Seductive Reasoning

by Cheryl Gorman

  “Imagine the woman of your dreams wearing this see-through bra and barely there bikini panties. Do you have the image firmly in your mind?”

  Oh, yeah. Kate wearing this excuse for underwear tempting him with her athletic body, touching him, kissing him all over, even on his--. “Yes, I have it.”

  He felt Kate sit down beside him--or rather he smelled her. Her scent and her voice swept over him.

  Ms. Landers smiled at the audience. “What do you say we give them some mood music?” The sounds of a hot, sultry saxophone filled the studio.

  “Imagine touching this woman, playing with this woman, caressing, kissing and finally stripping her until she lies before you naked. Her lips, her breasts, the very thing that makes her a woman are there all for you. Only you. Do you have the image firm? Along with perhaps other body parts?”

  The audience laughed and Seth’s eyes flew open.

  “We’re not done. Close your eyes.”

  Seth gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. “What now?”

  “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we have to pause for a commercial break.”

  Commercial break! Saved by the bell. Holy hell.

  Seth had already imagined, much to his chagrin, Kate lying naked while he fulfilled a few of his more secret fantasies like licking whipped cream and chocolate from her body. A part of him longed to toss away his inhibitions, to just let go and wallow in a woman until every inch of him felt sated and satisfied.

  Letting go would put him in a vulnerable position. He would have to open the door to his heart and emotions, feelings he wasn’t ready for any woman to see. And he’d be unable to focus on his project. A project he’d spent most of his adult life working on.

  “Can I open my eyes now?”

  “Sure.”

  Seth opened his eyes and handed the garments to Kate. “That wasn’t fair.” He spoke the words under his breath. His career was circling the toilet. How the hell could he stop it and turn this fiasco around?

  “All’s fair in love and war, or should I say, lingerie and astrology?” Kate’s witchy-green eyes sparkled.

  “Back live in five,” the cameraman called as he motioned with another five-finger count.

  “Welcome back, folks,” Ms. Landers announced. “I’m sure you’re all as anxious as I am to find out the results of this experiment.” She focused on Seth and Kate. “Now might be a good time, Ms. Summers, for you to show your creations to our viewers here in the studio and at home.”

  Seth and the audience watched as Kate lifted some of the most erotic, tiniest lingerie he’d ever seen from the rack. They were different in colors, materials and purpose--from a romp in bed to a romp in the kitchen. Christ, she even had a maid’s outfit with a little apron in front that just covered a woman’s most intimate parts, but of course gave the man free and uninhibited access to her body. Seth struggled to picture the position of the stars for the month of May in his head. Anything to keep his mind off certain intimate positions involving Kate, like draping her legs over his shoulders or taking her hard and fast in a steamy shower.

  “Ladies, haven’t you ever wanted to just do something for the sake of doing it?” Kate held her hands palm up to the side. “Today is your golden opportunity. Come to my store anytime in the next ten days, and I will guarantee you consummate, astrologically designed lingerie, along with other accoutrements like feathers or even a kit that I invented called oils for the senses. All you need to do is give me your sign, and I will find something absolutely perfect for you and your man.”

  “You talk as though your lingerie has some sort of magical powers,” Ms. Landers said.

  Seth tugged on his tie. Those little nothings sure cast a spell on him.

  “Magic. No, not magic. But I do believe no normal red-blooded man can resist a woman in sexy lingerie. No matter what he says--and that’s when the magic lies in the stars.”

  Seth laughed. “Give me a break. Of course, men can resist women in sexy lingerie. What if they are married and a woman comes on to them? Are you saying no matter how much he might love his wife he won’t be able to say no to another woman just because of what she’s wearing?”

  Kate’s gaze softened. “Love between a man and a woman is a precious thing and something not to be trifled with. A man deeply in love will be able to say no to another woman, but he would never be able to say no to his very own wife or the woman he loved.”

  “Ha!” Ms. Lander’s voice lifted in response. “Boy, would that be nice.” The audience clapped and whistled. Ms. Lander’s eyes lit with challenge. She looked at Seth and Kate with a sneaky smile on her face. “Would you two care to make a wager?”

  Seth glared at Kate. She and Ms. Landers probably planned this whole thing. “What kind of wager?”

  “I’d like to read a special announcement from our show’s sponsor, The Bed, Bath and Love Connection. What’s the announcement you ask? Dr. Fallon, spend one week with Ms. Summers in her shop. If at the end of the week she seduces you wearing some of this very sexy lingerie,”--she gestured toward the rack of clothing--“you’ll agree to pose for her company’s new upcoming catalogue. It will feature the underwear every woman wants to see her man wearing. The Bed, Bath and Love Connection’s merchandise will be used in the photo shoot.” She held up her finger when he started to speak. “You, Dr. Fallon, on the other hand will have a golden opportunity to convince Ms. Summers that a person’s mind is most important. Whoever is declared the winner will receive The Bed, Bath and Love Connection’s $25,000 grand prize.”

  “What do you think audience?” Ms. Lander’s voice was filled with challenge. The audience shouted yes, yes, yes.

  Seth pressed his lips together. Outrageous. No way could he agree. Okay, Fallon, you’ve dug your way in; now dig your way out. “That’s a very interesting idea, but I can’t possibly afford to be away from my office for an entire week right now. It’s spring break and I have too much work to do. I’ve got papers to grade and a backlog to catch up on.”

  Kate leaned back in her seat and folded her arms over her chest. This forced her breasts upward a bit and made him feel hot and bothered all over. “You’re chicken.”

  Chicken? He wasn’t chicken. He’d defied the dean and appeared on the show hadn’t he? A fact that he deeply regretted at the moment.

  “You have the chance to prove a man can resist a woman in lingerie. You also have the chance to prove that astrology and people’s emotions and sex have no connection. Don’t tell me you’re going to pass this up.”

  Damn it. No way could he pass this up. Until he could find another job, he would need to use that money to live on, and if he planned well, he could use a little to fund his research project. Either way, without money his research project would end.

  “I accept.” He would win. Seth always won when he set his mind to something.

  The audience roared with applause.

  “Well, ladies and gentlemen. You heard it here. The professor has accepted Global Network’s astrology and lingerie challenge. Now, what about the nights?”

  “The nights?” Seth had forgotten about those.

  “Yes,” Ms. Landers said. “The nights. Where will you spend your nights? What do you think, Ms. Summers?”

  “Well, for this to really work, we need to be together twenty-four hours a day. Wouldn’t you agree, Dr. Fallon?”

  Twenty-four hours a day. Including the nights! Was she crazy? Women drove him nuts after one hour. He would never survive an entire week alone with Kate, but he’d already agreed to this crazy scheme. There was only one logical choice. “We’ll stay at my place.” That would scare Kate off. It sent all other women running.

  Ms. Landers smiled. “I have a better idea. Why don’t we let the audience decide? Audience, you have a mini computer on the arm of your chairs. First, let’s vote for all who agree Ms. Summers and Dr. Fallon should spend the week at his place. Ready? Cast your vote.”

  They waited a few moments until all votes were recorded. “
Now cast your vote for staying at Ms. Summer’s place.”

  After a few moments, the votes were tallied.

  “Are you ready audience?”

  The audience chanted yes.

  Ms. Landers pointed to a studio monitor. “Ten percent say they should go to Dr. Fallon’s place. The other ninety percent say that Dr. Fallon and Ms. Summers should stay in her apartment.”

  A loud cheer arose from the audience. They clapped, they whistled. Seth felt himself being backed into a corner.

  Ms. Landers looked at Seth and Kate. “So, it’s been decided. The two of you will stay at Ms. Summer’s place. We are almost out of time. Will you come back on the show when the week is over and tell us all about it?”

  Seth didn’t want to come back on this show. He certainly didn’t want to share with thousands of people what happened during the week, because there was no telling what kind of things Kate would tempt him with.

  “I will.” Kate turned to Seth her brows raised in question.

  “Do I have a choice?”

  She gazed at him with a thoughtful expression in her beautiful green eyes. “Everyone has a choice. Bad, good and very good.”

  “Which one is this?”

  Her lips curved in an easy smile. “Be at my place bright and early tomorrow morning and find out.”

  Chapter Three

  Seth maneuvered his gray 4x4 truck next to the curb in front of Kate’s shop and cut the engine. He sat in the truck as he studied the house. Great, a frou-frou house painted blue and white with fancy little wooden curlicues all over the place. He glanced at the sign advertising her shop. Only Kate would put up a sign shaped like a bra and live in a house like this.

  He huffed out an exasperated breath. How could he have agreed to this crazy stunt and on television of all places? How could a man of above average intelligence, like him, say yes to this ridiculous wager?

  Was his research project the only reason he was here? Or did spending time with Kate have something to do with it? He shook his head. Don’t even go there. This morning, he’d attended an emergency board meeting and pled his case. Despite the Dean’s vehement objections, they had agreed to give him one more chance. He had thirty days. If his show appearance increased funding and student attendance applications within that time frame, he could keep his job.

  The moment Seth stepped from his truck, the scent of lilacs growing next to the house drifted past his nose. He reached in the bed of the truck and grabbed his suitcase. Money. Seth gathered a pile of work he’d brought along into his arms. Focus on the goal.

  Seth shut the door and hit the automatic door lock on his key ring. Why was he doing this? Would the money be worth it? Of course, his reasons had nothing to do with Kate or the very unscientific and carnal feelings she brought out in him.

  He could not believe he’d left his comfortable and quiet home to spend a week with a woman who chattered on and on about sex toys and lingerie. His cell phone jingled. He plucked the phone from his pocket and hit the answer button. “Hello.”

  “Hey, buddy. Caught the show last night. I can’t believe you were suckered into spending a week with that babe. Tough luck. Dirty job, huh?” Mark laughed. “But somebody has to do it, right? I’d give my left nut to be the one spending an entire week screwing her brains out.”

  Seth gripped his cell phone until his knuckles turned white. In all the years he’d known Mark Sanders, this was the first time he’d ever wanted to punch him in the face. Damn it, he didn’t want Mark talking about her that way. So what if she was outspoken about sex? A lot of women were.

  Besides, he knew Kate better than that. Sure, she was openly sexual--she also had a heart of gold. That’s what had attracted him before, and that’s what made him cautious. He didn’t have time to spend on a relationship. His project was more important, but that didn’t mean some other guy could talk about her like that.

  “Yeah. You and half the male population of Denver, no doubt.” Seth covered up his anger when he really wanted to tell Mark to go to hell. There was no way he would give him any indication that he was even remotely attracted to Kate and that he knew her before, or he’d never hear the end of it.

  “Hey, don’t let this dark-haired opportunity go to waste. You’re going to have to kiss and tell on this one, buddy. I want details, if you know what I mean.” Mark’s laughter rang out over the phone.

  A dial tone buzzed in Seth’s ear before he could reply. He hit the power button and shoved the phone back into his pocket. He’d like to shove it down Mark’s throat instead, and he didn’t want to analyze why.

  Seth started toward the front porch past the mounds of flowers bordering both sides of the walkway. Maybe if he explained the situation to her, she would understand the importance of his project compared to a silly national lingerie contract. He had too much pride to tell her about his job situation. But he shouldn’t have much trouble finding another job. After all, he was a man of above average intelligence with several years of teaching experience under his belt.

  No doubt, Kate would strut around in skimpy almost non-existent clothing and tempt him at every turn. Why couldn’t women leave him alone? He’d gladly pass them onto Mark or any other man stupid enough to go in for all that sentimental crap.

  He stopped suddenly in the middle of the sidewalk and frowned. Would he pass Kate on to another man? One word resounded through his mind. No. Hell, the woman was making him crazy and the week had barely begun.

  Seth shook the disturbing thoughts from his brain and headed for the front door, resigned to his fate. All in the name of science.

  Kate grinned from ear to ear. She turned up the volume on the radio sitting on a shelf beside her bathroom sink and listened to the snappy country tune. She tapped her foot on the pink and green tiled floor and hummed along to the grinding melody. Kate shook her underwear-clad hips while she bobbed her bra-strap covered shoulders to the music’s rhythm.

  Finally, she had a chance to prove her theory about astrology and underwear. Having Seth Fallon where she wanted him would be a bonus. This morning’s horoscope had promised a bold new horizon and a renewal of a past relationship. The astrologer was right on.

  Kate applied a coat of mascara to her eyes, when the doorbell rang. She jerked at the sound then glanced at the rose-shaped clock that hung on the wall. Darn it. Late again. She’d spent too much time daydreaming about her first day with Seth.

  She jabbed the wand back into the tube of mascara, fluffed her hair, and heaved a deep, cleansing breath. Remember, Kate, you’re only doing this for the twenty-five grand. Nothing to worry about, Kate thought as she slipped on her dress and shoes. She dashed down the stairs and crossed the foyer to the front door.

  She peeked through the sidelight. Seth stood on the porch with a small suitcase at his feet along with a large pillow stuck under his arm. Kate’s heart tumbled in her chest. Oh, how sweet. He brought his own pillow. She unlocked the door with a snick and swung the panel open. “Good morning.”

  His dignified, scientific gaze skimmed her from head to toe. She wore a simple, floral print cotton dress with a hemline that reached her ankles and pink leather sandals. What he didn’t know was that underneath she wore the teensiest pair of see-through bikini panties with matching bra. She bit her lip and shifted from foot to foot. Oh God, she hoped she was doing the right thing. She was no expert when it came to seduction and romance for herself, just for her customers. She either overdid the seduction or under did it.

  “Kate.” His voice, a low, silken rumble, reached out and teased her senses. How did his female students handle listening to his lectures in that sexy, come-and-get-me-baby voice?

  She’d never seen him in anything but button-down shirts and dark suits. But today, oh my. He wore a long-sleeve, navy-blue Henley with the sleeves shoved up over his elbows. A smattering of dark hair covered his toned, muscular arms. The piéce de resistance was the pair of faded jeans that molded to him in all the right places and hugged his long legs.<
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  He looked casual, more approachable, and infinitely touchable. Not to mention soul stirring sexy. But there was so much more than his looks that attracted her. In college, he’d treated her with respect, and he’d listened to her theories about astrology and its effect on people’s lives. Seth hadn’t focused on her looks or thought of her ideas as harebrained and foolish like a lot of the others. He’d really listened to her and made her feel important.

  Seth picked up his suitcase and placed it carefully inside the door. His eyes shone intensely blue in the early morning light with a what-the-hell-am-I-doing-here expression in their depths. “Nothing personal, Kate, but I want you to understand that I’m only here for the money.”

  Nothing personal. Only here for the money. She raised her chin. Fine, so was she. Darn him! Then why did his words prick her heart dead center? “Sure. I understand.” Her voice sounded strained and uncertain even to her own ears.

  His chin shot up and his gaze studied her face. “Kate, I only meant--”

  She managed a smile. “I know. It’s okay. Really. It’s best to get things out in the open.” She licked her lips. “I’ve prepared an early lunch. Does that sound okay? Hope you’re hungry.” She was starving before he’d arrived, but after hearing his comment her appetite had fled.

  Seth picked up his suitcase.

  “Leave it. I’ll show you the upstairs later.”

  Seth nodded and reached for a small black case instead. He followed her down the hallway into the kitchen at the back of the house. Kate took a bottle of champagne out of the refrigerator.

  She watched Seth glance around the kitchen at the white, glass-fronted cabinets, bright yellow walls and pots of herbs growing on the windowsill over the sink. His gaze shifted from the kitchen back to her.

  “So what are we having?”

  Kate suppressed a smile. “I thought we’d start with a toast.” She held out the bottle to him. Perhaps it would calm her fluttering nerves. “Would you mind doing it?”