Sands of Time (Out of Time #6) by Monique Martin

started to answer, but fell silent. She knew the answer. Unlike her, he’d put her feelings in front of his own. He wanted to take her home and keep the world the away, but he hadn’t because it wasn’t what she wanted. He’d met her selfishness with selflessness. Worst of all, he’d kept his pain to himself.
    “Do you remember when we were in London,” she asked, “and I reached a point where I was just overwhelmed with what we had to do, what we had to face?”
    “I remember.”
    Elizabeth smiled at the memory. “I fled into the bathroom for a good cry, and you came in. Do you remember what you told me?”
    “You said,” Elizabeth continued, “that I didn’t ever have to hide from you.” She touched his cheek and her voice began to tremble with emotion. “Simon, don’t you know that you can always be honest with me? Always.”
    Simon closed his eyes and a let out a shaky breath. He clenched his jaw and covered her hand with his before easing it to his lips and gently kissing her palm. “Yes,” he said in a voice rough with emotion.
    “I want to stay,” he said finally and then shook his head ruefully, “But I won’t ever stop worrying about you.”
    “I’m sorry—”
    Simon shook his head and pressed a finger to her lips. He leaned down and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she pulled him closer.
    ~ ~ ~
    “She’ll be here soon,” Christina assured him and then looked anxiously down the long corridor of the lobby.
    Jack smiled. Christina might be in a hurry, but he wasn’t. He’d been a nut to rush headlong into babysitting last night. Now, in the bright light of morning, he was regretting it. Elizabeth would have been better suited to the task. But there was nothing to do about it now. He’d volunteered, like an idiot, for the assignment.
    He didn’t really mind waiting for whoever this Diana was—probably a spinster draped in pearls and judgment—it gave him time to mull over what he’d found in Mason’s room last night. He’d waited until the hotel was quiet and picked the lock. Too easy. A place like this should have better security. Although, in this case, their lapse worked in his favor.
    He hadn’t been surprised to see he wasn’t the first to be there. The room had already been tossed. Clothes and books strewn about the floor. He gave it a quick going over, but if there had been anything worthwhile there, it was gone now.
    He let out a sigh.
    “She’s always a little late,” Christina said with a small smile and then returned to fiddling with the lace cuff of her dress. She was really quite attractive and the sort who had no idea. He knew the type, too busy hiding behind her glasses and books to notice people noticing her.
    She kept looking expectantly toward the front door, but so far the half of Cairo that had come and gone didn’t include the mythical Diana.
    Jack settled into his chair and decided to pass the time doing one of the things he did best, watch people. There was nothing quite like the lobby of a hotel for people watching. In his business, observing people was more than half the game. He leaned back in his rattan chair and watched a young couple descend the grand staircase. Their clothes gave them away immediately as English and from money. The man’s cream suit was freshly pressed, although he was not. From the small round sunglasses he wore indoors to the gingerly way he walked, the man was obviously suffering from one hell of a hangover. His wife looked only a little bit less nauseated.
    She waved toward him. For a moment, Jack wondered if he’d been caught staring.
    “The Everetts,” Christina said, not bothering to hide her disdain.
    Ah, the missing couple from last night’s dinner, Jack thought. No wonder they hadn’t shown up. They must have been plenty soused to be that deep in the bag this morning.
    The couple slowly made their way over to them. The man grabbed a bellboy and barked an order. “Coffee with Fernet,” he