Page 1 of One Night Together

CHAPTER 1

CASSIE

“She said ‘Yes!’”

Cassie glanced up from her phone.

A bald, bearded man kissed a woman with short, red hair wearing a white sundress and an ecstatic smile. They were adorable together.

Applause and cheers spread around the terrace bar. On cue, a waitress appeared with a bottle of champagne.

Cassie raised her wine glass in a silent toast. They were the second couple to get engaged this evening. Last night, four couples got engaged. For the past two evenings, she’d sat alone at the same table surrounded by happy couples and rowdy singles.

The setting sun filled the sky with dazzling shades of orange, red, and streaks of purple. A small jazz combo provided the soundtrack to another spectacular Santorini sunset.She hoped to share a beautiful moment like this with a man who loved her one day. He would be an honorable man who had unconditional love for her and lived his life with passion. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt if he was gorgeous and sexy. She chuckled and sipped her wine. It would probably be easier to find a unicorn than find the perfect man.

Her phone buzzed with a text.

“Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.” –Rumi

Her mother had been sending hermotivationalquotes for months, and this was the best one so far. If only she could dare to do it.

Her phone buzzed again.

Listen to your heart more and your head less.

Cassietyped out her reply.

Why do you keep telling me this?

The dots moved across the screen with another text from her mom.

It’s because I love you. Take a chance and see what happens.

Her mom’s advice was right. Taking a chance might be the only way to reset her life.

I will. Thanks, Mom.

Her mother always encouragedCassie to listen to her intuition. If she had, maybe she would have avoided the epic mistake of her ex-boyfriend, Owen Bell.

The globe lights strung across the hotel’s terrace bar blinked on. The music shifted from mellow jazz to the thumping rhythm of dance club music. Soon, crowds of single women and men would arrive. This piece of paradise would be packed with gyrating couples, boisterous laughter, and shouts for more cocktails.

The Kronos Hotel and especially this bar weren’t places she’d typically hang out. Cassie had been nearby on Crete, working as an assistant for a retired history professor.The quiet of the professor’s home provided the perfect environment for research.It was also the opposite of the Kronos. Her father had asked her to stay at the hotel for a few days. He built and renovated luxury hotels and condos worldwide and wanted to know if Santorini’s newest five-star hotel lived up to all the media hype.

Cassie took a final sip of wine, picked up her phone, and opened the email she vowed to never look at again. She read as far asDear Dr. Papadakis,then shoved the phone into her purse.What was the point? She didn’t win the fellowship and she had to move on. Hopefully, the professor would keep her as an assistant for a little longer. It would give her time to plan for her next step. If not, her parents would want Cassie to move back to New York. She was almost thirty years old with a PhD but didn’t have much else to show for all her work. She couldn’t go back home and be dependent on her parents.

Screams from the dance floor made her head throb in pain. Her room overlooked the bar, but even the soundproof windows couldn’t block the constant noise. She had to get out of here. She’d seen enough to report back to her father. She’d pack, check out, and go to the Triton Hotel for the rest of her stay. Comparing the quiet beauty of the Triton’s terrace to this mosh pit made her choice simple.

She paid the bar bill, grabbed her purse, and headed inside, picking up her pace. She couldn’t get out of here fast enough.

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