LEARNING CURVES

by Joanne Rock

  Madeline withdrew her arm. "Sorry, Cal, but I need to go to my office."

  "You were planning to walk all the way to your office and back by yourself after dark?" He searched the campus with his gaze, knowing the kinds of predators that lurked at night, searching for solitary coeds—or foolish teachers.

  "I frequently walk around campus after dark," she informed him, rocking back on her tiny heels.

  "Not in those shoes you don't. You're dangerous tonight, Maddy."

  She grinned. "That's great, Cal. Dangerous is just the look I was going after."

  Jealousy seared his insides like a blowtorch. "Why? You got a date with some bad-ass to flaunt at university mixers?"

  The Lady Scholar folded her arms across her eye-popping dress and cocked her head to one side. "The bad-ass of my choice wasn't available."

  That soothed him somewhat … assuming she referred to him. "Then if you don't have a date, what are you doing dressed to the nines in a piece of silk no bigger than a place mat?"

  "I'm on the prowl."

  "Over my dead body, maybe."

  Her jaw dropped, and for a moment her sassy new attitude gave way to the more conservative woman he'd known the past four years. "Cal Turner, you have no right to gainsay me."

  "You're my friend and I have every right to protect you from yourself."

  "I'm not doing anything different than the average American single woman does on any given weekend!"

  "Honey, that just goes to show you how little you know about this whole process. Women don't go out by themselves. They travel in packs for safety. Yet here you are, all alone and vulnerable as can be."

  She brightened. "I won't be vulnerable once I go back to my office."

  "What are you hiding in there? A few members of the football team?" Maybe he didn't want to know the answer. Maddy was full of surprises this week.

  "My can of Mace."

  She was even more hell-bent for trouble than his sister. "Oh, I feel better now, Maddy. That'll help." Unwilling to debate a topic he wasn't going to give an inch on, Cal placed his hands on Madeline's shoulders.

  She was normally a good five inches shorter than him, but tonight, in her heels, they were nearer to eye level. Her skin felt cool to the touch and she shivered with her whole body.

  Was it the cold? Or had his touch affected her that way? Intrigued, he pulled her a little closer.

  She came willingly, gazing up into his eyes as if there was nothing unusual about him brushing greedy fingers over her bare skin in the moonlight.

  That fact only proved to him that she was too naive. There was no way he could let her go out alone tonight.

  "Frankly, I don't trust the Mace," he continued. "In fact, I don't know that I'd trust the football team with you either. Not when you look like that."

  She smiled. "I'll be fine, Cal."

  He shared her grin and leaned in closer. The heat between them growled to life like a throaty engine. "I know you will, gorgeous, because I'm going with you."

  She started to pull away, but he halted her by sliding his fingertips over the smooth flesh of her upper arms.

  Her answering shiver roused and scared him in equal measure. It amazed him that he kept her captive there with no more than his touch. How would he ever endure an evening with a woman who had more firepower than fuel injection?

  "Cal—"

  "Meet your date for the night, Maddy." He stroked a lazy finger across her collarbone. "The bad-ass of your choice is officially at your service."

  * * *

  Chapter 4

  « ^ »

  The heady sensation of Cal's thumb rolling over her shoulder distracted her, but not so much that she missed his words. "Excuse me?"

  He pulled her toward the parking lot. "I said I'm coming with you, Maddy. Let's go."

  "Wait a minute." She dug her red suede heels into the loose gravel of the small parking lot currently under construction. She would sacrifice the shoes before she let Cal Turner lead her around by the nose. Or by her hormones. "I thought you couldn't risk adding more scandal to your reputation?"

  He gestured toward her outfit. "That was before I realized the lengths you would go to for this project of yours. I'm not about to let you risk your neck."

  Frustration simmered through her. "Thanks, Cal, but it's my neck to risk." She spun on her heel, determined to get to her office and leave him to his newfound morality.

  Before she took two steps, she found herself plucked from the ground and cradled in his arms like a new bride about to be carried across the threshold.

  "Fine. Risk your neck all you want, but I'm driving." He crossed the gravel lot near the new construction.

  "Cal!" The little squeal she made sounded nothing like her. She would be angry at his presumptuousness if she wasn't so deliciously aware of every square inch of her body that he touched.

  With one arm wrapped just below her shoulders, and one arm supporting her thighs, Cal wreaked havoc on her senses. His fingers rested on a patch of bare skin beneath the hem of her dress, and although he kept his hand very still, Madeline couldn't help but imagine what it would feel like if he put those fingers in motion.

  She'd never suspected a male body could be so hard and unrelenting, sort of like Cal's personality. But those qualities were much more appealing in their physical manifestation than as part of his overall character. Right now, Madeline could hardly string two thoughts together with all that masculine strength surrounding her.

  "Put me down!" she snapped.

  He grinned, apparently less annoyed than he had been a few minutes ago. "I don't even park my car in this dusty gravel. You think I'd let your sexy little self walk across it in new suede shoes?" He set her down when they reached the other side of the lot.

  Disappointment warred with relief when Maddy's toes hit the ground. How was it that he could have her senses singing concertos while he seemed as unaffected as if he'd done no more than change her oil?

  He searched his pocket for his keys while she fumed. "I'll only ditch you the first chance I get," she said, folding her arms across her chest.

  Finding the keys, he held them up like a prize and winked. "Honey, it won't be easy with me glued to you."

  An unwanted shiver trembled over her. The image of them joined together was too enticing to contemplate. She knew that's not what he meant. Knew that wasn't what he wanted. Still…

  He unlocked a car door while she chided herself. She needed to forget about Cal and his noble intentions tonight if she wanted to make any headway into her research. It wouldn't be easy with his gorgeous body at her side, but if she wanted to get serious about changing her reputation, she needed to find a man whose thoughts weren't so pure.

  The idea seemed grossly unappealing after experiencing Cal's touch. How could she settle for anyone else's?

  "You ready?"

  Cal's words beckoned her from her musings and she turned to join him. Only then did she realize what kind of car he'd led them to.

  She stared, immobile, her gaze running over the lines of his Chevy. "Ohmigod."

  "You don't like it?"

  Like it? The car looked almost as good as the man standing next to it.

  She took in the dark blue exterior and white top of the classic car. Either the paint had been kept in mint condition or Cal had repainted with the original color, because the car looked as new and authentic as if it had just rolled off the production line. Because her father had been the only family she'd ever known, Madeline had grown up talking cars and physics the way most girls talked about Barbie dolls and boys.

  He jingled the keys in his pocket. "It's a—"

  "Fifty-seven. It's gorgeous, Cal." Madeline moved closer, brushing her fingers appreciatively along the white seat, also original. For a moment she wished she had worn saddle shoes and a poodle skirt instead of her red dress. "This is the hot-rod version, I'll bet."

  He shrugged, but the little grin playing around his lips told her she had guessed corre
ctly. "You know something about cars?"

  She shook her head. "Not enough to change my own oil, obviously." She'd been taking her Honda to Cal or one of his garages ever since she'd arrived in Louisville. "But my dad has a lifetime subscription to Car and Driver. I read a little here and there so I could share his interest." She'd never acquired her father's taste for physics, but she had soaked up his enthusiasm for vintage automobiles to have something to talk to him about.

  "You must have read more than a little." He nodded toward the car. "Hop in."

  Madeline forgot all about her reluctance to go with him. Not only was she eager for her first ride in a '57 Chevy, she also couldn't deny the lure of a chance to learn more about Cal. She'd bet her tenure slot this vehicle meant more to him than his successful chain of car repair shops. Why hadn't she known that about him before?

  After she took her seat, Cal closed the door behind her and went around to the driver's side.

  "Where to?" he asked, switching on the ignition. "I'm at your disposal tonight, Maddy. Use me as you wish."

  To cover her nervousness, she adjusted her glasses, a habit she'd been trying to break since adolescence. "Since we both know you're only willing to go so far—"

  "You know, I can't wait to see if you're still dangling that offer in front of me in two weeks after the custody hearing is all over." His gaze held hers across the car interior, promising sweet retribution for her teasing. "Hasn't anybody ever taught you to not play with fire?"

  She shifted in her seat. "Obviously that's a lesson I've practiced too well up until now, Cal. When even the university administration thinks I'm too much of a prude to research sex, it's time to start letting myself get burned."

  He wiped a weary hand across his face and groaned. "What am I going to do with you, Maddy?"

  "You can squire me around town tonight, if you want." He hadn't really left her much choice.

  "No offense, gorgeous, but I'm trying to salvage my reputation, not add to it. I'm not about to give the social services department or Auntie Delia any chance to deny my guardianship."

  "But it's not like we're going to a strip bar or anything. And I'm not going to do anything outrageous." She wouldn't want Cal to jeopardize custody of Allison.

  Slowly, Cal nodded. "We'll go someplace tame?"

  "I was thinking Coyotes might be a good place for my first foray into the mating scene."

  "A cowboy bar? The two-stepping set will be all over you before we get to the bar. I can't take you there."

  "I thought cowboys were notorious for their gentlemanly conduct?"

  Cal closed his eyes for a long minute, willing himself to get a grip. Coyotes was a reputable club, so it wasn't as though he'd be risking custody of Allison by accompanying Maddy there for a few hours.

  The dark-haired siren across from him was determined to get her way, so he would be wise to just keep his mouth shut and make sure she didn't get into too much trouble.

  He only hoped he could keep himself out of trouble. How would he go all evening without touching her and tempting himself again? He didn't know what possessed him to tease Maddy with the idea of seducing her after the custody hearing had safely passed. Even after he proved to the social services department that Delia Heywood's complaints about him were unfounded, he wouldn't allow himself to get tangled up with Maddy.

  Their worlds would never mesh, and he sure as hell wouldn't subject Allison to an unstable household with his ill-fated relationships.

  He just had to keep that in mind when temptation got too strong.

  Finally he nodded. "I'll take you there, Maddy, but promise me one thing."

  She blinked up at him, her big brown eyes full of an innocence completely at odds with her seductive clothing.

  "If anyone asks, you're my date for the night. You got it?"

  "What about my quest for a man?"

  He couldn't help but grin. "I'm it for tonight, babe."

  "But you won't help me convince the administration that I'm a woman of experience." She wrinkled her nose, shifting her glasses on her face. "I need someone to work with me on that."

  He shook his head. "There will be no prowling tonight."

  She sighed a long-suffering huff that ended in mumbled concord. "Agreed."

  Cal slid the car into reverse and took a route through the city. After a quick call to check on his sister at the house, he relaxed into his escort role.

  The scent of raspberries tickled his nose and beguiled his senses. When he caught himself wondering if Madeline would taste as good as she smelled, Cal knew he had to distract himself before he pulled over and kissed her senseless, or worse—turned the car around and took her back to her house.

  Cal tapped out a rhythm on the steering wheel and tried to think of all the reasons he'd be an idiot to act on his attraction to Maddy. Custody of his sister aside, Cal's poor track record with relationships kept him from showing Madeline all the nuances of seduction. Sure, he'd dated more than his share of women since his move to Louisville, but none of them had threatened his peace of mind the way Maddy did.

  He'd been drawn to her the moment they'd met, but he'd only flirted with her because he'd known she'd never take him up on his outrageous proposals. She'd always been a little distant, even once they'd developed a friendship.

  And that suited him just fine.

  He knew himself too well, knew he would only hurt her if he gave in to the urge to make their relationship more than friendly. Despite the degree on his wall, he was a blue-collar mechanic at heart. His weekends would forever be spent in the garage, not the art gallery.

  Madeline might think she would be satisfied with a fling, but he knew her better than that.

  "So you're my date?" Madeline asked, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt as he pulled into the parking lot of the city's most glitzy honky-tonk.

  Cal had called it a cowboy bar in an effort to dissuade Maddy from going. Knowing full well that the sprawling club was more like a Westernized disco, he pulled up in front of the neon sign featuring a cowboy hat and a pair of feminine legs in bright red heels. No wonder Maddy had wanted to come here, he mused silently. Tonight she epitomized the poster child for footloose females.

  He parked the car and hopped out, then opened Maddy's door. Strains of a country-rock combination of music drifted from the bar, along with raucous laughter and shouts.

  "I'm you date," Cal repeated, determined she would stick by his side on her fact-gathering mission. "But you're here to work, right?"

  He tried to not stare at her legs as she stepped from the car. In the reflected neon light of the flashing marquee, he caught another flash of glitter painted over her breasts when he helped her up. Was it his imagination, or was there a trace of raspberries lingering in the air, too?

  He had to be the town's biggest moron to have accompanied her here as her personal bodyguard when what he really wanted to do was take her home, top her with whip cream and steal a taste of her berry-scented body.

  "I'm working, but I'm here to have fun, too." She fluffed her hair and did a little shimmy that straightened her dress in some way.

  Cal's mouth went dry.

  "I mean, that's okay with you, right?" She smiled tentatively, revealing a touch of uncertainty. "We can have a little fun, as long as we don't draw too much attention to ourselves, can't we?"

  He found himself nodding, unwilling to disappoint her when she'd obviously worked hard to achieve her ends tonight He needed to remember she wasn't as at home in her slinky dress and shoes as she appeared. Madeline Watson had probably never donned a pair of high heels before tonight.

  As for the body glitter, he'd give his torque wrench to know whether or not she'd been secretly shimmering beneath her bulky men's shirts all these years.

  "We can have fun within reason." He found himself draping her long hair over her shoulders in an attempt to cover as much of her bared flesh as possible. "Don't let that red dress go to your head, Maddy."

  His fingers toy
ed with the silky strands, ignoring his brain's command to release them. The music pounding its way out of the club changed to a softer tune, the kind that made line dancers yield the floor to two-steppers.

  She peered up at him through her tortoiseshell glasses, the neon light mirrored across their surface. Cal didn't dare remove them, much as he wanted to. Her teacher-style spectacles helped remind him of who she really was, the kind of woman a man like Cal didn't deserve.

  "I wish it would," she whispered across the small space that separated them.

  "Hmm?" He'd lost the thread of their conversation somewhere between dreaming of body glitter and lecturing himself on the importance of eyeglasses.

  "I wish the red dress would go to my head," Maddy repeated, hugging herself in the cool night air. "Then maybe I wouldn't have to work so hard at this." She flicked the hem of her dress with her fingers. "It's not really me."

  Damn. Just now, he wished she was a red dress sort of woman. The kind of red-dress women he usually dated wanted to say goodbye afterward as much as he did. He'd never be able to do that with Maddy.

  "It looks like you," he found himself saying. "You'd never know your alter ego wore sensible shoes and graded term papers for fun."

  His fingers brushed through her hair, to her cool skin underneath. He curved his palm around the back of her neck, ignoring the niggling voice that reminded him he had no business touching her.

  "Really?" She shivered, leaving him no choice but to pull her closer.

  "Really." He told himself he was only going to kiss her to give her confidence, to let her know she was as desirable as any woman he'd ever seen.

  But, as he leaned in closer, nearing the heady heaven of her soft lips, he knew himself to be a liar.

  He was going to kiss her because he wanted to.

  "Cal." She breathed his name in the second before his mouth met hers.

  She tasted hotter than bourbon on a cold night, and she fired his senses twice as fast. Five years' worth of suppressed desire ignited at one brush of her lips, one delicious stroke of her tongue.