Seductive Reasoning

by Cheryl Gorman

  Would revealing her innermost wants make her vulnerable to him? Would being so open scare him off?

  Was she starting to fall in love with him?

  She’d never told anyone how she felt. Not even Aunt Pandora. She’d never told her aunt her deepest fear that she would end up like her parents. Still married after thirty-five years, but they lived without passion.

  They never raised their voices; they never showed their anger outwardly, but kept it inside. They chose a more civilized approach. She didn’t want to end up like them. She wanted to never be afraid to let out her true feelings.

  Now was her chance.

  If she lied to Seth, he would give her another dare, and it could be a dare that she not touch him again for the rest of the week. That was something she definitely couldn’t afford. Not because of the bet, but because she wouldn’t be able to have Seth so close and not be able to touch him.

  Time for honesty.

  She wanted Seth to know more about her than that she wanted badly to seduce him and she wanted to win a bet. Just say it. “I want to feel good about myself and have my family accept me for who I am, not who they want me to be.”

  He gaped at her. Compassion burned in his gaze. Seth reached out a hand and caressed the side of her face. He rubbed the pad of his thumb against her cheek.

  Something intangible passed between them, as if two kindred spirits had found one another. But Seth couldn’t possibly understand how she felt. He was a hotshot professor with a high I.Q. She sold lingerie. “Is that the reason you accepted the challenge?”

  She turned her gaze away from him, unable to look at his gorgeous face another minute. Afraid that he saw what she felt inside.

  Seth touched her jaw with the tip of his finger and turned her face toward him. “Look at me.”

  Slowly, she raised her gaze until once again she stared into his eyes. It was as if he saw everything. Every part of her--even her soul. “Do you think that if you win this challenge you’ll finally be accepted by your family? Is that it?”

  She could only nod. He started to shift toward her as if he might take her in his arms, hold her, kiss her, and chase away all her worries and fears. But before he got close, he stopped.

  To hide her disappointment from him, Kate set the swing in motion and smiled. “It’s my turn. What do you want most deep inside your heart?”

  He was silent so long, she thought he might not answer her, but just continue to sit there or get up and walk away. If he walked away, she couldn’t bear it.

  “If I tell you, you might use it against me.”

  Intriguing. “Let me see if I can guess.” She gazed into his eyes. She saw desire, and a need so sharp it nearly took her breath. “You want to let go.”

  He jerked his face away from her. “No, that’s not it.”

  She wanted to hold him, to simply hold him and not try to make him feel anything, but her chance at winning loomed over the rest of the week. One of them had to win. Why shouldn’t it be her? Besides, once this week was over, he would walk away from her without looking back. She wouldn’t let her compassion for Seth stand in her way of twenty-five grand and the chance to make a name for herself, the chance to have her family finally notice her.

  “It’s time for another experiment. The chart is taking shape, the graphs are filling up. On Thursday, the couple we chose should have their own results ready to add.”

  Slowly, Kate unbuttoned the front of her dress.

  Seth’s eyes grew dark with panic and arousal, but he held himself rigid on the swing with his hands at his sides. When she’d released the last button just under her breasts, she unhooked the front clasp on her bra. Her breasts sprang free.

  A cool breeze swept over her skin puckering the nipples. His gaze strayed to her chest and lingered. He wanted her. And God knows she wanted his mouth on her. She lifted his hand and placed his palm on her breast. His palm felt slightly rough, and absolutely delicious.

  She watched his jaw clench tightly as he tried not to feel anything, not to stroke her. Not to let go and do what she knew he really wanted. How sweet it would be for him to let go now, tonight, and make love to her here in her back yard.

  His breathing grew faster, harsher but he held himself in check. Finally, Kate decided to put him out of his misery and drew back. “Nice try.” Without fastening her clothing, she rose up on her knees and straddled Seth on the swing.

  His blue eyes widened, and his lips parted in surprise. “What are you doing?”

  “Experimenting.”

  She leaned forward and rubbed her breasts against his chest, and then tilted her head and kissed him on the side of his neck. His skin felt incredible against her lips, and he smelled of a combination of light sweat and aftershave. She inhaled deeply, taking his scent into her lungs, into her skin. She nipped his ear with her teeth, then soothed the nip with her tongue. She heard him gasp, but still he didn’t let go.

  His body felt rigid beneath her fingers, the muscles bunched as her hands roamed his chest. He might try to act as if he was unaffected, but she knew differently. What would it take to make his control snap?

  Kate spread open-mouthed kisses over his neck. She laved his skin with her tongue, slid her mouth down to his shoulder to the base of his throat where she dipped her tongue into the hollow.

  She skimmed his neck and kissed him under his chin, over his face, his eyelids until finally she came to his beautiful mouth.

  Kate stroked his lips, first with her fingers, then with her mouth. She let her breath blow over his lips, nipped lightly with her teeth, and then soothed the nip with a soft stroke of her tongue. She suckled his upper lip into her mouth followed by his lower lip, laving them with her tongue, teasing the corners of his mouth.

  Kate slipped her hand inside his shirt and rubbed her thumb over one of his nipples. The tip grew rigid and pushed against the pad of her thumb. She smiled secretly at the knowledge that she was getting to him.

  Slowly, she slipped her tongue between his lips and coaxed his mouth open. She swept her tongue inside, over his tongue and the roof of his mouth, tasting, caressing.

  In a heartbeat, one arm snaked like a band of steel around her waist and the other under her buttocks. He pushed her down onto the cushioned seat of the swing and pinned her with his body.

  Yes, yes, yes, her mind screamed.

  Finally, he was going to take her. He would make love to her. She wouldn’t have to wait any longer.

  Seth pushed one leg between her own, nudging her legs apart. With his free hand, he gripped the hem of her dress and shoved the garment upward until it bunched at her waist.

  With a movement of his hips, he prodded the apex between her thighs with the hard arousal that threatened to burst from his jeans. His hand pushed the unbuttoned portion of her dress aside and lifted her breast. Only he didn’t take her breast in his mouth. Instead, he plundered her mouth in a hungry, desperate kiss that seemed to go on for hours, a kiss that swept the air from her lungs.

  The blood roared in her ears, her breasts grew heavy with need. She writhed beneath him unable to voice her desires, how much she wanted his tongue on her. Her core grew heavy. If only he would take her. Take her now. She gripped the side of his head. “Seth, please. Now.”

  And yet he kissed her and wouldn’t stop. His hand groped open her dress and found her other breast where he gave it the attention she desperately wanted.

  He held her breast and manipulated the nipple until it stood hard and erect. He tore his mouth away from hers and finally, blessedly, clamped his hot, wet mouth on her breast.

  She arched against the onslaught of sensations that buffeted her with sensual need. She rode the current as his tongue played wicked games with her breast. Her nerve endings sparked, and need careened through her body.

  This is what she had wanted and needed ever since the moment she’d met him. She started to pull her dress over her head when she heard a very familiar voice.

  “Kate, darling. Are
you out here?”

  They both froze. Seth jerked his mouth from her breast. He lay fully on top of her with his head between her breasts. He sat up, a startled look on his face. His hair was mussed, his lips swollen from her kisses. His shirt was askew, his trousers wrinkled, and he was impossibly aroused. He stood up quickly.

  “Who is that?” he whispered, his voice still harsh with desire.

  Kate straightened on the bench and pulled her dress back down. She buttoned up the front of her dress, then realized that she’d forgotten to hook her bra. Her breasts still hung free, swollen and aroused from Seth’s mouth. There was nothing she could do now. Aunt Pandora’s steps sounded over the stone pathway in the early twilight.

  “Well, there you are.”

  Kate smoothed a hand over her hair and tried to look innocent. She darted a glance at Seth and nearly smiled. He looked so adorable standing there mussed, frustrated, and embarrassed at nearly being caught making love. There was no doubt in her mind that if they hadn’t been interrupted they would be making love at this moment. She adored Aunt Pandora, but she couldn’t have shown up at a worst time. Kate rose from the swing and walked to her aunt. “Hi, when did you get back?”

  Aunt Pandora, being the sharp old broad that she was, studied Kate, then her gaze darted to Seth. She lifted a hand and fingered a button on the front of Kate’s dress. “Missed one.”

  Kate glanced down at the front placket of her dress and readjusted the buttons.

  Her aunt smiled and walked over to Seth. She held out her hand. “Hello, Dr. Fallon. I’m Kate’s aunt. Call me Pandora.”

  Seth stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Well, I won’t ask how the week is going. It seems to be going like gangbusters.” She looked at Seth. “Dr. Fallon, you must know I want my Katydid to win. So I won’t mince words, be polite, and wish you luck. I don’t wish you luck with the bet, but I do wish you luck with Kate.”

  Oh no. She was playing matchmaker again. “Aunt Pandora, please.”

  She waved a hand at Kate. “We all need to be honest here.” She turned to Seth. “I set Kate up in her business, but she has been the one to make a go of it. She needs that money. With another wad of cash, her designs will be in every department store in America. My Katydid will be a household name. I want that more than anything, but I also want her to be happy. Come stand together you two.” She motioned with her hand. “I’m sorry I interrupted.” Kate heard Seth groan. “Please don’t be embarrassed, Dr. Fallon. Nothing could be more natural between a man and a woman than good old-fashioned sex.”

  “Uh, Miss uh, Pandora, we weren’t--”

  Aunt Pandora laughed, a thick, husky sound. “Of course you were.”

  Seth scooted around her aunt. “Excuse me,” he mumbled over his shoulder, making a beeline for the house as if the hounds of hell were on his heels.

  Pandora held her hands out, palms up. “Did I say something wrong? He is a bit squeamish, isn’t he? But I like him, Katydid. He’s quite different from the other men that have come in and out of your life. Not to mention gorgeous. He could tempt a nun.”

  Kate remembered what she’d said about finding a man who would ring her chimes and capture her heart. She wondered if Seth were that man, or if her feelings were just wishful thinking.

  “You were worried about the right tools not working for you. I think you can put that particular worry to rest. From what I just saw, Dr. Fallon doesn’t have the least bit of problem with your tools--or his, for that matter.”

  Kate smoothed down the front of her dress and shook her head. Her Aunt stopped shocking her years ago. She was used to Pandora’s blunt perspective on life, her way of saying things and putting her thoughts on the table for the entire world to see. “Dr. Fallon is here for the money and so am I. What you saw tonight was my attempt to win the bet. Nothing more. Dr. Fallon isn’t interested in me as a woman. I’m a means to an end.”

  Aunt Pandora walked forward and lightly grasped her chin. “Darling, I have a feeling there is more to Dr. Seth Fallon than just an ambition to win a bet. He wasn’t looking at you as if you were just a means to an end. The man was hot and bothered. As much as I’m glad he’s in your life right now, be careful. I don’t want to see you get hurt. Because if your Dr. Fallon hurts you, I’ll have to kill him.”

  Chapter Seven

  Kate settled in a seat at the front of Seth’s classroom and studied the people who came through the door.

  There were several men but the majority were women. No surprise there.

  The man attracted them just by his sheer presence. Kate smiled smugly to herself. Little did they know she slept with him every night. Granted, they had not made love, but she still was able to cuddle up next to him. Feel his body, listen to his breathing and smell him.

  Last night, he’d slid over to his side of the bed in an effort to avoid touching her. She’d tried to talk to him about what had happened in the back yard. To her surprise, he’d rolled over, and kissed her lightly on the mouth without saying a word. Then he’d gone to sleep.

  The desks fanned out in the room in a kind of semicircular pattern. There was an overhead projector and a large screen behind Seth’s desk. The people filled nearly every seat.

  Sunlight streamed in through the large windows, settling into several golden puddles on the wood floor. Kate crossed her legs, dug a pad and pen from her purse, and prepared to take notes. Why did she feel uncomfortable? Why did she feel as if every eye was on her? Because they weren’t. Every female head faced front and center to watch Seth prepare for his lecture. As far as the men were concerned, she had seen a few of them glance her way, but that didn’t mean anything.

  She hadn’t known until this morning that he had a special lecture scheduled. This was not designed specifically for students, but for the general public. The women attending the lecture had seen him on the show, no doubt. They ranged in age from about eighteen to eighty. Most of the men were young, in their late teens or early twenties, probably university students.

  Seth’s academic world was so completely different from the path she had chosen. But she was used to being different. Kate sighed. One thing for certain, she had no doubt her parents would approve of Seth. But she wasn’t here to please her parents or Seth. She was here to please herself--and to find a key to unlocking the secrets of Seth Fallon.

  Focus on the stakes.

  The room smelled of wood, paper, and knowledge. Kate had sat in the very front on purpose. She looked at Seth and discovered that he had his gaze on her. An expression of annoyance mixed with self-confidence blanketed his face. He’d certainly protested enough about her being here this morning, but she’d been determined. She had the chance to score some points, and she wasn’t about to pass it up.

  He glanced around at the people who crowded into the room jostling for a seat, then brought his gaze back to her. He looked very professional in his white knit shirt with khaki slacks and loafers. He reached up and adjusted the wire-framed glasses on his nose, and her toes curled in her shoes. Whenever he did that, she had an urge to wrap her arms and legs around him.

  She nodded at him. One corner of his sexy mouth kicked up slightly in a smile meant only for her. Her pulse rate shot up. His eyes were compelling and full of the knowledge of what they had shared. The touches, the kisses, the hot groping of hands and lips. A yearning for fullfillment suffused her breasts and pooled between her thighs.

  Seth moved to the front of his desk, leaned against it, and rested his hands along the edge. “Good afternoon. Thank you for coming.”

  The audience clapped wildly. Seth looked embarrassed at their display. He cleared his throat and continued. “Today I’ll be talking about the solar system in general and discuss some of the components that make up our solar system. Feel free to ask questions.”

  A woman next to Kate raised her hand. “Dr. Fallon, I was wondering how your week with Ms. Summers is going? Can you give us a hint as to who might be the winner?”


  A ripple of laughter floated through the room. Kate sat up straight in her seat. Here was a golden opportunity for her to drive her point home.

  “The week is going fine, but we’re here to talk about astronomy.”

  “But Dr. Fallon,” Kate captured his attention, “I think her question is a valid one.” She turned to the woman and smiled. “I’ll be happy to discuss it with you after the lecture over coffee if you’d like.”

  The woman beamed. “Thank you. That would be great.”

  “Oh, you’re Kate Summers.” A woman seated on the other side of her touched her on the arm. “This is so exciting.” A murmur swept through the room, and voices repeated it’s Ms. Summers until they flowed together in one long whisper. Seth frowned at her, not at all pleased at her jumping in on the conversation.

  Seth walked to her seat, leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Don’t screw this up for me, Kate.”

  Seth’s softly spoken plea touched Kate deep inside her heart. Today was very important to Seth. If his lecture went as planned, it could mean a boost in the number of students choosing astronomy as their major field. Not to mention more money for the department and the university as a whole.

  How could she possibly ruin it for him when she could see how much astronomy meant to him? Kate nodded without saying a word. Seth looked at her with suspicion for a moment, and then turned back to the class.

  “Let’s start with the springtime sky and the constellations that are visible at this time of year. Can anyone name a few?”

  A man called out a couple of names.

  Kate raised her hand and saw Seth’s gaze dart to hers. His eyes flashed with annoyance, his lips were pursed and his hair a bit mussed from where he’d run his fingers through it. He’d never looked sexier.

  God, if they were alone...

  “Yes, Miss Summers?”

  Kate licked her lips and watched in satisfaction as Seth’s gaze flicked to her mouth and settled there for a moment. “Pisces, Taurus and Aries are also visible.”