Azure (Drowning In You) (26 page)

Rita laughed. “Can’t say I don’t agree.” She sobered. “Now you see why we’re so protective. He’s been through a lot. Between this and living with his uncle...”

Olivia stepped back, her only thought to get away from Kai’s cousin. She didn’t want them to tell her about Kai’s past. She wanted him to tell her. It felt like betraying him somehow. What was wrong with these people? First they wouldn’t speak a word about the accident and now they couldn’t keep their mouths shut?

Yeah, and you made him into a project, didn’t you? As if he was a thing, not a person who might get hurt by all your prying.

“I need to talk to him,” Olivia said again, lost and worried. “I don’t want to hurt him.”

Rita chewed on her lower lip. “Panos says you care for Kai. Panos is a good judge of character even if he’s a hopeless case of a man.” She tilted her head to the side. “He said you made Kai laugh.”

Not sure where this was heading, Olivia waited, shifting from foot to foot. “You know where Kai is, right? He’s at the sea, isn’t he?”

Rita smiled. “Like always when he’s stressed. I saw him going up toward his hut earlier.”

Olivia nodded. “Thanks.” She wasn’t sure what for. After all, Rita had just told her again that she thought Olivia would hurt Kai. But she’d pointed her in Kai’s direction as if hoping she’d find him.

Maybe she didn’t think Olivia was so bad for Kai after all.

***

Kai’s hut was empty. Not surprising. Olivia took in the sparse furniture, the fluttering nets at the windows, and went back out. She descended to the small beach below, scanning the troubled water of the bay.

No sign of him.

She walked on the rocks, careful not to fall or cut her feet again, wary of the sea, keeping as far from the water as possible. She sat and waited.

And waited.

The sun began to slide from the summit of the blinding sky on a curve toward the west. Her shoulders and head burned; her legs were turning red. She felt slightly dizzy and realized a heatstroke was a real possibility, so reluctantly she moved back to the beach and found a shaded spot under a gnarled tree growing from a crack in the cliff.

Where was he? Maybe he’d gone to town, or some other place, while she was waiting there in vain.

Finally, she gave in to discomfort and struggled up the winding path to his hut. Light-headed, white spots swimming in front of her eyes, she stumbled inside and fell on his bed. It smelled of him, salt and musk, and she closed her eyes. She should get up, go and search for him. Her mind kept replaying the image of him on the cliff, his short dark hair fluttering, his clothes whipping against his body.
So close
to the edge.

Had to find him. Couldn’t sit and wait.

Still, it took her some time to sit up and try to regain her feet. The sun had sapped what little energy she’d gained from her nap that morning.

Get up, Liv.

She was still gathering her courage to stand when the door swung open. Kai stood there, in his hand a speargun and in the other three fish hanging from a hook. He was dripping wet, his swim trunks clinging to his muscled legs. His hair fell in his eyes and he tipped his head up, trying to see.

He froze. “Liv?” he whispered.

The speargun fell from his hand, clattering to the floor. With a wince, he bent to pick it up and shambled inside.

God, he was okay. Weak with relief, she stared at him, drinking him in. His movements were tired. Had he been in the water since that morning? He set the fish on a metal platter and propped the speargun in a corner. He cast her a wary look under his lashes.

“What are you doing here?” he finally said, his voice measured and cool. “I thought you went back to the hotel.”

“I did. Then I was looking for you.” She got up, her head swimming, and stepped toward him. “I was worried. Your cousin said I might find you...” Blackness seeped into her vision and she made a grab for his blurry form.

“Liv!” Kai reached out for her.

Something stopped her fall into the senseless void and she clung to it as much as she could, her hands numb and cold. Then she was sitting on the bed, her head hanging between her knees, breathing fast.

“You’re sunburned,” Kai whispered, sounding vaguely horrified, and she looked up to find him kneeling by her side. “Where were you?”

“I waited for you. At the beach.”

“I thought you were with your friends.”

“I was. And then I fell asleep and then I couldn’t find you.” She shouldn’t still feel panicked. He was there, obviously fine. “I missed you.”

His eyes lit up. He shook his head, a corner of his mouth lifting in a smile. “I assumed you didn’t want to see me, that maybe last night was a mistake.”

God, she didn’t know how to answer. Kirsten’s words echoed in her head. She stared into his eyes and couldn’t say goodbye. She didn’t want to stay away, even if her heart bled by the end.
Carpe diem
and all that.
Live the moment
. Right now she was happy to be able to look at him, smell him, hear him.

“Have you had lunch?” he asked and her stomach growled at the thought of food.

She shook her head, sheepish.

“You almost had a heatstroke and had nothing to eat.” He frowned. “No wonder you came close to passing out.”

“I wasn’t going to pass out,” she muttered. “I was only a little dizzy.” He arched a brow and her face heated. “Okay, maybe more than a little.”

“Do you like fresh fish?”

“Raw?” she asked, horrified.

He laughed at her expression, a deep, vibrant sound. There. It seemed to come more easily to him now. Panos would be so proud of her.

And she was absurdly proud of Kai.

The sun had really hit her hard.

“I’ll grill the fish,” he said, grinning. “And bake onions in the ashes.”

“The gourmet hermit’s menu,” she said and won another laugh from him. “Next you’ll tell me you have wine and dessert hidden somewhere.” She straightened and made a show of checking out the place.

“I might.” He winked and got up, not seeing her dumbfounded expression. “I did promise you a dinner at my hut, didn’t I? I’ll get the fire going and prepare the fish.”

“What can I do?”

“Here.” He handed her a bottle of water. “Drink and rest. I may need your help later on.” His eyes were warm, and blue swirled in them like the first time she’d seen him.

“Help with what?” She dutifully took a swig from the bottle.

He looked at the open door, his mouth tightening. “Talking.”

***

Kai had built a fire in a circle of rocks and placed a metal grid over the burning cinders. The three fish, cleaned and rubbed with dried herbs, were laid on it and the smell was mouthwatering. The onions Kai had buried in the ashes.

Then he’d gone down to the beach and had returned with a bottle of cold white wine.

Wow
. She took it from him and went in search of an opener. She found one lying on a window sill and uncorked the wine. It was Cretan wine, local. She scrounged up two plastic cups from the only cupboard in the cabin and went back outside.

The sun had dropped close to the horizon, but the cliff provided shade for the rock platform behind the hut. Someone —
Kai?
— had nailed a metal rail along the drop-off, so that she felt safe standing over the chasm. The wind of that morning had turned into a fresh breeze that ruffled Kai’s hair as he bent over the coals to check the fish, poking it with a fork.

He caught her smile and winked. “Observe the great chef at work,” he said, taking up a big dish. “In fact, could you hold this while observing?”

Snorting, she put the wine and glasses down and went to hold the plate as he lifted the fish off the grill with a large fork. He fished the onions out of the ashes and brushed them clean, putting them on the side of the plate.

“Where should we sit?” She glanced around, the heavy plate in her hand.

“Wait.” He slipped into the hut, and came out with two rickety chairs and a foldable table. He set it down and took the dish from her, setting it in the middle. Another trip inside and he placed small dishes and silverware.

She brought the wine and glasses. It looked festive. The sea roared below, slamming into the rocks. Kai was smiling.

The fish was excellent, subtly flavored with sage and rosemary, and the onions were soft and sweet. At some point, Kai gave up on the silverware and got to it with his hands. She followed suit, making him chuckle with her efforts. When they’d licked their fingers and plates clean, he poured them both wine and they raised their plastic cups.

“To you,” he said, suddenly serious again.

“And you.” She took a long pull. It was cool and fruity and perfect. She cocked her head. “I thought you didn’t drink.”

“I don’t. But tonight I need encouragement.”

“What for?”

He stared into the depths of his cup and frowned. “I promised to talk about myself and I’m not sure I know how.”

Oh god, he was really going to tell her. It hadn’t been idle talk. Excited and scared at the same time, she gulped down her wine and lifted her cup for more. His brows arched but he filled their cups again with the concentrated air of someone on a mission.

Encouragement. Right.
They both needed it.

“You said something about dessert?” she said, trying to postpone his confession. His eyes narrowed and his head tilted to the side, as if he was trying to figure out why she wasn’t pressing him to talk right then and there; why she was giving him time.