"With fear."
"Yes, with fear. It was scary as hell!"
"Watch your language, young lady."
Olivia groaned and rubbed her forehead. "I need to analyze the situation and figure out the pros and cons, so I can arrive at a logical course of - "
"Child," Eleni interrupted her. "Sometimes, you don't need to think."
"I always think things through. I've spent years honing my ability to analyze any given - "
"Do you like him?" Eleni asked.
"Yes, but - "
"You find him attractive?"
"Yes, but - "
"Then, it's settled." Eleni waved a hand in dismissal. "There are no buts."
"There are, too! I don't know if I can trust him. I don't know what he's feeling."
Eleni shrugged and started rolling another grape leaf. "He came to see you because he wanted to meet you. That means he was attracted to you. Did he ask to see you again?"
"Yes. Tonight."
"Then he is still attracted to you. It's not brain surgery, you know."
Olivia slumped in her chair. Was she overanalyzing again? "I won't know if he lies to me."
Eleni arranged her finished grape leaves in the bottom of a pot. "I loved your grandfather dearly, and he loved me. But there were days, bad days when I could feel more anger or resentment from him than love, and it would hurt something terrible."
"I'm so sorry. I didn't know."
Eleni sighed. "I never speak of it because over the years he always stayed faithful. He always found a way to keep on loving me. But it was hard. There were times when I wished I couldn't tell what he was feeling. So what I'm saying is this could be a blessing for you."
Olivia swallowed hard. "I don't know. I still think it's scary."
"Of course it is." Eleni went back to stuffing grape leaves. "Everything worthwhile is scary."
"You think I should continue to see him?"
Eleni huffed. "I think you should help me with the cooking. I still have my hopes for Spiro. And my friend, Alexia - she's hoping you'll fall for her son, Giorgios."
Olivia smiled and reached for a grape leaf. She didn't care how handsome the Greek men were. They couldn't compare to Robby MacKay.
Robby had said she was brave and beautiful. There wasn't a whole lot she could do about her looks, but she could work on being brave. Tonight she'd see him again. And if he tried to kiss her, she wouldn't chicken out.
Shortly after sunset, Robby met Carlos in the garden at Roman's villa for their weekly sparring match. Barefoot, bare-chested, and dressed in white martial-arts pants, they bowed to each other on the rectangular-shaped lawn. The nearly full moon shone down on them, casting Carlos's shadow across the green grass, but not Robby's.
At the back of the garden, a row of white stone columns gleamed in the moonlight as they stood guard at the head of the reflection pool. The scent of roses and gardenias filled the air, and Robby glanced quickly at the flower beds, wondering if he should pick a bouquet for Olivia.
His attention snapped back to Carlos as the were-panther began to shift his weight back and forth. Robby had learned not to underestimate him.
"I could beat you easily if I shifted," the Brazilian boasted as he danced around the garden's perimeter.
"I could beat you easily in my sleep. If I slept."