Page 82 of Hired Husband

I nodded, my chest stinging a little at what certainly felt like a rejection, but I didn’t let it show. “Okay. I’ll see you in a bit.”

“See you,” he murmured absently, drifting out toward the balcony while I went in the opposite direction.

After a long, hot shower, during which I kept hoping he would join me, I put on the oversized cruise robe and headed out to find him. He was leaning against the railing on the balcony again, his hair a pale silver in the cool light illuminating him from the room.

As far as I could tell, he wasn’t on the phone again, just standing there, staring out at the water. I padded over to the balcony without saying a word, realizing then that he was watching children still splashing around in the shallows despite the late hour.

A handful of them noticed the ship, their tiny arms shooting into the air to wave enthusiastically. Isaac waved back and I smiled, slipping in behind him and wrapping my arms loosely around his neck. As I rested my cheek against the back of his shoulder, I murmured against his skin. “Do you want some company?”

He turned his head to press a soft kiss against my forearm. “I’ve already got it.”

“Yeah, I saw you made some new friends.”

He chuckled. “I’m not sure that counts as making friends, but sure.”

Neither of us spoke again for a while after that, but neither of us moved, either. We simply watched the villages drifting by like scenes that belonged to other lifetimes all together. Isaac never looked away from it, his eyes fixed on the shoreline like he was trying to memorize every little thing.

I held him a little tighter, but as I stood with my front sealed against his back, I had the distinct feeling that even though he was physically still here, the Isaac I’d been getting to know was already very much gone.

CHAPTER 33

ISAAC

Edfu was extraordinary, the history here so alive that walking through it felt like living through it. This had once been an ancient settlement. Centuries before I’d even existed, people had spent one hundred and eighty years building this place. It absolutely blew my mind.

When Jasmine had insisted we come on this cruise, I hadn’t been sure why, but now I had to give her credit. She knew me well. Better than I had expected. Because all these old buildings and temples needed to be seen in person to get the full effect. More than just nerding out, I was achieving full nerdgasm on this trip.

Until Jane called.

Any other day, I would have spent the better part of the morning pestering our guide with questions, but today, my head was in the clouds. It was all I could do to stay present and actually try to absorb anything at all.

Meanwhile, Bossy Daytime Jasmine was out in full force, arguing with the guide over where our group was going to have lunch. She’d also insisted on private cars for transport from the docks to the temple instead of the more traditional horse-drawn carriages used by most tour companies. The group was in good hands with her taking charge.

As we navigated the little market outside the temple complex, she greeted shopkeepers in Arabic, pausing to inspect their wares or ask about restaurant recommendations. At one point, she smacked Joseph’s hand away from a carved wooden statuette of a falcon-headed dude.

“Don’t touch Horus unless you’re going to buy him.”

Joseph blinked hard and let out an exasperated sigh. “He’s the god of the sky, war, and kinship. I was going to get him for Isaac as a souvenir from me.”

“Don’t,” Jasmine snapped, rolling her eyes. “He doesn’t need a souvenir. He can come back and buy Horus himself when he visits again.”

Zara chuckled. “My, my. You really do become a dictator when you’re hungry.”

“I’m more of a benevolent ruler.” Jasmine smiled innocently. “Dictators don’t usually go out of their way to ensure tourists don’t eat somewhere dreadful, and I’ve done that.”

“To be fair, I don’t think benevolent rulers do that either,” Zara said, pushing her sunglasses up the bridge of her nose. “Either way, this isn’t the place to buy souvenirs or anything else. The prices are ridiculous and that’s coming from me. I never say stuff like that.”

“Neither do I, but it’s true.” Jasmine took her arm, waving for us to follow before disappearing into the crowd, chatting animatedly with Zara beside her.

I stared after them, watching Jasmine’s lithe frame weave effortlessly through the packed market, every movement graceful despite the extreme heat and hundreds of people around her. In the meantime, here I was, feeling like I was standing on a ledge. One tiny push and I’d fall.

No doubt about it.

Joseph nudged my shoulder once they were gone, wearing a small, knowing smile. “You’ve really got it bad. I mean, you barely even looked at the temple.”

I scoffed. “Of course, I looked at the temple. It was amazing. I’ve just got some other stuff on my mind and not for nothing, but if we don’t go after them right now, we’re going to lose them in this crowd.”

He nodded and fell into step beside me, but apparently, he was intent on talking me off the cliff I was on today. “So, uh, are you staying in Egypt?”