Page 106 of Field Rules

ChapterThirty-Five

If the end-of-survey party had been fun, the end-of-excavation party was epic. Rick was so full he could barely move. After feasting on a delicious Cypriot meal full of mezes, salads, souvlaki, and stuffed grape leaves, they’d celebrated with a cake. Not just any cake, but an enormous chocolate cake Juno had purchased in secret to celebrate Rick’s twenty-seventh birthday. Seated at the crowded table with Olivia at his side, he couldn’t remember a better birthday. Especially since she’d promised to continue the celebration once the party was over. They’d both decided to risk one last visit to Aphrodite’s temple. Hopefully, no one else would choose tonight to pay tribute to the goddess.

The past week had gone by in a blur. Rick had gotten another chance to dig at his Neolithic site, and this time, Olivia had come with him. Based on the evidence they’d uncovered, the site was likely to be the subject of a full-scale excavation next year. Back at the House of Heracles, the students had finished the excavation unit and turned in their field notebooks. As promised, Dr. Roth had fully committed himself to the field school. He’d shown up early every morning and stayed at the dig site until the day’s work was done.

Amid all the activity and bustle, Rick was grateful for his rare moments alone with Olivia. Now that he had her back, he had no intention of letting her go, even if their paths were about to diverge for a while. Or were they? A few days ago, he’d come up with a way to keep them together. It was the only secret he’d hidden from her, but he wanted to wait until they were alone before he revealed it.

When Juno cranked up the tunes, Sofia roused everyone to start dancing. She’d joined them for her last night in Cyprus and had fully embraced the party spirit.

Olivia stood over Rick and motioned for him to get up. “Let’s go, old man.”

“Old man?” He pressed his hand over his heart. “You cut me deeply. I’m only two months older than you.”

“It’s not the years, it’s the mileage. And you’ve had plenty of mileage.”

“Give me a second and I’ll sweep you off your feet.” He smiled at the sight of TJ twirling Sofia around in a wild attempt at ballroom dancing. “TJ’s doing pretty good with your sister. Any chance for sparks there?”

Olivia laughed. “I doubt it since she’s leaving tomorrow. Off to Athens for two days, and then she’s flying to Cairo. Dusty’s stopping there to see her parents, and she asked Sofia to join her. Naturally, Sof’s planning a full week of Egyptian-themed content.”

“Sounds like fun.” He’d grown to like Olivia’s younger sister, who still referred to him as Mr. Hottie. “Are you psyched for Athens?”

“Of course. The Acropolis. The Agora. The National Archaeology Museum. And that delightful king bed.”

He couldn’t wait. The ruins in Athens might be world-class, but he’d seen them all before. He was more excited about making love to Olivia in a real bed.

When Grant approached them, Rick’s shoulders tightened. Over the past week, the assistant director had barely been a presence at the House of Heracles. Instead, he’d spent his time at camp working in the lab. Rick had been hoping to avoid a final confrontation with him.

Grant gave a curt nod. “Rick. Olivia. I assume you’re enjoying the party. When do you leave Cyprus?”

If Grant could be civil, then Rick could follow suit. “We’re flying to Athens the day after tomorrow. How about you? Are you headed back to Riverside?”

“The fall quarter doesn’t start for a few more weeks, so I’m staying in Paphos until mid-September. Lidia—I mean, Dr. Bouras—asked me to conduct a series of test excavations at the Cypro-Geometric site that we found during the survey.”

Olivia grinned. “You’re digging more test pits at my site?”

“It’s hardly your site, Miss Sanchez, but yes, it’s the one you discovered. Given my expertise in that era of Cypriot prehistory, Dr. Roth suggested I pursue it further.” A sour expression clouded his features. “I suppose it’s his form of consolation since he informed me that I won’t be welcome back at the field school next summer. In fact, it may be a while before I work with students in the field again.”

Under normal circumstances, Rick would have expected him to unleash a tirade, ranting about the unfairness of Dr. Roth’s decision, but Grant’s words had a resigned air. Like he knew he’d screwed up and was dealing with the consequences.

An awkward pause followed until Olivia spoke up. “Well, good luck with the site. I hope it turns out to be an Iron Age settlement.”

“Dr. Bouras seemed to think so. In any case, I’m sure to get a publication or two out of it.” He gave another nod. “Good night.”

Rick watched him leave. In an ideal world, Grant might have apologized for the way he’d treated them all summer. For all the insults, the intimidation, and the gaslighting. But at least he wasn’t simmering with anger. That was a start.

Olivia waited a minute before bursting into laughter. “Was it my imagination, or did Grant seem sort of human?”

“I’m not sure, but it’s a nice change. The question is—will he get a chance with Dr. Bouras once Roth’s out of the picture?”

“Who knows? What happens in the field stays in the field.” Giving him a flirty smile, Olivia reached for his hand. “Speaking of which, there’s a sweet reward waiting for you later if you dance with me now.”

How could he resist a proposition like that?

For the next hour, Rick lost himself in the music, jamming with the field school students. They’d all be headed back home soon, but for one last night, they bonded together over their shared experiences. Life in the field had that effect. It was one of the reasons Rick loved it so much.

By the time he and Olivia crept away from camp, the party was winding down. When they reached the temple, the moonlit ruins were as quiet as ever. He led her to their favorite spot and laid a blanket over the smooth stones. Taking another one out of his pack, he folded it up to serve as a pillow.

Without a hint of inhibition, Olivia pulled her sundress over her head. Her bra and panties followed. She stood before him, naked, radiant, and sexy as hell. He stared at her in breathless awe, wondering how he’d gotten so lucky.

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