MaeI sipped my tea, looking over the cup at the man I was hoping would give me a job. The guy had to be pushing eighty. He was the very proud owner of the oldest private museum in Philadelphia. I remembered visiting the museum several times when I was younger. I had thought him old back then.“Thank you again for taking the time out of your busy day to meet with me, Benjamin,” I said with a friendly smile.His eyes, a clear blue that had a faint misty look to them stared back at me. “It’s I who should be thanking you. I wasn’t sure you would be interested in talking to an old relic like me.”“I feel privileged to be talking to you. You are kind of a hero in the antiquity world. My dad always spoke very highly of you.”There was a brief moment of anger that flashed through the man’s eyes. “Your father used to be a great source for me to tap when I was stocking my museum.”I said nothing about the fact he used the past-tense version. I managed to sell him a few pieces over the years, b

TysonI got out of the car, feeling the jetlag as I walked into the hotel. I used my very broken Italian to speak to the man behind the counter. I got the key to my suite and headed for the elevator. It felt like I had been waiting forever for the day to arrive. I was thrilled to be in Rome.I had done my research and knew exactly how much I would pay for the artifact that had been dug up just outside the city. It was being touted as coming from the era of the Roman Republic. A time before Jesus was born, according to history. I wanted to verify it for myself and that included seeing the site it came from.I dropped my suitcase near the door and moved to look out the window. I had been hoping I would be making this trip with Mae. Mae would have loved Rome. I was dumb enough to let myself hope there was a chance for us. I had envisioned a romantic week, seeing the sights, enjoying wine and cheese, and having lots and lots of sex.That wasn’t going to happen. She wasn’t even talking to

MaeA million thoughts ran through my head, telling me to stop. Go back. Walk away. He would only end up hurting me. I didn’t give a damn. In that moment, the very last thing he was doing was hurting me. He was giving me everything I wanted and needed. I couldn’t walk away from him. I wanted to believe it was fate that landed me in the same hotel as him. Fate and a well-calculated guess, but all the same, I was in his arms and I didn’t mind staying for just a bit longer.“I need you,” I moaned. His hand dropped to my waist, pulling my body against his.“I want you so bad,” he groaned with his mouth pressed against my neck. His hot breath washed over me, sending shivers of delight up and down my spine.“Clothes,” I gasped as his teeth grazed my flesh.“Off,” he answered.“Now.”One-word answers were all I could muster. My mind felt muddled, intoxicated by lust. When I saw him sitting at the bar, I couldn’t believe my luck. I told myself to walk away, but damn if he didn’t look handsome

TysonI woke up bright and early, anxious to see Mae. I knew it was early without needing to open my eyes. I inhaled deeply, smelling the scent of her in the room and smiling. It was the scent I would never forget. I was certain it was imprinted on my very soul. I reached out to touch her, a little bummed when I didn’t feel her head on my chest. When I realized she wasn’t in the bed with me, I opened my eyes and looked around. “Mae?” I called out. There was no answer.I sat up, blinking to clear my vision. I looked around the room that was still fairly dark and didn’t see her. I rubbed my face, trying to clear the cobwebs from my brain. I didn’t get much sleep. I knew she didn’t either. I felt a tiny bit guilty for keeping her up so late when she said she needed to get up early. I got up and knocked on the bathroom door.“Mae?” I whispered before it dawned on me that was stupid. She wasn’t likely to be asleep in the bathroom.There was no answer. I opened the door and saw no sign of h

MaeI was flying high. Elated. Satisfied. Everything. I had all the emotions. It felt good to have finally secured the statue that I was ninety-nine percent sure was from the days Caesar ruled the Roman empire.I wasn’t a historian, but I had done my due diligence before I ever forked out a penny. There was also the fact I knew Tyson was after the damn thing. That was as good a seal of approval as any. I trusted his judgment even if I didn’t necessarily trust him.The driver was waiting for me in the dark SUV I had rented for my stay. As it turned out, my stay was going to be very short. I was actually relieved. I didn’t want to spend another night with Tyson. No, not true. I did want to spend another night with him, which was why I absolutely could not spend another night with him. I always felt like I was handling C-4 when I was around him. He was dangerous. One little spark and things erupted.“Mae!” I heard my name and spun around with alarm.“Shit,” I breathed the word. It was Ty