You know what to do.
She bit down on her lower lip. Yes, yes, she did.
At the sound of footsteps behind her, she closed the lid of the box and swiveled around. Her heart leaped into her throat.
There, in the doorway, stood Xander.
He watched her lazily, arms crossed, with a sly smile playing on his lips.
Her mouth dropped. Without taking her eyes off him, Leila put the box on the desk, stood, and crossed the room. She threw her arms around his neck, and his own wrapped around her waist, pulling her close.
And then she was kissing him. She savored his firm, familiar lips against hers as she raked her fingers through his hair. How could this be happening? He was supposed to be stuck in London.
She pulled away, breathless. “What happened?”
He gazed at her, his eyes gleaming. “All charges dropped.”
“What?” she squealed and kissed him again.
“They got their man in the end,” Xander spoke against her lips, “and now I get you.”
“I’m all yours.”
A moment later, Leila pulled back, remembering the reason she had come into the dig house in the first place. “Hang on. There’s something I need to show you.”
She left Xander standing in the doorway and walked back to the desk. He trailed after her slowly, hands in his pockets.
“What’s wrong?” Xander pulled out a chair and sat down, crossing his arms over the back. He narrowed his eyes. “Got something up your sleeve?”
“In a manner of speaking… I just got a little job to do. Um… don’t flip out.” She pulled out the box and opened it, holding it out for him to see the contents.
“Is that a staff topper?” Xander’s eyes grew wide. “Where did you find that?”
“Someone brought it by for me.”
“Uh.” Xander pushed back in his seat. “You don’t mean… Leila, you promised.”
“I know, I know.” Leila gazed down at the cobra. “I didn’t ask for it. I haven’t been in contact with anyone. Whoever I saw outside just left it here for me. What else am I going to do with it? It’s not like I’m going to give it back to whoever they had stolen it from.”
Xander shook his head and sighed. “No, of course not. But they can’t—”
“I’m not going to break into any more houses, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“You could say that.” He tapped his chin, then a mischievous glint flickered in his eyes. “All right. I won’t complain. Under one condition.”
That look made her pulse quicken and she leaned forward. “What’s that?”
“I want to help.”
Leila blinked, straightened, then a grin spread over her face. “But this you have to keep secret.”
“I’m good at keeping secrets.”
“Too good.” She placed the box in his hands. “Well, then. You get to do the honors. Categorize the cobra head, then sneak it back into the Egyptian Museum where it belongs.”
“Right.” Xander nodded, his eyes on the cobra. “Sounds harmless enough.”
With the cobra head safely tucked in a box and hidden in a backpack, they walked out of the dig house and strolled down a newly laid sidewalk toward the parking lot.
“So,” Xander said as he placed an arm around her shoulders as they walked, “what’s next on your list?”
“Well, I need to finish translating the next Medjay Scroll. Number eight has Akhenaten written all over it.”
“Solid.” Xander nodded. “But just one tomb at a time, please. From what I’ve heard, the Department of Antiquities can’t keep up with you.”
“We’re thinking about splitting up the work. I can’t do everything. Some of these tombs will be down south, so I was thinking of just focusing on the ones up here. For now.”
Xander laughed and pulled her closer. “Good. Because we have a wedding to plan.”
“Just tell me when and where.”
Xander placed a kiss on her cheek and opened the passenger side door for her. Once they were both in their seats and buckled in, her Jimny rumbled to life. Then they drove down the road toward the city, leaving behind a swirling cloud of dust.
EPILOGUE
Two months later…
The wedding was a small affair. Not the giant party Aisha had been planning. While Leila did somewhat understand her mother’s reasoning, but now, even after everything that happened, Leila still didn’t want any of that.
