"Promise a soul exchange with Hades. You do have nerve, I'll grant you that."
He wasn't sure if impressing his brother was a good thing or not but at least Solin sounded a little more agreeable.
"Aside from the permits, what else?"
"That's it. She wants to meet the official who grants them to make sure they're not forgeries."
"How soon do you need this?"
Arik glanced to the other two, who were watching him expectantly. "How soon can you do it?"
Another brief pause. "Give me an hour to arrange it. I have a few government friends who owe me. I just have to decide who I want to intimidate or blackmail."
Arik looked at Megeara and spoke in English. "He needs an hour to set the permits up. Can you meet him then?"
Her jaw slackened before she nodded.
"She can be there," Arik told Solin. "Good. I'll pick you up."
"Why?"
"Because I have to meet the god who's this arrogant and stupid face-to-face."
Arik wasn't sure if he should be flattered or insulted. Perhaps he should be a little of both. "Then I'll allow the good doctor to give you your directions." He handed the phone to Megeara, who was still gaping.
Geary couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was it really that simple? Could nothing more than a phone call gain her the elusive papers she needed? "Hello? Kyrios Catranides?"
"Yes, and you are?"
"Dr. Geary Kafieri."
"Nice meeting you, Doctor. As my brother said, I'll be needing directions on where to pick the two of you up so that we can procure your permits."
Geary still was a bit reserved. It wasn't in her nature to trust people, and especially not after all the years she'd been trying to accomplish what the two of them seemed to be able to do in one hour. "I thought you were an only child."
Solin didn't hesitate with his answer. "Yes and no. I have a number of half siblings. One of whom happens to be Arik. Now if you'll be so kind as to give me your address."
She did even though she kept expecting this to be a joke.
"Very good," Solin said once she finished giving him the address and directions for the marina. "I shall see the two of you in about an hour."
"Thank you."
He hung up.
Geary ended the call, then handed the phone to Brian. "He's getting us the permits. Do you think he can really do that?"
Brian shrugged. "If anyone can, he can. Solin travels in the highest of circles. Even those I can't ascend to... which tells you exactly how much money he has."
She looked to Arik, whose face was completely stoic. "And he's your brother?"
"Yes."
Brian cleared his throat. "Well, if you get those permits, I'll reconsider my backing."
That meant a lot to her. Without his backing, they wouldn't have any choice except to pack up and go home. "Thank you, Brian."
He inclined his head to her before he left them alone.
Arik offered her a seductive smile. "Are you happy now?"
"I don't know if ' happy' is the right word. I'm still suspicious of you and your motives."
He clucked his tongue at her. "After all this, how can you continue to mistrust me?"
Was he serious? "Can you blame me? I still don't know you and here you are making grand gestures for no reason. Why would you be willing to help me?"
"Because I find you fascinating. You were so passionate in grad school, and now you're on an impossible quest, just as I am. One has to admire that. Not to mention the small fact that you saved my life. Helping you with the permits is the least I can do." There was something in his eyes as he spoke that glinted and glowed. She felt like a snake with its master charmer who was luring it from its basket to the highway for it to be run over by a Mack truck.
"What do you want from me? Really?" she asked.
"Just a simple smile. Nothing more."
"I find it hard to believe something so small would satisfy you."
His grin turned wickedly warm. "It would at least tide me over for a bit."
Geary wasn't sure what to make of him. On the one hand, he was helping her out in a way no one else could. He didn't owe her anything at all, and yet...
Could it be as simple as he was repaying her for saving him? He was Greek and it made sense when put in that context. The Greek people had a strict code of ethics about what was right and wrong.
Repayment would be something they would do without hesitation. Perhaps she was being too harsh with him.
"Okay, Arik. I'm sorry I've been so irritable to you. I just don't trust people as a rule, especially those I don't know."
"I understand and we did meet under extremely odd circumstances."
A tiny smile spread across her face as she remembered hauling him on board. "True."
His features softened to the most seductive look she'd ever seen from any man. "Shall we start over?"
He held his hand out toward her. "I'm Arik Catranides."
She shook his hand. "Geary Kafieri, and I still want to know how you ended up in the sea."
He lifted her hand to his lips so that he could place a whisper of a kiss to her knuckles. "And I promise you that one day you will learn the answer to that mystery."
She wasn't sure why, but the hairs on the back of her neck lifted as an eerie chill went down her spine. It was followed by the memory of her dreams where Arikos had bathed her in chocolate whipped cream that he'd licked off her body slowly and easily. But this wasn't that man who'd seduced her.
Was it? Could it be that somehow her subconscious had held on to his memory all these years and it was only now that she needed him that she'd remembered him?
It didn't seem feasible. Yet how else could she explain his presence here on the boat and the fact that he'd been in her dreams these past weeks? She must have remembered him.
And now that she was more relaxed, there was something about him very calm and peaceful. Something that soothed her.
Except for his eyes. They spooked her. They seemed somehow omniscient and powerful. Probing and deadly.
"So where exactly do you live?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her. It was what her dream lover had done a thousand times.
She stiffened in his embrace. "Who are you, Arik? Why are you really here?"
He rubbed his cheek against hers so that his whiskers sent chills over her. "You want Atlantis, yes?" He all but purred that into her ear as desire burned through her.
"Yes."
"Then what else matters?"
The heat in her body for one thing. It was unlike any she'd ever experienced before. All her life, she'd been forced to prove herself to others. And since her father's reputation had so impugned her own, she'd gone out of her way to not allow the fact that she was a woman make the more elitist scholars disregard her. She'd focused her entire life on being a serious scientist, to the exclusion of all else.
But with Arik, it was different. He treated her as a woman and he wasn't repelled by her protective barbs. He saw her as desirable. The novelty of that alone was titillating.
She wanted to close her eyes and lean back into him. To reach up and lay her palm against his whiskers so that she could feel the muscles of his jaw work. It was what she'd do in her dreams.
But this was reality and Dr. Geary Kafieri didn't have time for such play. Even though all she wanted to do was stay where she was, she pulled away. "I need to work."
Arik ground his teeth in frustration. But then it was the power of her that had lured him to her in the first place. I want you to stay ...
The thought had no sooner gone through his head than she turned on him with a vicious glare. "And I told you I have things to do."
He frowned at the anger in her tone. "Excuse me?"
"You said you wanted me to stay and I can't do that."
He cocked his head. "No, I didn't." He'd only thought it.
"I heard you loud and clear."
"But I didn't speak." How could she have heard him when he didn't have his powers?
Geary didn't know what to think. Something wasn't right about this. She could sense it. She needed to get away from him until she could sort through this.
Without so much as a good-bye, she left him and headed topside so that she could get a breath of fresh air and clear her thoughts.
Thia met her on deck. "Where's Mr. Cutie?"
"Down below."
A wicked smile curved her lips. "Now that's where I'd like to have him... down below ."
Geary rolled her eyes at the bad entendre as a breeze brushed against her and gave her a shiver. She was still in wet clothes, and if they were truly going to meet with any Greek official she needed to change her clothes lest she offend him.
"Have at him, Thee. I'm sure he'd welcome that."
Kat laughed as she passed by them. "I really doubt that." Geary frowned at the odd note in Kat's voice.
At almost six and a half feet tall, she, like Thia, towered over the rest of the crew, women and men alike.
Kat was also extremely Greek, with blond hair and sharp green eyes. She'd joined their team only a few weeks ago-right after they'd found the wall they were trying so desperately to excavate. "Do you know something about our guest?"
Kat shrugged nonchalantly. "Nope. Why would I?"
"Hmmm..." Geary wasn't so sure if she believed that or not. There was something in Kat's demeanor that said she might be withholding information.
"Kat, you're from Greece, right?"
She laughed again. "Born and raised. I seriously doubt anyone comes more Greek than me, why?"
"Do you really think this guy can help us get our permits?"
Kat sobered. "I guess we'll know soon."