Chapter 15

Andrew

“We’re leaving today?” Sophie’s eyes flew wide with surprise. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope.” I shook my head. “My client is persistent. She wants us out there as soon as possible.”

“Out where exactly?” Sophie asked nervously.

“All I know is that it’s in Africa,” I said with a shrug. “Not sure where.”

“You don’t even know the country?” Sophie asked.

“Nope.”

Sophie just stared at me as if she couldn’t quite believe her ears. I could practically see her fear increasing with each passing second.

“Relax,” I said. “This happens all the time. Sometimes dig sites are in the middle of socially tumultuous countries. We aren’t always at liberty to know exactly where we’re going, but we’re always protected.”

“Protected how?” Sophie asked.

“It depends on the dig,” I said. “I’ve had Army escorts, Navy SEAL escorts, even some private security firms. We’ll know more when we get to the airport.”

“So, there’s no plan in place?” Sophie asked. “We won’t know anything until we’re on the plane?”

“Are you sure you want to come with me?” I asked. It never occurred to me that Sophie might change her mind. The way she was looking at me told me I should have at least considered the possibility.

“I want to go,” Sophie said firmly. “I just want to make sure I’m going to make it back.”

“Of course, you’ll make it back.” I laughed. “There’s really nothing to worry about.”

“If you say so.”

Sophie didn’t seem at all convinced, but she went into her room to pack without another word. Within an hour, we were climbing into the back of a rented town car and speeding through town. The airport wasn’t far from my house, but it felt like hours before we finally pulled out onto the tarmac.

My nerves were jumpy, but they were nothing compared to Sophie’s. She barely spoke during the car ride, and when we reached the plane, I could see that her hands were trembling.

“Hey,” I said softly. I took one of her hands in mine and squeezed. “You’re going to be fine. I’ve done this a thousand times. My father did it even more. Your father has done it. And we’ve all made it back in one piece.”

Sophie squeezed my hand back and let me lead her onto the plane. By the time the plane took off, she was smiling nervously and gazing out the window.

The flight was long and torturous. Neither Sophie nor I slept much. We were both too excited to get to Africa and see the dig site. Surprisingly, the closer we got, the less nervous Sophie seemed. Her fear turned slowly into excitement, and when we landed, she was practically jumping out of her seat.

“I see you’re feeling better,” I said when we stepped off the plane. “Not so scared anymore?”

“I embraced the terror,” Sophie said with a shrug.

I laughed and nodded. She was unlike any woman I’d ever met. Not many people would have been able to focus their fear into excitement, but that was exactly what Sophie did.

As we walked slowly across the tarmac, I scanned the area for a sign of someone in charge. Sophie and I both wanted to go straight to the dig site, but without an escort, that wasn’t an option. Finally, I saw three men in uniform approaching us from a distance.

“Oh my god,” Sophie said under her breath. I glanced at her. Her eyes were narrowed, staring at the Navy SEALs walking our way.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Not a big fan of uniforms?”

“I know him,” Sophie said. She exhaled sharply and laughed to herself. “Sam!”

Sophie jogged forward to meet the SEALs. I froze in place while Sophie threw her arms around the man in the middle. He was tall and built, his muscles bulging out of his uniform. His blonde hair was buzzed short, and his grey eyes were sharp when they met my face.

I glared at him openly, not bothering to hide my animosity. I didn’t know who this guy was, but Sophie certainly did. She was giggling as Sam hugged her back, a soft smile spreading across his face.

Finally, I pushed myself forward. I walked over to where they stood and cleared my throat. The other two Navy SEALs nodded at me, but I ignored them. I had eyes only for Sophie and this man named Sam.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” Sophie said when Sam finally let her go. “How did this happen?”

“Your dad, actually,” Sam said. “When he heard that you were coming here for a dig, he insisted I be your escort.”

“Her dad doesn’t have that kind of sway,” I said.

“No, but my boss does,” Sam said. “And he’s good friends with Rick.”

I didn’t have a response, but my irritation was stronger than ever. From the way Sam grinned at me, he could tell I wasn’t happy about the situation.

“So,” I said. “How do you two know each other?”

“We went to high school together,” Sophie said.

“And middle school,” Sam said with a laugh. “And elementary school.”

“Ah,” I said. “Childhood friends.”

“You could say that.” Sam looked down at Sophie with something familiar in his eyes. I felt my blood boil as I watched Sophie’s cheeks turn pink. There was obviously something romantic between them, but neither wanted to say that out loud.

“Well,” I said firmly. “We should get going. Sophie and I are both dying to see that dig site.”

“Of course,” one of the other SEALs said. “I’m Parker, and this is Harrison. Obviously, you’ve met Sam. We’ll escort you to and from the dig site while you’re here.”

“Thank you,” I said shortly.

Parker nodded and led the way toward an armored vehicle. Harrison gathered mine and Sophie’s bags before he joined us. Sophie stayed close by Sam’s side, chattering away as we rode toward the site. By the time we arrived, I regretted inviting Sophie along.

In my mind, I envisioned us experiencing something amazing together. Sophie had never once been outside of Maine. She told me how much she hated her lack of experience. I thought this would be the perfect chance to break her out of her bubble and show her the world. My hope was that she would feel grateful to me, that this trip would make her see me in a different light. Instead, I’d flown her straight into the arms of a past lover.

We reached the dig site and quickly climbed out of the vehicle. Parker rattled off instructions to Sophie and me, but I barely heard him. The second I saw the site, my entire body clicked into place. I knew exactly what to do and how to do it. Being on a dig was something I did often and something I did well.

I moved forward without a word and got to work. The people around me introduced themselves, and I smiled politely, saying my name so often that it lost all meaning. My eyes were trained on the artifacts that had already been uncovered. They were amazing and unique, unlike anything I’d ever seen before.

“This is incredible.” Sophie’s voice was soft beside me. I jumped when I heard her, spinning around with a frown.

“I didn’t know you were behind me,” I said.

“Where else would I be?” Sophie asked.

I just stared at her and then looked over her shoulder. Sam was standing on the edge of the dig site with his back to us. When I looked back at Sophie, she was frowning and waiting for my answer. I didn’t give it. I just turned back to the artifacts and began examining them in silence.

Sophie stayed next to me throughout the day. She was mesmerized by everything around her. Her eyes never stopped scanning the area, taking in the artifacts and the dig itself.

“I can’t believe I’m here,” she said softly, speaking more to herself than to me.

“I’m glad you like it,” I said, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice.

No matter how far away Sam was from us, I still felt his presence like a brick in my chest. I hated him there, and I hated myself even more for bringing Sophie to him.

“Are you okay?” Sophie asked later in the day.

“I’m fine.” My voice was short. Clipped. Sophie dropped the subject, but she watched me closely, searching my face for some kind of an answer.

“Are you two ready to go?” Sam called out. “The sun will be setting soon. We should really get you both back to the hotel.”

Sophie nodded and hurried over to Sam. I followed slowly behind, not wanting to get too close to them. They immediately began chatting again, talking only to each other the entire ride to the hotel.

“Thank you for bringing me,” Sophie said as we walked to our rooms. We’d said our goodbyes to Sam and the other SEALS, but my jealousy was still just as strong.

“My pleasure.”

“What’s going on with you?” Sophie asked.

“What do you mean?” I didn’t look at her. I was afraid she would read my thoughts if I did.

“You’re upset,” Sophie said. “You’ve been upset all day. Was the dig not what you expected?”

“It was fine,” I said. “Just like every other dig.”

“Then, what is it?” Sophie asked.

I finally looked at her, my eyes locking on her deep green ones. My heart fluttered in my chest as we stared at each other. I wanted to tell her the truth, to admit that I hated seeing her flirt with another man. Instead, I just shook my head and looked at the floor.

“We should get to our rooms,” I said. “Tomorrow will be an early day.”

“Is it about Sam?” Sophie asked boldly.

My eyes snapped up. She was staring at me, not unkindly, waiting for my answer. I didn’t want to lie to her, but I also didn’t want to admit the truth.

“You’re jealous,” Sophie said, answering for me. “Of Sam.”

“That’s ridiculous,” I snapped.

“Is it?” Sophie raised her eyebrows. “Because I saw how irritated you were with him. I saw your face when I was talking to him on the tarmac.”

“I’m not jealous.” We both knew it was a lie.

“Well,” Sophie said. She took a step toward me. “If you were, I would tell you there’s nothing to be jealous of. Nothing at all.”

“You two obviously dated,” I said.

“We did,” Sophie said with a nod. “Years ago. When we were just kids. I haven’t even seen Sam since graduation.”

“You could have fooled me,” I said.

“We’re old friends,” Sophie said. She took another step toward me. “Nothing more.”

“And what about us?” I asked. “Are we just friends?”

Sophie didn’t answer. She was standing just inches away from me. I could count every single freckle on her nose. My stomach was tight with desire, and as I stared at her, I could feel my resolve fade to nothingness. Everything I’d felt for her over the past few days flooded to the surface, and suddenly, I had to kiss her.

Our lips met, and I felt a fire erupt inside my chest. I grabbed her roughly around the waist and pulled her against me while our lips thrashed desperately against each other. Sophie sighed and sank into me, standing on her tiptoes to press her body against mine.

When we broke apart, my entire body was flushed with need. Sophie was panting, still holding onto me tightly.

“Let’s go inside,” I said hungrily.

“I’m a virgin.” Sophie spat out the words as if she hated the taste. I could tell she was trying to get them out before she lost her nerve.

Her eyes found mine, and I saw a wave of fear pass over her face. She thought those words would make me want her less, but they didn’t. If anything, I just wanted her more.