Azure (Drowning In You) by Chrystalla Thoma Read Free Book Online Page B

rubbery thing and lifted it to her mouth.
    It was crunchy and very sweet. Flavored with something. Cloves? Cinnamon? She swallowed and looked up to find him staring, his eyes gone dark as night, his lips parted.
    He licked them when he caught her gaze and looked away. His cheeks colored and it made her smile, lifted the weight off her chest.
    Oh my god. He was way too cute.
    “It’s delicious.” She grabbed her glass, gulping down water. Her mouth was gummy with sugar. “Thank you.”
    The sun was sitting low over the sea, a golden disk. The light reflected in the pebble she wore around her neck.
    “What’s that?” He pushed his chair back and came around the table, a shadow against the sun. “Let me see.” He leaned over her, washing her in his scent, and lifted the pebble with his finger.
    “Just a pebble I found on the beach.”
    He hissed and let it go, his eyes darkening. “I’ll take you back to the hotel.” He turned, tossed some money on the table and left toward the car with big strides.
    “What? Wait!” She grabbed her purse and ran after him. “It’s still early.”
    “I need to talk to Panos.”
    “Why?” She reached the car as he started the engine. She slipped inside and she’d barely closed the door when they were rolling out onto the road. “Why are you doing this?”
    “Doing what exactly?” His teeth were clenched.
    “Going off without explaining why. Last time it was when I said I majored in English literature,” there, a flinch, a tightening of his jaw, “and now because I gathered a pebble from the beach. What the hell is wrong?”
    He said nothing, driving so fast the tires squealed.
    “You promised to answer a question,” she said as they reached the main road and took the direction of Kissamos .
    “I promised nothing,” he muttered, his eyes fixed straight ahead.
    “Oh right. Be that way.” Make me open my heart to you and then walk away. She turned away from him, staring at nothing as they passed outside villages and restaurants. She saw a convenience store and reluctantly turned back toward him, catching a flash of his eyes before he was looking back at the road.
    “Can you stop? I need to buy some water.”
    “There’s a mini market closer to the hotel.” But he swerved and parked in front of the grocery store.
    “Do you need anything?” she asked as she opened the door and stepped outside.
    He shook his head, his face unreadable. “Just hurry up.”
    Bastard. Fuming, she stomped into the dimness of the market. A smell of must and stale bread hung inside. Fridges hummed at her right and she went and grabbed two big bottles of water. Two old men were talking in low voices at the cashier, stroking their huge, bushy mustaches and shooting her covert glances.
    What? She looked down at her shorts and sandals. She was decent, thank you very much. She paid and lugged the bottles outside. Dusk had gathered like a mist, blotting outlines and giving the car headlights a ghostly aura.
    An old woman stood, bathed in the eerie light, wrapped in a black shawl and hunched over like a vulture. She was muttering in Greek, her gnarled hand making the sign of the cross over and over again. She shouted something unintelligible to Olivia, gesturing at the truck.
    Then she spat twice on the ground, raised both hands, and turned to leave, still muttering. She disappeared among the trees by the side of the road.
    Olivia frowned as she climbed inside the car. Kai was gripping the wheel tightly, his knuckles white.
    “What was that about?” she asked.
    “Nothing,” he whispered and revved up the engine. “Nothing new.”

      ***

    Olivia was distracted when Kai left her at the hotel. So distracted, in fact, that she walked up to the reception desk, asked for her room key, took it and turned to go before she realized Panos was talking to her.
    “Sorry?”
    “I say, decided to leave the boy, come to the man?” He wagged his brows, grinning.
    She sighed and shook her head. “I