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Her fingers lingered on my skin, sending a familiar thrill through me.
“Veronica …”
“August …”
Her eyes met mine, and there was a softness there, a warmth that hadn’t been directed at me in such a long time. It felt like openness, or maybe hope, flickering in the depths of her gaze.
Without thinking, I moved closer, my forehead gently leaning against hers. I closed my eyes, taking in the nearness of her, a feeling I’d deeply missed.
“I’ve missed this ... missed you,” I murmured, the words barely a whisper against the motor of the boat and the splashing of the water.
Her breath hitched slightly. “I’ve missed you too, August.”
Those words, simple yet profound, surged through me with unexpected joy. I hadn’t realized just how much I needed to hear them until they were spoken. It was the affirmation, the mutual longing that had lingered unspoken between us for too long. And when she glanced down at my lips, it felt like the most natural thing in the world to kiss her. The kiss was soft, lingering just long enough to remind us of what we once had.
As I pulled back slightly, my hand reached up to caress her cheek while looking into her eyes. “I would do anything for you, you know.”
She nodded, then glanced down at my arm. “Can you try doing it without hurting yourself?”
I chuckled. “I will try my best.”
Veronica’s eyes reflected a mix of anticipation and concern when she said, “Maybe this would be a good time to tell me your little secret.”
I nodded. “Okay …”
Before I could confess, an interruption came booming from Caleb’s direction. “I’m king of the world!”
Daphne laughed. “Sorry to break it to you, but you’re just a prince.”
“Just?” Caleb clutched his heart dramatically. “You wound me! One day, I will be king, and you will be my queen! Take that!”
Veronica and I both couldn’t hold back our laughter. And even though my intimate moment with her had been shattered, the connection between us had been unmistakably rekindled.
“You two are making me nervous,” Veronica said. “Come down from there before you fall in.”
Daphne turned around and grinned as we cruised by the Cairo Opera House. “Falling in the water is August’s job. He’s an expert.”
I sighed. “I didn’t fall in, I jumped in. Big difference.”
Caleb gestured to the water of the Nile. “Just don’t jump in here. You’ll be eaten alive by piranhas.”
I shook my head in amusement. “Check your facts. Piranhas don’t live in the Nile. That’s a South American specialty.”
Caleb came over from the bow and pulled out his phone, scrolling and tapping a few times. “Okay, looks like you’re right. Watch out for pufferfish then. They have human-like teeth and are a thousand times more toxic than cyanide.”
“Thanks for the warning,” I said.
“Maybe we should make an August-proof checklist,” Veronica suggested, playing along. “You know, to keep you out of trouble.”
“Sounds dull without a little risk,” I countered. “We could all use some adventure and mystery, don’t you think?”
“I agree,” Daphne said, stepping closer. “Speaking of mystery … can we visit the Egyptian Museum next? They’ve got some artifacts dating back over five-thousand years. I especially want to see the Royal Mummies Hall.”
“Ooh—that gives me an idea,” Veronica said with a smirk. “We can mummify August to keep him safe.”
I threw my hands up in defense. “Oh, come on! You make it sound like I’m accident prone. This stuff has never happened to me before. All the trouble I have gotten into is directly connected to you, your stolen bikini bottoms, your purse …”
Caleb smirked. “And don’t forget, you saved her life when that four-inch lizard tried to bite her foot off.”
