“What if they need help finding the olive oil? Or deciphering the label?”
Maurice rolled his eyes.
Theo was running out of excuses, then he looked at Dani, beautiful as always. Even though she belonged to someone else, his heart ached as he stared at her.
And that was reason enough.
“I’m sorry,” he said, taking her palm in his. She stared at their hands, furrowing her brow, and then looked at him, wondering what he was up to. “But it’s been over a year since I saw her, and I just…I don’t want her out of my sight.”
He stared into Dani’s eyes, and he saw that look. That hopeful, questioning look he’d seen so many times. The look she’d given him that night in her apartment.
It’s always been you.
“Aw, come on, Maurice,” Louis said. “They’re in love. What’s the harm if we all go?”
Dani quickly looked away and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. A light rosy color spread across her cheeks. He’d seen that look, too. Like the night of his parents’ thirtieth-anniversary party when she caught him staring at her from across the room after his dad said,When you know, you know.
None of it mattered now that she was with someone else. But when she looked at him that way, he still heard those words.
When you know, you know.
“Fine,” Maurice said. “But if you try anything, if you breathe one word to anyone about who you are, I swear to God you will regret it. And don’t think I’m above hitting a woman.”
“Got it,” Theo said through gritted teeth.
They all got out of the SUV and headed toward the store, but Theo took Dani’s hand in his. She snapped her attention to him and tried to pull her hand away, but he only gripped harder and gave her a slight tug back.
“What are you doing?” she muttered under her breath.
“I’m supposed to be unable to bear not having you by my side, remember?”
“Well, you’re laying it on a little thick, don’t you think? I could have found the oil on my own.”
“I don’t want to be separated. Besides, we need to be convincing.”
“Weneedto find the oil. Come on, Casanova.”
“Casanova was Italian.”
“Okay, then who was the Greek god of love?” she asked.
“Eros. God of love and sex.”
She shot a glance at him at the wordsex. Those rosy cheeks had returned. Funny, he never pictured Dani the type to get bashful. She’d always been a casual dater, never with any guy for more than a month or two. They didn’t necessarily talk about those sorts of things, but they had made plenty of jokes and innuendos over the years, especially whenever Eddie was around, since hehatedthe thought of his sister being a woman with needs. But Theo assumed Dani enjoyed sex, given how comfortable she was with the topic. Until now.
Fuck.
Theo shook the thoughts away. It wasn’t the time for distractions.
They entered the store, and he scanned the space for opportunities. Exits. People who looked like they might be able to help. Any sort of commotion that could distract Maurice and Louis. The store wasn’t much different from what they would’ve found in the United States. Even the layout was reminiscent of a supermarket chain back home.
They wandered through the store in a wad with Maurice and Louis following way too close for comfort, which in and of itself garnered a few curious glances. It also didn’t help thatMaurice and Louis were dressed in black as though they were on a tactical ops team while Theo and Dani wore more of Vautour’s Grecian resort wear—flowing linens in whites and blues. They were a bizarre foursome, to say the least. They weaved down the aisles, searching for the olive oil, even though Theo already had a good idea of where it would be. But he needed to figure out a plan. So he took his time, calculating potential moves in his head.
Finally they came to an aisle that had a display of various bottles of oil at the end, providing an entry to a wall and shelves of oils in bottles of all shapes and sizes.
“Holy shit,” Dani said staring at the assortment.
An employee walked by right at that moment and Theo grabbed his attention, but not without Maurice sidling up to Theo, giving him a silent warning.
