Women never looked beyond his façade to his intellect beneath. They never had much interest in his brain, only his body. Kate had backed him into a corner. So far, he’d been wrong twice. Well, now was his chance to be right. He wouldn’t let her win another round today.
Without saying a word, Seth sauntered to the bed and slipped beneath the sheets. Her scent filled his head. Her sighs, her breaths resounded in his ears, reverberated through his mind. He felt her move nearer to him. What if she’d taken off her gown when she’d tucked herself under the sheets? What if she was completely nude? What then? What chance would he have to resist her?
Seth shifted quickly to his side and scooted to the edge of the bed as far as he could go. He couldn’t touch her again. If he did, he would kiss her again, and if he kissed her while they were in bed, he wouldn’t stop until he buried himself inside her.
She moved closer and closer, her body heat caressing his back, his legs, his neck, the base of his spine, his buttocks. Sensuously, she fit her body to his like a soft spoon and snuggled in.
Thank God. She still wore a nightgown. What about panties? No, he wouldn’t think about that. He wouldn’t think about the fact that the only barrier between them was his shorts and a scrap of lace.
He exhaled a deep breath and felt a thread of tension ease deep in his soul. Here, right now, he didn’t have to be structured; he didn’t have to think about his project or the flaws in his intellect. He could allow the inhibitions inside him to relax.
Why did Kate’s touch make him believe it was okay for her to prod the soft, vulnerable places inside him? Why Kate, when no other woman ever had? One arm wrapped around his waist and the other rested over the top of his head. “Kate, what are you doing?”
“Getting closer.”
“Why?”
“This is the other experiment I told you about.”
“I never agreed to this. I only agreed to sleep in the same bed with you.”
There was silence for a moment. “I’m cold.”
“Put another blanket on the bed.”
He heard her soft chuckle and it nearly undid him. She moved her head closer to his and rested her face against his neck. Her breath wafted over his ear and onto his skin. The scent of her, the smell of woman surrounded him.
“A blanket won’t yield the same result. We’re not conducting experiments on blankets and their effectiveness at chasing away the cold. This experiment is about two people. Shared bodily warmth. This is about a man and woman and how they respond to each other. What is your response so far?”
He was hard as a rock. That was his response. “You first.”
“Okay. Let’s see. I feel every inch of you against my body. You radiate heat. Being in bed with you is like sleeping with a heater. I find it impossible to be cold when we’re like this. You smell incredible. You turn me on. I want to touch you all over. But more than that, I like you. I want to spend more time with you. Now your turn. What do you feel?”
“I feel you against me.”
“And? Go on.”
“You’re touchable and soft.”
“Come on, Seth, you can do better than that.”
Oh, he could do better all right. He could do a lot better. “I feel various parts of your body against mine.”
“Which parts?”
She wanted him to describe them to her? “Well, your legs, your arms, your chest and ... and your skin.”
She sighed, but it wasn’t a sigh of contentment, more like a sigh of frustration. “Okay, not bad. We can record our responses in the morning.”
Seth felt weak with relief. Thank God, the experiment was over, and she would slip back to her side of the bed and leave him the hell alone before he did something he would regret. Only she didn’t move. Stealthily, her hand moved lower and lower from his chest over his belly. Her fingers slipped beneath the waistband of his shorts.
He caught her hand and moved it away from the direction she was headed. He made sure his grip wasn’t hard or forceful, but gentle and brooked no opposition. She lay there with the front of her body plastered to the back of his, and he knew he couldn’t close his eyes and go to sleep.
His heart pounded, his pulse leaped sporadically through his veins. He wanted her to hold him once more, to kiss him, to make him feel that he mattered. Not his looks, but who he was inside. He knew this was an odd way of going about it, but he just couldn’t turn over and go to sleep without anything more happening between them.
Gently, he turned her face toward his. She rolled to her back and looked up at him. Her eyes glowed in the diaphanous moonlight that spread glistening fingers over the bed. Desire burned deeply in their depths. “Would you kiss me good night?” Her softly whispered words nearly undid him.
He wanted to. Badly. “That’s not a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“You know why. I almost lost control earlier.”
Control. They both wanted control and they both wanted to win, only there could only be one winner in the end, and he intended for it to be him. She laid her head on the pillow beside his head and gazed with longing into his eyes. “I promise to be a good girl. All I want is a kiss. Nothing more. Tonight anyway.”
Why not give her one kiss? Then they could both roll over and go to sleep. This was an experiment after all. He had something to prove. He needed her to see that there was more to a relationship than just the physical. He would hold back, he was certain he could do it. He needed Kate to see him beyond the physical. He wanted to show her his mind. “One kiss. Then you promise to leave me alone and go to sleep?”
“Yes.”
He moved closer and propped himself up on one elbow so that he towered over her. His body blocked the moonlight until all he could see was her. Her heat, her scent engulfed him. She pushed her leg between his, and he knew she felt his erection hard against her thigh.
Slowly, inexorably, he lowered his head and laid his mouth over hers. He let it rest there for a moment then began to draw away gradually, but she pulled him back.
Kate nipped at his mouth and he nipped back. She tongued his lips and he tongued hers. She parted her lips and opened her mouth for him. He accepted the invitation and pushed his tongue between her lips. She opened wider for him accepting the thrust of his tongue. Despite his vow to curb his response to her, he felt his restraint glide out of control.
Her scent, the silkiness of her mouth, made his kiss grow more ravenous, hotter, until his body rested fully over hers and pushed her into the mattress. Seth feasted on her mouth, even as being in her arms stroked the tension and resistance from his body and soul. It would be so easy now to just take her in one hard thrust and be done with it.
He slid his mouth from hers and rained open-mouthed kisses on the side of her neck. She moved her head to give him better access as he kissed his way down her neck. Desperate to taste more of her, to feel more of her, he brushed the strap of her nightgown aside and bared her breasts. The heat from their bodies meshed and surrounded them in a sensual aura. Her nipples puckered, her breasts swelled. He had to have more to still the restless need inside him, to cure himself once and for all.
“Please. Please touch me.” She grabbed at her gown and tried to pull the garment over her head. The sound of her pleading voice snatched him back to reality. What was he doing? Everything he’d worked for was about to go up in a haze of lust.
Seth tore his mouth away from hers and rose quickly from the bed. Cool air wafted over his heated skin making goose bumps rise. He felt cold and he felt alone. Kate sat up in bed and shoved the hair from her face. He walked to the window and rested his hands on either side of the frame.
“Why did you stop?”
He swung his head around and looked at her, his gaze raking over her quickly. Then he turned his face back to the window. He saw her reflection in the window with the moonlight spilling over it but he couldn’t read her expression, her emotions.
“I remembered something.”
; She reached over and turned the switch on the lamp. Light flooded the room. “What?”
“The wager. The money. I intend to win, Kate. Period. I won’t let you or anything else stand in my way.”
He watched hurt flash into her eyes and wipe the flush of passion from her face. Something ripped inside his gut. He wasn’t here to hurt her, he was here to win. She was here for the same reason. Wasn’t she? Then how was it possible for him to hurt her? They were both using each other as a means to an end. When the week was over, they would part friends and go their separate ways.
The bewitching glint and promise of seduction filled her eyes once again, but failed to conceal the hurt he’d seen. “Neither will I. I’m going to win, no matter how much you try to resist.”
With those last words, Kate rolled to her side and showed him her back. Seth’s body still hummed with arousal, but at the same time a deep sadness, an emotion he couldn’t explain, welled inside him. He stared into the dark night and knew that his deepest wish was to have a woman hold him, cuddle him and make him feel safe. Not physically, but emotionally.
By the time Seth came to bed, his nerves were fried and the throb of his painful arousal had yet to lessen its grip on him. He walked to the side of the bed and gazed down at Kate sleeping. She looked like an angel. She was an angel and a seductress all wrapped up into one gorgeous package. He raked a hand through his hair. How the hell was he going to survive this week? This was only their first night, and he’d nearly made love to her. God knows he’d wanted to.
Seth turned off the light, slipped into the bed and pulled the covers up to mid chest. He put one arm behind his head, exhaled a deep breath, and stared at the dark ceiling. Kate shifted under the covers and the next thing he knew one of her arms wrapped around his waist. She nestled her head on his shoulder, tangled one of her legs with his and then exhaled a deep sigh of contentment. Just like a cat that had its fill of cream.
Deep down inside, Seth knew he wanted to seduce Kate rather than allowing her to seduce him. He wanted to see the surprise on her face and in her eyes when he made the first move. He wanted to make her gasp and moan with pleasure.
Unable to stop himself, he folded his right arm around her and hugged her closer to his side. He’d grown up concentrating on school and learning as much as he could. Since becoming an adult, he’d kept a firm hold on his baser instincts. That didn’t mean he never had sex, he did. But how could one woman make him want to throw away all his inhibitions and just go for it? No holds barred, down and dirty sex.
If he allowed himself to let go, she could hurt him. Badly. Science was matter of fact. Sex and relationships were emotional.
When he woke the next morning, he was alone in the bed with Kate’s scent lingering in the air.
Seth knew the instant she walked into the room. He stood by the sink and looked through the window at the bright, spring day. He held a cup of coffee in his hand and sipped.
“Good morning.”
Leisurely, he turned around, hoping like hell she was dressed in something that covered her from neck to toes. He nearly wept with relief. She stood in the doorway perfectly groomed and dressed in a long flowing dress with a simple scoop neck and short sleeves. On her feet were sneakers and socks. She strolled to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup. “Thanks for making coffee.”
“Sure.”
She moved up behind him, rested a hand on his shoulder, and sipped her coffee. He shifted away from her and her touch. If he didn’t, he would take her in his arms and give her one hell of a good morning kiss. Kate was getting to him, lustfully by degrees, and he couldn’t let her. Last night, he’d almost made love to her.
“We need to talk.” But not here. He needed to get out of this house and go back to his academic world for a while. “I need to pick up some papers I forgot at my office.” There were no papers waiting for him at his office, but she didn’t need to know that. “Want to ride with me?”
“Okay.”
In a few minutes, they were in his truck winding their way through tree-lined streets to Denver University. Kate rolled down the window, and a lively, spring breeze blew inside the cab of the vehicle. The wind ruffled her hair and wafted her distinct fragrance past his nose. He inhaled in spite of himself. Seth glanced at her briefly, letting his gaze run over her. How was it possible for a woman to look that sexy in a simple cotton dress and sneakers? This whole thing had to be over soon, or they would both be in big trouble.
Seth pulled the truck into a parking space reserved for him, and they walked inside the school together. The brightly lit hallway with its smell of wood, books, and paper made him smile. God, it was good to be back. He needed this. He needed some perspective. It would be even more perfect if he were alone, he thought, but then he changed his mind. It was better that Kate was here with him. This was a great opportunity for him to show her how different they were and how she was never going to be able to make him give it all up for a simple seduction.
Only the seduction was anything but simple. The whole thing was getting more complicated by the minute. It was time they laid all their cards on the table and took a hard look at each of their positions.
When they arrived at his office door, Seth inserted the key and turned the knob. The office was just as he had left it on Friday, except that his in box was full of student papers. Work. Yes, he needed work to keep him busy. He smiled. He’d been saved. Being back here in his own environment was just what he needed. Kate moved up behind him, then over to the Orrery by his desk. She gave it a nudge with her finger and sent the planets spinning.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Thanks.” Seth stepped behind his desk. “My parents gave it to me for a graduation gift.”
“Nice gift.”
She moved away, but not before he caught the flash of emotion in her eyes. There it was again. That undefined feeling. Why would talking about a gift make her look sad?
She stood before the wall of bookcases, tilted her head to the side, and read the titles of some of the notebooks that were on the shelves. “Wow, you’ve done a lot of research, haven’t you?”
“Yeah.” His tone sounded preoccupied as he sorted through the student’s papers. “I’ve worked on this project for years.”
She turned and looked at him. Sunlight streamed around her and dust danced in the air. “What are you saying?”
He leaned back in his chair and looked at her, comfortable once again in his world and his surroundings. Now he could look at her as a teacher to a student. Here was his opportunity to make her see things from his side. Though she still looked like a sexy, adorable angel standing in front of him.
Focus. Concentrate on the subject and the ideas you want to get across. “My research means everything to me. The only reason we’re together is because of the money. Please understand that I don’t want my efforts to go to waste because I feel I have something to prove. I want my colleagues and the scientific community in general to recognize my accomplishments. In order to do that I need to keep up my momentum and see this through to the end.” He gestured toward the bookcases. “That’s what this is all about, Kate.”
She strolled to a chair in front of his desk but didn’t sit down. “You said earlier that we needed to talk. What did you want to talk about?”
Good. They were focusing and concentrating. Now they could get past all the desires and the hard, driving lust that stood between them and pay attention to their goals. “Kate, you have too much of an advantage over me. Last night proved it.”
She stared at him, her eyes bright green and full of innocence, as if she didn’t have a clue what he was talking about. “What do you mean?”
“I mean we’re staying at your place.”
“That was part of the wager. The audience voted on it.”
He didn’t give a hang about the audience. The only thing he cared about was winning the money, and he couldn’t do it if he continued to sleep in Kate’s bed. “That’s true. But in order
for our experiments to be more balanced, we need a change of venue.”
Kate sat down in a chair in front of his desk. “Change of venue. Did you have a place in mind?”
“Yes. My place.”
Kate laughed, a light tinkling sound that made him want to cuddle her in his lap and kiss her sweet mouth. “That figures.”
“What figures?”
She leaned forward until the front of her dress gapped slightly. Her clean white neck curved enticingly, making him want to slide his lips over her skin. “It figures that you are on the verge of losing the bet. You are obviously having a great deal of trouble resisting me, or you wouldn’t want to move to your place. Not to mention that it will be closer to your office and farther away from my house. That would have us spending too much time apart, don’t you think? How will we be able to conduct more experiments?”
He hadn’t thought of that. He needed to come up with a good argument and he needed it fast. “I’m resisting you just fine. Maybe you’re the problem and not me.”
She straightened, her back as rigid as a ruler. “What do you mean? I’m the one trying to seduce you.”
He smiled and leaned back in his chair, certain that he had her right where he wanted her. “Exactly. You’re afraid to go to my place because you might discover that I’m right.”
“Right about what?”
“Right about intelligence and a person’s mind being the most important thing. At any rate, we’ve given your apartment a fair shake. Now it’s time we moved to my place. It’s only fair. Don’t you think?”
She pursed her lips and a frown appeared on her forehead. He had a sudden almost irresistible urge to kiss her frown away.
A knock sounded on Seth’s office door. The door swung open, and Mark stuck his head in. His gaze immediately fixed on Kate. He shoved open the door and strode to her side. “You must be Kate.”
She turned in her chair, looked up at him, and held her hand out for a shake. Mark, being Mark, took her hand and pressed a kiss to the top. He lingered over it too damn long for Seth’s taste before he let go. When he finally did let go, he didn’t move from Kate’s side. He cocked a brow at Seth. “Well, I thought you two would be doing something interesting with ladies lingerie.” Mark wiggled his brows.
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