Hermes closed the door to Penny’s office behind him and watched her as she walked to her desk. He’d noticed the flash of fear in her eyes when he’d pressed her for more information. And he hadn’t liked seeing her like that. Maybe it was time to at least assure her that he wasn’t going to hurt her. He needed her to think clearly so she would be of help in retrieving his sandal, and as long as she feared him, she wouldn’t be of much help.
Hermes crossed the distance between them, and put his hands on her shoulders. She shrieked, her body stiffening.
“Shhh, baby, I’m not going to hurt you,” he whispered into her ear. “Relax. You’re all tense.” He slowly started massaging her neck and shoulders.
“Oh,” she said without pulling away.
“There,” he cooed, continuing to knead her tight shoulders, trying to loosen the knots that had formed there. Her head dropped forward, and he felt her relax into his touch. “See, that’s better. Now just relax and try to think back to when you had the sandals here. Think back step-by–step, and remember what happened yesterday morning.”
All the while, he massaged her tense shoulders with slow strokes and rubbed his thumbs in slow circles along her vertebrae. Penny’s breathing slowed, as did her heartbeat. If he wanted to, he could simply turn her into his arms now and kiss her until they were both breathless, and she wouldn’t give him any resistance. But as much as he wanted to do just that, they were here to do something more important.
A soft sigh rolled over Penny’s lips, reminding him of the sounds of pleasure she’d made in his arms on Saturday night. It seemed eons ago. At the thought of their lovemaking, his massaging strokes turned into caresses, his fingers sliding into her hair, gently touching her skull. Without thinking, he made a step closer, bringing his body flush to hers, feeling her lean against him.
“Oh, baby,” he murmured.
“Kenton,” she whispered.
Shock at hearing another man’s name come over her lips catapulted him back. Penny whirled around in the same instant, her eyes wide.
“I was taking photographs of the sandals.” She pointed to a camera on her desk. “Kenton came in while I was doing that. He looked at them. And he was curious. I told him they were replicas.”
“Kenton?”
“Yes, he’s an assistant professor in my department.” She paused. “And he’s competing for the same tenure spot I am.”
If that wasn’t a coincidence then he didn’t know what was. Blind ambition could drive people to do lots of things. “Well, looks like a motive to me. Where can I find him?”
Penny charged toward the door. “I’m going to give that asshole a piece of my mind!”
Grinning, Hermes followed her. Penny had her spirit back, and he rather liked her like that: feisty, combative, and full of fire. Ah, yeah, a woman after his own heart!
He followed her, putting his hand on her upper arm to slow her down. She glared at him. “As if it wasn’t enough for him to sleep with Michelle! That little creep!”
“Who’s Michelle?”
“The dean of the history department. She sits on the tenure committee. Sleeping with her is his way of assuring he gets tenure instead of me! Wait until Michelle hears that he’s a thief!”
Hermes stopped her, grabbing both her shoulders and turning her to face him. “I think I have to point out something to you: you stole them from me first, and besides, nobody can find out about the sandals. You can’t tell the dean about it. I can’t risk exposure like that.”
She looked at him with confusion in her eyes. “Exposure? But don’t you want him punished?”
“Of course I want him punished. But not by the dean or the police. Now let’s go and find out what he’s done with it.” He released her shoulders. “And let me do the talking.”
“But—”
“Please,” he said softly.
With a brief nod, she relented and continued walking. After the next turn, she stopped in front of a door. Kenton Lowry, Assistant Professor, Greek Studies, it said on a plaque next to the door. Penny lifted her hand to knock, but Hermes stopped her and reached for the door handle instead, opening the door swiftly.
He entered the room amidst a surprised gasp coming from the only occupant.
Kenton wasn’t an overly large man; in fact, he was what Hermes would call a pretty boy, his dark hair perfectly coiffed, his clothes pressed, his nails manicured.
Kenton tossed Hermes an irritated look. “Can I help you?” His voice was clipped. Then his eyes strayed past Hermes. “Oh, Penny,” he said a tiny fraction friendlier. “What’s going on? Doesn’t anybody knock anymore?”
But before Penny could answer, Hermes leaned over Kenton’s desk. “About the sandals,” he started and noticed Kenton’s eyes widen almost unnoticeably.
“What sandals?”
Hermes motioned toward Penny. “The sandals you saw in Penny’s office yesterday morning. What did you do with them?”
Kenton jumped up, his chest puffed out like a peacock. “What are you insinuating?” He glared past him at Penny. “Who is this maniac?”
“He’s the owner of the sandals,” Penny replied.
“Maniac, huh?” Hermes grunted. “How about injured party?” He glanced around the room, noticing only now that the walls were adorned with replicas of ancient Greek weapons. A thought penetrated his mind. “Or would you rather be the injured party?”
Kenton clamped his jaw together, glaring at him, his hands balled into fists. Stupid mortal! Hermes knew a guilty conscience when it slapped him in the face. And Kenton definitely had a guilty conscience. Kenton knew exactly what had happened to Hermes’ sandal. And it was only a matter of time until Hermes got the truth out of him.
“Where the fuck are my sandals?” Hermes deliberately used the plural, knowing that it might trip Kenton up. If he had stolen the sandal from Irene’s lab, then he had only gotten one, and sooner or later he would slip and insist that he hadn’t stolen both sandals, but only one.
“I don’t know! And I resent the implication that I have anything to do with the theft of your stupid sandals!” Kenton barked back. Then he glared at Penny again. “And if this friend of yours doesn’t get out of my office right now, I’m going to call security and have him removed from the premises. And don’t think you can outrun them! There are cameras all over the building. They’ll find you!”
Kenton reached for the telephone, lifting the receiver. “I’m warning you one more time.”
Hermes blinked, an idea suddenly forming in his head. “Fine, I’m leaving. But I’ll be back!” He turned on his heels and swept out of the room, Penny in tow.
At the end of the corridor he stopped and turned to her. “Where’s the security office in this building?”
“Are you crazy?” Penny asked. “You can’t go there. Didn’t you hear Kenton just now? He’s going to call security.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my hearing.”
Penny gave him a confused look. “But—”
“Where’s the office?”
“Why?”
“Because you’re going to call security and alert them to a disturbance.”