Relentless - By Cherry Adair Page 0,109

It is not uncommon for ministry officials to be involved with antiquity theft. It is hard to police such actions, and even harder to prosecute.”

“You don’t mind that a discovery like Cleopatra’s tomb has been raped and pillaged by these men?” Isis asked, her tone hard on behalf of her father. “That Cleo’s wealth is being sold off to the highest bidder and taken out of your country, never to be seen again?”

“I understand your anger, little bird. But such sales and thefts have been happening for thousands of years. It’s almost impossible to stop. Too many people benefit by turning a blind eye.”

Thorne cradled his cup. “What are the penalties when these men are apprehended?” His tone was casual, but Isis suspected that it wasn’t an idle question. Besides, she presumed he already knew the answer if he’d been chasing down Yermalof for years.

Her friend shrugged again. “The new law increased prison sentences for smuggling artifacts out of Egypt to fifteen years and a million-pound fine. Double that of ten years ago.”

“Clearly this hasn’t impacted the sales of antiquities,” Thorne pointed out with inflection. If this was the case, what recourse did anyone have against Dylan and the minister? After all this, were they just going to get a slap on the wrist and be let go?

“No, it has not.” Husani cast a worried frown at Thorne. “My father—”

“MI5 has had people with him around the clock since this started. He’s safe. I don’t advise you to open the shop until we know everyone has been rounded up.”

“No problem. I can do paperwork from home. Is there anything I can do for you?” He looked from Thorne to Isis, and back again as his wife cleared the table, then poured Thorne another cup of coffee, and brought another Coke to Isis, who drank it down like a crack addict.

“It’ll take my people some time to round everyone up. We’ll lie low until they do so. I gave them the number here.”

“I’ll come downstairs to fetch you as soon as they call.”

“I GET THE SHOWER first,” Isis told him unequivocally the moment the door to the downstairs apartment closed behind them. “I must smell like a thousand-year-old mummy.”

With a piratical smile, Thorne turned her around until her back slammed into the door she’d just shut. Without a Mother May I, he started nuzzling her neck with hungry lips. Lacing his fingers with hers, he held them beside her head. “You… smell…” He punctuated his words with biting kisses up her throat. “Sexy. As. Hell.”

Prickly heat swept over her skin, and her breasts instantly tightened with need. Her fingers curled helplessly between his. “You’re a crazy man. Let me go, at least until I—” His gaze dropped to her mouth and Isis forgot how to form coherent words as her heart hammered unevenly against her ribs. “You promised me clean sheets and a shower, and then—” There’d been something about leather, and baby oil… That thought made her hotter.

Thorne cupped her nape, pulling her so close she felt the hard ridge of his penis through his jeans, right where she needed to feel it, damn him. Sparks of scalding heat traveled from their points of contact to zing through her bloodstream like liquid fire. “I’ll deliver—when I’m more rational. Right now I don’t give a damn about the trappings. I. Just. Want. You.” He kissed her senseless, sucking away her right mind, leaving her panting and lust-crazed.

“Don’t talk.” Still nuzzling her throat, he turned her around and started down the short hallway with her clasped in his arms. “Don’t think,” he told her thickly. “Just feel.”

“I feel filthy,” Isis groused, wrapping her arms around his waist as he walked her backward toward the bathroom in what felt like a perfectly choreographed dance.

The all-white tiled bathroom had a blue-and-white-striped plastic shower curtain and a tiny window high on the wall that let in a stream of brilliant white sunshine across the floor.

Thorne laughed. “We’ll fix that.” Reaching over, he turned on the shower, then backed her against the wall and continued kissing her. His rough jaw abraded her skin as he kissed her forehead, then worked his way across her cheek to her mouth. He tasted of rich, dark coffee and a need too strong to contain.

The bathroom filled with sweet-smelling steam from sandalwood, and he paused kissing her only long enough to add cold water, then tested the temperature on his fingers before returning to crush his mouth down on hers