The Five-Day Dig (32 page)

“I’ll help you find staff, if necessary. You won’t be left in the lurch.”

“No, I won’t.” Still typing, he didn’t look up. “What is the concept for the book?”

She faltered. The fact was that she didn’t have an idea, but she had no doubt she could come up with one. She was motivated. “I can’t share that right now. But the project is too important to delay. You can’t deny that my last book brought the university opportunities. It got us here.”

“True, with the aid of a few forged recommendations.” Directing a quick frown at her, he stashed away his phone. “If I have trouble finding replacements, you may have to delay your plans, but I just sent out an e-mail around the department asking for suggestions.”

“Thank you.” She turned away, then looked back at him. “Maybe Chaz can take some of my classes. He’ll have his PhD soon. And, by the way, I’m glad someone else is reviewing his dissertation, because I’ll be too busy with my project to do it. He’ll do brilliantly, of course.”

“I expect so. And I’ll consider assigning some of your classes to him.”

She suppressed a smile. “We’d better hurry over to the priests’ lodging. Dunk will be impatient to get back to work.”

They headed in the same general direction, but she slowed down and let him gain distance on her. As soon as she stepped onto the main path, Chaz was beside her, pointing to his phone. “What’s this about your taking a sabbatical this fall?”

Farber glanced back at them but continued walking.

Chaz lowered his voice. “Is he pushing you out of Growden?”

She shook her head. “It was my idea. I’m going to write another book.”

“Everyone on the set!” Amara called to them from the door of the lodging. She grabbed Farber’s arm. “Come on, Will. Let’s move it.”

As Winnie and Chaz followed them into the building, his brow furrowed. “This is so sudden. Will you be going away? I mean, for your research?”

“No. I don’t expect to travel any more than usual.”

He studied her, obviously trying to understand her motives.

She smiled at him.

Inside the lodging, Amara sat down cross-legged on the floor and pulled a ledger out from under her arm. Surrounding her, a couple dozen ancient fittings had been labeled with number tents.

In the corner of the room, Hank was setting up a light box.

As Farber wandered off into the room that held the scroll cases, Chaz whispered to Winnie, “Tell me more. You didn’t come up with this book idea while you were hallucinating, did you?”

She stifled a giggle. “Actually,” she whispered back, “I haven’t come up with anything yet. I don’t know what’s next for me, but I know I need the freedom to figure it out.”

He stared at her. A muscle twitched in his cheek.

Farber returned to the main room. “I thought
I
was late getting back from lunch. Where’s the rest of the team?”

Jack entered just in time to answer the question. “Having a heated discussion about expanding the dig. It’s Dunk and Enza versus Dom and Father Giampiero.”

“It can’t be wise to argue with our host,” Farber said.

The lead archaeologist opened up a notebook and looked over a page. “It’s downright embarrassing, which is why I steered clear of them.”

Farber approached Chaz. “You saw my e-mail about Winifred, Charles? You may be needed to take over some of her classes this fall.”

“Me?” He looked stunned.

“Yes. It could lead to a permanent position for you. Think about it.” He turned to Jack. “Father Giampiero wanted me to help him catalog the scroll room. I guess I’ll start without him.” He left again.

Chaz turned his shocked face toward Winnie.

She grinned at him.

After a minute, his expression cleared. “While we’re waiting, let’s take a closer look at the ritual objects in the other cubiculum.”

The change in subject surprised her, but she guessed he had more questions about her sabbatical that he wanted to ask in private. “OK.”

She followed him into the other room.

Inside, he moved toward a corner adjacent to the doorway. Staring at a painted cherub on the wall, he gestured for her to come over. “Take a look at this.”

Stepping up beside him, she examined the cherub. It looked like all the other cherubs throughout the lodging. She couldn’t imagine what detail he meant for her to notice. “What is it? Cupid?”

“Yes.” Slipping behind her, he slid his arms around her, the length of his body warm against her – particularly the part of him pressing against her rear end.

She sucked in her breath. Anyone could walk in and find them like this, but she didn’t move away. She wanted to feel him against her, if only for a moment.

Sinking his nose into her hair, he kissed her ear.

Excitement tingled through her. Edging around to face him, she tentatively put her hands on his waist. Even that bit of contact made her giddy. “What are you doing?” she whispered, acknowledging to herself that she would not stop him. They had waited too long, been interrupted too many times.

He grinned at her. “I believe you’ve just promoted me from student to peer. That calls for a celebration.”

She shivered. “What if Farber walks in? Or Hank with the camera?”

He nodded toward the Cupid. “Blame it on him.”

She glanced at the cherub then looked back into Chaz’s eyes, closer to her than they’d ever been before.

He reached up and cupped her cheek, then moved in and met her lips.

Her senses soared with dizzy euphoria. She held nothing back, slipping the tip of her tongue into his mouth. He tasted good. A fleeting reservation about keeping it quick flew out the window. He was kissing her –
finally
. She was alive again. Whatever the consequences, this was worth it.

“I could get used to this,” he murmured against her mouth.

Really?
Reveling in the taste, feel and scent of him, she pulled him closer and pressed her hips into him. His body felt hot and hard. She wanted more. She had to have him. And she would, as soon as they could manage it.

Two sharp claps from outside the door broke the spell. “Let’s go, people!” Dunk called from the other room, his tone tense. “Everyone in here!”

Reluctantly, she and Chaz broke apart, both breathing hard.

“Tonight,” she whispered.

He grinned at her and stole a couple more kisses before they made their way into the main room. She had to force herself to let go of his hand.

Thankfully, no one paid them any attention. Hank was adjusting the camera, and rest of the group milled around looking disorganized.

She stood next to Chaz in a daze, her heart rate fast, her brain short-circuited by the need for more physical contact with him. With her boss across the room, she didn’t dare touch him, but she stayed close enough to feel the heat emanating from him.

When she compelled herself to focus on the scene in front of her, she noticed that Dunk and Enza both looked grim and flushed.

Jack glared at them, hands on his hips. “You didn’t get us thrown off the estate, did you?”

“We probably would have done, if not for having a contract to protect us. But we don’t have time to argue about it now.” Dunk moved over next to the marble table. “Let’s roll.”

Hank put the camera on his shoulder and turned it on.

“Afternoon on Day 4,” Dunk said to the lens, not quite as chipper as usual. “We’re cataloging finds in the inner rooms of the priests’ lodging. The prospect of uncovering more scrolls is maddeningly close, but we can’t get permission to expand the dig, even after enlisting the help of Signore Rentino’s lovely daughter. Enza, how familiar are you with the estate?”

Hank panned to her.

“I grew up here.” She managed a smile at Dunk, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I know it like the rear of my hand, as you
inglesi
say.”

He laughed. “We do say that. What do you most hope we find before the end of the dig?”

“I wish to apprehend which goddess was worshiped here.” She glanced around the room. “The inscriptions we have discovered are inconclusive. The statue from the temple is missing. She should be restored to her rightful place.”

He nodded. “There is still time to pin down her identity.”

She shook her head, frowning. “I only hope she is not casting her curse on us because we do not honor her correctly.”

As she spoke, a muffled boom sounded nearby, and the room vibrated. Winnie jumped, then braced herself and listened for cracking noises like they’d heard the previous night. Her companions’ expressions displayed varying degrees of alarm, but Dunk looked more excited than scared.
Idiot
, she thought.

Chaz put his arm around her protectively.

She gave him a weak smile. “I’m not still feeling the purple beer, am I?”

A crunching noise ripped around the room, and a crack began to open at the base of the wall adjacent to them.

“No. Let’s get out of here!” He pulled her toward the exit tunnel across the room.

Hank, Dunk and Enza held their ground, apparently determined to keep filming, but Farber ran into the tunnel. Jack and Amara started in the same direction, cutting in front of Winnie and Chaz.

Before they reached the tunnel, the crack accelerated at both ends. The floor lurched and tilted like a sliding board.

Winnie clutched Chaz’s arm, but they both fell on their stomachs and slid downward. She grasped frantically for anything to stop her fall, but the tiled surface offered no handholds. The descent seemed to take forever, terrifying her, as she expected the roof to collapse or a chunk of masonry to knock her out or crush her.

Below them, the marble table hit bottom and smashed into pieces. Chunks of plaster dropped from the ceiling. The light box crashed and extinguished, leaving only the dim glow of scattered lanterns and flashlights.

Then she landed on a flat surface with Chaz beside her. Everything went quiet.

D
ICIANNOVE

S
OMEONE MOANED. ANOTHER
person let out a sob.

“Are you all right, Winnie?” Chaz asked, pushing her hair out of her face.

Just looking into his eyes made her feel better. She wrapped her arms around him. Her heart pounded, but nothing hurt. “I think so. Are you?”

“I’m fine.” He kissed the top of her head.