A Taste of Temptation (Love Spectrum Romance)

by Alexis, Reneé

  With little enthusiasm, she walked towards Tim.

  Eric heard the exchange and smirked as Brandi walked away with the towels.

  The sight of Tim wet with everything sticking to him almost made her stomach churn. Dropping the towels into his arms and scurrying away was her only recourse. “Here. Dr. Moore told me to give you these before you die of pneumonia.”

  “They got me good this time, didn’t they?”

  “I guess.” Her eyes stared into the distance, never meeting his.

  His head tilted to the side, “What’s wrong today?”

  She hadn’t been short on purpose, but Eric always managed to bring out the worst in her. “Nothing.”

  She headed back, but he stopped her. “Someone’s got your dander up. Now what’s wrong?”

  Nothing could make her face him. Instead, she stared at the students running about. “Just a bad day, Dr. Polaris; I’m not feeling well.”

  He moved in closer to her, but not close enough to rouse suspicion. “You look wonderful, if you don’t mind me commenting.”

  “I do mind.”

  A compliment from him should have set her world on fire, but the last thing she needed to hear from him was how good she looked. “Thank you, Dr. Polaris, for the compliment. I should get back to the other side.”

  “Wait. Don’t let him get next to you like that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Eric Fontaine. I saw him over there.”

  She had to look at him. “What can I do? I certainly can’t date you, now can I?”

  He didn’t understand her shortness with him and wasn’t in the mood for it. “You’re right. You do need to go back to your station.”

  As she walked away she felt guilty about her behavior. Nothing was his fault, and she had taken it out on him. He was only trying to make her feel better, and she had rebuffed him. She threw her towel down and ran to the ladies room, practically in tears.

  The following Monday, there was no one in his room after class. No students stopping by to say hello, no women pretending to need help just to get close to him—and no Brandi. She had stayed clear of him, and he knew why.

  The letter he had received from the literature department at NYU inviting him to an interview dangled from Tim’s hand. He had liked their program, and taking the job would definitely free him to be with Brandi—if he could handle a relationship. But he didn’t want to leave, didn’t feel it was fair to himself to leave because of a woman. He had invested three years at that school and had loved every minute. No, he couldn’t leave Madison. His life was there. Getting Brandi out of his head would be dreadfully hard, but he could do it.

  He thought about Brandi nonstop, no matter how hard he fought against it. No matter how many times he paced the floor trying to find other things to think about, his mind always returned to her. Madison Tech and Brandi were double-teaming him; one he wanted to run from, the other he wanted to run to. His head began to ache, so he left without putting grades on the last batch of student papers.

  The cheerleaders were practicing in the gym. Brandi was one of them now that McKenzie Miller had transferred to Princeton. Their routine was almost perfect, and Brandi really added to the team due to her cheerleading experience in high school. The gym doors opened and Tim stepped inside. All eyes were on him, all except Brandi’s.

  He watched her routine. Her prowess was breathtaking, her technique flawless. All he could see was a blur of red and white tap panties fitting her like a glove, making him feel the pressure in his pants. He turned to leave, but everyone ran to him for his opinion on the outfits—except Brandi. Mrs. Washington clapped her hands. “Ladies, let the man breathe; he’s not a toy. Hit the showers.” She turned to him. “How are you today, Dr. Polaris?”

  “I’ve been better; just tired, Mrs. Washington.”

  “You saw part of the ladies’ routine. What do you think?”

  “It was excellent.”

  “They’ll be ready for the game by Thursday, Dr. Polaris.” She turned and saw Brandi walking back into the gym. “Miss Miles?”

  “I need to talk to Dr. Polaris.”

  He nodded, “It’s okay.”

  Both watched Mrs. Washington leave the room before facing one another. Brandi looked down at her red and white clad feet. “I’m so sorry about the other day. I was rude to you for no reason. Forgiven?”

  “I forgave you the second you said it.”

  “I appreciate that. It’s been really hard for me with Eric always in my face. Hiding how I feel about you is worse, though.”

  “It’ll work out, Brandi. Trust me.”

  “How? Everything seems so impossible.”

  “Right now, I can’t say how it will work itself out, but it will. I actually hadn’t planned to come in here today.”

  “Didn’t you want to see our routine?”

  No! “Sure, but I knew I would see it at the game. I couldn’t work because I was tired, but something is on my mind and I need to clear it with you.”

  “With me? Why?”

  “I was out of place complimenting you the other day. I was out of place to assume anything about Eric.”

  “You were right on target. Screw him. But why do you feel you were out of place complimenting me? I liked it, even if I neglected to tell you.”

  “You did everything right. You weren’t supposed to take kindly to me telling you how great you looked. I didn’t tell the other ladies how good they looked.”

  “Did I do something lately to make you feel bad about me, other than the car wash thing?”

  “Brandi, the point is that we are student and professor, and I feel that I’m crossing the line with you a lot.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He leaned against the bleachers, his head tilted back in frustration. “Look, all I’m saying is that we need to keep this professional. I’ve been getting a little too close, giving you extra notes when I haven’t given anyone else any, taking you home after Eric ditched you…”

  “Would you have left me in that restaurant?”

  “Of course not, but I should have let your father pick you up.”

  She dropped her pom-poms to the floor, staring at him as if he were crazy. “Tim, what’s going on with you?”

  “All I know is that sitting in that car with you the other day gave me ideas that I should not be having now that you’re my student. I know how we feel about one another, and it can’t work, Brandi. It can’t work for many reasons.”

  “Tim, I’m not trying to have another fling with you. I told you that wouldn’t happen.”

  “I know you did, but all I’m saying is that we really need to be more careful. Eric knows that I didn’t leave you in that restaurant. Who knows what he might be saying to everyone.”

  “He hasn’t said anything, Tim.”

  “That’s another thing, maybe it’s not a good idea to call me that.”

  “I can’t call you by your name now?”

  “It could make our relationship harder to let go if we’re personal with one another.”

  “You can’t be serious! No one’s here; no one can hear us.”

  “We don’t know that, and I think I need to go back to calling you Miss Miles.”

  “Miss Miles? Is it like that now?”

  “It has to be.”

  “I don’t believe this. I’m acting as professional as I can around you, and it still is not working for you.”

  “It’s just that I’m scared. I love my job here. I can’t see myself without this job. I’ve worked too hard to lose it now.”

  “I would not be the reason for you losing your job, Tim, sorry, Dr. Polaris. I want my scholarship as badly as you want this job. Why would I jeopardize anything?”

  “All I’m saying is that we should not be seen together other than for tutoring.”

  “Then what about the seminar this weekend? Is that off, too? I would hate to know that I took this weekend off from the bookstore for nothing. Besides, n
ow that I know about it, I really want to go and hear those lectures.”

  “No, that’s still on. I said I will.”

  “I can take myself up there. My car is not working well, but I can chance it.”

  “No, I won’t go back on my word. Besides, you need to hear the lectures. I’m the reason you know about them, anyway.”

  Her eyes gazed into his with disbelief. “How can I not call you Tim when I’m so used to it?”

  He wiped the perspiration off his forehead. “Fine, call me Tim, but don’t ever slip in front of anyone, especially Eric. That’s all the fuel he needs.”

  “Don’t be afraid of Eric.”

  “I’m not scared of him! It’s…it’s just that he could cause trouble and you know it.”

  “It won’t be a first for him.”

  “I know that.”

  Suddenly her body felt so tired, doing something as simple as retrieving the pom-poms at her feet was an effort. This was all too much for Tim to put on her, though she believed she knew his reasons. Her little display in front of him with the towels drew a few looks, namely, Dr. Moore, though she hoped he had been looking in their direction for other reasons. Yes, she knew Tim was scared, and with good cause. She had to respect how he felt and watch her own butt around him.

  “I guess that’s that, isn’t it?”

  “I don’t mean to hurt you, Miss Mi…”

  “You can call me Brandi. No one is here, Tim, and I know you don’t mean to hurt me. I didn’t realize things were getting so out of sorts with you. I didn’t realize I had left such an impression that you have to get over me. I know how I feel about you, and I’m always out of sorts. I’m getting used to it.”

  “I’m sorry about all this. I need to keep myself out of clubs in Manhattan.”

  “If that’s how you feel.” She retrieved the pom-poms. “Are we still meeting in the student parking lot?”

  “Just as planned. By the way, the outfits are outstanding.”

  “Enough to wow the other team?”

  “That’s an understatement.”

  “Careful about those compliments. They can cause trouble.” She smiled a bashful smile and headed for the showers.

  CHAPTER 6

  The double black Durango pulled up in front of the house, and Brandi wanted to get out of there before her father woke. She didn’t need to hear her father’s mouth about why she was going up there with her professor. Dad hasn’t gotten the fuel injectors fixed on my car yet, so what can I do other than ride with Tim? Does he want me to walk to White Plains? It would be hard enough dealing with a man she was attracted to who wanted nothing to do with her, but also to hear flak about it? She wasn’t in the mood for it.

  The minute she saw him she remembered the nightmare she had had: Tim was making love to her, then he pulled the mask from his face, revealing Eric’s nasty, snarling persona. The nightmare awakened her at 3:00 in the morning and she had not been able to get back to sleep. No matter what, she had to put on a nice face and be civil to Tim. Her life and her feelings about him weren’t his fault, but she still wanted him as she had never wanted any man before him.

  She slid into the passenger side. “Good morning, Tim. How are you?”

  “Sleepy as hell, but I’m looking forward to hearing lectures on the greats of literature. I hope you are, too.”

  “I am. I didn’t sleep well, but I had better wake up because my next paper is on someone from 17th century lit. Remember?”

  “I do. Which author are you doing?”

  “Maybe Samuel Sewall. I read ‘The Selling of Joseph’ in high school.”

  “Did you like it?”

  “Very much. I should read it again, become more familiar with it.”

  “Good idea. By the way, which high school did you attend?”

  “Brooklyn High.”

  “Good school, great drama and literature department. I did a seminar there for the twelfth graders about a year ago. I just wish more people were familiar with the arts, to know and explore people like Fitzgerald, Rowlandson, Countee Cullen, and other great figures of literature. There’s so much to tempt the minds of young people these days. A lot of it is all the wrong stuff.”

  “Like what?” Brandi inquired.

  A sly smile came to Tim’s face. “Like gangster rap.”

  Brandi smirked at his statement. “Yeah, like you’d know about that.”

  “I’ve heard rap before, Brandi.”

  “Do you own any?”

  “No. I don’t like it well enough to buy any.”

  She yawned, and leaned back in the seat. “I’m sure you know about Sinatra, Manilow, soothing, something you can’t get up and do the Hustle to.”

  “Fine, make fun of me, but it’s actually about time I did settle down to something smooth and relaxing.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I was wild for a long time, doing what I wanted, when I wanted to. I’m still that way, but counseling toned me down. I was really something.”

  “I can believe that, Tim. You’re still something, but in good ways.” She kept looking at him, wondering whether or not to ask why he had been in counseling. Her ambition to know any and everything about Timothy Polaris beckoned her. “Why did you have to go to counseling?”

  “Well, the fact of the matter is that I didn’t have a nifty childhood. My parents were people who shouldn’t have been parents. They didn’t take their job seriously and because of that, I stayed in trouble, fights in school, etc. Finally, I got help from Dr. Hammond. I still see her at times, just to talk over things.”

  “I’m sorry about what happened to you.”

  “Me, too.”

  “Still, it’s kind of sexy being with a man who was and still is a rebel.”

  “That’s a part of my life I don’t want to revisit. However, I can wow you with some smooth jazz.”

  “No thanks. I have my guys and you have yours.” Brandi pillaged through her CD case, found Outkast and put her headset on.

  Tim slipped a Sarah Vaughn CD into the changer and relaxed as he drove.

  * * *

  They both wanted to hear the lecture on Mark Twain, one that Tim didn’t know would be offered. When he looked back down at his program, he noticed there would be selected seminars on 19th and 20th century authors. Those were the ones they went to first. They sat in the overly crowded lecture hall. Tim lowered his voice. “I know everyone has read Huck Finn, but what other works of his do you like?”

  “Everything he wrote, but I hate doing papers on anyone. Maybe I can do my paper after the mid term on Twain. We should be getting into the 19th century soon right?”

  “The midterm is in three weeks, and the paper is due almost two weeks after. And yes, Twain would be good. So would, Melville, Poe, Walt Whitman, Thoreau, Dickinson. You have a large choice this time as compared to the 16th and 17th centuries. Besides, I have notes on those authors that you can use.”

  “You would let me use those?’

  “Sure. I have helped you before, why not now?

  As Brandi turned her attention to the speaker, Tim wouldn’t help but stare at her a moment longer. She simply took him away with her beauty and intelligence, something he was so turned on about.

  Brandi turned and saw him in dreamland and pulled his ear. “What were you daydreaming about? Or was I boring you to tears?”

  “Hardly that; I was thinking about how glad I am that I brought you up here.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ve opened up a new world to you. I think you have a better appreciation for literature than you had.”

  “Yes, but more to the point, I need the A.”

  “That’s all?”

  “I do appreciate your helping me, and who better than someone who’s won literary awards? And true, I do have a greater appreciation for literature, more than I thought. I am a literary science major and this is helping, but this is a grade to me as well.” She knew why Tim was staring into her eyes. There was no doubt
that their attraction had lasted way past The Entrapment, despite how he carried on the other day about the risks of them being together. Running into bathrooms and crying her eyes out because he was making mind moves on her was unnerving. He was the kind of man who made her wonder which she wanted more: a man who could love her endlessly, or a career that would guarantee financial independence? Tim could give her both, but not while at Madison. Thoughts of NYU crossed her mind.

  She came back to earth. “I think I’ll do something on Poe. I love his ‘Fall of the House of Usher.’”

  “It is a good one. Do you want to stay for the other lectures or take off in a couple of hours?”

  “Stay for a while. I really like the authors they’re showcasing.”

  “If you like, and we could grab something to eat in between.”

  Two more hours of seeing Tim in that white buttoned-down shirt with the first three buttons undone. She didn’t know if she could do it. His tight jeans weren’t of any help, either. She remembered his power between her thighs, inside of her body, moving through her like a raging river. He was awesome, more so than any man she had ever known. She loved and hated being with him, but the lectures were important to her GPA. “Let’s hear the rest of the lectures, grab a quick bite after a while, then go home. I have a lot of work to do. Is that okay with you?”

  “Sure.”

  Tim could barely keep his eyes off Brandi. She was the only woman he had wanted to be with on an intimate level and that bothered him. Liking her was cramping his style and his career at Madison, yet Brandi consumed him; made him think differently about women for the first time in years.

  His mother was busy tossing him into foster homes and blaming him for everything his father did to them. That hurt him, and just thinking back on it made him lose track of the speaker at hand. He had never lost track of what Brandi was doing to his heart, though!

  * * *

  The drive back was long, and they were both tired. Brandi slept most of the time while he drove, giving him the chance he didn’t want—to concentrate on everything wrong in his life, including her. Their lunch together was fun; they talked about everything, despite the fact that he was the one that wanted to keep it impersonal. Their conversation was stimulating, nothing like how he had thought it would be—around sex and The Entrapment. No, they had steered clear of it, though it still rested in the back of his mind. He admired how eagerly she took in the information she needed to make her papers all they could be. She cherished Madison the way he did, and she was surviving it. That appealed to him. There wasn’t anything about Brandi that didn’t appeal to him. That’s how he knew she would never leave there without her degree. How could he manage without her in his arms? He thought about the invitation from NYU. They’d been after him for years, trying to get him in for an interview. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to hear what they have to say. After really thinking, he knew he still wanted to be a part of Madison and couldn’t imagine leaving. Suffering for two more years can’t be all bad. Or can it?