SEDUCTIVE REASONING
By
Cheryl Gorman
www.cherylgorman.com
Copyright © 2012 Cheryl Gorman
Cover Art by Rae Monet Designs http://www.raemonet.com
All rights reserved. This e-book is not transferable. No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared in any form including but not limited to printing, faxing, e-mailing, photocopying or by any manner of information retrieval through electronic means or through the postal service without the express permission of the publisher. This e-book is a work of fiction and a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to any person or persons living or dead, places, incidents, locations or businesses is purely coincidental
Chapter One
Lifting the scarlet thong teddy from the rack, Kate Summers held the garment up for her Aunt Pandora’s inspection. “When your boyfriend sees you in this, he will strip you naked and give you the best sex of your life.”
A mischievous grin curved her aunt’s ravishing red-lipsticked mouth, and a teasing glint of pure I’m-going-to-nail-this-guy charm lit her sparkling gray eyes. “It’s perfect. The man will be aching with need before he can say ‘Pandora, where have you been all my life?’”
She grabbed the garment from Kate’s hands and held it against the front of her not-so-shapely fifty-something body. “I knew I could count on you, Katydid, to have just the thing.”
Kate’s heart warmed at her aunt’s endearment. As a toddler, she begged for attention from her parents. For the most part, they ignored her. Her free spirit and affinity for the stars opposed their scientific and logical thinking and they didn’t know how to handle her, but Pandora understood her.
“It’s because of you I even have this shop.”
“Fiddlesticks.” Pandora waved her slim red tipped fingers through the air. “You made it a success. I just gave you a boost, that’s all.”
“A wad of cash is quite a boost.”
“Working at Neiman Marcus got you nowhere. I’d rather you put the money to good use and be successful now. After all, I can’t take it with me.”
Kate looked at her aunt, nearly six-feet tall with sleek blonde hair cut in a bob, an amazing fifty-two year old woman who thought of herself as Denver’s answer to Raquel Welch. Wrinkles, mostly around her eyes and mouth, lined her aunt’s pale skin. Pandora called them lifelines. Kate didn’t know what she would have done without Pandora in her corner. As the middle child of two lawyers, she fought for attention to make her wishes known. Her siblings, a brother and sister, followed in their parent’s footsteps and became serious-minded professionals. Much to her family’s dismay, she’d followed her heart and instincts. She’d been interested in anything avant-garde, and her aunt encouraged her varied interests. Her lost-in-the-sixties aunt taught Kate about astrology, essential oils, yoga, and anything Zen. Pandora listened to her questions about sex and the male gender with infinite patience.
Kate smiled and motioned to the lingerie Pandora held in her hand. “Try it on. You’ll be gorgeous. ”Pandora winked at Kate, turned on her four-inch heels, and sashayed toward the dressing room at the back of the store. Her leather skirt hugged her trim fanny, which had been whipped into shape with a tuck and suck.
Kate glanced around her lingerie shop and sighed. Her gaze scanned the peach-tinted walls, the array of lingerie, and shelves of massage oils along with a discriminating selection of sexual enhancement device catalogues. She inhaled the scent of Ylang Ylang, an essential oil known for stimulating a person’s libido. She held the answers to everyone’s most secret fantasies. Except her own. Contentment filled her life for the most part, even though she lacked a long-term relationship, something she desperately wanted and yet feared. She straightened a stack of rainbow-colored crotchless panties organized according to the astrological signs on one of the display tables. Her extensive research proved that a person’s astrological sign, their ruling planet, and astrological color influenced their choice of lingerie, which in turn impacted their sexual drives and needs. Kate designed them herself and included a book of astrology with each sale along with a book of love poems. Pandora embraced her ideas wholeheartedly, but the rest of her family just shook their heads. She sighed and looked around the shop. All she needed now was money in order to market her creations on a much larger scale. Considering her family’s disapproval of her profession as a lingerie designer, gaining their respect made taking her designs to a national level even more important.
“Well, what do you think?” Kate swiveled at the sound of Pandora’s voice. Since no customers crowded the store, Pandora stood before her in a pose reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe with her lips pursed and her head thrown back. “Wow. You look beautiful and sexy, Aunt Pandora. The man won’t know what hit him. I hope I look as good as you when I’m your age.” Pandora strolled to Kate’s side and threw her arms around her. A cloud of perfume enveloped her. Pandora drew back a little and smiled. “You’ve got the genes, Katydid, and you already look better than I ever did! Come and talk to me while I change.”
She put her arm through Kate’s and led her back toward the dressing room. Pandora entered the room and yanked the red satin curtain closed. The beaded fringe along the bottom clicked together softly for a moment before settling. Pandora stripped off the teddy, not at all self-conscious or timid about undressing in front of her niece. She had encouraged Kate not be timid or shy concerning her femininity and sexuality, but to embrace it.
Stark naked, Pandora slipped on her panties and plopped on a chair cushioned in bright velvet fuchsia. She tugged on her hose. “So tell me about your love life. Are you still seeing the banker?” Kate sighed. “No. He had one interest, making a deposit followed by an early withdrawal.”
Pandora threw her a half smile. She reached over, clasped Kate’s hand, and gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. “I know exactly what you mean. It’s times like this I remember your uncle.” Her eyes reflected a dreamy, faraway look for a moment. “God, the man made me hot with only a look.”
For a while after his death, Pandora lost the joie de vivre that surrounded her like a brilliant aura. Nevertheless, being Pandora and the most free spirited woman Kate had ever known, she’d tucked the love for her husband into a protected corner of her heart and decided to move forward with her life. “You’ll find a man who will ring your chimes.” Pandora emphasized her words. “And steal your heart.”
Kate smiled. “It certainly isn’t Nate. I tried to make him feel important by being there when he needed someone to talk to and really listening to what he had to say. I supported him when he pushed for his most recent promotion at the bank. I even cooked him a special dinner. He hardly noticed the effort I made.” No cuddling and none of the softly whispered endearments she longed to hear. After dinner, he bid her a hasty thanks, followed by a peck on the cheek. She wanted a man who loved and understood her, a man who appreciated her. She never received these feelings from her parents, only Aunt Pandora. Kate sighed and closed her eyes for a moment.
“When he’s the right man, everything will click.”
Kate knelt at Pandora’s feet, resting her head on her aunt’s leather-clad lap, like she used to do as a little girl. “Maybe I’m the problem.”
Pandora smoothed her hand over Kate’s cheek and shoulder-length black hair.
Kate closed her eyes. “I’m not sure what to do. Every time I start dating a guy, the relationship doesn’t last. I’m too open I guess, but I don’t believe in hiding who I am. I like sex. What’s wrong with that?”
Her aunt smoothed her palm over Kate’s forehead. “There’s more here than wanting to please a man in the bedroom, Katydid.”
Kate lifted her head from her aunt’s lap. “I’ve g
ot all the right tools, but they don’t seem to work for me, just my customers. What’s wrong with me? I’m not promiscuous. I’ve never slept with a man I didn’t truly care about and that’s a grand total of two. Why can’t I meet a nice man? A guy to snuggle with, a man to share my life and dreams, a man to believe in me, just as I believe in him.”
Pandora smiled and laid a hand on Kate’s cheek. “Honey, there’s nothing wrong with you and your tools aren’t the problem. I know I’ve taught you to be open and honest, but sometimes it’s better not to reveal everything to a man right after you meet him. Mystery in a relationship is a good thing, Katydid. Trust me when I tell you a man will come along who will satisfy you in ways you never dreamed. And I don’t mean just physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. He will capture your heart and you will discover a contentment and joy you’ve never known.”
Kate gazed at her aunt. “You mean like you found with Uncle John?”
She rested her hand on Kate’s shoulder and smiled. “Exactly.”
Pandora gave her a light squeeze, dropped her hand, and reached for her purse. “I’ve got to run.” She held out one jeweled hand and studied her nails. “I want to stop at the salon on my way home for a quick buff and polish.”
Her aunt tossed the teddy into her shopping bag, leaned over, and kissed Kate on the cheek. “Not to worry. There’s no way I’m going to miss you being on television this evening.”
Kate gasped and stared at her watch. “Oh, I almost forgot.” She shot to her feet. “Close up for me will you?”
Pandora laughed with a deep-throated sound. “Sure. Now go get dressed.”
Typical, Kate thought as she raced for the stairs at the front of the shop that led to her apartment situated over the store. Her nature didn’t include planning and keeping track of time. Promoting her line of lingerie and reaching out to the viewing audience on the show tonight might help her find an angel with the funds and connections to help take her lingerie designs to the national level.
Seth Fallon stood outside the door of Dean Matthew’s office at Denver University and reviewed in his mind what he planned to say to her. His gut told him what she planned to say to him. News traveled fast around a university campus. He squared his shoulders. No way was he going to let her intimidate him. Somehow he would make her understand and see reason. The hall was empty. Students were in class or stuck in a quiet corner of the library cramming for final exams. Afternoon sunlight streamed in through the tall windows at the end of the hall and formed a bright, gold swath on the wood floor. The air smelled of wood, dust, and the unmistakable aroma of paper. Seth raised his hand and rapped on the door.
“Come in.”
Seth opened the door and walked inside. Janet Matthews lifted her head and pinned him with her steely, brown eyes. Her ash blonde hair was styled in a helmet shape with the ends brushing the top of her slightly wrinkled neck and covering her ears. She looked at him the way a principal might look at a disobedient child. Her thin lips, painted light pink, pursed as if she were sucking a lemon. She dropped the pen she was holding, rested her arms on the top of her desk, and laced her short fingers together. She wore her usual tailored suit with a single strand of pearls. “Dr. Fallon. Thank you for stopping by.” She gestured toward a chair in front of her desk. “Have a seat.”
“Afternoon, Dean Matthews.” He sat down in the chair and tried to relax, something he found impossible to do at the moment.
Her lips settled into a satisfied line. Seth knew she loved her formal title. He flicked his gaze to the ever-present photo on her desk. She stood beside a gray-haired man that Seth knew was her husband. He had passed away from cancer two years ago. Since his death, her tough, impenetrable veneer had grown even harder. “I’m sure you’re aware of my policy on communication with my professors prior to any activities representing this school.” Her voice sounded calm and clear.
“Yes. I’m aware of it.”
Briefly, irritation skimmed her face. “Dr. Fallon, need I remind you that I am the dean of this college and also your boss.”
Seth pressed his mouth into a thin line. “I know you’re my boss.”
She straightened her shoulders abruptly. “Well, that’s a start.” She spread the fingers of her right hand on top of her desk. “It’s absolutely imperative that I approve of any public appearances that may directly or indirectly affect the reputation of this university.” As she said the words, she lightly patted the surface of her desk as if to emphasize her words.
“I heard that you intend to appear on television. A local talk show, I believe, one that I and the board feel is highly inappropriate. Considering the nature of this show, it might reflect badly on the university.”
Seth cleared his throat and prepared to argue his case. “I understand your reservations, Dean Matthews, but I assure you that I will be discussing astronomy and my research project. Period. Nothing more. I’m hoping that my appearance on the show will benefit the university and not harm it.”
She pursed her lips again and lightly rubbed the tips of her fingers over a file sitting on her desk. “Dr. Fallon, surely you could have chosen a better venue to discuss astronomy and that project of yours.”
She chuckled with a dry, cynical sound. “I couldn’t believe my ears when I discovered you planned to be a guest on The Martina Landers Show. That woman interviews everybody from male strippers to transvestites.” Her last words scraped from her throat in a sound of incredulity.
Her assessment was indeed correct, but the way she said it made him squirm. He would never agree to appear with those kinds of guests. Damn it, if he didn’t owe his old friend, the station’s general manager, a favor for wrangling him a press pass to view NASA’s hot new telescope before it launched, he wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place.
An expression of warning clouded her features. “What do you think keeps this school running?” She slumped back in her chair and held her hands palm up. “It certainly isn’t hotshot professors like you.”
Her comment irritated him, but he held his emotions in check. She was the dean for Christ’s sake. It almost sounded like she was jealous. Why would she envy one of her professor underlings? He didn’t have a clue.
He opened his mouth to say something, but she held her hand up in a stop gesture. “It’s tuition fees and donations from generous benefactors,” she continued. “Your appearance on this show could cause us to lose some of our funding. As a result, heads could roll. I don’t know about you, Dr. Fallon, but I want to keep my job.”
She sighed and shook her head. “You know how small the academic community is, professor.” Her voice was patronizing and irked him to no end. “It’s absolutely imperative that our teachers not engage in anything that might reflect in a negative way on this school.”
She folded her hands on top of her desk. “You’re an intelligent man. I can’t imagine how you allowed yourself such a gross error in judgment. Fortunately for you, there’s still time to rectify the situation. Call the show’s producer and tell them you’ve changed your mind.”
Annoyance grated over his nerves, and he fought to keep his voice clear and even. “I can’t do that, Dean Matthews. The show is scheduled for this evening.”
She rested her elbows on the surface of her desk and steepled her fingers beneath her chin. “Obviously I haven’t made myself clear.”
His heart pounded and anger burned his throat. “And if I refuse?”
An implacable expression of power blanketed her face. “If you cancel your appearance on the show, I’ll go to bat for you with the board and recommend that you be allowed to keep your job.”
Keep your job. Of course he wanted to keep his job. He’d planned to stay at the university and become eligible for tenure. “I see.” He rose from his chair and stared at her. “If you’ll excuse me, I have some thinking to do and a decision to make.” He turned and walked to the office door.
Just as his hand closed over the knob, she said, “I hope you
make the right one, Professor.”
“I just banged Gloria Finch’s brains out in the elevator.”
Seth Fallon nodded his head, but didn’t look up. “Hmm, that’s nice.” He sat in his university office behind his large, maple desk. A neat stack of his students’ final exam papers claimed the lower left corner of his desk. The rays of a gorgeous, spring sun shone through the slats of the white blinds hanging at the window. Built in bookcases packed with books and numerous three-ring binders of notes from projects he’d worked on over the years lined the walls.
A brass and semi-precious stone Tellurian Orrery representing the various planets and their motions in the solar system topped a rosewood stand on his right.
Dust motes danced in the air and settled on his desk. Seth frowned. He reached in the top drawer of his desk and quickly wiped the particles away with a dusting cloth.
A refreshing breeze lightly scented with the smell of the university’s newly mowed lawn blew in through the half-opened window and ruffled Seth’s hair. The sheaf of notes on interplanetary weather influences he’d been trying to concentrate on for the past hour was jerked from his hands. His head shot up. “What the hell?”
Mark Sanders, his best friend, and a fellow professor in the Astronomy Department shook his dark head. “Fallon, you didn’t hear a word I said.”
Seth nodded. “Of course I did. You heard a bang in the elevator. Finch was there. Now give me back my notes.”
Mark hid the notes behind his back. “You’re a high-brow.”
Seth couldn’t stop the familiar sense of discomfort settling over him at being the brainy type instead of socially adept like the rest of his family. He removed his wire-rimmed glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. How many times had his parents and siblings called him weird and strange? Maybe a million times, but affection always resonated in their voices. “You’re just jealous because I’m smarter than you,” he told them. So what if he was a highbrow? He had never wanted to be less intelligent than he was, just more skilled at conversing with people at various social functions and private parties.
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