Chapter 13

I couldn't look Will in his eyes during the trip home. There was a question burning the back of my mind that I needed an answer too: Is what I felt for him really something? We didn't have the chance to talk about his relationship with that Loraine or Ally or whoever they were. I could do nothing but sit quietly, watching the miles of Greece go by.

We pulled up to the villa on the resort and everyone stayed quiet for the longest time. Gio was the first to break the silence once we were all safely inside.

"It won't be long until Plymouth finds out about one of his men-" He squinted his eyes at Will. "Right now, we need to focus on getting you to Santorini and back safely." His focus shifted to me and with one hand he pulled on his bowtie until it unraveled. "I checked with the archive, you have a meeting with the curator in the morning."

Charles' door was closed, he must already be asleep. I crossed my arms. Now that we were in a safe space I could get down to the bottom of some core issues. "You said you thought I was the only one who could stop Plymouth. What did you mean?"

Gio groaned as he sat on the couch. "I think I'm getting too old for all this running around."

I scoffed. I heard Will chuckle as he poured himself a drink in the kitchen.

"I meant," He said "That you aren't dead yet."

"What?"

"I'm trying to tell you that he's had every opportunity to kill you but-" Gio stood up. "He hasn't pulled the trigger."

"Charles stopped him from doing just that in LA." I said matter-of-fact. If Plymouth even was the man behind it all, but it seemed obvious to me by this point. He's the only one I knew of with the motives and the means.

"Don't you get it?" Gio pressed. "Charles and Pia and Jeb were all used as his secret language to tell you he's keeping you alive."

I chewed on my bottom lip. "What if it isn't even Plymouth doing all of this?" I looked to Will who shrugged. "There was someone else in the room—who was there—helping him." At this point every one of those executives could be in league with their leader.

"It's Plymouth alright." Gio said. "And he's not just in this for your Father's money." He walked over to the mini bar and flipped open his computer. "I'm going to meet with someone tomorrow, while you're both in Santorini. A fellow who once knew Plymouth before he started working for the KGB."

"Isn't that where Jeb's from? Sabertooth?" I asked.

He shook his head. "He was part of an extension of the secret service. A syndicate of sorts, but the group of them went off the grid and acted without authorization from the very people who gave them life in the first place. But he was proclaimed dead last year, remember? It seems that our Mr. Plymouth's roots go a little deeper in this thing than I realized. I'm going to speak with someone tomorrow." He rubbed his eyes. "Meanwhile, you have something else entirely to worry about. Off to bed with you."

I sighed. There was no arguing with Gio. I glanced over my shoulder to Will, who was watching me intently. I winked at him playfully and closed the door behind me, astonished at myself with what I had just done. I could almost hear Holly tsking at me now.

I carefully removed my earrings in the vanity mirror, thinking about the day. It was completely dark except for the low lights lining the vanity. My messy up-do looked even more messy now, with loose tendrils snaking all along my face. I examined my almond-shaped eyes and slightly upturned nose with the look. Messy never looked good on me but I could make an exception in this case. I reached back for the zipper on my dress, realizing it was higher up than I realized.

"Need help?" A deep timbre voice rang out in the darkness. I froze, staring straight ahead in the mirror. I knew that voice.

"How did you get in here, Will?" My voice was shaking slightly, my body slowly heating up. Instead of replying, I could feel his hand flatten on my back, radiating heat throughout my spine. He traced his finger slowly, tantalizingly along my spine to the zipper. My eyes closed when I heard the familiar click of the zipper moving down the cord. I saw his face next to mine in the mirror as he lowered his lips to my shoulder, kissing the back of my neck softly. I closed my eyes as my neck instinctively fell back, inhaling the familiar scent of Old Spice. When his lips reached the necklace, he stopped. I held my breath, wondering what he was going to do next.

"Let's see what we can do about this." His fingers delicately un-hinged the jewelry and let it fall into a heap on the countertop, then he continued to torture me with his soft lips tracing my neck. His hands glided back to the zipper and zipped it down further until the dress was one zip away from falling down.

"This is what you've done to me from the moment I first laid eyes on you." His breath was sharp against my ear. I groaned. Everything inside me screamed to stop this madness, but I couldn't.

He nibbled on my ear, sending shock waves through my neck. Suddenly he backed away, leaving cold air where his body had been. I turned to face him in the low light.

"What are you doing?" I asked, the shock causing me to shiver.

His eyes traveled down to where my dress was barely hanging on, off my shoulders. He swallowed, hard.

"I'm doing the same thing you did to me." He smirked as he backed away farther, taking in the sight of my almost-naked body; then he was gone.

*********

"I'm telling you, that's how Euro guys work. Teases, all of them."

I plopped another succulent pineapple into my mouth, letting Holly finish what she had to say.

"This is ridiculous, I need to go to Europe." She groaned. I sat up in the lounge chair, letting the warm sun reach my back.

"Things not going so well between you and Richard?"

"Richard's fine." She said. "He's just so busy all the time." Welcome to the world of lawyers dating lawyers. "I can't believe you went from the worst dating life—no offense—to the hottest guys on both sides of the spectrum!"

I shook my head. "Believe me, you don't want to be me right now. I can't even decide which one I'm really falling for." I checked to make sure there weren't any other eaves-droppers outside. "Can I just flip a coin and everything be okay?"

"Seriously?" She said. "You haven't even-" She paused. "You know..."

"Holly!" I admonished. I didn't, but could have come dangerously close last night. I chewed on my lower lip. The thoughts, the feelings, the hunger, were still all there. For Will.

"It's a valid point!" She exclaimed. I stared into my bowl of fruit cocktail. We both paused. "Listen, next time you tell me you have it hard, girlfriend-- I just wish I could sit at a Grecian infinity pool drinking coladas all day."

I gaped. "I do not do that all day!" I fired back. She didn't know someone I knew had just died recently, something I felt she couldn't know.

"Okay, I take that back." She said. "I wish I could sit at a Grecian pool drinking coladas and go to dances and travel the world with sexy Europeans."

I laughed. I guess it did sound like I was living the life. "If it makes you feel any better, I'd much rather be home right now, hanging with you and Jay on one of our beach trips."

"Those were good days." She sighed.

I looked out over the ocean, realizing again the thousands of miles that separated us. "How are things going with your Father's funeral?"

I breathed deeply, desperately wishing I could tell her about Plymouth and Pia and the mysterious clues my Father was leaving behind, but it would only make her worry. "Fine." I said simply. "It's still in a couple of days."

We said our goodbyes and I hung up, feeling solemn and missing home more than ever. I picked up another pineapple and sucked on it before I plopped it in my mouth.

"I could watch you eat fruit like that all day."

My jaw clenched. I had no desire to talk to Will after what he did to me the night before.

"Still upset about last night?" He continued his tirade, sitting in the next chair. I tried to pretend I didn't notice how handsome he looked in his suit.

"No!" I admonished. "Nothing would have happened anyway." I took another piece of fruit and this time put the whole thing in my mouth.

"You're sure about that?" His smile was tantalizingly sexy.

I stood firmly in my opinion. "Yes. Remember, I care about Austin." His eyes went to my necklace and his smile disappeared. Yes, I'm still wearing it. I straightened my posture proudly. I liked how it looked with my printed sundress anyway. I continued eating my fruit.

"Well, if you're sure about that." He still didn't sound convinced. "The plane is leaving soon, we have to go."

I nodded and stood up greeting Charles at the doorway. I smiled. He was quite the vision in his robe with a fruity drink in hand. "Gio told me about what went on last night." I accepted his open arm and leaned my head against his chest as we walked back inside.

The driver waited for Will and I by the front door.

"Good luck today." Gio brought the letters from Dad and handed them to me. I caressed them gently between my fingers staring down. "Good luck, I hope you are able to find something."

"Same to you." I said. I needed Gio to stay safe, I couldn't handle if he ever became the next 'warning shot'.

I looked up at Will, which brought about some underlying peace. As much of a stranger he still was and no matter how infuriating he became, I felt safe with him.

We left for the airport shortly after Gio. The sky was bright and sunny for the third day in a row. Idly, I wondered if it ever rained in Greece as we drove quietly down the same road Austin took me on his bike just days earlier. I brought out my phone to text him.

Woody was waiting for us by the plane next to someone I didn't recognize. I frowned, realizing it must be Pia's replacement.

"Welcome back, Eva." He nodded cordially to Will and we climbed aboard. I sat down, fanning myself with my sun hat from the heat outside. Will sat down in the chair across from me, his smirk mischievous as usual. He carried two wine glasses and a bottle. I checked the label, not one of Gio's usuals.

"Now that we are finally alone-" He slowly uncorked and poured the wine. "Maybe we can get to know each other a little better."

I took one of the glasses, watching him sip. "Yes, wouldn't that be nice to finally do that." My voice was dripping with sarcasm. I leaned back in my chair.

"Seatbelts fastened." I heard Woody say over the intercom. We both obeyed and the plane took off with minor turbulence. I looked out the window, watching Athens turn into a miniature world.

"Okay." He said finally, taking a deep breath. "Ask me anything you want."

Now it was my turn to smirk. "Anything?"

He nodded. "Since we've already delved into certain-" He cleared his throat, looking innocent. "Physical properties, we can feel free to experience the physiological."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "We never did anything physical."

"If you say so." His eyes traveled down the delving neckline of my dress. I straightened my posture.

"Alright." I looked him over. His muscular biceps and broad shoulders had more of an effect on me than I fully realized. "Do you ever not wear a suit?" I asked bluntly. His face broke out in a full-fledged smile, causing commas around his mouth. It looked much better than his usual serious face.

"I like wearing a T-shirt, or nothing if the occasion calls for it."

My face turned red hot. Flustered, I shook my head. "Do you always say things like that to people?"

His eyes didn't leave mine as he leaned forward. "I speak the truth Ms. Westfield." He leaned back again, his playful smile returning. "And that's the truth."

My fingers tapped the wine glass, considering my next move. The seatbelt light turned off. "What's your last name?" I asked.

"Davenport." He said.

"Oh." I paused. "royalty."

He shrugged. "We're all related one way or another."

I took a few more gulps of the wine then carefully traced my finger along the edge. I knew one question I wanted to ask but maybe it wasn't the right time.

"Oh, go on and say it, Eva. I knew this was coming sooner or later."

I bit my lower lip, watching him intently. His brown eyes looked like they were in pain as they anticipated the inevitable. I knew what he was going to tell me wasn't what I wanted to hear, but I had to hear it.

"Who's Ally?"

His head lowered and his breathing changed. "She-" He paused. "Was the girl I fell in love with, a long time ago." His eyes took on a far-away look, as if he was being taken to another place, another time.

"Was?" I asked, confused.

"Yes." He looked like he was struggling internally.

"If you don't want to talk about it, I understand."

He waved it off. "No, it's fine." His breathing hitched. "I guess I've just never told this to anyone else." His eyes searched the ground, then lifted up to meet mine, their intensity growing.

"She died five years ago. I got mixed up with bad people and well... wrong place wrong time."

Bad people? My mind instinctively went to what happened when I saw him. The woman with the blond hair. "Loraine?"

He nodded. Slowly the bits and pieces of the puzzle were coming together.

"It's funny what we're willing to do sometimes for the people we love."

I tried to figure out what he meant by that. I stared into my now empty wine glass.

"We were going to go start a new life together, in Asia."

I looked back up to find him staring at me.

"But the gang I had been a part of found out where I lived."

"You were in a gang?" I asked, incredulous. He nodded. Slowly his fingers pulled back the front of his suit sleeve, revealing a tattoo. I gasped. It was a letter J surrounded by inked barbed wire. How did I not notice it before?

"Like I said." He put back his sleeve and knocked back the rest of his wine. "It's funny what you do for the people you love."

He was broken, unraveled by a hostile situation. I reached out for his hand, but he held back, his jaw clenching. His dark wavy hair framed eyes lost in pain and sorrow and I felt horrible for having misjudged him all this time.

"I'm sorry, Will." Now I wondered what he was doing still involved with those people from his past, but I kept the question to myself. I wasn't one to talk, being involved in my own dangerous situations.

"That's how I met Austin you know." I smiled. "Running away from you." His eyes observed me curiously. I sighed. "Yes, I'm ashamed to admit I was a little jealous of seeing you with her and so I ran away."

He smirked. "You—Eva Westfield, the richest woman I know—jealous?"

My smile vanished. "Don't get too excited. I still care for Austin you know."

"Yes, I know." He said, then grumbled. "The way you look at him."

I paused, trying to understand what he meant. Before he could say anything else, Woody entered the cabin and grabbed a cup of coffee.

"Breezy out there, blowing the plane around like a paper kite!" When he saw us, he cleared his throat. "Sorry, I— we— I'll come back later."

He disappeared back in the cabin. I almost laughed aloud. "What was he all jittery for?"

Will shrugged. "Must have thought we were in deep discussion."

I leaned back in my chair. "Well, weren't we?"

"I don't know." He smirked. "You were talking about how much you loved that wanker Aussie— Do you know how the English feel about Aussies?"

"No!" I gasped. "Tell me."

He paused as if trying to choose his words carefully. "The same way they feel about South Africans."

I crossed my arms. "And Americans I suppose? That's helpful."

His replying smile was contagious. The seatbelt light reappeared and Woody's deep voice could be heard over the intercom. "Lady and gent, we are now approaching a private air strip in Santorini. Fasten your seatbelts."

Author's Note

Yes, the moment I had been waiting for SO long in writing this book--when Will and Eva have a more physical encounter! When I was writing this chapter I had decided to deviate from my original outline. Will's past was full of possibilities, but I didn't want to overshadow or interconnect Will's past with Eva's. So much more to come, looking forward to receiving feedback as we get closer to the climax of the story. :))