by Leah Leonard
“Yes?” Uri gazed intently into her eyes.
“Besides that, I have a…boyfriend…” she cleared her throat. “…in Iowa.”
“Is it serious?”
“Yes and no,” she sighed. “We’ve been together a long time, and I guess that’s why I felt so strange. I don’t want to hurt you, or him. I just got scared, that’s all. The last thing I expected from my trip to Turkey was to meet someone.”
“I understand,” Uri said.
“Buck…that’s his name, Buck.” She still felt unsure of whether or not she should tell him about the engagement. “Buck and I have been together practically our whole lives. He and his family live on the farm next door and everybody expected the two of us would get married someday.”
“I see…” Uri said.
“Basically, he asked me to marry him, officially, right before I left to come here, but I turned him down. I told him it was because of my parents, but I don’t know…maybe all these years I’ve been with the wrong person.”
“You certainly owe me no explanation.”
“I know, I just…”
“What is it, dear? Tell me anything you would like.” Uri kept his voice calm and patient. So encouraging and nurturing. He made her feel like they had known each other for years and that he was the most supportive person in the world, completely devoted to her happiness.
“There’s something special about you, Uri. I won’t pretend there isn’t.”
“I feel the same about you,” he smiled.
“I’m glad, it’s just that I can’t imagine a future with someone who lives on the other side of the world. I have real life issues I have to deal with once I get home. I suppose this cruise has been a bit of an escape for me, but the party will be over the day after tomorrow when I’m home. I have a farm to run and lots of paperwork I still have to do to wrap up my parent’s estate. Relationships, marriage, dating…none of those things are on my mind now that my parents are gone.” She felt relieved telling him about her life and her feelings. She said what she had to say, and he could either like it or not. Simple as that.
“I appreciate your candor,” Uri told her.
They stood holding hands in silence for a few minutes, gazing down at the incredible spectacle of ruins.
Finally Uri asked, “Can we enjoy this day? Can we temporarily set aside our concerns for the future?”
Stephanie nodded. “Yes.”
“Wonderful,” Uri leaned in, kissed her again. “And may I continue to do this?”
She answered him with a deep, passionate kiss.
“I shall take that as a yes,” he smiled.
***
Uri knew yesterday there was more to the lovely lady than her deceased parents. He should have known she had a beau at home. The woman was a stunner. She likely had men beating a path to her door wherever she went. No problem. Whoever he was would be no match for Uri.
Still, he did not wish to press Miss Stephanie. He would not be able to stand it should she run from him again. They were having such an enjoyable day, and he simply wanted that to continue. For now. There was time for more later.
He half thought he should tell her about Tamara and his loss, but he wasn’t sure yet whether that would be too much for sweet Stephanie, so he held his tongue. Later, yes, but now wasn’t the time.
Other than kisses, caresses, and showing her a great time, he would keep the heavy discussions to a minimum. He would avoid rings or anything suggesting a future between the two of them, but then again, he could think of nothing more than marrying Stephanie and making her his own. For now, those thoughts must be kept to himself.
Speaking of things he wanted to avoid, at that moment, Uri’s cell phone rang. He glanced down, recognized the number as one his father only used in emergencies. He turned to Stephanie. “I hate to do this, but…”
“Go ahead. I know you’re busy.”
He appreciated Stephanie’s good nature. “Hello?”
“You sound distracted,” the Sultan began.
That’s one way of putting it, Uri thought. “I am.”
“Pardon my disruption.”
Uri did not wish to be bothered, of course, but the Sultan was now the only family he had left in the world. When he called, Uri would always answer and do his best to help. “That is fine. What is it, Father?”
“The Haziz family is interested in participating in a venture with us, and I wanted your input before I proceed.”
Uri sat quietly, contemplating this. The Haziz family was Tamara’s clan. Uri hadn’t seen or spoken to them in years, since her funeral.
“Tamara’s father and uncle, to be exact.” The Sultan added before Uri could respond. “They have properties they would like us to manage.”
Uri couldn’t believe it. After all this time, he just thought about Tamara and now this was coming up. When she was alive, they had that kind of connection – finishing each other’s sentences, knowing how the other thought about a variety of issues. For a brief instant, it seemed she had never been gone at all. He glanced at Stephanie who was busy taking photos of the ruins and chatting with an elderly couple. He whispered, “This isn’t exactly a good time.”
“I apologize, however I must be prepared to give an answer later today,” the Sultan said.
Of course he wanted to pressure Uri into deciding something potentially life changing without all the facts and figures. His father could be endlessly frustrating at times. “Without the exact proposal in front of me, I’m afraid I could not say.”
“You shall have that in due time, however I wish to know if you believe it wise to proceed at all.”
“No,” he said immediately. “I highly doubt that would be in our best interests, do you?”
“They have made us quite an offer. I do believe it would be of great financial gain for us, however I was unsure if monetary advantages would be enough to make you want to take advantage of the opportunity.”
“As I’ve said, I have not heard enough to decide.”
“They are proposing we manage some of their holdings overseas for quite a healthy percentage of the proceeds. As I’ve said, the proposal is quite extensive and would require you to take a closer look, however I do believe it would greatly increase and expand our portfolios and our position in the marketplaces where we currently serve, as well as allowing us to expand.”
Uri sighed. Something sounded very strange about the concept. Why would Tamara’s family want to be locked in such a significant manner to Uri and his father when there would be no formal merger or marriage between them? He really wanted to know more, but decided to table that at the moment. Right now, the only thing he cared about was getting back to Stephanie and enjoying the day. “I do not want us to rush into anything.”
“Understood. Where are you and when will you return?”
“Actually, I did as you advised. I am in Athens with the dear lady Stephanie who you met in Ephesus, and I am doing my best to get on with my life. I have nothing but the highest regards for all of the Haziz family. Just because we shared a past is not reason enough to decline them. Still, I am busy at the moment, so please, do make up your mind and I shall honor whatever decision you believe best.”
“I have only heard the preliminaries so far. They have asked to set a meeting with us tomorrow to explore their ideas. I will go and once I learn more, we can decide how to proceed when you return home,” the Sultan said. “I believe it best if you have the final say in this, for you are going to be running everything soon enough.”
“Understood.” Uri tried to keep the conversation to a minimum. “Anything else?”
“Enjoy your time in Athens.”
“Father, I wish you a wonderful day.” Uri hung up and rejoined Stephanie.
“Is everything all right?” She put her arm around his shoulder, obviously sensing that something was wrong.
Was it though? When Uri looked at Stephanie, he realized that although life had not been easy, at the moment, his
second chance at happiness was looking him straight in the eye. “All is well, everything is perfect with you by my side.” He kissed her fingertips, as he loved to do. “Come. Let us continue on, shall we?”
They held hands and climbed down the hill, walked along the gravel paths past all of the ruins, which played such an important role in history.
“I had a great time yesterday,” Stephanie said, “but I have to admit I wish we could have seen more of Ephesus like we’re doing here.”
“You must return to Turkey so I can show you everything for as long as you wish.” In reality, he would have his jet pick her up from anywhere she pleased and take her wherever she wanted.
She lowered her gaze and sighed. “Thanks for that, but I don’t know if I’ll ever be back. I haven’t even seen much of the United States, as you know, and aside from that, I’ll have so much work to do back home.”
He wanted nothing more than to understand her, learn what made her tick. “Tell me about your farm.”
“It’s nice…kind of small. We have a few oat crops, a couple of cows, and several chickens. It’s not big by any means, but it’s still a lot of work to keep it going. We’ve got a few employees and payroll and all of that. My parents taught me some, but there will be things I’ll be taking over that I’ve never done before, so it’s a bit scary for me. I think that’s why my aunt wanted me to come here so badly. We all know what’s in front of us once I get back. It’ll be fine, I’m sure, but it won’t necessarily be easy.”
“I don’t envy you, however I feel sure you can accomplish whatever you must to make it a success.”
“Thanks. I appreciate the vote of confidence.”
“Indeed. Now, we both promised no more talk of work, or of the future. Today is the day we should be concerned with enjoying, my dear.” Uri noticed a vendor selling flowers. He ran over, bought her a bouquet of multi colored wildflowers and handed it to her. “Enjoy this moment.”
Stephanie smelled the fragrant petals. “Thank you! You’re right. I’m having an awesome time today and I’m so grateful to be here, even if I never come back, I’ll remember this day forever.”
Uri’s heart sank. He could not imagine never seeing her again. He would not panic her now by trying to make plans. He would try his best to be patient and wait, and see how this day transpired. “Come. I have something to show you.”
Uri led her around the ruins to the temple of Athena Nike, a stunning columned structure that stood high on a precipice overlooking the greater city. “This is dedicated to the Goddess of Love, Athena, for whom this great city is named.”
A perfect place to fall in love, he thought, but refrained from saying so.
“Incredible,” Stephanie beamed, placing her hand to her heart. “This whole city takes my breath away.”
“As you do for me, darling,” he said, as he kissed the wind from her lungs. Oh how he wanted to tell her he loved her! But to do so might start her running again, so for now, he kept his desires to himself.
Twenty
Once they finished walking all over the entire complex in and around the Acropolis, Stephanie and Uri walked hand in hand through the city streets and stopped at dusk for drinks and appetizers.
They sat at an intimate candlelit table on ancient cobblestone streets, high on a hill, overlooking the greater city, which was just starting to light up for the evening. A waiter brought two refreshing fruit drinks, a plate with enormous Greek olives, fresh cut tomatoes, feta and other cheeses, and handmade breads.
“Are you getting enough to eat, dear?” Uri asked.
Stephanie glanced over at his sparkling eyes and gorgeous smile. She was living a dream she never wanted to wake up from. “Yes, thank you so much, Uri. This is delicious.”
“I am pleased. We can make a reservation for dinner later. I shall have my driver call ahead to book something.”
“I’m so full,” Stephanie giggled. “I’m not sure I need anything else. Besides, there’s plenty of food on board my ship.”
“Of course. You must have people expecting you.”
“Actually, I don’t. Not to bring up the recent past, but I was a little down in the dumps before I met you—”
“Understandably so, darling,” Uri sipped his drink, smiled and popped an olive in his mouth.
“What are you thinking?” she smiled.
“I am simply wondering if you would stay with me until dawn. I have a hotel here, you know. It’s not too far from your ship.”
Stephanie’s stomach tightened. “Uh…I don’t know about that.”
Uri raised his hands in surrender. “Understood. I don’t mean to frighten you.”
“You’re not. I’m just not sure I could keep my hands off you, to be honest,” she smiled.
That was apparently all Uri needed in terms of encouragement. He slid his chair around the table, grabbed her face in his hands and kissed the wind out of her. “I feel the same about you. If you change your mind, please let me know.”
“All I know is that I’m not ready to say goodbye yet.”
“I can never, ever say goodbye to you, darling,” he kissed her passionately and cradled her head in his arms, rocking her gently.
“Well…”
“Yes?”
“What if we compromise?”
“How so?”
“I can’t say I would stay until dawn, but I would be willing to come see your hotel and have a drink and maybe spend a little more time together.”
“Wonderful. You have my word when you are ready to leave, we shall go,” Uri told her.
Why not? She might as well enjoy her time here.
They rode through Athens and headed back toward the sea and the pier where her cruise ship was docked. Uri led her upstairs to a gorgeous room that could only be accessed by a private elevator with a code.
“This is fancy,” Stephanie observed.
He laughed. “You are a sweet lady, Miss Stephanie.”
He opened his hotel room door and Stephanie could not believe what an incredible room he had. The full suite had an enormous living area, a full kitchen, stunning hardwood floors and a plate glass window overlooking the ocean. “Wow!”
“You like it?” he beamed.
“I do.” She walked over to the window and gazed out at the setting sun. Her ship sat off in the distance. “This is incredible.”
***
Uri wasted no time moving in and wrapping his arms around her while she looked out the window. He spun her around and kissed her deeply.
He was pleased she kissed him back with the force and passion he had only had a glimpse of before now.
With that encouragement, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the sectional sofa. Reclining her gently against the soft pillows, his hands began to roam over her hips, her bottom, her breasts. Gentle at first, he explored her slowly to avoid any protests.
She kissed him harder and ran her fingers eagerly over his back. Her touch drove him wild with desire.
Hungrily unfastening the buttons on her blouse, he removed it and tossed it aside.
To his great satisfaction, Stephanie wrapped her long legs around his torso and groped his back side while she nibbled his neck and chest.
He reached his hands around to her back and unhooked her bra, but before he could remove it fully, he heard the protest he knew would happen sooner or later.
“Wait!” she whispered breathlessly. “We can’t.”
Uri immediately stopped what he was doing and propped his head on his hand while he gazed down at her. “Yes, darling. As you wish.”
She looked surprised. “Thanks.”
“You had my word, and so it shall be.”
Stephanie sighed. “You are amazing. I just can’t, that’s all.”
“You need no explanation, dear.” In reality, he wanted her all the more for the fact they didn’t allow things to get out of hand. Her scent intoxicated him though, and her body…he had never seen anyone as beautiful. “You are
lovely dear, and I only want your happiness.”
“I’m glad,” she smiled and brushed her long fingers through his hair.
He tried to take a deeper breath and calm himself, but he was hard as a rock. “Ready to go explore the city some more?”
“Yes.”
Theoretically he didn’t want to explore anything but her sexy body, but if he didn’t do something soon, he was afraid he would not be able to contain his passion much longer.
Uri helped his sweet Stephanie back into her blouse and called his driver arrived a few minutes later. He picked them up and drove them all around the city so Stephanie could see everything and anything they might have missed before.
After a couple of hours, he took them up to one of the highest points in the city, to a gorgeous restaurant where they were taken to a private room with its own balcony and staff of servers. They sat overlooking the evening sky and ocean down below.
“This is incredible,” Stephanie told him.
“I am pleased you like it. I have never been to this place before, but it comes highly rated.”
“I can see why,” she said.
The waiter brought out a rack of lamb, chicken, gyros and locally grown vegetables and placed the food on the table.
“Goodness,” Stephanie said. “How will we eat all of this?”
“Only take what you wish, dear,” Uri said. He almost called her Love, but refrained, even though he was falling deeper with each passing minute. The reality was she had given him a ravenous appetite after their little soiree in his hotel. He was famished.
The staff brought out some olives and he couldn’t resist feeding them to her. “Want one?”
“Sure.” She leaned forward and he watched with great interest as her full lips parted to accept the treat.
He stared at her, watching while she swallowed and his mind wandered to how skilled she might be in other areas.
“What?” she asked.
He kissed her. “Thinking about earlier, dear. Sorry. I could not help myself where you are concerned.”