Pyramids and Promises (Omega Mu Alpha Brothers Book 2) by Kimberly Loth Read Free Book Online

place with more awe factor. She deserved the best that the ancients had to offer.
    The Valley of the Kings was definitely not one of his favorites. It was cool enough to see once, but didn’t have nearly the grandeur of some of the other sites in the country. Ladies choice though, so that was what he was going to give her.
    When the van stopped, Conner got out and bought the tickets. He sprung for all the extras, even though King Tut’s tomb wasn’t really worth it.
    He put his hand on Jessica’s back as he led her through the gate. She gave him a huge smile, and he hoped she wouldn’t be terribly disappointed.
    They walked up a hill, and she turned to face him.
    “How far is it?”
    “How far is what?” he asked.
    “Valley of the Kings?”
    He held back a laugh. “It’s right here. You’re at the entrance.” He pointed at a few tunnels. “There are the tombs.”
    Her face fell. “That’s it?”
    “You haven’t been inside yet. Come on.”
    He led her up the stone walkway. “Which Ramses tomb would you like to start with? There’s the First all the way through the Eleventh or Twelfth, I think.”
    She busied herself flipping through a guidebook that had been at the ticket booth. He rolled his eyes at her.
    “You have a walking guidebook. You don’t need that.” He reached to take it from her, but she wouldn’t release it.
    “Oh yeah, you know that tomb number 17 is Seti the First and right where to find him.” She blinked innocently.
    He laughed. “You’ve got me there. Lead the way, Princess.”
    Words he would live to regret.
    She drug him through several tombs that all looked the same. She hit up tombs he didn’t even know were there. If only she’d put that book down, let him show her the highlights, they’d be back at the hotel eating lunch poolside.
    “Saved the best for last.” She clapped as they neared tomb 62. Tutankhamen.
    Of course. The first typical tourist thing she’d said.
    Tut’s tomb was much like all the others. All of the glittering gold had been removed long ago and placed in collections and museums. The murals on the wall, though, were something to behold. Jessica’s gaze hungrily drank them in.
    “I know it’s not as grand as it once was.” She kept her voice reverently low, even though it was only the two of them. Conner had slipped a worker some cash to make sure of it. “Still though, just breathing the air down here is amazing.”
    He had the strong urge to pull her to him and kiss her. He was willing to bet that she tasted nothing like Nour. A tomb, though, probably wasn’t the most romantic of places, so he kept his hands in his pockets and pretended to be interested
    “This isn’t doing much for you, is it?” She knocked her shoulder into his with a grin.
    “You’ve seen one tomb...” He shrugged.
    “Not so.” She wound her arm through his, and he sucked in a breath. She smelled like sunshine. It was the lamest thought that had ever rolled through his head, but it was the honest to goodness truth. Down there in all the musty dust, she smelled fresh and light. Sunshine. There was no other way to describe it.
    “Picture the scene,” she said.
    “What?” He raised an eyebrow at her.
    “Close your eyes and listen to me.” She squeezed his arm. He obeyed without further question, curious to see where she was going with this.
    “Imagine this room glittering with stacks of gold. Statues in effigy of the beloved pharaoh. Mourners on their knees, crying into their hands.” Jessica’s voice was breathy as she leaned against him and whispered into his ear. “The priests are carrying in the sarcophagus and placing it on the pedestal. The incense is burning heavy.”
    Conner could almost smell it. She wove such a spell he could practically see it all lay out before them.
    “The murals are vibrantly colored with their fresh paint, and the gold practically undulates in the light of the fires. It’s alive, infused with the last of Tut’s