Chapter One

“I don’t know if I could ever get used to this heat, especially since it’s Christmas back home,” Kim said and turned to smile at Carolina.

Kim handed her a small pickaxe and hand brush to add to the rolled canvas bag of archeological dig tools she’d brought with her.

“Me either,” Caro agreed, and hummed softly as she tucked each item away in their proper slots.

After three years of being married to a man who’d barely even looked at her, Carolina Moore had waited until the divorce was finalized before heading out to join Washington University’s exploratory expedition at Giza.

True, she was only an artist, but her interests were vast. Her ex-husband, a successful corporate attorney named Joffrey Carrion, hadn’t even bothered to show up at the final meeting between their lawyers. That had stung, and Caro did not think she would get through the season without her friend’s help.

When they had gotten married, Joffrey had insisted they maintain all of their accounts separately. Hell, he’d even suggested she not sell her condo, but sublet it. She did not understand at the time, but she sure did now. It was like the bastard knew their relationship would be as brief as their infrequent couplings. In other words, a lot of effort to go absolutely nowhere.

Ugh.

Well, goodie for her. He was right. Carolina wasn’t the neat, quiet mouse of a wife he’d wanted. She was smart, outspoken, and damn funny too, if she said so herself.

Joffrey would have preferred if she were some mute dress-up doll he could take out and put on display for social occasions—as long as he could return her back to her place. All alone on a dusty shelf until he’d needed her again. Like one of his Ferragamo ties.

She frowned thinking about the many times she’d felt like nothing more than an accessory to the man she’d promised to love, though to him, obey was the more important vow.

Bastard.

Well, it did not matter. She shook off her angsty feelings, and Caro reminded herself her marriage was history now. Kinda like the dig she’d gone to see.

Using her savings from her latest art show sales—which had been more than modest to her relief since she hadn’t been producing the last six months, Carolina had decided on this trip to get her through the bulk of the Christmas season. Last year, she had been managing Joffrey’s social calendar and acting as his personal assistant, seeing to their clothes—always complimentary—and his itinerary.

Who had time to sculpt when playing the doting trophy wife? Even then, she was a chubby, disappointing one at that.

“Yes, this is my wife, Carolina Moore, the sculptress, you might have seen her little show discussed in the New York Times.”

He never missed an opportunity to brag. Always acting the proud, but she knew the truth. Her little show had been a smashing success the year they’d gotten married, raking in reviews, sales, and proposals from patrons wishing to commission for more pieces.

Joffrey had insisted she refuse to tend his needs, and like a fool, she had told her agent to take down information, but she had never reached back out.

As for the “little” nature of her work as he had loved to put it, Caro’s work had been so very important to her and was respected by the finest critics of the day. Her nudes and flamboyantly provocative figures were not the types of things Joffrey Carrion would ever want associated with his name.

Good thing she’d kept her own for professional reasons. That and who wanted to be named after roadkill?

Suits him perfectly, she thought with a snort.

Fucking Joffrey. The man had done a number on her self-esteem, but she would get it back. She just needed time, and this change of scenery had done wonders for her healing.

She didn’t even think he’d noticed what she did after the papers were signed. Probably did not know she was out of the country for the last two months.

Carolina had packed up at the start of the holiday madness, which usually began around Halloween, and had joined Kim, one of her oldest buddies, in Egypt.

She’d always loved being in New York during the holidays, but she didn’t want any reminders of her old life this year. True, she was leaving before Christmas, but the bulk of it would be over.

Kim sure was a lifesaver, she thought, thinking of all the work she would accomplish when she got back. Her brain was churning with fresh ideas, and once again, Caro thought about how lucky she’d been to visit such an ancient and mystical place.

Kim had written Caro in as a guest lecturer for her old alma mater. It wasn’t really a stretch. With degrees in art, history, and minors in mythology, Carolina was always on the lookout for fodder to fan her artist’s flame.

Egypt was full of things to tempt her muses. After all, divorce was hardly good material for sculpting, although she was tempted to do a small one of Joffrey with his head up his own ass.

Unfortunately, she’d signed an agreement upon the divorce that made her promise to not use any part of him, including his less than impressive manhood, in her art.

Oh well, there went her dream of painting on a grain of rice. It would’ve been true to scale.

Snort.

Where was she?

Oh yeah.

Searching for inspiration, Carolina had practically jumped for joy when her old college buddy, and the brand new head of the archeology department, Kimberley Scott, had contacted her about this dig. It was an area of study that always held great interest for Carolina.

Egyptology.

Ooh, even the name gave her chills. She’d already done a twelve-part series of sculptures based on Greek myths, and after getting Kim’s message, she’d decided Egypt was the perfect setting for her next project.

Two months later, she was glad, but more than ready to leave the foreign land. Sometimes a girl just needed a Big Mac and a milkshake.

Carolina brushed her long, dark hair out of her face and huffed out a breath.

“The heat might be brutal, Kim, but look at where we are! You did all this! Congrats, my friend, you deserve it,” she exclaimed, hugging her impulsively.

“What are you talking about? We are in a dusty cave with three-thousand-year-old dead things, Caro,” the blonde woman retorted.

“I thought you loved this stuff?” Carolina teased.

“Oh, I love it alright, and I would love it more if the Pharaohs would’ve installed central air when they had these pyramids built,” she snarked, zipping her own bag closed. “Okay, that’s a wrap. I’ll see ya outside?”

“Yeah, just another second, I want to make sure I have all my things with me. Especially, my sketches and stuff. I am going to ship everything from the hotel before I leave tomorrow,” Carolina told her, checking her pockets and stacks of books.

“Nice. Did it help you forget about roadkill boy at all? I mean, it’s been fun, hasn’t it?”

Kim’s sparkling green eyes held so much concern, Caro nearly teared up, she squeezed her friend’s hand and nodded.

“Yes, it has been wonderful. Thank you so much, Kim. It was just what I needed.”

Carolina hugged her bestie one more time before turning back to pack up her things. She was always a little disorganized—okay, fine, she was messy—but so what?

It was her stuff, and she liked it this way. Caro was only grateful there was no Joffrey standing by to judge her.

“I am going to miss Egypt,” she whispered, picking up her box of charcoals and making sure the thing was closed.

What a place. Words could hardly describe her fascination with the dig site. Caro had been taken by the atmosphere from the second she landed with the beautiful desert skies, the scent of spices that permeated the air, and even the hotel.

She’d been able to afford a bit of an upgrade from the rest of the dig team on her own dime, of course. And it had been worth it.

Her ex had been more than stingy about vacations. Joffrey never wanted to leave his work long enough to go anywhere, and when they had, it was always the cheapest rooms and airfare available.

Carolina was the complete opposite. She loved to travel. Now that she was divorced, she did not have anyone or anything holding her back. There was no need for any more of that negativity in her life.

Joffrey’s cruelty and neglect had almost destroyed whatever confidence and self-esteem she’d ever had. So much so, it was not until Kimberly pointed it out that Caro had even realized how much she had changed.

No wonder she couldn’t create. What kind of artist could when facing the constant condescension and overwhelming judgment of the one person who was supposed to love and support her?

“Well, I hope you are satisfied, Carolina. This marriage is over.”

That had been Joffrey’s parting shot, and as she sat in an underground room in Giza, Caro grinned broadly. She was not satisfied yet, but she was damn close, and it all started with leaving him.

“Good riddance,” she whispered, and felt her soul sparkle for the first time in years.