Typical. She was exactly the kind of woman Seth figured would patronize a place like this. Halleluiah. This coincided perfectly with his original idea. He’d be out of here and away from Kate’s alluring presence sooner than expected.
The woman held a pair of thong panties made entirely of some kind of see-through mesh material with a band of sequins along the top against her abdomen.
A delicate pink rose was embroidered on the crotch. “What do you think? Will this little number make my boyfriend beg?”
A blush burned over Seth’s neck. He didn’t know about this woman’s boyfriend, but if Kate ever slipped on a piece of sequin trimmed dental floss like that he would be down on his knees pleading for mercy.
A delicate hand with nails painted siren red touched his shoulder. A soft, rounded breast brushed against his arm. Sensual, musky scent wafted past his nose. Kate. Had he been saved or thrown to another wolf?
Seth swiveled his head and stared into her eyes. Her tempting mouth curved in a furtive smile. This woman was no wolf. She was a siren bent on luring him to a sensuous destruction. Sensations he didn’t want to explore pooled in his belly and moved lower. If she didn’t stop touching him, he was a dead man.
“Excuse me.”
The sound of the customer’s voice snapped Seth from his erotic trance. Damn Kate, for insisting he help with the customers when the shop became busy. He agreed only because he was a scientist and the only way to conduct an experiment was to become directly involved. “Sorry. What did you say?”
The woman grinned, her teeth a slash of white in her round, tanned face. “Gosh, professor, you’re even more adorable in person than you are on television.”
Christ, she’d seen the show. His gaze darted around the shop at the mob of sex-crazed women in all shapes and sizes. No doubt all of them had seen the show, too. That’s why the shop was so crowded. He was the sideshow in this lingerie circus.
Rock music, heavy with guitar riffs, pulsated through the store and into his body. For a brief moment, he fantasized about Kate wearing a pair of thong panties, spike heels, and nothing else. He had to get out of here. Fast. He glanced at Kate, then back at the woman. “Kate can answer all your questions.”
He turned, intending to escape through the nearest exit, but Kate gripped his arm and held him by her side. “On the contrary, you’re doing fine.” She handed him a sheaf of papers. Panic welled in his chest.
“Pertinent information on each of the twelve astrological signs is printed on these pages, Dr. Fallon. The entire process is really quite simple. And logical.”
Seth glared at Kate. Logical! The woman wouldn’t know logic if it bit her on her cute little derriere. At that moment, the derriere in question rubbed against his thigh. Deliver me. Seth yanked his concentration off Kate’s behind and onto the papers she’d thrust into his hands. Everything was spelled out in clear, block letters and color-coded.
He wanted to run, to hide upstairs and bury his nose in a book. Book. He reached into the pocket of his jacket and touched the slim abridged volume of Copernicus’ masterpiece, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres. His heart rate slowed and the feeling of panic and dread that had nearly overwhelmed him dissipated. Hell, he was a professor. He could do this. All he had to do was think of this young woman as a student.
He threw Kate a smug look. She thought he couldn’t resist. Ha! He could resist just fine, and he was on his way to proving it.
“Would you mind answering a few questions?”
A brilliant smile beamed over the customer’s face. Her eyes grew rounder and she moved in close. “I’m going to be part of your research?”
God, she had that lean and hungry look. She wasn’t a wolf. She was a shark. “In a manner of speaking, yes.”
The woman practically vibrated with excitement. “Ask me anything.” She reached out and touched his arm. “I mean anything.”
Fine. “Have you ever been involved in an experiment?”
The girl smiled. “Well, Dave and I--Dave’s my boyfriend--decided to do this sex marathon thing once. Whoever came first had to buy dinner for a week.” She threw him a sheepish grin. “I lost.”
Seth glanced at Kate who tilted her head, winked, and gave him a soft smile. He turned his attention back to the customer. Not that kind of experiment. “What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a full time student at D.U. The rest of the time I wait tables at the Saucy Noodle.”
She was a student at D.U.! He shifted his gaze to the backpack she’d slung on the floor. Two textbooks poked from the front pocket.
Why would she waste her time here? Why spend so much time on physicality? Seth was truly baffled. The woman was obviously smart, or she couldn’t have gotten into a great university like D.U. “What’s your major?”
“Political Science. Actually, I’m a double major. My other is Public Relations. I figure they complement each other. Aren’t you going to ask me something about sex?”
Not in this lifetime. Seth cleared his throat and busied himself making notations on his pad.
“I’ve seen you around campus. Every girl at D.U. knows who Professor Hunk is.” She slid her gaze over him. Slowly. “You’re even dreamier up close.”
Professor Hunk! Damn his looks. He was more than just his looks. So much more.
“Isn’t that sweet. You’re blushing.”
Damn, she’d noticed the blush burning hotly over his neck and face. He swallowed his pride and continued. “Why did you choose that,”--he gestured toward the panties--“that type of garment?”
“I appreciate pleasure. I figure when my boyfriend sees me in these my pleasure quotient will fly off the scale.”
Seth felt Kate’s fingers glide over the back of his neck. A shiver raced down his spine. The woman was relentless. Little flares of desire danced over his skin at her touch along with other parts of his body. He shot his gaze toward Kate. Her eyes held a soft expression; her lips were parted and moist. An erection sprang involuntarily between his legs. Down boy. A week ago he’d been happy and content within his academic surroundings, now here he was caught up in a world of ladies underwear and sexual fantasies.
Only he was the prize.
“So what’s up with you two, anyway?” The young woman looked at him, then Kate, and back again. “Well, it’s obvious what’s up, but are you two going to spill the beans on the true nature of your relationship next Friday night on the show?”
Seth glanced down briefly at the front of his slacks. The zipper was tented like a freaking neon sign. Geezus. What a nightmare. Focus on the goal. Money. He cleared his throat. “Why would a political science major need or want to come into a lingerie shop? Why not focus on hard work rather than physical pleasure? What about intelligence, common interests, and companionship of the mind?”
“That’s all well and good, Professor,” the customer said, “but it hardly takes the place of good old fashioned sex. It doesn’t relieve stress or relax the mind. Wouldn’t you agree that a calm mind is more conducive to learning?”
Ridiculous. “A mind that is exercised and challenged is more open to learning. I disagree that a person’s brain needs to be relaxed before they can learn.”
The woman cocked her head. “What about exercising the body?”
For a brief moment the torrid image of exercising the lower half of his body with Kate wrapped tightly around him resonated through his mind like a sudden burst of solar energy. Money. Concentrate. “I agree that regular exercise is important to a person’s health and well being, but--”
“Is he always like this?” The woman glanced at Kate.
Kate moved closer to him and smiled. She lightly clasped his hand and glided her slim fingers between his then pressed their palms together. His erection grew harder. Hi Ho, Silver.
“Let’s just say that Dr. Fallon is a challenge I look forward to pursuing.”
There she went again, calling him Dr. Fallon in that sexy I-really-mean-Dr. Phallus-voice that
dug even deeper under his skin.
“Well, you’ve really got your work cut out for you,” the woman said. She held out the panties. “I’ll take these with the matching bra and sheer teddy.”
Kate took the panties. “I’ll meet you at the cash register.” She turned to Seth and smiled. “Dr. Fallon”--she cut her gaze swiftly to his crotch then back up to his eyes--“I may have my work cut out for me, but I’d say you’re well on your way to exercising your body.”
By mid afternoon, the crowd of shoppers had thinned. Kate was looking forward to taking a break when she heard the bell tinkle over the door.
A woman with shoulder-skimming blonde hair strode through the door. She wore a tailored red suit, matching heels, and the look of a woman on a mission. A man of medium height wearing a suit, pricey leather shoes, and a smirk followed close on her heels.
Kate scooted across the room to Seth’s side where he had just finished ringing up a sale. She gripped his arm. “Look who just came in.”
He glanced at the couple and shrugged. “So?”
Kate gripped his arm tighter. “Don’t you recognize her? That’s Leslie MacFadden. She owns half a dozen car dealerships in Denver, and she was just appointed to the mayor’s new council called Women in Business for Colorado. The man with her must be her latest boyfriend. They would be the perfect choice.”
“For what?”
Kate rolled her eyes. “We can ask them to conduct a trial experiment for us.”
Seth frowned and stared at them. “Maybe. If they’ll agree to it.”
Kate’s entrepreneurial antennae went on alert. “They’ll agree. Trust me.” She tugged on Seth’s arm and pulled him with her across the room.
As they drew near, Ms. MacFadden lifted a pair of string bikini panties made entirely of black lace from a rack and held them up for her boyfriend’s opinion. “Nice, huh?”
Her boyfriend lifted one brow and smiled. “Hmmm.”
Yes, Kate thought. This was exactly the kind of couple she was looking for. “Good afternoon. Are you looking for something in particular?”
The woman turned and threw Kate a charming smile. “Yes, I’m going on vacation to Tahiti. I want something exotic and a bit on the wild side.”
Her dark brown gaze landed on Seth and the smile turned from charming to coquettish. “You’re the professor.” Her voice fairly purred in admiration.
The woman’s companion draped a proprietary arm over her slim shoulders. “So, how has the week gone so far?”
Ms. MacFadden kept her gaze on Seth. “Pretty good,” he answered.
“Just pretty good? So in other words neither one of you has won the bet?”
The woman looked at Seth as though he were dessert. An odd, very uncomfortable feeling poked at Kate. Could it be jealousy? Was she actually jealous? If she was, what did that mean? She had always had a great deal of respect for Leslie MacFadden because she had made it in a man’s world despite being sexy and drop dead gorgeous. But the woman was coming on to Seth and she didn’t like that one bit. She didn’t want any woman coming on to Seth.
She watched Seth fidget and push his hands into the pockets of his slacks. Great. She wanted Seth to see that her clientele wasn’t all interested in sex. She thought Leslie MacFadden would be a perfect candidate. Now she wasn’t so sure.
“No, but we still have a couple of days to go,” Seth commented.
Kate moved closer to Seth. She rested her hand on his right shoulder and inhaled his scent. The muscles bunched beneath her fingers. His arm brushed against her breast. She wanted Seth. No two ways about it. But once they made love would he walk away? Will he leave her behind just like the other two men she’d allowed herself to care about?
Seth turned and looked at her. His blue gaze drifted briefly over her face, and emotions she wished she could read burned in his eyes. What was he thinking?
Kate turned her attention back to the woman. “What is your astrological sign?”
“I’m a Scorpio.”
Kate turned and made a motion with her arm. “Come with me. I have some new spring designs.”
They followed Kate across the shop until she came to a rack. She lifted something from the rack and held it up. “This is just in. I call it Tiger Love.”
The lingerie was made of diaphanous material in a muted leopard print. The layers of material were made to fall suggestively over the woman’s breasts and lower body.
The woman stepped forward and took the garment from Kate’s hands. “Oh, I love it. It’s seductive and definitely erotic. May I try it on?”
“Of course. The dressing rooms are in the back. But first I’d like to ask you a question. As you know, Dr. Fallen and I are conducting experiments this week, and we thought it would be a good idea if we chose an independent source to conduct some trials for us. Would you be interested?”
She touched Seth’s arm. “That depends.”
“On what?” Seth and Kate said in unison.
Gone was the sexy demeanor to be replaced with a shrewd expression. Underneath all that glamour beat the heart of a ruthless businesswoman.
“I want to change the look of the commercials for my dealerships. I want something slick and sexy. After all, sex sells.”
Sex. That was the bottom line here. Sex did sell. Kate knew it. She bet her money on it. And she won. “Yes, I do agree. But I don’t just sell better sex. I believe that love plays an important and tender part in all seductions. That’s part of what I’m trying to prove.”
“My point,” Ms. McFadden said, “is that if I agree to take part in your research, I’d like the two of you to do a commercial for me. It will be great. And it really doesn’t matter who wins the bet. Both of you are good looking people, and I think everyone in town saw the show. It’ll be perfect. What do you say?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Seth and Kate replied at the same time.
Great. “Go and try that on, and we’ll talk about the particulars.” Kate waved a hand toward the back of the shop. “Congratulations on your appointment to the mayor’s council.”
“Thank you.”
The man and woman disappeared into the dressing area.
“Well, go ahead. Admit it.”
Seth gave Kate a quick once-over. She stood at the register balancing the receipts against the cash in the drawer. She threw him an I-was-so-right-and-you-were-so-wrong-look out of the corner of her enchanting eyes. “Admit what?”
Kate laughed, a feminine, all-woman sound.
God, he wanted to touch her. Badly. He shoved his hands into his pockets to keep from reaching for her.
“You thought all of my clientele were a bunch of new-age women with only sex on their minds and not a single brain cell in their heads.” Her tone was emphatic.
That’s exactly what he thought, but he hated to admit he was wrong. “I’m a professional and a scientist. As such, I am willing to concede certain facts.”
She inclined her head, looked him dead in the eye, and gave him a billion mega-watt smile. What a turn-on. “You were wrong. Admit it. Why is that so hard for you?”
Because he spent his life dissecting the facts. He left no stone unturned, he was a good and thorough researcher, but in one afternoon, Kate and her customers had thrown a major wrench in his theory. Suck it up, Fallon. “Okay, I admit I was very surprised to find that most of your patrons are professional women with discriminating tastes who have more on their mind than just having a good time in the bedroom.”
“And?”
Seth clenched his jaw together tightly. “You just love seeing me eat crow, don’t you?”
She smiled.
Seth rolled his eyes. “Okay. Even an intelligent woman fits good sex into her life to balance out her professional side.”
Kate licked the tip of her finger and drew an invisible line through the air. “Chalk one up for the home team.”
He watched Kate stuff the wad of cash into a deposit bag fo
r the bank, close it securely, and lay the bag by the cash register. “Come in the back with me. I have something to show you.”
Something to show him? Oh God.
Seth watched her hips rock from side to side, as she strolled to the back. Her hair lay like black silk around her shoulders. Mile-long legs tempted him. He needed to get out of here. Fast. “Can it wait? I’d like to take a walk. Get some air.”
She stopped in mid-stride, turned her head, and looked at him with suspicion over her shoulder. “No, this can’t wait. We have experiments to conduct, research to wade through. After all, we only have a few more days to finish.”
That’s what he was afraid of. All those experiments and research. God help him.
Kate located a large pasteboard box that had arrived in the mail earlier that day from her sub-contractor in the small storage room. She opened the box, pushed aside some tissue paper, and removed something flimsy and see-through. She held the garments up against her body. “This is one of my latest creations. It’s a flyaway babydoll with a satin tie closure and matching bikini panties with side ties. It’s daring, provocative and the perfect subject for a more involved experiment. Besides, it will prepare us for tonight.”
Prepare? Tonight? Damn, he’d forgotten about tonight. The movie. One bed. Focus. You’re a scientist. You do experiments all the time.
He hoped to God she only touched him for a minute.
Kate slung the garment over her shoulder and stepped behind a rack of clothing. She slipped off her shoes to reveal a pair of very feminine feet with toenails painted a delicate pink. They were connected to shapely calves and toned thighs. She pulled her dress over her head and tossed it on top of the rack. Then her bra and panties followed. Bare shoulders and the slopes of her breasts gleamed in the overhead light. Before he could get his mind around the fact that she was naked and only a few feet away from him, she donned the lingerie and stepped from behind the rack.
Seductive Reasoning Page 6