heart. Eventually he found his tongue. “So your love of archaeology came from Alex?”
“Yes. He worked for the British Museum, and he used to take me there and show me around.” She couldn’t stop the smile that broke out on her face when she recalled those early trips to the museum. She’d been fascinated from the moment they walked into the building, and Alex had quickly realised what a promising student she was. “He knew about all the exhibits in detail. I fell in love with the place, and when he realised I enjoyed the subject, there was no stopping him—they couldn’t have kids, you see, so they sort of took me on as their own daughter. He put me through university and got me the job at the museum afterward. I owe him a lot. Well, everything, in fact. He’s like a father to me. More than my own father was, anyway.” She couldn’t hide the bitterness in her voice.
Heath reached out and touched her hand. “I didn’t know he meant so much to you. I’m sorry I insulted him. I won’t do it again.”
“Well, he can be over-protective, and he needs to understand I have my own life now. I feel sorry for him sometimes—he was devoted to Melissa, and he misses her very much.” Her throat tightened, and she sipped her wine to cover her emotion.
“What about your real parents?” Heath kept his hand on hers. “Why did you run away?”
That was a step too far. She didn’t want to discuss her birth parents.
She finished her glass of wine and stood. “I should go.” Crossing her arms over the bodice of her dress, she turned to face him. He hadn’t moved and lay stretched out on the bed, studying her. His face was expressionless, and she couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
She shouldn’t have told him her life history. Normally you couldn’t pry it open with a crowbar, but she’d seen the sympathy and gentleness in his eyes and hadn’t been able to stop.
He got off the bed, came over to her and placed his warm hands on her arms. “Don’t go. No more questions, I promise.” He rubbed her arms, and she tingled all over.
Still she hesitated, biting her lip. He took her hand. “Did you know you can see the pyramids from this side of the hotel?” He led her over to the window and pulled back the curtain. She stared, entranced, at the view of the three pyramids in the distance, lit up by spotlights. He slipped his arm around her. “Beautiful.”
“Yes,” she said, “they are.”
“I wasn’t talking about the pyramids.”
She looked over her shoulder at him. He brushed her cheek with his fingers and slid his hand into her hair. She turned to face him and he kissed her, long and lingering. She put her arms around him, enjoying the slow play of his lips across hers, the warm brush of his tongue, his arms tight around her.
Eventually he pulled back. “Do you promise if I visit the bathroom you won’t take the opportunity to escape?”
She licked her lips. Her blood was beginning to race around her body at the desire in his eyes. Her heart thumped, and she knew she’d passed the point of leaving. “I promise. Those eleven condoms are calling out to me.”
He laughed and kissed her cheek, then went into the bathroom.
She sighed, picking up the remote and flicking the TV on, and found the music channel, smiling as one of her favourite ballads came on. Happiness flooded her. Well, what was not to like? She was in the middle of Cairo, in a room with a stunning view of the pyramids, she’d made the deal on the Bastet figurine, and the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on was about to screw her senseless. Hopefully.
She shouldn’t have told Heath about her background, but she was kind of glad she had. The heavy weight that sat permanently on her chest had lifted a little. She finished off another glass of wine and put down the glass, letting the music wash over her. Oh, yes. Tonight was a good night.
Heath stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, washing his hands. He glanced
“Yes. He worked for the British Museum, and he used to take me there and show me around.” She couldn’t stop the smile that broke out on her face when she recalled those early trips to the museum. She’d been fascinated from the moment they walked into the building, and Alex had quickly realised what a promising student she was. “He knew about all the exhibits in detail. I fell in love with the place, and when he realised I enjoyed the subject, there was no stopping him—they couldn’t have kids, you see, so they sort of took me on as their own daughter. He put me through university and got me the job at the museum afterward. I owe him a lot. Well, everything, in fact. He’s like a father to me. More than my own father was, anyway.” She couldn’t hide the bitterness in her voice.
Heath reached out and touched her hand. “I didn’t know he meant so much to you. I’m sorry I insulted him. I won’t do it again.”
“Well, he can be over-protective, and he needs to understand I have my own life now. I feel sorry for him sometimes—he was devoted to Melissa, and he misses her very much.” Her throat tightened, and she sipped her wine to cover her emotion.
“What about your real parents?” Heath kept his hand on hers. “Why did you run away?”
That was a step too far. She didn’t want to discuss her birth parents.
She finished her glass of wine and stood. “I should go.” Crossing her arms over the bodice of her dress, she turned to face him. He hadn’t moved and lay stretched out on the bed, studying her. His face was expressionless, and she couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
She shouldn’t have told him her life history. Normally you couldn’t pry it open with a crowbar, but she’d seen the sympathy and gentleness in his eyes and hadn’t been able to stop.
He got off the bed, came over to her and placed his warm hands on her arms. “Don’t go. No more questions, I promise.” He rubbed her arms, and she tingled all over.
Still she hesitated, biting her lip. He took her hand. “Did you know you can see the pyramids from this side of the hotel?” He led her over to the window and pulled back the curtain. She stared, entranced, at the view of the three pyramids in the distance, lit up by spotlights. He slipped his arm around her. “Beautiful.”
“Yes,” she said, “they are.”
“I wasn’t talking about the pyramids.”
She looked over her shoulder at him. He brushed her cheek with his fingers and slid his hand into her hair. She turned to face him and he kissed her, long and lingering. She put her arms around him, enjoying the slow play of his lips across hers, the warm brush of his tongue, his arms tight around her.
Eventually he pulled back. “Do you promise if I visit the bathroom you won’t take the opportunity to escape?”
She licked her lips. Her blood was beginning to race around her body at the desire in his eyes. Her heart thumped, and she knew she’d passed the point of leaving. “I promise. Those eleven condoms are calling out to me.”
He laughed and kissed her cheek, then went into the bathroom.
She sighed, picking up the remote and flicking the TV on, and found the music channel, smiling as one of her favourite ballads came on. Happiness flooded her. Well, what was not to like? She was in the middle of Cairo, in a room with a stunning view of the pyramids, she’d made the deal on the Bastet figurine, and the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on was about to screw her senseless. Hopefully.
She shouldn’t have told Heath about her background, but she was kind of glad she had. The heavy weight that sat permanently on her chest had lifted a little. She finished off another glass of wine and put down the glass, letting the music wash over her. Oh, yes. Tonight was a good night.
Heath stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, washing his hands. He glanced
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