It had nothing to do with Theo’s magnetism pulling her in.
There was no way they could sit beside each other without touching, especially with all the frilly pillows and the dip in the center that almost forced the two of them together. And with Theo’s good arm draped over the back, it forced Dani to fall into him, resting safely under his armpit, like the cute engaged couple that they were pretending to be. Leaning right into the place where that tattoo was etched into his skin.
The tattoo that sheknewhad a meaning and she had every intention of seeing again so she could write down the letters and then look it up.
But as they sat there, with their sides pressed against each other, she fought to keep her attention anywhere but on Theo’s crotch. Every time she glanced in that direction, her mind went back to the prior evening and her “peek.”
This. This was exactly why she’d tried to avoid seeking it out. Because she knew that if she saw his dick, it would consume her.
Funny thing was,shewas the one who wanted to do the consuming.
She quickly shook her head, trying to dismiss the thought. Theo looked down at her and shot her a questioning glance.
She waved him off, signaling that it was nothing.
“So,” Lydia said, putting the paper down on a coffee table. “This tells me you are an archaeologist.”
Theo straightened up a bit, but that made Dani sink only farther into his side. God, he smelled good. Like sun-kissed olives.
“Yes,” he responded.
“Why did you tell my employee that you were food writers?” Lydia asked.
“Because we didn’t think you’d talk to us about this otherwise,” he said.
She nodded as if thinking to herself that he was right about that. “So what do you want to know?”
“Is it real?” Theo asked. “Papantonis’s account?”
Lydia leaned back in her chair. “That, I don’t know. I know the stories our family has told. The origins of our farm here. But those truths tend to get lost over time, despite how hard we may try to preserve the stories.”
“I understand that completely,” Dani chimed in. “I’m a librarian and sometimes people come to me for help searching for their family roots. They are often surprised by what is truth versus fiction. I would imagine that’s especially true in a culture that’s rooted in mythologies.”
Lydia nodded, seemingly appreciative of Dani’s comments.
“What are the stories your family has told?” Theo asked Lydia.
“Exactly what you have here. Minos hid the Minotaur in the labyrinth, and after Theseus killed it, he intended to take it to Athens. He believed the Minotaur contained the powers of the gods and wanted to worship it. But Demetrios believed the power of the Minotaur was actually contained in its eye. So he cut the eye from its head and brought it here to bring wealth and prosperity to the lands of his family. Our family adopted the crest of the Minotaur as an ode to Demetrios. But ultimately, the eye did not stay here.”
“How do you know that if it’s buried?” Theo asked.
“Because he said so in his journal.”
Dani shot a glance at Theo, who was furrowing his brow. “Have you seen the journal?”
“Not personally. But it’s there. At the Acropolis Museum in Athens.”
Theo cocked his head. “Are you sure? I’ve been to the museum countless times, and I’ve never seen any mention of Papantonis, and certainly no journal.”
“That is because you don’t know who to ask,” Lydia said, proudly. “My grandson, Andreas, is an archaeologist who works at the museum.”
“Dr. Andreas Demetrious?” Theo asked.
Lydia’s eyes lit up. “You know him?”
She seemed surprised. Dani was surprised, too.
“I know the name,” Theo explained.
