Murder in the Tea Leaves

She spent the next morning at the Independence Memorial Hall, an interesting monument that, while pretty, was off the main tourist path. She needed the pictures for her article but wasn’t sure that it was something that Max would want to see in the short time he had in the city. She hurried back to the hotel all hot, sweaty, and grungy from the tuk-tuk that she had taken through town and hopped in the shower. She wasn’t expecting him for another hour, so when the bell rang, she thought it was the bellhop.

“Yes?” She quickly wrapped a towel around her body and peeked through the peephole.

“Flowers for Madam Blake.” The person was standing slightly to the side.

“Can you put them by the door? I’ll grab them in a bit.”

“You need to sign, madam.” She thought she heard a snicker.

“Hold on then.” She ran and grabbed a robe and some undies, pulling the robe tie tightly as she headed back to the door. As she began to open it, the person on the other side leaned against the door, throwing her a bit off-balance, and stepped across the threshold. Finley started to protest when Max wrapped his arms around her and kissed so thoroughly that she began to feel light-headed.

“Do you open your door for any stranger?” he murmured when they came up for air. His hand was playing with the mass of wavy curls that had slipped out of the messy bun she had done for the shower.

“Only if they come bearing flowers.” She playfully looked behind his back. “Where are my flowers?”

“I’ll have to get you some later. Right now, I need a proper greeting. That one was too short.” He proceeded to bury his head in her neck, kissing her shoulders, before working his way up her chin to her lips. Teasingly, he skipped to her nose and forehead before returning to kiss her fully.

“What are you doing here so early?” she asked.

“What? Have you got some other guy warming my place?” His look completely disarmed her.

“No, but if you had come any earlier, I wouldn’t have heard you from the shower.”

“My loss. I’m sure the front desk would have let me in and then I could have really surprised you.”

“How did you get up anyway? I told them that you were coming, but I expected them to ring.”

“I told them I was your husband and wanted to surprise you,” he smiled sheepishly and led her further into the room. “We can still pretend.”