Evidence of Desire: Hero Series 3 (13 page)

That had always turned her on. Even now as he pulled open her door and assisted her safely to the sidewalk.

It didn’t escape her knowledge that he never released her hand as they strolled up to her porch. Before her door, she slipped her hand away so that she could unlock the door.

When she entered, she faced him. “Thanks for seeing me safely in.”

He stood in the framed opening, not in her house, but not out. “May I help you with your coat?”

“Please.” She offered him her back. This was how their date had started. It felt fitting that he would remove her outer garment since he’d helped her put it on.

There was a click of the door being closed. Then he was there, behind her.

She shivered as his fingers brushed along her bare collar as he peeled the heavy coat away. The item made it halfway down her arms when she felt the glide of Parker’s nose along the side of her neck.

“Your smell has been driving me mad all evening.” His voice had a clipped edge to it, husky and intense. It was as if every word he said he had to be extracted from his mouth.

The shiver became a tremble. She leaned back into him. His warmth took away the chill from the cold night that had seeped in under her coat.

“Sugar cookies and mint and you. The soft, sweet and refreshing combination always reminds me of you.” He pulled her in closer and his lips caressed the shell of her ear. “It was your body wash and lotion. After you’d shower the bathroom would be saturated with your scent long after you’d headed off to school.”

Freed of the coat, his arms slipped around her. She could feel the beat of his heart, a powerful tempo against her spine.

In the car he had said she had been his life source. He had been the same for her. That’s what scared her. She’d had to learn how to live without him.

Can I survive that again?

“Parker…” she wanted to say more, say something. Anything that would put them on safe and steady ground again, but her mind was blank.

“Sonya.” His fingers flexed against her stomach.

Her core contracted.

“There were days where I wanted to track you down on campus and drag you back home and bury myself inside you for hours.”

Sex had always been hot between them. Until it slacked off as their time together decreased.

“That’s a little Neanderthalish.” She giggled.

Bringing her around to face him, his gaze dark with lust that mirrored her own. “Is it? Maybe the cavemen had the right of it.”

She had no room to speak or dispute his claim, before she found herself in his arms with his lips against hers.

Her desire for him went from simmering to a roaring boil. She cupped the back of his head as his tongue slipped between her lips.  Circling it, she drew him in further.

He groaned. The kiss deepened as he held her between the solid door and his hard body.

His body wasn’t the only one reacting to the passion brewing between them. The crush of her breasts to his chest made her nipples tighten behind the taffeta material. She wanted to pull it off and feel his hands caressing more than her lace covered back. His strong hands on her were making her melt. Her thighs ached to feel him between them and her sex moistened the seat of her panties.

Attempting to fuse herself to him, bring them closer, she tried to raise a leg to be halted by the snug fit of the dress. She was trapped within the elegant layers and imprisoned in passion.

Not giving up, she reached inside his tux coat and grazed her nails over the taut muscles of his chest as she arched her back and pressed herself toward his steel shaft.

In response to her action, he lowered his hands and cupped her backside. Gripping her as he grounded his hips to hers.

Parker growled. Slammed his palm against the door and pushed away from her body. The only place they touched was his forehead against hers.

The room became filled with their ragged breaths.

“Sorry…I—Maybe I shouldn’t have—” Dazed and confused, she stumbled over her words.

“Slow,” he forced out as he leaned back. Meeting her gaze, he continued. “I want us to take this slow. I want to do it right this time.”

Everything inside of her was a mess. She was sure there should have been some argument she could have voiced. Whether for or against a ‘them’ undetermined.  She rolled her bottom lip between her teeth and savored his taste on her mouth. Stifling a moan, she kept herself from leaning forward for another kiss. She simply nodded.

After he stepped back, he bent down and picked up her coat that ended up forgotten on the floor. He handed it to her. “I should go. Let you get some rest.”

She took her coat from him.

Lifting his hand, he caressed her face with his knuckles. Turning, he went to the door and pulled it open. He walked out.

“Parker?”

At the first step, he glanced back and gave her his full attention. “Yes?”

“I do think about having babies. Maybe it’s because my best friend’s pregnant.” She shrugged. “Whatever the reason, I do.”

He winked. “Good to know. Good night, Sonya.”

“Good night.”

After seeing he got safely to his car and drove off, she closed the door. She marveled at how different this evening had turned out than she’d expected.

~ML~

Shaky. His entire body was one big mass of need. He was surprised he could get himself to his car and drive away. If he got pulled over on his way home, he was sure there was some law he would be breaking and get a ticket for like ‘DWA’….driving while aroused. If stopped he would willingly hold his wrists out to be cuffed.

Parker admitted to himself that the hardest thing for him to do was to walk away from Sonya. He wanted her with every fiber of his being. Right now his shaft was so hard it could practically reach the steering wheel. Hell if he gave that part of his body control, Parker was sure his member would make a U-turn and head right back to Sonya’s house…to her body.

“Damn.” That red dress she wore, her scent and her beauty had done a number on him all night. He’d always been sexually attracted to her, but since his return and seeing how she’d matured into her beauty and her body, his desire had gone up ten-fold. In bed, he wouldn’t be holding and dealing with a nervous and unsure girl but a woman—confident and sure of herself. That was an elixir for any man.

Seeing Sonya’s desire for him radiating back in her gaze and her moans had made his heart beat harder, caused the blood to pump south faster. She’d given into the kiss and pressed her luscious body against his. There was no doubt in his mind that whether he dragged her dress up her thighs and took her right there in the foyer against the door or carried her off and loved her all night in her bed, she would have been willing.

“Hell, more than willing.” The disappointment in her features when he’d ended it and pulled away, had almost done him in.

As much as he wanted Sonya, he didn’t want it to happen between them in a blaze of mindless passion. Not that it would be damn good and raw. He didn’t want there to be any regrets for her once the lust had ebbed. He wouldn’t be able to take her voicing any regrets the next day about how it shouldn’t have happened.

No.

“When I make love to you, Soni-love, you will be the one to come to me.”

“Sonya, can you come down to the vault?” Simeon’s words were rushed.

“Um, sure. Give me about ten, I’m in—”

“Now, please. This can’t wait,” he barked, his voice tense and rushed.

Pulling her cell phone away from her ear, Sonya stared at it for a moment. Her assistant never spoke to her in such an abrupt tone. “On my way.”

Ending the cell call, she slipped her phone back in her blazer pocket. She reached to her desk phone and released the hold button. Her office line being busy was most likely the reason, Simeon had contacted her on her cell.

“Elandri, my apologies. Something of an urgent matter it seems has come up and I must attend to it.”

“It is no problem. Circumstance will happen out of our control.”

“Yes, but I feel bad that you came in after hours and your own travels to call me.”

“Do not allow the concern on my behalf. My assistant told me you have been trying to reach me.” Elandri Meintjies was the curator for the South African Tribal Histories Museum in Johannesburg. “You have been patient. Now, I must be the same.”

“Thank you. The next call will be more convenient on your time.” Sonya promised.

“No matter. Email me and we will set it up.”

After affirming how she would contact the South African curator, Sonya saved the information she’d been working on when she’d received the unexpected call from Elandri. It was almost two in the afternoon for her so it was well into the evening in South Africa. It had been a month since she’d started requesting shipments of artifacts and during that time Elandri had been on holiday and wasn’t expected to return soon. In other countries people took a month off and traveled with the entire family to another place. It wasn’t like America when we took maybe a week or two and most of that was a ‘stay-cation’.

At the start of her conversation she discovered that Elandri had gone to Scotland with her family.

Scotland
. She had never even been anywhere but the Bahamas or New York.

“I really need to start living more.” Shaking her head, she saved her work on her computer and left her office to see what all the urgency was about.

In an hour she was expected to meet Parker for a late lunch in the gazebo. It was getting extremely cold, but it was their little private place away from the world and she had begun to look forward to it since their dinner.

Or since the night he’d left her needy in her own doorway. She’d known after their dinner date that Parker had wanted her just as much as she wanted him, but apparently had an iron will. He’d held off and since then only kept their kisses brief. Still filled with passion, but he never allowed them to get carried away as they had that night.

Between work, the exhibit and her evening dance class rehearsals, she didn’t have much time for any other dates. So, lunch was special to her. Even if she wasn’t allowing herself to think of them beyond the moments they were together.

“What’s so urgent?” Sonya asked when the elevator doors parted and Simeon was there pacing before it.

“An artifact broke.”

Ice ran through her veins and her head felt as if it had just collided with an iceberg. It throbbed. This was not good.

“How did this happen?” She rushed forward along the tight cramped space toward the docking door.

“When the courier guy was bringing in the second crate, he somehow knocked back into the first one.” Simeon filled her in as they rounded the corner of varied sized storage crates. “The impact caused the smaller crate to topple from the table where it was waiting for you and Mr. Minton.”

The rolling door, which normally remained closed and secure unless a shipment was underway, was up. The vault was bright from the natural and unnatural light. There was a big man with short black hair slick to his scalp, a scruffy five o’clock shadow in work pants so wrinkled it looked as if they been put on after severe days balled up in the corner of the floor. He stood beside a dolly at the door looking like a dolt. The man in the mustard and white unkempt delivery uniform was scratching behind his ear and staring into the back of his truck.

On the floor was the cracked crate. The straw packing material that was within it as well as dust was everywhere. It was the amount of dust that had her befuddled.

Chris Harley another technician stood off to the side of the disaster on the floor. She had teamed him with Simeon for the day’s shipment. There were always two people to certify every shipment in and out.

“I’m assuming that is my Grooved Sphere.” She moved slowly toward the mess her stomach in knots and her body shaking. The thought of how much paperwork would be involved and all the issues surrounding a damaged artifact that was in her chain of custody didn’t weigh on her mind as much as the pain of something so precious being ruined.

Standing at the gaping crate, she saw it was empty. “Minton already has it back in the restoration lab?”

“Ye-s.” Chris verified, his response hesitant.

“Why is there so much dust…or sand?” Keeping out of the debris they would need to scrape up, she squatted down to inspect it closer.

“I’m not sure what it is. But Minton got up as much as he could when he took the piece away.” Simeon stooped close beside her.

Shaking her head she rose. “There was no need to get the padding now, it will skew the authentication result.” She felt stupid even saying what her restoration specialist should and should not do. Minton was one of the best in the country. “Since that second package is square and flat, that would be my Jacob Hendrik Pierneef
Baobab
Tree
painting. So, this was definitely the Grooved Sphere, severely dented I’m sure.” She sighed.

“Ms. Watson, I don’t think you’re understanding.” Simeon was frowning when she glanced at him.

She waited for him to clarify.

“The dust came from the piece, it
was
the piece.”

Now, she was confused. “No. It’s not possible, Simeon. The ancient priceless artifact I was waiting on was not clay, ceramic or porcelain, or even wood. So, it breaking apart like this would not happen.” She glanced at Chris, who had been nodding along with Simeon’s words. “The Grooved Sphere, one of only a few recovered so far in South Africa was made of an unknown metal. Not…” she waved her hand at the particles spread out onto the cement floor.

“But, that’s what came out of the crate,” Chris confirmed.

“Can I go now?” The gruff delivery guy began. “I got a shitload of delivers to still make and I don’t want my boss to be in my as—”

“Stay right there.” Rushing to one lopsided part of the crate she snatched off the shipping paper that was inside a plastic sleeve glued to the side.

“Here’s our order request form.” Simeon was beside her before she could ask.

Taking the clipboard, she reviewed everything, from the serial number to the items series number to the description, title of artifact as well as the senders name and address. A stone sank in her stomach when it all matched up.

Her only other hope was that this dufus had done something wrong. She went to the courier and eyed him suspiciously. “Where’s John our regular delivery guy?”

Paul was etched into a mock tag on his work shirt. He shrugged. “Transferred. My boss asked me to take this route so I did.”

“Well, I hope he has plans for a different route for you. Apparently you can’t handle this one.” Headed back toward Simeon she commanded, “Get Paul’s full info, including a copy of his driver’s license, direct supervisor and a good contact number and address.”

“Hey! It’s just old stuff.” Paul yelled out. “Insurance covers this crap with lots of money anyway.”

Halting, she swung back around and aimed a finger at the incompetent man. “Precious. Historical. Artifacts. I’m sure you don’t understand the word
priceless
. Don’t leave town the authorities will need to talk to you.”

Her heels clicked and snapped to the swishing sound of her slacks caused by her fierce strut toward Minton’s lab. She’d have to notify Kravers so that he could contact not only the insurance company but with it being international artwork, the federal customs department would have to be alerted as well. So much paperwork and red tape was going to be before her now. Sonya sighed.

Most of all she’d need to call her colleague in Johannesburg and apologize for the destruction of their property while it was technically in her care. Even if she had not signed off and received it yet, still it was on her countries soil and at her museum. That pained her the most. Artwork was handed off from one museum to another through mutual respect.

At the end of the back hall she approached the fully enclosed glass room. She could clearly see Minton in the center of the room before a table that held remnants of
something
, not a metal sphere. She waited at the door for him to let her in. Normally, he didn’t begin working on a piece received for a day or two, because no piece came in and immediately hit the gallery floors. This situation would have pushed the item to priority on Minton’s list.

The authentication rooms in the museum were secured. Few people had entry codes—the restorations specialist of that department, head of security and Mr. Kravers.

Edgar Minton finally looked up from the mess before him with a scowl. Walking toward the door, he opened it and allowed her into the climate-controlled room.

“It doesn’t make sense.” Minton mumbled.

“I know. That damn careless delivery man ruined such an amazing piece.” Sonya placed a hand on the older man’s shoulder. This artwork and exhibit that would be opening in a few days meant a lot to them both. “Where’d you put it?” She glanced around, disregarding one item on the tables after another looking for something odd and round.

“No. No.” He shook his head. “That would be true... However—” Cutting off his own words he led her to the table. He waved his hands around the broken pieces. “
This
isn’t the Grooved Sphere.”

“That’s what I thought when I saw the residue on the floor.” Glancing at the same broken down pile of dust on the table, she shook her head. “Even the shipment receipt matched perfectly. However, it isn’t the medium I was expecting for the piece. I thought it was made from—”

“Unknown metal from the Precambrian period, which was around 2.8 billion years ago. That’s what it is supposed to be. This...” he picked up particles and held the opaque dust in the palm of his gloved hand. “Is not metal.”

“What kind of medium is this? Plaster?” Flabbergasted, she shook her head. “How could such a mistake have been made?”

“Not a mistake. You can see here.” He turned over a chunk. “This is acrylic paint. Done well I must say. The craftsmanship to make it look just like aged metal has me amazed. They even got the odd white spots done right. Whoever did this has studied as many pictures on these mysterious South African phenomenon’s as I have.”

“Look like metal?” She looked from the piece to Minton’s face.

“Yes. We need to notify the authorities now and Kravers.” He set the delicate piece down gently.

“Great. An investigation while I’m trying to open a new exhibit. Just what I need.” Thanking Minton she exited the room.

When she returned back to her office, she sat at her desk and immediately pulled out her bottom drawer and removed a red folder. She set it down on her desk and just stared at it. The information contained inside of it was something that no curator ever wanted to have to use. Before opening it, she removed her cell phone from her pocket and sent a text.

Can’t do lunch today. Department emergency. Will explain later.

Moments later her phone chimed with Parker’s response.
??? Keep me posted.

I will.
She sent back then slipped her phone into her jacket.

Normal protocol dictated that she contact Kravers first when there was an incident and he would follow the directives of notifying the authorities. However, something of this magnitude trumped those procedures and the call went to the proper authorities first. She would leave the insurance portion for her boss.

Opening the folder, she trailed a finger down the list of places and numbers until she got to the right source. She reached for her desk phone and realized her hands were shaking. Balling her hand into a fist for a moment she took stock of herself, her whole body was quaking and there was a sick feeling in her stomach like she’d empty the contents of her stomach at any moment.

She sucked in a large amount of air through her nose and held it in her chest for over thirty second count. Disregarding the burning feeling of her lungs she still held it and forced herself to calm down. It wouldn’t do to speak and fall apart. This situation was a big deal but she could handle it.

Picking up her desk phone she dialed.

“Good morning and thank you for calling the Federal Bureau of Investigations, how may I direct your call?” The woman answered the phone on the second ring.

“Please connect me to the ACT Department.”

“One moment, please.” Classical music came through the line.

Sonya didn’t have to wait more than a few bars before a male voice came on the line. “Art Crime Team Division, Agent Caleb Williams.”