My Greek SEAL (14 page)

Eros watches me curiously. He reaches out to brush away a lock of hair covering one of my eyes. “What are you thinking about?”

I’m afraid to say what I’m feeling. What if what I think is happening is only one sided? Maybe for him, it was all about sex and proving he could please a woman, not anything beyond that. “I don’t know. It’s nothing important.”

“I can tell that what you are thinking is very important. Please talk to me, Maya.”

“I’m still thinking.”

“Perhaps it would help if I said my thoughts.”

I shrug and cast my gaze far from his face. I’m not sure why I’m so afraid.

“Making love to you was like a dream. The first time it was about our physical bodies meeting. But this time, it was like everything that we are came together. Did you feel that, too?”

I feel so alive and happy right now I want to jump up and do cartwheels. This connection between us is so strong. And all my senses feel like they are running on overdrive. I feel the wind tickle my skin, hear it whispering through the tree branches and watch it toss some of Eros’ dark hair across his handsome face. I reach out and push the curls away from his eyes so I can gaze into them. Oh, my God. This is what it feels like to be in love. “Yes, Eros. I felt the same way. I was afraid to say it because I thought you might not understand.”

Eros smiles. “I am glad you are telling me this. I imagine it must have been very hard for you. I imagine the women’s magazines tell you to never say that to a man you just met.”

I burst out laughing. “Yes, they do say that talking about feelings or ex-boyfriends sends men running for the hills.”

“Running for the hills?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. It is just a strange expression we use to say it scares men away.”

“You must understand that Greek men are different from American men. And I am different even from other men in my country. I only feel like running for the hills as you say it when a woman expresses a feeling I cannot return. I feel it is very ungentlemanly to hurt a lady. However, I can assure you that I can return any feelings you have for me. I am falling in love with you, Maya.” His hand traces over my shoulder and down my arm, leaving a streak of tingles behind.

I can’t believe he actually said the l word. “This is crazy. Falling in love so fast. I hardly know you.”

“Love is a feeling. We will have very much time during this crisis to talk and to do other things that will bring us closer. Perhaps we will find that we have many things in common. I once visited your Arizona.”

“You did? When?”

“Right after I finished my Underwater Demolition Command training in San Diego. We were given a week’s leave and Nikolas and I rented an SUV and drove over to see the Grand Canyon. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. The vastness of the place and the color of those rocks is something I will never forget.”

“Did you go to the north rim or the south rim?”

“The south rim. We had heard that one had the most spectacular views. There were many trails for hiking there, too. We were sorry to have to leave so soon.”

“I’ve been up to the south rim a few times. Hiking there is the best.”

“Do you live in Phoenix?”

“No, I live in Tucson, which is several hours drive away from the canyon. The Colorado plateau and the area around the canyon are much prettier than the desert where I live. There are so many colorful rock formations and there are beautiful forests along the rim. In the Sonoran Desert, we have mountains interspersed with broad valleys and most of our vegetation is scrub and cactus.”

“I didn’t realize you were from Tucson. We passed through there briefly before our return. We were transported back to Greece out of Davis Monthan Air Force Base.”

“Are you serious?” This feels so surreal. I’m sprawled out on the ground in faraway Greece, falling in love with a hunky Greek military hero and rambling on about where I live. Tucson seems so far away. Like a place I lived in a previous life, not the one I’m currently living. I think of coffee shops and restaurants I frequented, routes I took to work and to shop. I think of the pool in Oro Valley where I swam most days of the week. I should miss those familiar places, but for some reason I don’t. The images I had of them seem fainter than the ones I saw in my mind a day ago. Almost like I’m looking back at photos from someone else’s album.

“Yeah. We even walked on some of your hiking trails.”

“Really? Do you remember which ones?”

“We hiked on a very steep trail to a place where there were pools of water. I believe the place was called Catalina.”

“You must have hiked to Romero Pools. That trail is in Catalina State Park, which is right near my apartment.” Once again, I feel a strange detachment to the life I left behind. Talking about it brings the misery felt before I left closer to the surface. I’d rather not talk about my old life. But Eros is so excited about making this connection I don’t want to say this conversation’s making me anxious.

“Yes, that is the place.”

“That was always one of my favorite places to hike.”

Eros smiles. “I can see why. Your mountains there are so beautiful. The mountains of the Greek mainland are arid too, yet your desert is very green and has many plants.”

“Perhaps you were there during the rainy season. The mountains really green up in the summer when our rains roll in.”

“It was in August that we were there. It rained while we walked. I could smell the wet earth and the rain. And from some of those high places, you could look out and see other mountains around and many houses arranged in lines. So much order, not at all like they build places in Greece.”

He’s described Tucson in a way that reminds me of its beauty, which I often took for granted. But right now Greece is where I want to be. I can’t imagine any spot more amazing than this small spot shaded by fir trees. Now that the tidal wave has subsided, my view is back to what it was before. Gazing at the azure sky above me and the lapis sea far below, I feel like I’m perched on top of the world. The arid, brown flanks of the Greek mainland in the distance are such a contrast to the greenery that surrounds me on this little island. It seems such a contradiction, such postcard perfect beauty on a day where there has been so much destruction. “Have you done much hiking here?”

“Only on missions. The Greek people are much more into relaxing with friends and family and drinking wine than walking up to high places.”

I imagine Eros sitting at a large, rectangular table, surrounded by his parents and siblings, talking in a loud voice and drinking wine. I wonder if I could fit into that image. Would his family like me? Or would they wish he would settle down with a Greek woman committed to making babies and cooking authentic Greek food? I imagine a little boy with curly dark hair and large dark eyes framed with the same long lashes that Eros has. I clear my throat. The sound of Eros’ voice breaks into my thoughts. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

“We should continue our journey. We need to find a place to sleep for the night.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Eros stands up and brushes some stray pin needles off his perfectly sculpted backside. I can’t stop from staring at the muscular lines of his physique. Did I really just make love to him? Did he actually say he loved me? I’m almost tempted to slap myself to make sure all this is real. He reaches for my hand. “Come on, Maya. Let me help you up.” His grip is firm and strong and I soar from the ground and into his arms. It happens so fast, I lose my balance and nearly fall. As if by instinct, his hands and upper arms tighten around me in a tight, strong embrace. I relish how secure I felt in his arms.

Still holding me, he lengthens his arms out enough that he can look into my eyes. “You could have fallen.”

“I knew you had me covered.” I smile at him and lock onto his gaze. I want to prolong this moment, to put off moving on to the serious mission of looking for a town. I’ve had such a great time with Eros so far. This rush of happiness I’m feeling in his arms doesn’t fit with the dead bodies and devastated homes we’re likely to see once we leave this quiet sanctuary.

When he tries to slip from my arms, I grab his hands tightly, not wanting to let go.

The final mission he told me about was so awful and I’m sure he’s seen many other horrible things. He’d probably lose all respect for me if I say I might pass out if I see a dead body.

“Don’t look so sad, my beautiful Maya. I understand why you’re afraid. I will be here to comfort you if we see terrible things. But we must go to the town to get food and water.”

There’s no reprimand in his voice. He doesn’t expect me to be the Navy SEAL. He is accepting me for who I am. “Thank you for understanding.”

“You do not need to thank me. I think any man should know that not many women or men ever are ready to face a crisis such as this.”

“I still appreciate it. Some of the men I dated...” My face reddens. Oh, shit. How did that slip out?

“Go ahead. Remember that you do not need to hide your thoughts from me.”

I pause and clear my throat. “They were so critical. None of them really liked me. They wanted me to change into someone else. One guy always told me I was fat and made snide comments whenever I ate. Another one said it was weird that I still swam on a team as an adult. I got so sick of it after a while.”

“Those were not men. They would never say things like that if they were. It is really too bad for them that they do not see that you are quite perfect the way you are.”

Heat rushes to my face. “I don’t know about that.”

He leans in and gives me a sudden, quick kiss. “I do know that. Your lips, your breasts and the shape of your legs, your voice and your laugh. And the person you are. All are just right. And that is why I need to get you to a place where it is safe. Now come.” He tips his head in the direction he intends to walk and takes a slow step.

I walk behind him, struggling to match his long strides. “How far is the nearest town?”

“Kalamos Town is about two or three kilometers away. It’s not far, but the walk will be a little rugged so it might take more than an hour to get there.”

At least now we’re walking down hill, which is much easier than the trip upward. “There should be plenty of daylight left for us to get there.”

“If we have no problems on the way, yes.”

I wonder what he means by that. “Is the town right on the water?”

“Yes, all of the people on this island live in seaside villages. Kalamos is one of those. Although some of the homes are high up in the hills. I expect that all of the shops and restaurants have been destroyed and many of the boats in the harbor will have been washed away. Hopefully there is some salvageable food and water in the homes higher up in the village.”

“What if there isn’t?”

“It’s possible we could find a boat that is salvageable, that I could pilot to the mainland.”

That idea strikes me as much better than rummaging through ruins for scraps of food. Maybe many people in the town escaped to higher ground before the wave struck and will be able to board a boat with us. “I like that plan.”

“We’re not going anywhere tonight. Clouds are rolling in and the wind has picked up. The seas will be too rough to cross in any small boat.”

I stop walking for long enough to look out across the water and see whitecaps and places where the deep blue water is shadowed by advancing clouds. “But what if there’s no food?”

Eros turns toward me, giving me a stern expression before taking another step down the steep hillside. “Please, Maya. Let’s not worry about something that is very far ahead of where we are at this moment. I know how to survive under the worst of circumstances. If we had to, we could get by out here for months.”

Out here for months? Alone with Eros? Even though we’d probably be eating rats for breakfast, the thought of spending so many days and nights with him sends shivers of excitement racing through my body. I love Eros. And right now the danger of our circumstances doesn’t even feel real. I stumble down this rocky pathway, feeling the brush of olive tree branches on my arms and feeling more alive than I can remember ever feeling in my life.

We stride through stretches of dense forest, completely shaded by the canopy of flat-topped fir trees. Then we walk across a blocky limestone ledge free of vegetation, where once again we see magnificent views of the sea. Now that we’re closer to the shoreline, I can see the water that rims the island—once green blue crystal—is now murky blue gray. But where the water deepens, the ocean’s rich deep blue color remains. The ocean bottom is probably too deep to have been disturbed by the tidal wave, which only rises in the shallows.

Trying not to think about what we might see in Kalamos, I focus on the solid thud of Eros’ rhythmic footfalls on the earth. Each step sounds strong, in command, filled with purpose. Whatever we will face will be easier because Eros is beside me.

Despite the wind, we’re walking on the leeward side of the island. The flanks of the hill are blocking the wind, making the afternoon heat feel oppressive. I long to be embraced by the sea again, comfortable and cool. My back and shoulders slowly roast in the sun until they feel hot and uncomfortably prickly. Today’s sunburn won’t be alleviated by a quick dose of aloe.

I’m barely sweating, while Eros’s broad, muscular back is slick with sweat. His long hair hangs in wet ringlets down his back.

My throat burns almost as much as my shoulders. Eros has a small flask of water in his backpack, but we’re trying to ration it. The back of my throat is parched and every cough sounds raspy and sharp.

“We should be there soon,” says Eros.

I’ve never experienced desperate thirst before. Whenever my throat tickled or felt slightly dry in the past, there was always chilled water somewhere close by. Now I try not to think about cold water, about ice cubes or the trickle of cool liquid sliding down my throat. I cough again. Every breath parches my throat even more.