SEXY NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
CHAPTER ONE
Liza poured coffee into a cup and put it on the window sill, behind the curtain to cool. Professor Rick Banks liked his coffee black, so she didn’t add milk. Desperate feelings called for desperate measures. Liza, a graduate student in ornithology, won this coveted internship at the Washington Museum of Natural History over fifty other candidates. Some of her jealous classmates said it was because of her light blue eyes and voluptuous figure. She insisted it was because of her high grade point average and her experience working with birds.
After six months working shoulder-to-shoulder with handsome, thirty-something Dr. Rick Banks she knew her breast size and blue eyes went unnoticed. Squirreled away in the warren of tiny rooms where specimens were prepared for exhibitions, Dr. Banks, divorced for two years, was completely wrapped up in his work. He never noticed her, except when he needed help with an exhibit. When looking for a pair of hands to hold a taxidermied bird’s wings, get coffee, file or return a bird specimen to its proper storage place, Liza was his choice. But outside of work, he never noticed her. She never saw him take a peek at her chest or look into her eyes.
He was a brilliant ornithologist, about six feet tall with broad shoulders, dark brown hair and light brown eyes. Liza got flustered around him and Sadie Carpenter, secretary to the curator of the department, noticed her looking at Rick with desire in her eyes. Sadie kidded her about him but let it be when she saw Liza was serious. This wasn’t some schoolgirl crush, this was love.
So tonight, Thursday, their standard late night, was the night Liza was going to make her play. She had a plan all mapped out, a way to get her shirt off, legitimately, in front of him. If her lacy pink bra barely containing her breasts wasn’t enough to get a rise from Dr. Banks, nothing would. She wore a light tan shirt she didn’t particularly like, not caring about the stain she was about to inflict on it.
“Liza, have we got any coffee left?” Dr. Banks called out to her.
She looked at her watch, right on time, seven thirty every Thursday night he called for the last cup of coffee in the pot. And every Thursday night she brought it to him. But tonight would be different.
“Got it, Dr. Banks,” she called, taking the cooled cup from the window sill.
She combed her short blonde hair behind her ears, replenished her pink lipstick, tucked in her shirt, smoothed her skirt and picked up the cup.
Rick Banks was deep in thought when Liza entered at the other end of the room. He looked up at the click, click, click of her heels on the floor and smiled.
“Coffee coming up!” she announced.
“Thanks,” he said and returned his attention to the specimen he was readying for a special exhibition.
As she got close, her heart started to beat faster and faster. She had to time it perfectly. Rick stood up and turned toward her, his hand rising to receive the cup. She scuffed her high heel on the floor and it caught just a little bit. She lurched forward, right into his arms, his hand underneath the cup tilted it outward instead of inward as she planned, spilling coffee all over him. Her eyes got wide, she was supposed to spill the coffee on herself, not him! Fortunately, it wasn’t too hot as it cascaded down the front of his shirt.
“Oh my God, Dr. Banks, I’m so sorry,” Liza babbled.
His hands clamped hard on her arms, steadying her as the dark liquid seeped into his shirt.
“It’s not hot. No problem,” he said.
He released her when she righted the cup. She reached for paper towels and began to dry off his chest.
“You’d better take off your shirt,” she said.
“You think so?” he asked, beginning to work the buttons.
He slipped the drenched shirt off his shoulders revealing a solid chest covered lightly in soft brown hair.
“You’re wet. The coffee went right through the shirt,” she said, mopping his chest.
She tried to control her breathing as her hands worked the paper towel over his chest. He pulled her in close to him as his mouth came down on hers. Liza opened her mouth in surprise and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue inside. As his arms pulled her closer, she softened against him and put her hands on his shoulders. He pulled his tongue back and his lips sucked at hers. A small moan escaped her throat and her hands got lost in his wavy hair.
His mouth traveled to her neck, leaving small kisses and tiny bites as he moved down to her shoulder and back.
“I…I…” she stammered.
When her mouth opened, he launched another assault with his tongue, teasing and caressing hers until she was whimpering. Pulling his mouth away, he muttered.
“You want more?”
She nodded and closed her eyes as his tongue penetrated her mouth again with more force and urgency. His hand cradled her breast massaging it and seeking her peak as his other hand unfastened her buttons, revealing her lacy bra. He smiled as his eyes took in the sexy sight of her breasts spilling out the top of her bra. His free hand released her bra in the back and she lowered her arms to allow it and her blouse to slide to the floor. He gasped as he feasted his eyes on her naked breasts, so round and firm with perfect nipples.
“Wow,” he muttered, lowering his mouth to capture her peak, sucking and licking.
Liza groaned as her head slid back giving him more access to her chest.
“Good night, Rick. Don’t forget the lights!” Sadie called in from the hall as she passed the room without looking in.
Her voice acted like a bucket of cold water as Liza jumped back from Dr. Banks and snatched her bra from the floor while covering her chest with one arm. Flushed with sexual excitement, he stood bewildered while Liza threw on her blouse. He held his shirt over his crotch to cover his erection.
“What were we thinking?” Liza said, blushing as she tried to look away from him.
“I was thinking I couldn’t go one more day without touching you, kissing you,” he said.
Liza stopped her shaking hands from fussing with her blouse and her gaze met his.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“You wanted to touch me. To kiss me.”
“Still do.”
“I want…also,” she stuttered.
“I thought so since you didn’t fight me off and call security,” he said, chuckling.
She blushed and her gaze fell to the floor.
Rick Banks stepped up to her and pulled her into his arms.
“No reason to be embarrassed. You’ve fulfilled my wildest dreams.”
“Your dreams? My dreams.”
“Your dreams, too? How great is that?” he said
“Where do we go from here?” she asked, placing her hands on his bare chest, feeling her heart beat speed up along with his.
“My place is closest.”
She moved out of his arms and nodded her head.
“This isn’t a one-night stand, Liza. I’ve…I’ve wanted you for some time.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Didn’t think you’d like a stuffy professor like me. Never saw any signs you were interested.”
“Are you kidding? I never saw any signs you were interested.”
“I am. Very,” he said, putting an arm around her, tucking his stained shirt under his other arm and moving them toward the door.
“In fact I can hardly wait to get you home,” he whispered in her ear.
Liza smiled at him, as a shiver shot up her spine. She turned out the light and shut the door behind them.
CHAPTER TWO
Liza and Dr. Rick Banks walked from the D.C. subway to his town house in the tony Foggy Bottom section of Washington, D.C. It was a narrow brick house painted white. The wood shutters and the front door were painted a pale warm green. There was a big brass door knocker polished to a shine on the front door.
“Which apartment is yours?” She asked.
“I own the building and occupy the first two floors. I’ve rented out the two upper floors to nice, quiet people,” he explained.
He opened the door and stepped back to let her in. Liza walked into a cozy living room with a fireplace all laid out for a fire. The idea of cuddling up with Rick in front of the fire gave her goosebumps. He followed her in, closed and latched the door.
“Are you hungry? Don’t know what I have in the fridge, but…”
“Let’s see,” she said moving to the back of the house where the kitchen was.
She opened the refrigerator door, looked around then closed the door and turned to look at him. He stood close, his hands on her waist, fire sparking in his eyes.
“We could live on love…” he began, moving his lips to her neck.
“Or I could make a couple of omelets,” she finished.
“I love omelets. I have some wine…Carbernet, my favorite.”
“My favorite, too! You’d better soak that shirt before the stain sets,” she commented.
He pulled her to him for a kiss.
“I’m going to throw away the shirt,” he said before lowering his lips to hers again.
He kissed her with a hunger she had not known from any other man. She melted against him, her hands folded behind his neck, her body so close to his a whisper wouldn’t pass between them. He angled his mouth to deepen the kiss setting her pulse racing. She could feel his arousal pressing against her with urgency as her own desire began to spike.
Rick’s hands slipped under the back of her blouse and crept up to unlatch her bra. He moved his hand around to the front, capturing then massaging her breast and making her moan. He moved his mouth to her neck, kissing his way down. Liza buried her face in his shoulder, focusing on the exquisite sensations he was creating in her. Then the doorbell rang.
Startled, the pair jumped back. Liza gave him a quizzical look and he shrugged his shoulders. While she righted her bra and blouse, he answered the door.
“Hi, Rick. Hope I’m not disturbing you.”
Liza followed him to the door and the tall brunette woman at the door looked at her, then at Rick and got embarrassed.
“Oh my God. I am disturbing you. I’m so sorry. I just wanted to pick up my mail…then I’m out of your way.”
Rick reached over to a large, white ceramic bowl on an antique chest in the entryway and fisted the letters and magazines lying there.
“No problem Gwen,” he said, blushing slightly and placing his arm around Liza.
“Hi, I’m Liza,” she said, extending her hand.
“Gwen Baxter. I live one flight up. I’m a flight attendant. Rick always keeps my mail when I’m out of town,” she explained, grabbing the mail and making a hasty retreat.
“Nice to meet you,” Liza said to her retreating back as Rick closed the door.
“Sorry about that.”
“Nice quiet people upstairs? She’s gorgeous,” Liza said, turning to stare at him.
“Is she? Hadn’t noticed. She travels a lot. Quiet, you know.”
Liza laughed, not quite believing his words.
“Now where were we?” Rick asked, pulling her closer.
Liza pushed away.
“Dinner, remember?” She said, moving toward the kitchen.
“It’s chilly in here, would you like a fire?”
Liza nodded before she disappeared into the kitchen. Fifteen minutes later, they were curled up on the sofa in front of the fire eating pepper and cheese omelets and drinking wine. Rick made sure Liza’s glass never got empty as if he was trying to get her drunk, though, obviously that was unnecessary.
“This is delicious. Do you cook much?”
“I’m in with five other people, roommates take advantage if you cook,” she responded.
Rick’s eyes lit up as he looked at her.
“Then you can stay here tonight…”
She smiled enigmatically. It all depended upon how the evening went as to where she would be sleeping.
“We’ll see,” she said, putting her empty plate down on the coffee table, turning to face the fire.
Rick finished his food quickly. He inched closer to Liza after putting his plate on top of hers. He smiled at the symbolic irony of the gesture. Liza snuggled into his shoulder, mesmerized by the dancing flames of the fire.
“You look incredibly beautiful,” he said, watching the light from the fire highlight her golden hair.
She turned to face him and he captured her mouth again in a long kiss. She slid her hands up his chest as he eased her down on the sofa. She stretched her body out and he covered her with his. The kissing got intense.
Rick made quick work of her blouse, bra and his shirt. They were embracing skin to skin, her nipples hard as pebbles against his firm chest, his arms holding her close, his hand on her thigh, inching up. When his fingers touched her core, she groaned loudly. He made quick work of removing his pants. Then unzipped her skirt and helped her out of it. His eyes were as bright as the flames burning in the fireplace as he looked at her body clad only in pink lace panties.
“You are incredible. Better than my dreams,” he muttered, slipping his boxers off, revealing his erection. He slipped his leg between her thighs and brought it up against her, caressing her.
Rolling on his side, he hooked his thumbs into her panties, slipping them down and off. His hand gripped her bottom and squeezed.
“You feel so good,” he said, burying his face in her neck. Her hands gripped his back and moved down, palms flat to
feel his muscles and rest on his butt. She squirmed underneath him as he slowly moved his hand around to her inner thigh while his mouth came down on hers. Liza bent her knee, allowing him to position himself between her legs as the doorbell rang again.
Rick picked his head up and looked at the door then down at Liza and returned to kiss her.
“I know you’re in there. There’s smoke from the chimney. Rick, just a minute…promise…” a male voice called.
Rick didn’t move.
“Come on, Rick. Just need you for a second…”
“Roger!” the professor exclaimed.
Rick got up slowly, putting his pants on. He picked up a throw off the sofa arm and draped it over Liza, then went to the door. He turned the latch and yanked it open.
“What is it?” He demanded in an icy tone.
“Hold this a sec, will ya?” A man in his forties said.
Roger was holding a big box he thrust into Rick’s hands. Looking over the doctor’s shoulder, he spied Liza lying on the sofa with the blanket covering all of her up to her shoulders.
“Oh, my. Sorry, chap,” Roger muttered.
He ran up to his apartment, opened the door wide and ran back down again. After relieving Rick of the big box, he headed up the stairs again, calling down.
“Sorry for the interruption. Carry on.”
Just as Rick was about to close the door, Gwen stuck her head in.
“Here, this is yours. Must have gotten mixed in with mine.”
She handed three envelopes to Rick then disappeared down the front steps. Rick closed the door.
“Quiet?” Liza asked.
“Come on,” he said, returning to the sofa and taking her hand. She wrapped the small blanket around her body and followed Rick up the stairs into his bedroom and closed the door.
CHAPTER THREE
After an evening of interruptions, handsome Dr. Rick Banks, professor, lecturer and curator at the Washington Natural History Museum and Liza Holmes, the beautiful intern working under him for the year retired to his bedroom in Dr. Banks’ townhouse in the tony Foggy Bottom section of Washington, D.C.
Although two more people appeared at the door and three called, Dr. Banks ignored them all, refusing to be disturbed anymore while he made passionate love to Liza. Afterward, they collapsed from exhaustion and fell asleep cuddled together. Liza awoke first as the early morning sun crept through the gauzy white curtains in the well-appointed bedroom and poked her right in the eye. Rick opened his eyes as she rolled over to face him. She felt his gaze travel slowly over her naked body, taking in every inch.
“I’m pleased to see your rep for being a stickler for details applies to making love as well as ornithology,” Liza said, arching and eyebrow and stroking his strong chest gently with her manicured nails.
He pulled her closer and placed a tender kiss on her lips.
“I am always interested in a spectacular new specimen and like to spend time getting to know it intimately,” he replied, moving the palm of his hand down from her cheek to her shoulder and down farther to rest on her breast.
“What kind of specimen am I?” she asked, sliding closer to him.
“Hmmm. Let me see,” he said, furrowing his brow while his hand continued to caress her breast.
Liza squirmed under his expert massage as warmth traveled down her body.
“I would say, a flightless bird, of the most exquisite blonde plumage with expressive blue eyes. Perfect size for the species with amazingly beautiful secondary sex characteristics…quite the most responsive of the species I’ve encountered yet.”
Liza laughed.
“Is that so?” She teased, slipping her hand down to squeeze his backside.
“Upon first encounter, I would say that is true. However, I believe this specimen requires further investigation…constant, long-term examination for me to be completely familiar with the species.”
At this, his mouth came down on hers and his chest rolled on top of hers. Liza wound her arms around his shoulders and dug her nails slightly into his muscles. His slid his hand down and rolled her onto her side, facing him. His hand moved down to her bottom, which he caressed and squeezed several times.
“You have the most delightful rump, Liza,” he said, sparks of fire showing in his light brown eyes.
She moved her hands to his.
“I would say the same for you, too, Professor,” she whispered in his ear.
He didn’t reply as his mouth was occupied tasting her peak while his hand caressed her thigh. Liza’s breathing became ragged and she arched her back, thrusting her body toward him in a silent plea.
“More?” he asked, his eyes dancing.
“How did you guess?” she replied, losing one hand in his dark hair while the other one closed on his bicep.
He lifted his head, bringing his gaze directly to hers. Blue eyes smoky with desire greeted his lusty look and he smiled in anticipation. His hand on her thigh began a slow move upward and she felt his arousal growing against her belly as a faint sound of drums met her ears. She jerked her head toward the window, straining to hear.
He switched his mouth to the other breast, unaware of her loss of concentration.
“What’s that?” she asked.
He raised his head up and cocked an eyebrow.
“What?”
“Don’t you hear that?”
He removed his attention from the sumptuous body beneath him for a moment and listened.
“Don’t hear a thing,” he said and went back to his seduction.
Liza eased out from under him as the clanging of cymbals became louder. She sat up.
“That. That!” she said, pointing out the window.
Now Rick heard the drums and the cymbals and he, too, sat up. He looked over at the small desk in the corner of the room, at the page-a-day calendar sitting there with the date in bold black letters and numbers. Then he put his head in his hands.
“Oh, no,” he muttered.
“What?” she asked, taking him by the shoulders.
“It’s Columbus Day,” he moaned.
“So? No work, right? So what?”
“Not just no work. There’s a parade today.”
“Okay, yeah, and?” she coaxed.
“My ex-girlfriend is a drum majorette, she does this every year,” he revealed.
And the music of the marching band got louder and louder. The sound of the cymbals crashing and the drums rat-a-tatting moved closer to the house. Within ten minutes, Liza could no longer hear Rick’s voice.
He got up and grabbed a robe from the back of the door and threw her a t shirt of his. She donned it quickly and they went downstairs. The marching band music was deafening, so loud they could not hear the doorbell sound. Rick didn’t need to, he knew who was out there.
Standing in front of the door, Rick took a deep breath. Liza was hiding behind him, peeking out over his shoulder. He yanked open the door and a tall brunette stood there. She had long curly hair, wore a skimpy red and white uniform with high-heeled white boots with tassels on them. Her large breasts were spilling out of the low cut of the tiny red-and-white striped jacket she wore and her well-rounded bottom was barely covered by red short shorts. The tall white hat with red trim and tassels made her tower over Rick. She wore a big toothy grin when she saw him.
“Hi there, Honey,” she gushed.
“Brenda, what are you doing here?”
“Just passing by with the band and thought I’d stop and see if you…”
At that moment, Liza stepped out from behind Rick and stared at Brenda as if she were an alien.
“What’s she doing here,” Brenda asked in a testy voice.
“She’s my girlfriend,” Rick stated.
“Over my dead body,” Brenda threatened.
“If that’s the way you want it, it can be arranged,” Liza said as she slammed the door in the brunette’s face and locked it.
The band continued to play even louder. Liza put her hands over her ears and ran back up the stairs. Rick followed her. After ten minutes of holding pillows over their heads, it was over. The band had moved on. Liza exhaled a big sigh.
“Where did you ever find her?” she asked Rick, her eyes wide.
“She’s a common species, actually. A member of the genus barfly and can be found at all neighborhood watering holes.” He quipped, putting his palm on her cheek.
Liza smiled at him and pulled him down on the bed on top of her.
CHAPTER FOUR
Liza was embarrassed when she woke up. It was one thing to go to bed with Dr. Rick Banks, ornithologist and another to wake up with him in the morning. They spent a wild night sating their mutual lust but, now it was eight o’clock and they were both late for work.
She jostled him and he groaned and rolled over. Seeing her there, naked in his bed, he reached for her and pulled her close. His hand closed around her breast and his lips began nibbling her neck. Liza tried to focus but the Rick’s presence stole her attention. She moved closer to him and whispered in his ear, her breath coming quicker.
“It’s eight o’clock, Rick.”
Rick sat up in bed, letting her go and stared at the clock.
“Crap, we’re going to be late,” he said, whipping the sheets and blanket back and swinging his legs over the side of the bed.
Liza sat up, disappointed they had to stop but she knew how important being on time was to Rick. He was never late and insisted his interns be on time as well. Here she was, his star intern and recent lover, making both of them late to work. Was it her fault?
“Do you think we can shower together and actually just get clean?” he asked.
Liza stood up and stretched. His eyes traveled the length of her body and he shook his head.
“No way. If you’re in there with me…I’ll never get to the museum,” he said with a snort.
Liza gave him a lazy smile and went into the bathroom.
Dr. Banks made the bed, went to his closet, selected clothes for the day and laid them out. He threw on boxers and padded down to the kitchen to make coffee.
“Save some hot water for me,” he called as he descended the steep staircase.
****
Liza wasn’t happy with the way she looked. Her clothes were wrinkled and the same ones she had worn the day before. She hoped no one would notice. Rick looked devastating in his white shirt, brown corduroy jacket and khaki pants. He pulled up his car and pushed the door open for her.
“I hope you don’t mind if I let you out a block away from the museum. We shouldn’t walk in together. It’s forbidden for us to be dating, museum policy,” he said, negotiating the thick Washington rush hour traffic.
“What? You mean we’re breaking the rules?”
“Big time. If Jackson Randolph found out, we’d both get fired,” he explained.
“So we have to lie about dating?” She asked.
“I’m afraid so. I hate lying but it’s either that or not see you again. I don’t think I could do that,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze when he could take his hand off the steering wheel.
Liza smiled at him. He was everything she ever wanted, a fellow scientist, handsome, sweet and a terrific lover. She sighed and looked out the window at the other cars.
“How long to we have to keep this charade up?” She asked.
“Until we either stop seeing each other or get married,” he said.
She stared at him.
****
Dr. Banks pulled up to the curb about a block from the Washington Museum of Natural History. He leaned across Liza and opened the door for her.
“You owe me a shower, you know,” he said, looking at her with desire in his eyes.
“You think?”
“I know. If we had risen on time this morning, there definitely would have been a shower together.”
She laughed as he pulled her closer to him and kissed her passionately. Liza pressed herself against the gear shift as his chest crushed hers.
“God you taste good,” he muttered into her neck.
“I’ve got to go, Rick,” she breathed.
“I know, but I don’t have to like it.”
She closed the closed the car door behind her and started walking. He pulled away from the curb and headed into the private parking garage for Museum employees. Liza reached the front door first. When Rick saw her, he hung back and let her proceed first.
“Good morning, Angela,” Liza said, walking up to the front desk where she signed in.
Angela, the receptionist looked her over carefully.
“Didn’t you wear that pink blouse yesterday, Liza? Hot date, last night, huh?”
Liza blushed under the other woman’s scrutiny as Rick walked up to the desk. He noticed her heightened color but said nothing.
“Good morning, Dr. Banks,” Angela cooed at Rick, obviously flirting with him.
“Good morning Miss Carr,” he said, then turned to Liza, “oh, good morning to you, too, Miss Holmes.”
Liza looked at him and saw no glimmer of recognition in his eyes. His easy ability to hide his feelings for her made her wonder how many other women he had done this with before.
****
The morning went along as usual. Liza got coffee for Rick then retrieved specimens for him and returned them when he was done. She typed up a letter, did some filing, brought him the mail and carried out the usual duties. He referred to her as “Miss Holmes” and she called him Dr. Banks.
Shortly after lunch, Rick sent her to the supply room with a fairly long list of things he needed. After five minutes, she heard the door open. It was Dr. Banks. She looked at him quizzically, not sure how to treat him.
He walked over to her and took her in his arms. He kissed her passionately, his lips parting hers, making way for his tongue to tease hers. She melted against him wanting more.
After a few minutes he broke from her. His face was flushed and her lips were swollen.
“Can we do that?” she asked, running her thumb over her lower lip.
“We just did. This is killing me. You’re killing me. I never had a woman in my life like you before, Liza. You share my interest in science, in birds and yet you’re gorgeous…sexy, responsive,” he said, running his hand down her chest to cup a breast through her clothing. His touch sent heat shooting through to her core.
“Dr. Banks…should you be doing that? Anyone can walk in here at any time,” she pointed out.
“I can’t resist you. You’ll stay with me tonight, won’t you? We’ll go to a nice dinner then spend the evening together?”
She couldn’t resist him, allowing him to pull her close again for a kiss. She nodded.
“Good. I’ll meet you where I dropped you off at, say, six?”
She nodded again, pressing her lips to his. Then he left the supply room first. Liza waited five minutes before she returned to her desk. Angela walked by her desk on her way back from the ladies room. She sauntered by, looking Liza over carefully. She was acutely aware that she no longer had lipstick on so she pulled one out and hastily applied it.
“Better put that lipstick on before someone else notices you lost yours in the supply room, Miss Holmes. Stay away from Dr. Banks. He’s mine,” she warned.
Liza looked at the woman who must have been ten years her senior. She had skinny legs, a large bosom held up by wide shoulders and narrow hips. She was shaped sort like a man except for her breasts. Angela’s long blonde hair got scraggly at the ends.
Liza tossed her short locks and looked her right in the eye.
“What I do in the supply room is none of your business.”
“As long as it doesn’t have anything to do with Dr. Rick Banks, then I don’t care. But keep away from him. I’ve been reeling him in for the past year. I’m getting close, so stay away.”
“And if I don’t?”
“If you don’t? I’ll report you’re sleeping with him and get you fired.”
“But I’m not sleeping with him.”
“Liar,” Angela asserted, placing her hands on her hips.
“You’ll get him fired, too,” Liza pointed out, her brow furrowed.
“But if I tell him it’s your fault, you’ll lose him, too.”
“If you’re so crazy about him, why would you do that?”
“He’s mine alone or he belongs to no one. See?” She said with a toss of her head.
“Oh, I see all right,” Liza said, walking away to stop the conversation.
****
Later that night after dinner and lovemaking, Liza snuggled in Rick’s arms.
“Did you know Angela has a thing for you?” Liza said, rolling onto her back.
“She stalked me for a while but finally stopped,” Rick said, propping himself up on his elbow.
“She’s crazy. She threatened me today. Said she’d say I was sleeping with you.”
“She can’t prove anything. Don’t worry,” he said, stroking her arm and burying his face in her neck.
“Sure?”
“Sure. The only thing I worry about is having enough stamina to keep you satisfied,” he teased.
Liza laughed and let Rick take her to Nirvana again as the clock struck midnight.
CHAPTER FIVE
Liza began to see eluding Angela’s watchful eye at the museum as a game. She and Rick were formal with each other whenever they worked together. Liza continued to bring him his coffee in the morning and on late nights, but now he would pat her behind or steal a kiss when she came in.
Collecting a specimen to return to the file after he finished with it, Liza lingered long enough to rest a hand on his chest or let him cradle her breast. Several times they narrowly escaped detection when Angela walked into a room. Occasionally they passed in the hall, flushed from making out in the copy room and struggling to keep from laughing when they walked by Angela’s desk.
Liza tried to concentrate on the work she was doing but it difficult. While Rick seemed perfectly capable of separating his lust for her from his fascination with birds, Liza didn’t find it easy. The more they made love, the more time they spent together, the more she wanted him. While he was attractive to her before, now he was as essential to her well-being as the air she breathed.
She moved into his townhouse and he continued to drop her several blocks from the museum each day so the administrators would remain in the dark about their relationship. This was necessary to keep them both from getting fired. There was a strict no-fraternization rule after the museum got sued several years ago.
“We will be preparing several special exhibits, Liza,” Rick said, carefully picking up a stuffed bird.
She turned her full attention to him.
“This year we’re doing exhibits by continent. We’ll have two continents of birds on exhibit together for three months, then rotate to another two continents. Of course the United States will have its own exhibit and not share with another continent.
“That’s wonderful! But it’s going to take months to sort, retrieve and prepare all those birds for exhibit, let alone create the exhibit.”
“Right. The museum is bringing on extra staff. A boatload of interns have been hired for slave wages,” Rich explained.
“So am I staying beyond October?” She asked, her pulse racing.
“I’ve requested you stay for the entire year. I couldn’t possible do this without you,” he said, looking right into her eyes, taking both her hands with his.
“I don’t think I can continue to sneak around like we do,” she whispered.
“No problem. We won’t have to.”
“What about Angela?”
“I’ve learned Angela’s little secret,” he confided, his eyes dancing with merriment.
“Angela’s little secret?” Liza asked, cocking her head slightly.
“Gerald in accounting told me. We’re home free,” he said, pulling her closer.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m a scientist, Liza, would I tell you I’m sure if I wasn’t?”
“So what is her little secret?”
“It seems she’s been after me to divert attention from her real lover…Mae in accounting.”
“Mae?”
“Angela is a lesbian and doesn’t want anyone to know. Besides, she’s breaking the fraternization rule herself by sleeping with Mae. So we’re safe.”
Liza flew into Rick’s arms for a long kiss as they were alone in the museum.
“Let’s go home where I can show you how truly grateful I am,” Liza said, pulling on his sleeve.
Rick smiled at her and began to pack up to leave. Liza helped and they were done in no time. When they reached his townhouse, Liza started undressing on the stairs and they barely made it to the bedroom before satisfying each other.
Just after turning out the light, Rick sat up. Liza rolled over.
“There is another way to stop worrying about getting fired,” he said, his eyes adjusting to the dark as he reached for her.
“What?” She asked, half-asleep.
“We could get married,” he whispered.
Chapter Six
At six thirty the alarm clock went off. Liza opened one bleary eye and shot a dirty look at the clock.
“I set it early,” Rick said, rolling over to face her in his bed.
“God, why would you do that?”
“You owe me a shower and now we’re up early enough to share one,” he said, his eyes gleaming with lust.
Liza burrowed under the covers and uttered in a muffled voice,
“You’ll have to catch me first.”
Rick dove under the covers, reaching for Liza. She eluded his grasp for a few minutes until he found her leg and wrapped his fingers around it. Liza shrieked then dissolved in laughter as he slid her up from under the covers.
Her laughter settled into hysterical giggling as Rick pulled her into his arms, laughing himself the entire time.
“Gotcha!”
She pulled him to her and he silenced her laughter with a powerful kiss. She tickled him, causing him to leap backward, twitching. She then threw off the covers and dashed naked toward the bathroom.
“Last one in has to…to…” but she had disappeared in the bathroom and her words were too garbled to be understood.
Rick slid across the bed in a heartbeat and raced, naked, after her. He caught her as she was adjusting the shower water knobs and grabbed her wrists, wrapping his arms around her and trapping her.
“You’re mine now,” he whispered.
She stopped laughing long enough to ease her head back on his shoulder and go limp in his arms.
“And what are you going to do about it?”
“Get you wet first,” he said, unfurling his arm, flinging her into the shower before him.
She screamed as the too cold water beat down on her chest and Rick quickly pumped up the hot water.
“Better?” A frown on his lips.
Liza reached out and yanked him in with her and proceeded to soap up his body. The room filled with steam and soon they could hardly see each other but their arms and lips felt each other as the shower became heated with passion as well as mist.
****
“I told you we didn’t have enough time if you got up at the regular time,” Rick pointed out to Liza.
“And we didn’t have enough time fifteen minutes earlier either,” she replied.
“I’ve never been this…this…clean, at this hour,” he remarked, chuckling.
“What a great way to start the day, I feel…terrific.”
“You certainly do,” he said, smiling at his own witticism.
Rick dropped her at their usual spot and drove into the garage. Liza walked in smiling more broadly than usual.
“Good morning, Miss Holmes,” Angela said.
Liza nodded to her and broadened her smile. Angela didn’t give her any more trouble about Rick, now they knew she was dating Mae in accounting. The day went well, Liza was more efficient than ever, pulling all the right specimens the first time and Rick was his usual, placid self, examining and cataloguing each specimen, finding the perfect spot for it in the exhibit and working closely with Liza.
By the end of the day they were both tired but happy.
“Mr. Bell, the curator of this exhibit, is pleased with your progress, Dr. Banks,” Sadie, the secretary for the department said.
Rick nodded, a small smile played at his lips.
“Well don’t break your face smiling or anything,” she sniffed.
Liza stifled a laugh behind her hand as Rick shot her a perplexed look.
“You know how to put a real smile on his face, don’t you?” Sadie said, grinning.
Liza’s face fell, her mouth drooping open slightly, Rick blushed.
“Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on here.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Liza lied.
“I seen that special French Roast coffee you buy for him. Don’t think I don’t notice things…I don’t miss nothin’.” Sadie pulled herself up to her full five foot eight inches and huffed out of the room.
Liza looked at Rick who was barely able to contain himself and ran out of the room. He could her hear lyrical laughter tinkling down the hall of the African Room as she disappeared into the ladies room.
****
It was after eleven o’clock when Liza rolled over after making love with Rick that she peered out the window at the night sky. She looked for a star. Rick rolled up against her, snaking his arm around her, kissing her shoulder.
“Wishing on a star again?”
“Habit.”
“Can’t tell me?”
“Nope.”
“I don’t need to wish on anything. I have everything I want.” He snuggled closer to her, resting his head on her pillow.
“Hey, last night did you say something about marriage?”
