"The ancients, royalty, used to adorn their bodies with gold before they took their pleasure,” she said.

Bodies adorned with gold

He wondered what she would look like wearing the jewels.

“I believe the ancients, royalty, used to adorn their bodies with gold before they took their pleasure,” she said.

She was a mind reader. There was definitely something of the gypsy about this girl.

“You’d like me to model the pieces for you,” she said. Her eyes sparkled with daring. “Go into the bedroom. Wait in there and I may surprise you.”

Surprise him? What was the worst that she could do? Disappear? Take the jewels and run? Why? Maybe she planned to open the apartment door and call in an accomplice - a sociopathic Greek-Egyptian boyfriend who would knife him now that he’d served his usefulness.

Too much speculation. It was an occupational risk. He got up, went through to the bedroom and sat on the bed. He’d always prided himself on his flexibility.

It felt as if thousands of years elapsed before she arrived and appeared like a vision in the bedroom doorway.

From 'The Hathor Holocaust', 2nd in the Egypt archaeology adventure trilogy, available in Kindle format.