Philautia || Amour Éternel Series BOOK ONE ||

Thirteen - SHANNON

April 2015

The sun beat down on Shannon's bare back as he lounged next to the pool. Seagulls called to each other overhead and he tasted salt in his mouth from the ocean air. The bright blue Sea of Crete reflected the sun's rays, the waves making the light dance across the stone walls of the villa behind him. A splash of cold water jerked him out of his sleep and he lifted his head quickly.

"What the fuck?" he asked in annoyance. When he saw Belle emerge from the water, flipping her hair back over her head in one solid motion, he stopped. "Was that you?" he asked, struggling to keep his eyes off of her chest.

She grinned. "Maybe," she replied, sticking her tongue out at him.

He watched as she submerged herself again before rolling over. The lounge chair had been a comfortable napping space, but he knew he had spent a bit too much time in the sun. The smell of cooking meat caught his attention and he looked over to the grill, squinting in the bright sunlight. He could barely make out the shadow of someone manning the grill.

"Shan! Come inside and help me get this ready, you lazy fucker!" Callie's voice drifted out of the kitchen behind him.

He sighed and stood up, pausing as his head spun slightly. He had spent too much time laying down and stood up too quickly. The wine he'd had around lunch time on an empty stomach probably didn't help much either. His eyes took a minute to adjust when he stepped inside the house. They had been in Greece for three days now and he had only just started getting used to the time difference.

When Callie had called him up and invited him along on the trip, last minute, he had been wary about it. Her friend had canceled so they were left with an extra space in their villa. He wasn't exactly sure how he'd feel surrounded by a bunch of people more than ten years younger than him. But Callie had assured him that it would be fine. She was surprisingly correct. He had met everyone except for Tom and Sam, one of Callie's co-stars from Sanctum, but the other two men were relatively laid back. Meredith had joined them and he was glad to see Lilia rounding out the group. Tom was nice enough and Shannon could see why Callie had taken such a liking to him during filming.

He was very charming and well-spoken. He even had spotless conversations in French with Callie and Belle, much to Shannon's annoyance. By all accounts, Tom was the perfect dashing Englishman. That meant that Shannon automatically had to hate him. Shannon tried to be polite to him, but every time Tom would open his mouth, Shannon cringed internally. Callie hung on his every word like it was the Gospel and Shannon had to restrain himself from reaching over and slapping the grin out of Tom's perfect mouth.

The villa itself was luxurious. It had five bedrooms and about as many baths. Each bathroom had a glorious soaking tub and a beautiful view of a different part of the ocean. The living area was open and airy, flowing easily from the inside to the outdoors. The villa was situated on the top of a hill with sweeping views on all sides. In the distance toward the back of the house, you could catch a glimpse of the nearby town of Elounda, about twenty minutes away on foot, tucked into the hillside.

The decor in the villa was a mix between contemporary and coastal, with plush seating and dark hardwood floors. The weather had been so nice the entire trip that none of the windows had been closed and the whole house smelled of sunshine and sea spray. The girls had taken to wandering around in bikinis and see-through cover-ups and most of Shannon's time was spent shirtless in a pair of swimming trunks or shorts.

"If you stay outside too long, you'll get burnt," Callie warned him. She was standing behind a cook top sauteing vegetables in a skillet. "Can you mix the salad? It's almost time for dinner. Tom and Sam are handling the grill."