Page 76 of Field Rules

ChapterTwenty-Five

“Where’s my bra?” Olivia patted the ground as she tried to find it in the dark. “Why’d you have to fling it so far?”

Rick laughed. “You’re the one who insisted I take it off immediately. I had no choice but to comply.”

“Too true.” She couldn’t suppress the contented grin that crossed her face. Perhaps she’d been a little too demanding, but Rick had responded with equal fervor. Their first time had been so passionate it had left her breathless. They’d made up for it during their second round when they’d taken things more slowly.

Rick stood and cast his flashlight around the stone walls. “Found it, along with your panties.” He tossed them down to her.

She put them on reluctantly. She wanted a few more minutes to bask in the delicious afterglow of sex with Rick. Finally getting to consummate their relationship—after seven years—had exceeded her wildest expectations.

The only problem? Now that they’d shared more of themselves, her feelings for him had grown even stronger. She was afraid she might not be satisfied with just a fling. But she refused to let her anxiety dampen their evening. She could worry about the future later.

Once she was dressed, she folded up the blankets Rick had brought and stuffed them in his pack. He’d come prepared with two camp blankets, a flashlight, a small towel, condoms, and a large bar of Cadbury’s chocolate.

As she got to her feet, she was so unsteady she almost careened into one of the walls.

Rick took her arm. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah. Just a little giddy. I mean dizzy. I mean…you know…” She smiled up at him.

“I do.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

She slipped her bare feet into her sandals and took his hand. “All ready?”

“Ready. Though next time, we should add a brush to our supplies. Your hair is wilder than ever.”

“You know whose fault that is?”

“Yours. For being so irresistible.”

A giggle burst out of her. Even if his response was cheesy as hell, it made her light up like a firecracker. As they approached the gate, he opened it and led her out, only to stop short at the sight of another couple walking toward the temple.

She almost laughed at the thought of someone else coming to take their place until she recognized one-half of the couple. Dr. Roth. Beside him was a Cypriot woman who looked vaguely familiar.

Olivia froze like a deer in the headlights, too stunned to speak. Rick tightened his grip on her hand but remained equally speechless.

Dr. Roth approached them with a benevolent smile. “Rick? Olivia? Is that you?”

“Um…hi, Dr. Roth.” Her voice came out as a squeak. “Nice evening, isn’t it?”

“It is indeed.” He gestured to the site. “Nice to see Aphrodite’s sanctuary is still being put to good use.”

Oh God. Her face flamed. She couldn’t imagine anything more embarrassing than her boss knowing exactly what she’d been doing.

“Ah…nice to see you, Dr. Roth,” Rick said. “Olivia and I were just headed back to camp. Right, Olivia?”

“Right. Have a good night.” She didn’t wait for the professor’s reply but followed Rick’s lead. His pace was so brisk she struggled to keep up with him. She could have sworn she heard Dr. Roth chuckle as they left.

Once they reached the road leading back to camp, she stopped and wiped her forehead. “That was mortifying. He must know what we were up to.”

“I’m sure he does. But, like you said, he probably doesn’t care. It looked like he was headed there himself.”

She tried to shake off the mental image of Dr. Roth and his partner going at it. “But he has a house to himself. With an actual bed.”

As much as she’d delighted in the sheer romanticism of making love in Aphrodite’s sanctuary, she would have traded it for a private bed in a heartbeat.

“Yeah, but Grant’s there,” Rick said. “And…”

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