Seductive Reasoning

by Cheryl Gorman

  His brow lifted at her choice of words. “Don’t you think we should talk first? Get to know each other?”

  She smiled, her tension easing a bit. This was the Seth she remembered. “I meant open the bottle.”

  A blush stained his cheeks. He cleared his throat and reached for the chilled bottle. “Oh, right.”

  Kate set a bowl filled to the brim with fresh strawberries on the counter along with two chilled crystal flutes.

  Seth glanced at his watch. “It’s barely ten thirty in the morning. A little early for champagne, don’t you think?” He unzipped the black case he’d set on the counter and withdrew his laptop. “Besides I’ve got some work to do.”

  Kate plucked two strawberries from the bowl and dropped one in each flute. “It’s never too early for champagne.”

  With a shrug, Seth uncorked the sparkling wine with a loud pop, but caught the cork in his hand before it could fly across the room. He set the bottle on the counter.

  Kate filled both glasses to the brim. She picked up her glass and sipped. The cold amber liquid slid deliciously over her tongue and down her throat.

  Seth ignored his glass of champagne and fixed his gaze on her. “Kate, if I could get out of this situation and still win the money, I would. But I can’t and the future of my project depends on it. So, I think if we set a few limitations and some ground rules, we will both get through this week a lot easier. Besides, we hardly know each other.”

  Limitations. Ground rules. How was she supposed to win the wager with constricting boundaries?

  He looked at his glass of sparkling wine and pushed it to the side. “Got any tea?”

  Kate nodded, walked to the stove, and adjusted the flame under the kettle. She swiveled and leaned against the counter top. “That’s the whole point isn’t it?”

  “What whole point?”

  She took another sip of her wine. Slow down, take your time. Don’t overwhelm the man. “We’re here to prove our theories, and in order to do that we need to get to know each other better.”

  A frown creased his brow. “Actually, where knowledge and discovery are concerned, personal involvement isn’t necessary or warranted. In fact, such interaction may taint the results. That’s where the limitations and ground rules I mentioned before come in to play.”

  Brother. “Okay, what exactly did you have in mind?”

  The tea kettle whistled with a loud shriek. Kate turned off the burner, filled a pot with the hot water, and threw in some tea bags. She faced Seth and lifted her brows in question, waiting for him to continue.

  “Scientists use several different methods when making discoveries or proving theories. They observe nature, classify their data, apply logic, and conduct experiments before they form a hypothesis and express their findings.”

  Kate retrieved a mug from the cabinet and poured Seth a cup of tea. She set the steaming mug in front of him along with the sugar dish and a small pitcher of milk.

  What the heck was he talking about? How could one man turn a simple bet into a complicated tangle of hypotheses and theories? She had to use her brain. She didn’t want him to think she was clueless. “That sounds reasonable. What’s your plan?”

  Seth prepared his tea and took a sip. “First, we need an independent source for our observations.”

  Independent? She planned to be the source. Not someone else. “Go on.”

  “We should observe your customers when they come into the store, preferably those women who have brought their husbands or boyfriends along. From this we record the men’s reactions to their women modeling the lingerie.”

  With her gaze firmly fastened on his cornflower blue eyes, Kate moved in close. “What about the actual experiments?”

  Seth cleared his throat and straightened on the stool. Science class had never been like this. “Experiments are vital, of course. In order to obtain an unbiased result, I think you should choose four of your customers, two male, two female, and ask them if they would be willing to conduct a few trials for you.”

  A thought popped into her brain. She smiled. “Okay. I choose us to be one of the couples.” He started to interrupt but she held up her hand to stop him. “Wait, I’m not finished. By choosing two independent couples, we would be getting all of the test results secondhand. I think that in at least one of the trials we should be directly involved.”

  He pursed his lips. “Involved. How involved?”

  She intended to win the wager and collect the twenty-five grand cash prize, but she didn’t want to scare him off. She would have to proceed carefully. Seth needed to be handled with a persuasive but silken touch. “I’ll need to model some of my lingerie and record your reaction. In order for me to fully comprehend your response to me and the clothing, we’ll need to get a little close, that’s all.”

  Seth frowned.

  Go easy. Don’t push. “Seth, this is your prime time. During the experiment, try not to analyze before you react. Give yourself the chance to let feelings happen. You might discover things about yourself you didn’t know existed.”

  He rolled his eyes. “You aren’t talking about all that astrology stuff again, are you? I thought we’d been through all that.” He rose from the stool and marched from the kitchen.

  Darn it, she was moving too fast again, opening up when she was supposed to be hiding her feelings. But how could she hide her feelings when she’d been taught all her life to let them out?

  Panic raced through Kate. What if he had changed his mind? What about the money? What about the time she wanted to spend with Seth and the opportunity to touch him in a way he’d never allowed her to before? She placed her glass on the counter with a scrape over the tile. “Seth, please don’t leave.” When she stepped out into the hall she found him squatting on the floor digging through a stack of books.

  “Don’t worry.” He continued to paw through the books. “I’m not going to leave. I agreed to this charade, and I’ll stick with it for one week. But one week only. And I’m going to win this damn wager.”

  He rose from his position on the floor and walked toward her. “I brought some books for you to read that will dispel any myths you believe about the subject of astrology.” He moved around her and into the kitchen. “Come back in the kitchen. I’ll show you what I mean.”

  Kate pressed her lips together, inhaled a deep breath, and exhaled. Fine. If he wanted her to be earnest and look at his books, she would. She could be as no-nonsense as a heart attack if that’s what it took for her to win the bet. She needed that money to prove to her professional-minded family that owning the lingerie shop wasn’t some frivolous pursuit, but a viable career.

  Seth walked to the kitchen island and laid out his books in meticulous order. Kate stepped up behind him and rested a hand on his shoulder. The feel of her skin seared through the material of his shirt and onto his body. Her breath wafted against his ear and desire skittered down the back of his neck. She leaned forward until her head was right beside his. He spared her a glance and was caught in the beautiful green of her eyes.

  Blindly, he picked up one of the books from the counter and shoved the thick tome at her to put some distance between them. “Start with this one. It explains the origins of astrology and the beginnings of astronomy all the way to the present day. It’s very readable and in laymen’s terms so you can understand it.” An expression of hurt shone briefly in her eyes and for the life of him he couldn’t figure out why. “What’s the matter?”

  In a flash, the distress in her eyes was replaced with her usual glimmer of cheer, and she smiled. “Nothing. I look forward to reading the book.”

  The emotion he’d seen wasn’t nothing, but he wouldn’t question her. He wasn’t here to probe the mysteries of Kate Summers, only to win this wager. “Very well. Read a chapter or two and we’ll talk about it later.”

  Kate slid the book onto the counter, pulled a bar chair close to his, and reached for her champagne glass. She turned toward him and stretched one arm across the ba
ck of his chair. Her face was barely inches from his. Her mouth looked wet and very soft. Her scent of sin and vanilla floated around him. Vanilla. His favorite. Thick, vanilla frosting on a vanilla cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. First, he licked the frosting from the cake followed by a spoonful of ice cream. If she ever found out how much he liked vanilla, he’d be in big trouble.

  Christ, he needed to focus and not on her mouth or her gorgeous face or her subtle perfume. He was here to win a bet and win it he would, no matter how excruciating the temptation.

  “I want to show you something.” Her low, breathy voice was no more than a whisper.

  Gulp. She was on to him. “What?”

  Kate shifted on her stool, pulled up her dress until nearly all of her thighs and legs showed. She pushed her knees between Seth’s legs, but was very careful not to touch him.

  He didn’t want her that close with so much leg showing. Why wouldn’t she touch him? Was there something wrong with him? Did she not find him that attractive after all? “What are you doing? I thought you were going to read the book I brought.” He nodded toward it.

  She smiled with an air of secret pleasure. “I said I would read the book and I will. Wouldn’t you agree that important discoveries and advances in science were not only the result of hard work but also sudden leaps of imagination?”

  “Yes, but scientists usually obtain better results when they plan ahead.”

  She stroked a finger over his cheek leaving a trail of promised seduction behind. “Consider this a leap of my imagination. This is the moment when you shouldn’t overanalyze. Just let your feelings unfold. I want to show you how easy it is to let go, forget your responsibilities, and allow your senses to take over. Just sit right there and relax. I promise this won’t hurt a bit.”

  Kate reached over, slipped a CD into the player sitting on the counter, and turned up the volume. Spicy jazz permeated the kitchen. She tilted her head back and skimmed the cold, moisture-laden rim of her champagne flute over her lips, the curve of her neck, down between her breasts and over her stomach.

  Seth swallowed. He wanted to tear his gaze away. He wanted to get up and walk out of the room but he couldn’t. If he lost the bet, he lost the money.

  You’re a scientist. Focus.

  Slowly, Kate exhaled a whispery breath. Her upper body swayed to the music, a sensual undulation as lush notes wafted from the CD player.

  Seth’s body heated to flash point. Okay, fine, observation number one. He wasn’t immune. Conclusion? Biology and chemistry at work. So what?

  With methodical intent, Kate leaned closer until the front of her dress gaped open.

  Oh boy. The woman wore a see-through bra. He didn’t want to think about what else she wore under that dress. Or if she wore anything at all.

  Kate dipped one shoulder, and then rolled the other to the strains of the music. With each sway of her body her breasts threatened to pop from their thin constraints.

  Observation number two. Prolonged attention to subject increases sensual urgency. That explained his almost overwhelming desire to touch her.

  Kate closed her eyes and continued the motions, slowly at first then faster and faster to the heightened beat of the music. Her breathing grew rapid and a pretty blush covered her skin.

  “You know,” her amused voice was a moan of pleasure, “I think we should definitely include music as part of our testing. Scientists must take advantage of every research tool they can get. Don’t you think?”

  Observation number three. He must allow for unpredictable reactions caused by the increasing sexual current of awareness forming between them.

  In other words, Fallon, observe but don’t touch.

  Her eyes remained closed. Her dress slid and revealed the inner flesh of her thighs. Her mouth opened and a sexy little gasp escaped her lips. She swallowed and he longed to place his lips on the curve of her neck. He watched the slow languid opening of her eyes. She dipped her chin and threw him a sensual look. Her lips curved.

  He was hard. She hadn’t even touched him. She hadn’t chased him or demanded anything from him.

  She licked her lips and turned off the CD player. “That was our first experiment. This is great!” Her eyes lit with wonder and excitement. “What did you feel?”

  Seth couldn’t help but smile even as panic coursed through him. She was really getting into this. “I felt drawn by the music and by your-”--he gestured with his hand searching for the right word--“movements.”

  “Anything else?”

  Seth searched for a pad of paper to write down his observations and pulled one from his laptop’s case. “I’ll need to study the results before I can propose an explanation.”

  Kate frowned and nodded. She slipped from the stool and walked to the doorway. She swiveled on her toes at the doorway and curved the fingers of her right hand into a come-hither gesture. “Follow me. I’ll show you the rest of the house.” With those last words, Kate strolled from the room leaving him alone.

  He stared at the empty doorway. What the hell was happening to him? He had spent less than a day with the woman and already she’d managed to get him hot and bothered. He had to get a grip or he would lose this wager. He glanced toward one of the kitchen windows at the bright, sunny morning. No telling what the night would bring.

  Kate nearly stumbled down the hallway on her way to the stairs. She felt ridiculous after her sensual dance in front of Seth.

  Was she a fool to go ahead with the wager? She didn’t want Seth to think she was loose and promiscuous as far as her bed was concerned. She was simply a woman who was comfortable with her sexuality, that’s all. She’d enjoyed the need and desire that flashed across Seth’s face and shone in his eyes as he watched her. She’d seen his erection and wanted to take advantage of the moment, but part of her wanted to lose the challenge, sit back and enjoy being with Seth. She wanted to be around him for a longer period of time.

  If she seduced him now, the challenge would be over. There would be no point in continuing. He would leave and go back to his safe academic world, and she would once again have been unlucky at love.

  Kate flipped a switch, and light flooded the staircase. She turned to make sure Seth followed her and nearly ran into him. Her pulse skittered. “There are three bedrooms and one full bath. I converted one of the bedrooms into an office and the other into a sitting room.” She ushered him inside the sitting room.

  There was a stereo and television on one wall. A love seat and two overstuffed chairs resided in front of a small, stone fireplace. Crystal dragons crouched on the mantelpiece along with several candles. The air smelled of sandalwood and spice.

  After indicating the placement of the bathroom and office, she showed him the bedroom. Kate lifted her arm in a wide gesture. A large oak bed occupied most of one wall, the headboard ornate with carvings of leaves and flowers. A quilt made by Aunt Pandora, each square a different constellation, lay over the bed. Colorful pillows were stacked against the headboard and crystals lined the windowsill. “Here’s our room.”

  Seth’s blue gaze darted from her face to the room and back again. “What do you mean our room?”

  Kate touched his arm and his gaze followed her touch. “I have only one bedroom and one bed. There’s nowhere else for you to sleep.”

  He pressed his mouth into a thin line. “You should have told me. I would never have agreed to stay here or agreed to this crazy scheme.”

  “Scheme? It wasn’t my idea. We are both taking the opportunity to prove our theories. You have exactly the same advantages as I do.”

  He gripped the doorframe with one hand. “How can you say that when we’re staying in your place and you plan for us to sleep in the same bed?” He shook his head. “No. There’s a nice comfortable sofa in the sitting room. I’ll sleep there.”

  Kate cocked her head to the side. “The sofa is a love seat, and you’re over six feet tall. You’ll never be comfortable. I have a king size bed complete with goose d
own comforter. How can you say no?”

  “Easily. That’s an unfair advantage and you know it.”

  Kate grinned. “Don’t tell me I’m getting to you.”

  Seth squared his shoulders. “Not hardly.”

  “Then what’s the problem? We’ll consider the arrangement a key factor in our experiments over the coming week.”

  Seth’s intent gaze cruised over her face. “In order for a scientist to form a hypothesis he needs objectivity. In all honesty, if we slept in the same bed, control over the experiment might be lost.”

  Kate smiled. “Yes, but a scientist also needs talent and creativity as well. Scientists need a certain amount of objectivity, but without getting close to their subjects they can’t analyze them. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  Panic flickered in his eyes. She was backing him into a corner and he knew it. “True, but the presence of existing information gives scientists a base in order to formulate their hypotheses.”

  Kate grinned. “Exactly.” She whirled, walked to the bed, and grabbed a blanket, which was folded on the end. “Here is the perfect existing information.”

  Seth frowned and his confused gaze shifted from her to the blanket she held in her hand. “A blanket?”

  Kate threw the blanket onto the bed and walked to Seth’s side. “We’ll be like Clark Gable and Carol Lombard in It Happened One Night.”

  “Huh?”

  She had forgotten. He spent his time in a classroom and gazing at the stars, not watching romantic movies. She rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me you haven’t seen the movie?”

  Seth crossed his arms over his chest. “No.”

  “I have a copy. We’ll watch it together.”

  “I have better things to do.”

  Kate nudged in close and rested a hand on the side of his neck. His pulse fluttered against her palm and the heady scent of his aftershave tickled her senses. “Not tonight you don’t.”

  Chapter Four

  Seth shifted from one foot to the other. A woman with spiky tufts of red hair poking from her scalp stood before him. Mid-twenties. Tight denim shorts. White midriff top. A tattoo of puckered red lips rested on the slope of her right breast. Sunlight glinted off a gold ring through her navel.