Mark rolled his light blue eyes and shrugged his athletically broad shoulders. “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be on television tonight?”
Resigned to the fact his friend was not going to leave, Seth leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap. “Yes. Six o’clock. Sharp.” The earlier meeting with Dean Matthews had been on his mind all afternoon and had interfered with his concentration, but he didn’t want to discuss it with Mark. At least he’d made a decision and decided to go through with his appearance on the show. With a little luck, everything would go as planned and there would be an increase in private funding and a flurry of new student applications for the university. Then Dean Matthews and the board would have to let him keep his job.
A sick feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. But if everything blew up in his face, he could kiss the job he loved and his tenure goodbye. Was his project worth it? Yes.
His colleague slid onto the edge of Seth’s desk. Mark lifted a paperweight Seth’s sister had given him, turned the crystal over in his hand, then set it back down on the desk in a different position. Seth picked up the object and put the gift back in its original spot.
“Once you’re on TV, pal, you’ll get calls from the ladies. You won’t be able to beat them off with one of your astronomy books.”
Seth shifted uncomfortably in his seat at Mark’s comment. He didn’t want calls from the ladies.
In the past eight years since he’d graduated with a doctorate in astronomy, dating and honing his skills with women hadn’t topped his list of priorities. When his urges needed tending, a woman in Colorado Springs took care of them. She lived far enough away not to ask for any commitment. Besides, they had an agreement.
His astronomy project held number one priority, not some woman making impossible demands on him. Women never fit into his structured life. They tried to, but they brought stuff with them like makeup, nail polish, and hair goop. Who needed that? Contentment filled his life. Why change?
Besides, he hated socializing. Waste of time, if you asked him. Why spend an evening chatting up some woman when viewing the stars through his telescope was much more appealing?
He looked at his friend and shook his head. “You’re exaggerating. Women won’t be calling me.” A part of him worried about women cluttering up his life.
Mark burst out laughing. “That’s so typical. You never really pay attention, do you?”
“Pay attention to what?”
“Women, you idiot. All you have to do is walk into a room. Their eyes bug out of their heads and they start drooling.”
Seth blushed to the roots of his dark brown hair. He quickly slipped on his glasses and rummaged around on his desk for some work to do. Damn it, he wished he hadn’t inherited his father’s looks, but what could he do about it?
“It’s time you got a social life.”
He glanced at Mark and frowned. “I have a social life.”
Mark snorted. “A social life means having drinks with friends and going out on dates. A social life means trying for the world boffing championship--not attending lectures and academic teas!”
Seth huffed out a breath. Here he goes again. “Do you ever think about anything other than sex?”
“Do you ever think about anything besides your work? Your life is one big science project. You analyze and dissect everything. Life isn’t about that--it’s about living for the moment. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without a book in your hand.”
Seth shrugged. “So, I like to read. Big deal.”
Mark folded his arms over his chest. “It is a big deal when it takes over your life. You need to get out. You need to see women and get involved with something or someone that isn’t related to your work.”
“I do get out.”
“I don’t mean driving back and forth from your house to the university. I mean going out for something other than academics.”
“You act like I’m some kind of hermit. Just because I don’t go chasing women every night of the week doesn’t mean I don’t get out. I went to England last year. That’s getting out.”
His oldest friend gave him a droll look. “You went to England to view an eclipse. I bet you spent every moment either gazing at the stars or in your hotel room with your nose stuck in a book.”
His friend’s words struck home. That’s exactly what he had done, but he’d be damned if he’d give Mark the satisfaction. “I met a fellow astronomer. A real babe. We screwed our brains out under the stars.”
Mark leaned forward and placed his hands flat onto the surface of Seth’s desk. His gaze swept over Seth’s face searching for any sign of deception before he grinned. “I think I believe you. Blonde or brunette?”
Seth thought for a moment. He had met a fellow astronomer, but she was approaching seventy with five grandchildren and her hair was gray. “Redhead.”
Mark cocked a dark brow. “A true redhead?”
Seth shook his head. “I never kiss and tell.”
Mark smiled and straightened from the desk. He glanced at his watch. “I have a hot date. She’s coming to my place for drinks first because I don’t want to miss the show.” He dug his keys from his pocket, walked to the open doorway, and threw him a mock salute. “Have fun tonight.”
Fun? Seth thought. Fun wasn’t on his agenda. He hoped like hell his appearance on the show wouldn’t sully his reputation as a serious minded professional.
“Come on, come on.” Kate stared at the traffic light, willing it to change. Running late--again--and stuck at the corner of Lincoln and Colfax. She thrummed her fingers on the steering wheel of her bright red Toyota and glanced at her watch. Twenty minutes to six. Channel Four expected her no later than five thirty.
The light changed and the traffic inched forward. Sunlight streamed in through the windows and touched her skin. Trees along the street budded in the balmy Colorado spring weather. Progressive rock poured from her radio.
Kate brushed a strand of dark hair out of her eyes. The drive to the television station normally took twenty minutes, but trying to figure out what to wear ate up her time and made her late. She’d decided on a bright blue sheath with matching sandals. A trio of gold stars dangled from each ear.
Upon arrival, a petite woman with wiry blond hair, the producer of The Martina Landers Show, greeted Kate politely and showed her to the green room.
The woman opened the door and ushered Kate inside. A man stood by the window in a dark suit, his hands jammed comfortably in his pockets, his back to her. At the sound of her entrance, the man turned. Their eyes locked.
Her nipples tightened instantly. Heat pooled between her thighs and pure lust burned over her skin. Good God. “Seth Fallon. What are you doing here?”
He adjusted the wire-rimmed glasses resting on his nose. Her knees turned to water and her scalp tingled at the gesture. God, she loved a man in glasses. Particularly this man.
“Kate Summers. I might ask you the same thing.”
His incredibly sexy voice slid beneath her skin and aroused her further. How could this be happening? She thought she’d gotten over the lustful ache she’d had for Seth when they attended college together. At the time, she’d wanted to do a lot more than sit in class with the man and take notes. Now her desire for him burned brighter than ever. She cleared her throat in an effort to find her voice before she leaped on him and ripped off his clothes. “I’m a guest tonight on the show. What about you?”
“Me too. What are you here to talk about?”
Her heart hammered in her chest. Her fingertips burned with the need to touch him. She inhaled and exhaled a deep breath. Down, girl. “I had a middle management job for a while until I opened my own shop and began designing lingerie in conjunction with the astrological signs.”
The words flowed from her mouth in a rapid stream. How could she ramble on about designing underwear when she’d rather be taking it off for him?
Seth stared at her with gorgeous deep blue eyes fringed with thick bl
ack lashes. A swath of chestnut hair lay over his forehead, and she longed to feel the strands between her fingers. His straight nose sat in perfect proportion to his strong, stubborn jawline and the rest of his mouth-watering face.
Oh God, what a mouth. Just looking at his firm, sensual lips made her want to run her tongue over them, then dip inside for a good long taste.
Seth stood six feet three inches of pure male with broad shoulders and large hands. She wondered what his very masculine hands would feel like caressing, teasing, and tantalizing her skin. Unfortunately, she’d never gotten to know him well enough to find that out. They went out a couple of times, but he’d been too wrapped up in his studies for any kind of lasting relationship.
Even though he appeared to be a straightlaced professor, when he looked at her, his eyes held the same pure masculine appreciation they had in the past.
Fate had handed her a second chance at getting Seth Fallon to do more than just notice her, and she planned to make the most of it. “Did you get your degree in Astronomy?”
“Yes. I’m a professor at Denver University. I’m here to educate the public about astronomy.”
Kate stepped forward and held out her hand. He hesitated only briefly before taking her hand in a firm grasp. Her pulse skipped a beat at his touch. Longing for more skittered up her arm and covered her breasts. They swelled and ached beneath her dress; the nipples pressed against the silk as if wanting and needing his touch. He started to pull his hand away, but she held on a bit longer. When she finally did let go, she caressed his palm with the tips of her fingers. “Nice to see you again, Seth.”
Want to get naked?
“Good to see you, Kate.”
“So tell me about what you do.”
Never comfortable with women, he started talking about his job right away. Nothing new there ... or was it her he wasn’t comfortable with?
A damn shame in Kate’s estimation. All of his unadulterated male beauty going to waste. Or maybe it wasn’t going to waste now. Maybe he was married or had a girlfriend or something. Suddenly she had to know before she tried once more to get his hands on her. “Are you married Seth?”
He gave her an odd look. “No.”
Thank God.
“You?”
Married? She couldn’t even keep a boyfriend. “No. Tell me more.”
Kate stepped to a table covered in linen. An array of drinks and hors d’oeuvres spread across its surface. She poured herself a glass of sparkling mineral water to soothe her parched throat. She picked up a petit four and nibbled while Seth explained various aspects of his research, including his theory about the influence of the stars and the position of the planets on the weather and the occurrence of natural disasters.
“That’s interesting. You know those same things can make or break any relationship. My theory is very similar to yours.” She explained briefly about her shop and lingerie designs in relation to the astrological signs.
He lifted a brow. “I disagree. The weather and natural disasters are concrete events. Emotions are amorphous, although certainly very real. People’s emotions are affected by circumstances and other people in their lives, not by the position of the stars.”
Kate drew closer to Seth until his delicious scent tickled her nose. She inhaled a slow even breath and smelled soap, along with the aroma of a tangy yet subtle shaving lotion. These scents combined with Seth’s own unique fragrance made her want to nuzzle her mouth into the side of his neck and nip his ear. She laid her palm on his arm. He blinked at her touch, but his gaze never left her face. The blue depths of his sexy eyes bored into hers. His lips parted and for one incredible moment, she thought he might lean forward and kiss her.
He didn’t. Instead, he pulled back as if he’d surprised himself.
Kate licked her lips, and a deep sense of satisfaction bloomed inside her when his gaze followed the movement of her tongue. “Seth, people are affected by everything touching their lives, including the stars, the air, the planets, the moon. Each other. The human touch.” She lifted another frosted teacake from the tray and brought the tempting morsel to Seth’s mouth. “Wanna bite?”
His gaze flicked sharply to hers. She smiled in satisfaction. Well ... he wasn’t immune after all.
Slowly and seductively, she brought the cake to her mouth, took a bite, and licked icing from her lips.
He shifted his gaze from her mouth and moved away from her. “I agree that we are affected by our world, but the stars and planets don’t have a big influence on how we live our lives or how we react. People are in control of their actions. Not the stars. The stars and planets can affect predictions about the weather or natural disasters, but they can’t be used to predict how people will react. Astrology is a form of entertainment and nothing more.”
Kate shrugged. She’d heard these arguments before. The man presented a definite challenge. “Astrology is more than entertainment. It’s very real. The stars can be used to predict how people will react. I can prove it.”
His sexy mouth quirked. “You can’t prove it, Kate, because it doesn’t work.”
She ignored his remark. Her parents said the same thing. “Think how an approaching thunderstorm makes you feel. Think about the crash of thunder, the rush of the wind, the smell of approaching rain. What about the majesty of lightning? The white-hot streak across the sky, the smell of ozone in the air, the way your hair stands up on the back of your neck. Don’t you feel a sense of excitement, sometimes anxiety or even a little fear knowing you have no control over something that powerful?”
“A thunderstorm can be explained. It is not only a natural occurrence but it has a basis in science. I feel no anxiety or fear. Excitement maybe, if the storm is particularly fierce. I find it interesting to study the positions of the planets and the stars to see how they affect the storm, then compare the configuration to storms in the past.”
Kate cocked her head. “Seth, you’re missing the point. What about a reaction from your gut?” She pointed to her stomach. “Forget science for a moment. Do you ever just watch and enjoy the storm for the surging wind, flashes of lightning, and the hard drive of rain? Have you ever made passionate love during a thunderstorm and climaxed at the height of the storm?”
He stared at her with sexy blue eyes. Kate slid next to him until the heat from his body curled around her, until she lost herself in the infinite blue of his eyes. She rested a hand in the middle of Seth’s chest, against the silky smoothness of his tie. His heart beat against her palm in answer to her own thudding pulse. She wanted to replace her hand with her lips. His breath wafted over her mouth and a groan nearly escaped her throat. “Well, have you?”
Silence enveloped the room while Seth watched her in his deeply intense way, the way he studied everything, as though he looked into her very soul. “Have I what?”
“Made love during a storm.”
His gaze skimmed her face, rested on her mouth, then slipped back to her eyes. A brief knock sounded on the door. The panel flew open, and the producer stuck her head into the green room. “Show time.”
Seth moved around Kate, but she rested her palm on his cheek stopping him. “This conversation isn’t over.”
Chapter Two
Seth paced the edge of the studio behind a bank of curtains. He stopped and peered through an opening in the curtains. Beams from bright, hot lights danced around the center stage area. Two cameras perched a few feet to his left with cables snaking over the polished tile floor. The studio audience filled about a dozen rows of seats in front of the stage.
He straightened his jacket, loosened his tie, and inhaled a deep breath. Kate’s pure unadulterated female allure rocked his organized, academic world, and he didn’t like it one bit. He hadn’t liked it back in college, either. He knew she’d had the hots for him--and he’d had unscholarly feelings for her, too. His attraction drew him to her like an undiscovered star in the night sky, but after a few dates, he realized she affected more than his libido and ended it qu
ickly. The woman crowded him. Not just physically, but emotionally.
Okay, Fallon, think about the show. Your reason for being here. Not Kate Summers.
The set reminded Seth of the Tonight Show a la Colorado. This show offered a more intimate setting, with an overstuffed sectional sofa and coffee table, and a backdrop of the Denver skyline at dusk.
Kate stood near him. He glanced at her out of the corners of his eyes. An expression of absolute excitement covered her face. Figures, she wouldn’t be nervous.
He turned his attention back to the set, only to have her scent surround him as she edged in closer. Way too close for comfort. Her leg grazed his thigh, and her hand rested on his elbow. Seth’s heart rate kicked into overdrive at her touch and the sensual, musky scent of her perfume. She turned her face with her pert nose and full, soft looking mouth toward his. A bow defined her upper lip. The corners of her mouth tipped up, giving the impression of a slight smile. Her eyes, the color of emeralds, stared into his. Star earrings danced at her ears.
Seth shifted his gaze from hers and watched the talk show host, Ms. Landers, a woman in her late twenties to early thirties, wrap up her monologue with the audience and move to the sofa. After a brief introduction by an off-camera announcer, a man with headphones behind the main camera signaled her by holding up his hand and counting backward.
“Good evening, Denver. Welcome to another night of provocative talk on titillating subjects.” The audience clapped and whistled in response to her statement. “Tonight we have two very special guests, a professor and a lingerie shop owner. What do these two have in common? Hold on to your underwear because you’re about to find out.
“Please welcome our guests, Dr. Seth Fallon and Ms. Kate Summers.”
Kate tugged on his arm. Seth’s stomach dropped to his toes and his tie suddenly gripped his throat like a vise.
Seductive Reasoning Page 2