to sit in the seats of the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, located on the southern slope of the Acropolis. It was magnificent, and though she knew it had been restored sometime in the last hundred years, enough of its original beauty was still intact to add authenticity.

As Paige leaned back on one of the hard stone seats, Apollo pulled out his phone and took her picture. She was sunburned and sweaty, but he’d never seen her look so alive. Her eyes flashed with excitement—almost as sexy as they’d been last night when she’d come undone beneath him—and her skin glowed from both the sun and the fresh air. Tonight he wanted to make love to her on the balcony of his house, long after the neighbors were asleep. With the lights out and a blanket to partially cover them, no one would be the wiser and there would be nothing but their bodies, the wind, and the sound of the sea in the background.

“The sun is going down soon!” Paige called to him. “And they’ll close! Come on!”

Laughing, he followed, caught up in her excitement.

They’d just gotten back to the house when he got a series of texts from Melina. She seemed a little frantic, telling him he had to call her immediately and he reluctantly dialed her number.

“Where have you been?!” she cried.