Page 34 of Trust No One

He really, really didn’t want to stop kissing Mel. She’d been kissing him the way she used to – as if she couldn’t get enough of him. As if she wanted to devour him.

Exactly the way he felt. He was kissing her as passionately as she was kissing him. His hands had wandered down her back and were gripping her ass when the person below them said, “What are you doing down here?”

What did it look like, dipshit? He was trying to devour Mel. He squeezed her ass once, then moved away, his hands sliding very slowly off her ass. He stared at her for a couple of heartbeats, then he cleared his throat and looked at the man several steps below them. “Sorry, sir. We were looking for a restroom and got, uh, distracted.”

The silver-haired man wearing tortoise-shell glasses cleared his throat. “These stairs lead to a restricted area,” he said. “Go back to the ground level of the museum and turn left. Make another left down the second corridor and you’ll find the restrooms.”

“Thank you,” Dev said, sliding his hand into Mel’s. “We’ll, um, get out of your way.” He turned and tugged her up the stairs and turned left without looking back. When they’d made the second left, Mel held her hand over her mouth. He realized she was holding in her laughter.

“We gotdistracted?” she gasped. “In the National Archive Museum? Did the Bill of Rights drive us wild with lust?”

Dev’s lips twitched, but he shook his head. “Nah. Probably was the original Constitution that did it. That and the painting of the old white guys wearing wigs and high heels.”

Mel had her lips pressed tightly together, and she shook her head. “We’re both out of our minds,” she huffed. But she nudged his side. “Good job getting us out of that one.”

“Let’s get out of this museum before that guy has a few minutes to think and realizes my story was pure B.S.”

“Good idea.” She squeezed his hand – apparently she hadn’t realized she was still holding it – and nodded her head toward a sign. “There’s the gift shop. That’s near the exit in most museums.”

“You want to stop for a little memento of our visit?” he asked

She elbowed him in the side. “Let’s get our asses out that door without another confrontation. If you want a memento of our visit, I’ll order you a Bill of Rights online.”

“Deal,” he said. He didn’t need a memento of their visit to remember the kiss he and Mel had shared on that staircase. The memory was burned into his brain.

They walked through the handicap entrance to avoid the metal detectors and stepped between the huge colonnades that fronted the building, then hurried down the stairs. When they reached the small plaza at street level, Mel was still laughing.

“Aren’t you going to congratulate me on my quick thinking?” he asked.

She elbowed him in the side. “I think we burned that guy’s retinas. That’s why he looked so dazed. Why he didn’t question us more carefully.”

“Then it was a success. But let’s get out of here before he comes to his senses and starts looking for us.”

* * *

“Good idea,” Mel said. Dev tugged her down the sidewalk and across the street. They didn’t stop until they were a block away from the museum. Finally he pulled her to the side.

“You want to catch a taxi?” he asked. “We could walk back to the library, but I don’t like being exposed on this busy street.”

“I agree.” Mel spotted a coffee shop. “Let’s go in there, have a cup of coffee and watch the street for a little while. Do you remember what cars were surveilling the library?”

“’Course I do,” he said. “You think I’m a rookie? That I’ve never memorized a watcher before? A green SUV, a black sedan, a white sedan and a red SUV. Too far away to get the license plates.”

“I’m impressed,” she said, turning her head to study him. “You barely got a look at them, but you remembered what they looked like.”

He shrugged. “Part of the job,” he said. “Get the details right.”

“Right,” she said slowly. She pushed open the coffee shop door. “I’ll buy you a cup of coffee. You find us seats where we can watch the street.”

He found a table that was set back a little from the window, but still gave them a good view of the street. He sat close to the wall, and when Mel arrived with two go-cups, he pulled out the chair next to him.

She sat down and handed him his coffee. She’d gotten tea – she wasn’t a big coffee fan. Made her too jittery.

“Now we watch for those vehicles?” she asked.

“Exactly.” He set his phone on the table. “You see one, let me know immediately. I’ll get a picture.”

Mel nodded at the stools lined up at the narrow counter at the window. “Sure you don’t wanna sit up there? Easier to get a picture.”

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