Free Evidence of Desire: Hero Series 3 by Yvette Hines, Monique Lamont Page B

push high and snug.
    “I was hoping for more education on them. You know…someone to spend some time explaining it all.” She licked her bright red, painted lips.
    “Great. As you know, there are tours and courses offered through our department. Any of my staff can sign—”
    There was the odd twitter-style giggle again. “Those won’t work for me. I work while they are going on. Even now, I’m just here on my break. I’d need a private meeting after hours.” Her fingers played along the hem her short, short uniform skirt at the inside curve of her thighs.
    He may the most clued in man at times. In his college days he would have never been able to pick up on flirtatious signals. Mostly because they rarely happened, unless some girl was looking to get her tutor to do all her work for her. Then he’d been offered all kinds of favors. Over his adult years, he’d become aware of when a woman was given him special attention.
    “I understand. As a museum employee you have privileges. Part of those is education on the exhibits in the facility when the time suits your convenience.”
    “Yes, I recall reading that somewhere or hearing it in a meeting.” Her smile was so wide it made her nose scrunch up and crease along the bridge.
    She was an attractive woman, if she toned down the make-up and the sex available sign flashing around her. However, he wasn’t interested.
    “I’ll make sure one of my staff members gets with you and gets you on the schedule when you get off work one day this week. I don’t want to delay you any longer, Stacey, I’m sure you need to return to work.”
    “Of course. I’ll look forward to all the education I can get.” With that she winked at him then turned on her high navy blue heels and walked away toward the atrium.
    Shaking his head, he continued down a side corridor that offered a short cut to the wings on the other side. He’d get Randy to give her a tour. Randy wasn’t one of his best entomology assistance. Randy was even the reason that their Six-spotted Fishing Spider had escaped while they were loading the eco-tanks.
    But, Randy would feed the woman’s flirtation. Hopefully, someone appreciating what she was offering and willing to take her up on it would keep Stacey from bombarding him.
    Finally at Sonya’s office, he saw that her lights were out. Normally, even when she was avoiding him, it would be bright inside, showing she had been at work. Now, it was two in the afternoon and it appeared as if she’d never been at work that day. Deciding to leave the package he tried the handle and found it locked. If he went down the hall from her office he could would come to the elevator that led to her storage rooms, but it was standard museum policy that no one, not even curators from other departments, were allowed to go into a storage room or authentication labs without escort.
    Instead he went the other direction and went to see if she was possible teaching a course in one of the classrooms.
    When he sent her flowers, he hadn’t placed any indication that they were from him. He didn’t want her to attempt to return them. Either to the florist or him. The reason he had a messenger pick them up. Last week when he got off work, he gone by her office to see how she displayed them. But, even with the room being shadowed he hadn’t seen them anywhere, which let him know she’d taken them home.
    At the classroom people where flowing out holding canvases with fresh paint covering them. Making it apparent to him the class was over.
    Parker waited off to the side until everyone left. There was a young guy washing brushes in the sink when he entered.
    “Excuse me.”
    The man turned. “Dr. Hayden. How can I help you?”
    “Simeon, right?” He recalled meeting him at the pre-opening of his exhibit. He’d been shocked that a white guy with such a rich southern accent had been an assistant in the African American department. Extremely knowledgeable about the art history as