This woman also wore similar clothing to Kyra. She held a burqa over one arm.
Kyra nodded.
“We’ll have the others ready for you to question soon.”
Dallas saw three women each holding a man at gunpoint walking back down the hill.
“Thank you, Mache.” Kyra said and turned to Dallas.
“We’ll take over from here. Please go back to your hotel. Make a scene at the hotel restaurant or something so people notice you. That way you’ll have an alibi in case something goes wrong and these bodies are discovered. But you better leave now.”
At the last, she glanced over at the group coming their way.
“Will we see you again?” Dallas asked.
“Yes. I’ll be here to greet you in the morning. The Daughters of Isis are now in charge of guarding the temple.”
“Thank you.”
It was only when they were driving back to Alexandria that Colton broke the silence with the same thing racing through Dallas’s head:
“When she said ‘bodies’ did she mean the ones already dead or did she mean…” he trilled off.
Dallas thought for a second before answering. “I guess I don’t want to know the answer to that.”
Colton exhaled loudly. “Me, either.”
Back at the hotel, Colton and Dallas quickly showered and dressed in clean clothing before they headed to the hotel restaurant and bar.
“How are we supposed to make a scene?” Dallas asked. “I don’t really want to act like a drunken fool, but I suppose that would be the easiest way to draw attention to ourselves.”
They glanced around. It was a nice restaurant and people spoke in low voices over candlelight. It was mainly filled with tourists, many seemed to be speaking American English. Soft jazz filtered out of hidden speakers.
As they waited for the hostess to come seat them, Colton grabbed Dallas. She gasped, but didn’t have time to say anything before he pressed her up against the velvet covered wall and kissed her hard and long, his entire body up against hers. When he drew back, he paused and said, “I think that got their attention.”
Flustered, Dallas smoothed her hair and looked around. The hostess stood before them holding menus with a flushed face. “Excuse me. Two?”
“Yes, please.” Colton said and gave the young woman a broad smile.
As they were led to a seat in the back, there wasn’t a table in the room that didn’t have at least one person shooting glances their way. A low murmur had filled the intimate space. A few women shot dirty looks at Dallas, which made her burst into laughter.
Colton laughed back. “I thought it was better than a falling down drunk act.”
Dallas licked her lips. “Much, much better.”
He took her by the waist. “And just think, we didn’t have to act.”
“No acting on my part. That was all natural.”
After they were seated, Colton eyed her over his menu. “I’m not really hungry. At least not for dinner.”
“Me, either,” Dallas said, blushing. “But we should probably do what Kyra said.”
He put down the menu and stood. “I think we accomplished exactly what she wanted us to. It will make it even more, um, convincing, if we decide not to eat and go back to our room instead. That will garner us even more attention, don’t you think.”
Dallas saw several heads turn watching Colton. She nodded.
He reached over, drew her to standing and kissed her long and hard before he took her hand and led her out of the restaurant.
The hostess looked up as they passed.
“We’ve changed our mind,” Dallas said and gave her a long wink.
When Dallas woke the next morning, she couldn’t figure out why she couldn’t move. When she realized, a slow smile spread across her face.
She was trapped by Colton’s embrace. He was still asleep but he held her in a python grip. By the lack of light filtering in through the curtains, Dallas decided she had time to sleep, so she snuggled back in, enjoying the warmth and feel of Colton’s body pressed against hers.
Every time she thought about the night they’d just spent, she grinned.
Colton.
She leaned over and kissed his forehead. He stirred, but remained asleep.
It was time to admit she was falling for him. And hard. All the pent-up attraction over the years had suddenly become much, much more than that.
She didn’t want to spend another night away from him.
The realization wiped the smile right off her face. Shit. She wriggled out from under his grasp. He mumbled in his sleep and reached for her as she slipped out of bed and hid in the bathroom.
There in the glaring fluorescent light she examined her face.
Her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes looked wild. Her breathing erratic.
The whirlwind events of yesterday seemed to overcome her. Dead bodies. Making love to Colton for the first time and being completely 100 percent vulnerable. Knowing she was on the brink of something big at the dig site. All it was overwhelming.
“Admit it, Jones,” she said to her reflection. “You’re scared shitless.”
Saying the words somehow made her feel better. Admitting it out loud relieved some of the heart-pounding fear.
She closed her eyes. With her palms placed on the bathroom counter, she leaned her head down. A small tear slipped between her eyes and dropped into the sink.
When she looked back up, she saw Colton in the mirror standing behind her. He gave her a small grin. “If it makes you feel better, I’m kind of freaked out, too. By all of it. I mean, not us, I think that’s the only thing keeping me from going off the deep end.” He put his hand on her waist and leaned down to kiss her neck. “That’s what is keeping me together. You.”
She smiled.
“Yes. Yesterday was a little crazy. In a lot of ways. Good and bad.”
He nodded. “Let’s get dressed and get some breakfast. I’m anxious to get back out to the dig site.”
Relief flooded her. Colton was the same. Her rock. A steady, calming presence in her life.
