Easier said than done. She glanced around the room. The shelving unit was now overflowing with artifacts. Boxes piled up on the floor in front of it. She scanned the shelves, in awe of the amount of work cataloging was going to be. Her eyes fell on the empty space where the sandals had been stored on the top shelf. She managed to slip it into place when she noticed Xander leaning against the doorframe.
She froze.
“Um.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I know it’s been a while. But I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”
She gave him a nervous smile and lifted her hands, palms facing the ceiling. “I’m all ears.”
“I’d rather not talk here. Actually…” Xander trailed off and dropped his hand, hooking a thumb in his jeans’ pocket. “How about we talk over dinner?”
Leila could only stare at him. Her pulse quickened to a sickening level. “You mean, like… with food?”
“Food. Yes. With food.” Xander rubbed the stubble on his jaw, the scratching sound filling the room.
Is he asking me out? Dinner. Just the two of us. No, he said he just wants to talk. Leila wanted to disappear into the floor. Instead, she played it cool and faced the shelving.
“Yeah. Sure.” She bounced her shoulders indifferently. Stretching her arms, she stood on the tips of her toes. The unlabeled box next to the sandals was inches out of reach.
Xander appeared at her side. “Let me get that for you.” He reached for the box but then paused, giving her a sideways glance. “I’ve thought of at least five excuses, in case you were wondering.”
The heat drained from her face. “Like what?”
“One, you just agreed to go out with me.”
Her eyes locked on his. The warmth and hope in his gaze held her transfixed. His arms fell to his side. He still hadn’t retrieved the box. Instead, one hand lifted and gently brushed a strand of hair that had worked its way out of her ponytail behind her ear.
“Do you want to hear more?” he asked, his head inching toward hers. His eyelids lowered, watching her lips for an answer.
Her heart hammered against her ribcage. Just hurry up and kiss me. She shook her head. “One is enough.”
That seemed to be the answer he needed to close the distance between them. Her eyes slid shut as their lips united, softly at first but moving more desperately as she pressed hers back into his. This time he didn’t smell like a camel, but woodsy and earthen. Her hands slid behind his neck, his skin burning her fingertips. Her hair brushed down her shoulder, freed from her ponytail as his fingers laced through the strands.
It was everything her heart wanted, filling her with indescribable euphoria and yearning. Once, twice wasn’t going to be enough.
She drew back, but only slightly. It didn’t seem possible this was happening. Weeks ago she hated his guts. Was convinced he nearly murdered her. How did they get here?
“I knew I was in trouble the second I saw you get out of the helicopter,” he said, his lips hovering over hers, hands flattening against her back. “I just wanted to make sure you heard my apology, then I’d keep my distance. But you’re gripping. Everything about you screams adventure. You’ve got brains and determination. I can’t go on like this, avoiding you, telling myself it can never be. I have to know one way or the other. I need to know what you want.”
What did she want? The question reverberated through her mind. Where could this go?
I want you to kiss me a thousand more times, her heart screamed, beating as if it would burst through her chest. If only things had been different. If only those eyes hadn’t been the last ones to set eyes on her father while he lived. If only she didn’t always have some nagging feeling in the back of her mind those eyes held too many secrets. But she’d never find out if she didn’t give him a chance. All they had to do was start with dinner that evening. Then they could decide what they do next. One step at a time.
“All I want is—” She stopped when the lab door squeaked open and slammed shut. It was enough to break the spell. They couldn’t be caught like this. They were supposed to be working. She raised her voice. “To get all these vases categorized.”
She jostled past him, but not before she noticed the bewildered expression that fell over his face. She brushed her hair from her face and searched for her hair tie. She spotted it around Xander’s wrist and her heart fluttered.
Footsteps neared the storage room. Forgetting the hair, she snatched a vase and made her escape.
Instead of the expected lab workers, Mark waited in the middle of the room, his hands in his pockets and his eyes full of regret.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Hey,” she said, trying to sound cheerful. Her chest tightened at the sight of his somber features. “How did the meeting go?”
He let out a sigh. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but…” He paused and Leila held her breath. “Amir Al-Rashid has been bailed out. He’s free.”
A chill swept over her. Her hands began to shake. She slowly set the vase on the table and sank into the nearest chair before her knees gave out.
“I’m sorry. I tried to stop it, but thanks to his father, he has some pretty influential lawyers. They convinced the judge your claims are not credible.”
“What do we do now?” Leila groaned, putting her elbow on the table and resting her forehead in her hand. “He’s going to kill me.”
“I don’t think so,” Mark said calmly. “If something happened to you, he’d be the first suspect.”
Though probably true, that did nothing to stop Leila from imagining Amir coming after her with that knife of his. Just the thought made it hard to breathe.
Mark cleared his throat. “And, there’s another thing.”
A man in a black uniform and a beret on his head strutted into the room. His eyes darted around. “Is he here?” the Egyptian policeman asked.
Leila stared at Mark for an explanation. He grimaced. “We’re looking for Harrison.”
Xander walked out of the storage room at that moment and stopped short, his eyes going between Mark and the policeman. “Can I help you?”
The officer turned to Xander. “Yes, I believe you can. We would appreciate it if you would take a few moments to answer some questions for us. We are deeply interested in hearing about your past connections to Faris and Amir Al-Rashid. And about your involvement in the black market.”
Leila’s eyes widened. She whipped her head toward Xander, her stomach doing somersaults. Involvement with the black market? Connections to Al-Rashid? What could Amir have told the police? There must be some mistake.
Xander kept a steady gaze on the officer. “I’m working. I’ll have to ask—”
