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

around when they built the Luxor Temple?”
    “Maybe, but it’s safe.”
    She shook her head. No way was she getting in that rickety old thing.
    “I promise you.” His eyes were wide and clear. Jessica had to be crazy, but she believed him. Her hand slipped into his, and she stepped aboard next to him. He held her for a second longer than he needed to before he released her with a smile that made her skin burn hotter than the desert heat ever could.
    “Where are we going?” Her throat was dry.
    Conner shrugged. “Nowhere. This is a felucca. The point is just to sail on the Nile. We’ll have breakfast and then catch our flight home.”
    A huge spread of food sat on a large box in the middle of the boat. Colorful fruit, eggs, bread with hummus, and some dishes Jessica couldn’t name. It all looked spectacular though.
    A vase filled with exotic flowers sat in the middle of the food. They were unique and gorgeous, and contained not a single Gerbera daisy. When Jessica crept closer, she discovered the vase was the one she admired at the alabaster factory but didn’t buy because it was too expensive. Another Conner surprise.
    “How did you get all of this set up?” Jessica ran a finger along the curve of the vase.
    “I know a guy,” he said. Jessica bit back a smile. She couldn’t help but wonder how often Conner was told “no.”
    He came around behind her, grabbed an apple off the table, and sprawled out on one of the benches. The boat was a lot bigger than she first thought.
    “How many people do they get on these things?”
    “I’ve been to parties that had thirty or forty. If it gets to be much more than that, they’ll lash two boats together and sail them as one. Trust me, they’ll be times in Cairo where you’ll just want to get away from the craziness. There are feluccas in Maadi. You just go down to the river and give the driver ten bucks, and you can take a nap on the boat for an hour. Though I wouldn’t recommend that you go alone.”
    She picked a piece of flatbread and dipped it in the hummus.
    “Why?”
    “A lot of reasons. But mostly because feluccas are one of my favorite things to do, and I want to go with you.” He grinned at her.
    Jessica froze. Her senses on full alert. He’d been doing crazy romantic things all weekend, but he hadn’t really made any moves. She was pretty sure he’d have kissed her a few times if she hadn’t pulled away, but here he was acting like they’d be doing things together in the future.
    She decided to sit across from him instead of next to him.
    They talked about their favorite music and books during the boat ride, and Jessica laughed a lot, but he made no move to get close to her. She was grateful for his distance. It gave her room to think.
    The river was peaceful and beautiful. She wasn’t ready for the morning to end when they docked. Conner handed her the vase before she stepped onto the slip.
    “These are for you.”
    “Thank you. You didn’t have to get the vase.”
    “I know, but you liked it. Besides, every expat has an expensive piece of alabaster in their house. This can be your first.”
    The plane ride home was awkward. Jessica couldn’t seem to find any words to express her feelings. She was grateful for everything he’d shown her. Confused by the unusual friendship they had forged, and whether or not she wanted to toss that out the window and kiss him. Lost in her own thoughts, she just barely noticed how he twitched his fingers and squirmed in his seat. After about twenty minutes, Conner finally spoke.
    “So what happened to happy-go-lucky Jessica?”
    She smiled. “She’s a little nervous about you.”
    Conner’s expression fell. “Why?”
    “Look, the ink on my divorce papers has barely dried. I haven’t dated anyone since I was twenty-two.”
    He held up his hands. “I’m not trying to upset you. Quite the opposite in truth. I wanted to make you smile.”
    A smile automatically crossed her lips.
    “I’m not upset. Not