He wasn’t a tourist, she’d bet her grad school tuition on that. Though he had the necessary gear—spiffy new hat, shiny camera and a map of the Valley in his back pocket—the shoes were a dead giveaway. As was the confidence and calculating calmness about him. He rarely spoke to anyone, always kept to the back of the group, watched everything with eagle eyes she doubted missed a thing. And she knew, too, because while he’d been studying everything else, she’d been watching him. Closely.
Sure, he was easy on the eyes, but this guy was after something. Something specific, like Kat had told Shannon only moments before. Only she was sure it wasn’t her.
Today she intended to find out just what that was.
She came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. “I’d like a moment with you if you don’t mind.”
He turned her way, and the surprise she’d hoped to see on his face was anything but present.
Dammit, he’d been expecting her.
“Dr. Meyer. It’s nice to finally meet you in person.”
“I’m sure it is. Look, Mr.—”
“Kauffman. Peter Kauffman. But my friends call me Pete.”
“Right. Mr. Kauffman, like I was saying. I’m sure you could give this tour yourself.” She paused to take a breath, only when he turned the full force of those eyes on her she realized they weren’t just gray, they were a rolling smoky blue-gray that reminded her of the Caribbean during a hurricane. And just as crazy, they made her think of a lounge chair on a swirling, sandy beach with the guy in front of her catering to every one of her fantasies.
Those mesmerizing eyes swept the length of her body. Lingered on her sweat-dampened shirt, clinging to her already overheated skin. The blood rushing from her head at his obvious admiration was a clear reminder that even in the sweltering heat she was a woman, not just a scientist.
Which, right now, was a bad thing to have click into her brain.
His brows slowly lifted. “Are you offering me a job, Dr. Meyer?”
She swallowed at the sexy sound of his voice. Smooth and deep and way better than she’d expected. Dammit. That voice was only going to fuel her already out of control fantasies.
She gave herself a mental slap. “No, actually, I wasn’t. And it’s not ‘doctor.’ Not yet, anyway. I was simply going to point out there’s nothing new at this site you can learn, so your time would be better served back in Cairo. The tours of the Pyramids are astound—”
“I’ve taken the tours. They’re not nearly as interesting as this one. Trust me.”
Oh, man. Just the way he looked at her with that twinkle in his eyes and that sultry half grin made her think of sex. Which was a very bad thing to be thinking of right now.
Remember, he’s not a tourist.
“Mr.—”
“Pete.” He took her right hand before she could protest, ran his fingers over her palm and looked down at where he held her. “Your skin is soft. Way softer than I expected considering the hours you must spend out here.”
“I…” What was he doing? Though it was nine gazillion degrees, a shiver ran down her spine. “I use a lot of moisturizer,” she managed before she realized how stupid she sounded. “You know, working…out here.”
Whatever. Now she sounded like a complete moron.
“I’d like to hear all about it.”
Irritated with herself, she looked up into his eyes to let him have it, then stalled out when she felt that pull. The same one she’d felt every time he’d looked at her over the past few days. The one that made her stomach flop all over the place and her heart kick up in her chest to the beat of a marching band.
“You already did,” she managed. “You’ve heard about it every day this week.”
He smiled then, a slow and easy curve of his lips that highlighted the deep dimple in his left cheek.
Oh, boy. The man had dimples. She was in deep trouble here.
His finger traced a lazy circle against her palm. The tiny movement shot electricity up her arm, straight to her belly. “I want to hear more about you.”
“I don’t think that’s such a good—”
“Trust me.” He glanced at her name tag, then back to her face. “Katherine.”
She swallowed, unable to pull her hand away or move back when he took a step closer. People were watching them, but part of her didn’t care. Damn, he smelled good, too. Clean, fresh. A hint of leather and