a concession and let you hang out with me tonight. How about that?”
Kat couldn’t help it. She laughed at Shannon’s pathetic offer. “Ruin your date with Sawil in addition to first dibs on the shower? I accept.”
“It’s not a date. It’s just a movie. You know he’s not my type. And the bath thing wasn’t part of the deal, you sadist.”
“You’re still not getting the shower first, Shannon. You had it first last time.”
Shannon stopped just outside the tomb, and her voice took on a very confident quality. “You sure about that? How about a little wager?”
“I’m very sure,” Kat said, stepping out behind her roommate, catching the faraway look in Shannon’s eye. “What the heck are you looking at?”
“Oh, nothing,” Shannon said with a wry smile. “Just another tourist.”
Kat followed Shannon’s gaze across the desert and squinted as her eyes adjusted to the increase in light, then froze when she saw the shiny silver Land Rover parked fifty yards ahead with a man leaning back against the hood, looking their way.
It took several seconds before she realized who it was, and then her heart jumped in her chest.
“A bit of advice,” Shannon said close to her ear. “This time don’t bore him to death.” With a nudge, she pushed Kat forward, then headed toward the modular that served as the site’s command station, where Latham and Sawil were talking in the late afternoon sun.
Kat’s nerves rolled around like dice in her stomach, but she forced her feet forward. She was blindingly aware that Pete was freshly showered, dressed in clean slacks and a white button-down rolled up to his elbows and she looked like death warmed over, covered in layers of grime from the bowels of the earth.
Not exactly the impression she’d wanted to hit him with if she ever saw him again.
What the heck was he doing here?
She stopped a few feet from him, ran a hand over her dusty hair and swallowed her courage. Since she couldn’t see his eyes through those spendy Rēvos, she couldn’t tell what he was thinking, and that only unnerved her more. “If you’re here for another tour, I’m afraid you’re too late.”
He slid off the glasses and tucked them into his breast pocket. “Is this a new fashion statement for the tour guide?”
She looked down at her filthy jeans and T-shirt. And wished she’d been doing anything else today, even though she’d loved the work. Embarrassed, she glanced up and got the full effect of those stormy eyes. They were sparkling with amusement as they gazed down at her.
Warmth spread all the way to her belly. “Um. No. I’m not doing the tours anymore.”
The corner of his mouth twitched, but he didn’t smile, and she longed to see that dimple flash at her like it had so many times during their one shared dinner. “Lucky for me I took the tour when I did.”
Shannon walked up to them then and, like the pushy friend she was, stuck her hand out. “I’m Shannon Driscoll. Kat’s roommate. We haven’t met.”
Pete straightened from the car long enough to return her handshake. “Peter Kauffman.”
“Guy with a tour fetish. I heard all about you.”
“You did, huh?” Pete’s eyes resettled on Kat. No matter what she tried, she couldn’t look away. “Are you done for the afternoon?”
Kat managed a nod.
“She’s off tomorrow, too,” Shannon interjected. “Just in case you’re wondering.”
“Shannon,” Kat warned.
“What?” her roommate said quickly. “It’s true.” She looked at Pete. “She hasn’t taken many days off in the last month so she’s due. In fact, I could cover for her Sunday if she needed an extra day. Did she tell you she’d been dating this other guy for a while and that they broke up not too long ago?”
“Jesus, Shannon,” Kat muttered. There was mortification, then there was Shannon.
“No,” Pete said with an obvious smile in his voice. “She didn’t tell me.”
Kat’s cheeks heated as she felt Pete’s eyes on her and Shannon kept rambling. “It wasn’t like, serious or anything. And they’re still friends. He comes around now and then. Personally, I think he still has the hots for her. Come to think of it, didn’t Marty mention something about stopping by tonight, Kat?”
Kat groaned and closed her eyes. She knew exactly what Shannon was doing, but it wasn’t going to work. If Pete was really interested, she’d have heard from him before now.
“Too bad she has other plans tonight.”
Kat’s eyes snapped open. Next to her, Shannon grinned.