She cleared her throat. “Let’s look at the back—”
Declan swiveled the light and Layne gasped. Her stomach tightened. “A sarcophagus.”
A huge stone box made of granite stood on a raised platform. Above it, the roof had been carved in an arch and painted blue. It was dotted with gold stars and a woman’s long outstretched body.
“She’s Nut, right?” he said.
Layne nodded. “Goddess of the Sky and mother of Seth. She was often painted on the vaults of tombs and inside the lid of a sarcophagus. She protected the dead.”
Then Layne spotted the artwork on the back wall behind the sarcophagus. “Wow.” She’d never seen anything like it.
It was a painting of a huge, dog-like animal. Wild and fierce, it had a straight, forked tail and triangular ears. It was like it was posed over the sarcophagus, also protecting whoever rested inside.
“Looks like the set-animal,” Declan said. “Looks like whoever was buried here didn’t buy into the bad stuff about Seth.”
“No.” She moved closer to the sarcophagus. “If this is from the New Kingdom period, it makes sense. There was a resurgence of support for Seth, led by the great pharaohs Seti and Rameses II.”
She touched the smooth granite of the burial box, wondering at the long-ago artisan who’d toiled to make it.
Who was buried inside?
“Hey, the lid’s broken off in the corner,” Declan said.
Layne frowned. “Dammit. Probably means grave robbers beat us here by a few thousand years.” She shot him a sour look. “Perhaps Hasan’s ancestors.”
Declan looked around. “Doesn’t look like it’s been disturbed. Could they have broken the lid when they put it here?”
“Possibly. Maybe they didn’t have time to replace it. Plus out here, we’re really far from the source of granite used to create this.” She pushed up, trying to see into the hole. She saw nothing but black shadows.
“Here.” Declan moved, and his front pressed up against her back, trapping her against the stone.
God, the man was as hard as the granite. Her pulse tripped and she tried to tell herself it was the excitement of the find. Nothing to do with her annoying, sexy security specialist.
He angled the light to shine into the hole.
“I can’t see anything. I’m not tall enough.”
Hands gripped her waist and before she could say anything, he boosted her up.
Layne rested her hands on the stone, excruciatingly conscious of Declan behind her, around her. Blindly, she focused on the sarcophagus. When she saw what was inside, she went rigid.
Declan leaned over her shoulder.
“Damn,” he breathed, his breath brushing her ear.
The inner sarcophagus glinted…with gold.
Chapter Five
Dec stared at the glittering color visible through the hole.
“The inner sarcophagus is made entirely of gold,” Rush breathed. “Oh, my God, Declan, this is huge!”
She spun in his arms, energy and excitement radiating off her. Her thighs clamped onto his hips and her jubilant laugh raced over him, making his gut clench.
Then she leaned forward and smacked her lips to his. It was only a second, and then she pulled back and laughed again.
Dec blinked, trying to calm the growing roar in his head. It was the sound of a hungry beast, and it wanted more of Dr. Layne Rush.
“Declan?” Her laugh died, her gaze glued to his face in the light of his flashlight. “Sorry. Blame that kiss on the excitement.”
“I don’t think so.”
She blinked. “What?”
“Let’s try it again, to test your theory.”
Her eyes widened, and this time, it was Dec who pressed his mouth to hers.
For a second, she stiffened in his arms. He moved his lips, learned the feel of hers, getting that tantalizing taste of her.
Then she moaned. Her hands slid into his hair and she kissed him back.
Damn. Desire slammed into Dec like a bullet at close range. He pulled her closer and opened her lips with his tongue. Then her tongue was there, sliding along his.
He thrust deep, tilting her head back. She moaned, her hands tugging on his hair. She kissed him back with an intensity that sucked his breath away. He cupped the firm globes of her ass, pulling her even closer. She was the perfect armful of toned curves.
“Dec, you copy? Dec, if you don’t fucking answer me in the next three seconds, I’m coming down there with the cavalry.”
Logan’s voice echoed in Dec’s desire-fuzzed mind.
He pulled back, heard Layne’s little cry of protest. His chest was heaving and so was hers. She raised a shaky hand and pushed the hair back from her face.
“Well…” She looked down and when she realized he’d rested her on the edge of the outer stone sarcophagus, her eyes widened. “Oh my God, let me down. I could damage this.”