Seductive Reasoning

by Cheryl Gorman

  He blew his breath over her and smiled at the whimper she made. Seth opened his mouth and stroked his tongue over her femininity from top to bottom in one long, slow lick. Her knees buckled. He grabbed her fanny to hold her in place. He laved, he tasted, until he felt the first pulse of release nudge his mouth.

  The pulse built until her soft, wet flesh convulsed against his lips and tongue. Those feminine throbs nearly made him lose control and shove himself deeply inside her. Kate grasped his head to hold him in place. The beat of her release grew stronger and harder. Her cry of pleasure was the sexiest sound Seth had ever heard. When her orgasm faded, he rose, picked her up in his arms, and carried her into the house.

  Her panties dangled around her ankles. Her shoes were still on her feet. The rest of her was naked. Kate lay limp in Seth’s arms, her arms around his neck, her head resting on his shoulder. Even though he had just given her the orgasm of her life, her body still hummed with arousal.

  She wanted him for real.

  She wanted him inside of her.

  Kate moved her head and nuzzled his neck, then kissed his sexy, male skin. He didn’t nuzzle her back, but continued walking down the hallway to the base of the stairs. She slid one hand inside his shirt and ran her fingers through the hair on his chest. Still he kept walking, steadily climbing the stairs with no reaction.

  When he reached the top of the stairs he walked straight to the guest bedroom. Kate felt a sharp tub of disappointment deep in her gut. She thought that finally, he was giving in. He was going to make love to her. Then she would at last know how it felt to have him inside her. He walked over to the bed, and instead of laying her on top, he set her on the floor. She kept her arms around his neck, not wanting to let go, afraid to lose the connection between them. Gently, he removed her arms from around his neck.

  Seth leaned over, drew back the covers, and then straightened. He took her by the shoulders and shifted her body until her back faced the bed. As if nothing had happened between them, he slowly drew her panties up her legs and over her butt. With a slight nudge, he maneuvered her into a sitting position on the bed. Then he removed her shoes and pushed her down to the bed, tucked her legs under the covers and pulled them to her chin. As if she were a child, he kissed her softly on the forehead. He smoothed back her hair and severed the link between them.

  Seth turned to leave.

  Her heart plunged to her toes.

  Just like that, he was going to leave her all hot, itchy and bothered. “Seth, where are you going?”

  He stopped in his tracks halfway across the room. Dim light from the hallway flowed in and she barely saw him in the gloom. “I’m going downstairs. I have work to do.”

  “That’s it? After what you just did to me you’re going to walk away?”

  Slowly, he turned and looked at her. She could barely see his face. Needing to see his eyes, needing to know what he was really feeling, she reached over and snapped on the bedside light. The room glowed with light. Seth stood before her, his hair ruffled, his glasses firmly in place. He tucked his hands into his pockets and assumed his professorial attitude. The kind she had seen him put on in the classroom when he had something important to explain, something he really needed them to understand. “Yes.”

  His firm yes reverberated through her and punched her solidly in the chest.

  “I told you in the beginning, Kate, that I’m here to win that bet. Nothing more. I let myself get carried away downstairs and I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

  It won’t happen again.

  She wanted to get up out of the bed, walk over to him stark naked and prove him wrong, but her pride wouldn’t let her. The money. How could she have forgotten? The money was everything, and her feelings or his be damned. She wanted him to make love to her more than anything, but she wanted him to come to her freely. She didn’t want to coerce him--although that’s what he thought she was supposed to do. If truth were known, the thought of Seth making love to her simply out of lust wasn’t such a wonderful prospect. She wanted his emotions involved, his feelings as well as his body.

  “Why did you touch me like that when you never intended to take what you started further?”

  “Look, I admit that the lingerie you were wearing was drop dead sexy. I let myself be distracted from my goal. I gave in to unprofessional feelings. I--”

  “Say it. Why can’t you say that you wanted me, that you were attracted to me? Isn’t part of a scientist’s job to record the data accurately and not cover up his findings?”

  “I’m not covering up anything.”

  She nearly smiled at that. She quirked a brow looked down at the quilt covering her naked body. “I beg to differ.”

  He raked a hand through his hair mussing it further, a job she wanted for herself. “Go to sleep. I’ll be up later.”

  With those last words, he disappeared into the hallway. Kate leaned over, switched off the light, and slumped down into the covers. The man was infuriating, exasperating, and damn it she wanted him more than she wanted to take her next breath.

  She was getting to him. Minute by minute. Second by second. They still had three more days. And two full nights. Kate intended to make the most of them.

  Seth strolled onto the back porch intending to breathe in some fresh air and clear his head when he saw the lingerie Kate had been wearing in a white puddle on the floor. The gown and robe glared in the half-light like a beacon, urging him to reach out and take what she offered. So why shouldn’t he? He’d all but mewed in her arms and begged her to never let go. What was wrong with him?

  He was a professor, an intellectual, and a scientist. His family thought with their hearts, and he had never understood them. He prided himself on his control, his ability to look at a situation in a logical and scientific manner. In one evening, he’d thrown his control to hell and back.

  Christ, it must have been the wine. He’d drunk a glass and a half and the alcohol had clouded his judgment. Seth wasn’t a drinker. Never had been.

  Seth reached for the lingerie lying on the floor of the porch. The material slid against his skin and reminded him of how the combination of the silk and Kate’s skin had driven him to distraction. He tossed the lingerie onto a chair.

  No more wine.

  No more distractions.

  This experiment would have an ending. They would shake hands and go their separate ways.

  What the hell was his problem? He’d had women come on to him before. Lots of women. Not that he’d invited their advances, but he’d handled them quite well.

  He was a healthy heterosexual man with needs like other men. He just didn’t believe in spreading those needs around to other women in order to help himself out. But Kate ... Kate was something altogether different. She got under his skin.

  She was completely out of control, irrational, illogical. But she was also the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Her smile lit up the room. The sound of her voice drove him crazy. She touched him deeply inside in a place he had never allowed any woman to touch.

  Seth turned to walk into the kitchen and nearly bumped into Kate. Her face seemed calm; the anguish he’d seen in her eyes earlier had vanished. She looked at him as if she didn’t expect to find him on his porch, as if she wished he hadn’t been there.

  As if she wanted to be alone.

  Damn it, why wasn’t she churned up like him?

  She wore a bathrobe this time, a robe that covered her from neck to toes. Thank God. She stood there with her skin washed clean of makeup, her lips moist and pink, and her hair still a bit damp from the shower she’d taken. She’d never looked more desirable. “Why aren’t you asleep?”

  She pointed toward the kitchen. “I came down for a glass of water. Want some?”

  Some. Oh, yeah. “No. I’m fine. Thanks.”

  She swiveled and walked into the kitchen. He heard her open a cabinet door, then the sound of running water.

  How had this bet suddenly turned so pers
onal? Why was he allowing himself to get emotionally involved in an experiment? How could she look at him with so much want in her eyes and touch him as if he truly mattered, as if he were more to her than just the means to an end one minute and the next practically look right through him?

  Why did that irritate him so damn much?

  He knew the answer.

  He’d allowed himself to care.

  Seth waited for the crowded feeling to hit him like it always did whenever he let a woman complicate his life. Kate had complicated the hell out of it, but to his utter surprise and disbelief he found that he didn’t mind. He kind of liked it. He waited until she left the kitchen, until she switched off the light and he heard the soft pad of her feet sound on the stairs. Only then, did he lift her lingerie from the chair, slump to the seat, and bury his face in the material.

  Now that he cared, what was he going to do about it?

  Kate held a nightgown the size of a placemat against her body. Muted shades of blue and green blended through the material. Stylized waves decorated the hemline.

  She smiled and teased him with that you-know-you-want-me-glint in her eyes. “What do you think of my new design for Aquarius?”

  Seth cleared his throat. The only thoughts in his brain were of Kate wearing the gown with absolutely nothing on underneath. “Nice. I like it.”

  She looked at the garment, then back at him. “Me too. I think these are going to sell--”

  All color drained from her face. Her smile dissolved. She licked her lips nervously and hung the nightgown back on the rack. She glanced down at her clothes, rubbed her hands over her dress, and smoothed back her hair. Surprise and apprehension filled her eyes.

  Seth peered over his shoulder. A tall, elegant woman glided into the store. Dark hair swept up into a neat chignon revealed a graceful, swan’s neck. She wore a cream colored suit with matching pumps. The strap of a leather purse lay neatly on her shoulder. The woman looked like an older version of Kate. But there was something very different about her, something that bore no resemblance to Kate.

  The woman’s gaze swept around the store. Distaste filled her face and eyes before her focus settled on Kate. She moved toward Kate with a clipped, efficient stride, her heels clicking against the wood floor. Customers filled the shop and continued to paw through tables and racks of lingerie, oblivious to the tension in the air. The grinding beat of new age music vibrated through the store.

  The woman stopped directly in front of Seth and Kate. Green eyes, the color of Kate’s, gave them both a systematic once-over.

  “Katherine.” She had a well-modulated voice tinged slightly with disappointment.

  Why disappointment? What had Kate done to disappoint her?

  “Mother.” Kate’s voice trembled.

  Shocked, Seth studied Kate. Anxiety swam in her eyes. Why was she so nervous?

  Kate’s mother leaned forward, gripped Kate lightly by the shoulders, and gave her an impersonal air kiss next to her cheek.

  He wanted to grab the woman and shake her. Was that any way for a mother to greet her daughter? His mother always gave him a loud, smacking kiss.

  Kate’s mother turned her eyes on Seth. Her makeup was discreet and flawless. “Katherine, aren’t you going to introduce me?”

  Kate cleared her throat. “I’m sorry. Of course. Mother, this is Dr, Fallon. Dr. Fallon, this is my mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Summers.”

  She held out a pampered hand with light polish on her nails. Seth took her hand. The brief shake they shared was cool and businesslike, just like the woman. “Mrs. Summers. Nice to meet you.”

  Her mouth curved into a fleeting smile. “Thank you.”

  Without giving Seth another thought, she shifted her gaze back to Kate. “Well, I see you haven’t come to your senses.” She waved an elegant hand through the air. “And now you’ve pulled a professor into your scheme.”

  Come to her senses? Scheme? What the hell was she talking about?

  Kate lifted her chin. Hurt and frustration filled her eyes and blanketed her face. Why was her mother treating her this way? Couldn’t she see how her careless words hurt her daughter? His parents might have thought him odd, but they always gave him their undying support and were proud of all that he had accomplished.

  “I’m still running my business, if that’s what you mean.”

  Mrs. Summers shook her head slightly. “No, that isn’t what I mean. Katherine, when are you going to close this place and put your mind on more serious pursuits?”

  His annoyance at Kate’s mother veered into guilt. He’d said the same thing, hadn’t he?

  “This is a serious pursuit. My business is very important to me. It’s--”

  “It’s a waste of time.” As if she were trying to placate a small child, she brushed the fringe of bangs on Kate’s forehead aside. “I shudder to think of you here, selling lingerie when you could be a partner in my law firm. There’s still time, you know.” She cocked her head. “I’ll tell you what. If you sell what’s left of your inventory and close this place, I’ll pay for law school. Every penny. You can really make something of yourself. What do you say?”

  A bloom of anger struck bright flags of color into Kate’s cheeks.

  That’s my girl.

  “Why can’t you accept that I would be miserable as a lawyer? Why is it that only Aunt Pandora has ever understood me?”

  Her mother closed her eyes briefly, exhaled a deep sigh, and then opened them again. “Please, let’s not talk about my sister. If it weren’t for her influence, you wouldn’t be here.”

  Kate threw back her shoulders and balled her hands into fists at her sides. “Mother, if it weren’t for Aunt Pandora, I wouldn’t have my shop. I wouldn’t be pursuing my dream.”

  Her mother spread her mouth into a thin-lipped smile. “Oh, Katherine. Dreams only come true in fairy tales. Life isn’t about chasing rainbows. You need to be more practical and find a pursuit that is worthy of your time and efforts.”

  “Like a law career. Like yours.” Kate snapped out the words.

  “Yes.”

  Unbelievable. The woman was unbelievable. How could she not support her daughter in whatever path she chose? Like his own family. He never once had to question or beg for their support. How could she not see what Kate had built here? How could she not see the success around her? Wasn’t she proud of her daughter at all?

  Even though his family thought he was a bit strange, they always gave him their unconditional support. Kate had started with a dream, a few designs, and now she was on her way. When she won the money, Kate’s designs might become famous.

  When she won the money.

  Suddenly, the realization washed over him, through him, and seeped into his soul. Kate’s dream had the same merit and degree of importance as his project because she only had one chance at receiving the money, but there would be other opportunities in his future. Especially if he managed to keep his job.

  He’d be damned if he was going to stand here and let Kate’s mother rip apart Kate’s dream. He had to think like an attorney, as if he were in a courtroom grilling a witness. “Excuse me, Kate. I’d like to cross-examine the witness.”

  Mrs. Summers glared at Seth and raised one perfectly plucked brow. “Dr. Fallon, this is really none of your concern. This is between Kate and me.”

  “Overruled,” Seth stated.

  Mrs. Summer’s mouth popped open in surprise and annoyance. Seth ignored her reaction. “Wouldn’t you agree that the development of sex roles, male and female, begins in infancy, Mrs. Summers?”

  She blinked rapidly and pursed her lips. “I suppose so, but what does that have to with anything?”

  Kate stared at him, with panic flashing in her wide eyes. She gripped his arm just above the elbow and squeezed. “Dr. Fallon, there’s a lady at the Sagittarius table that needs some help.”

  Seth wanted to hold her, to soothe away her anxiety, until the tantalizing sparkle bloomed again in her eyes. He settled for a light
brush of his hand over her hair. “Trust me.” His tone was barely a whisper.

  Kate probably expected a real dressing down from her mother after he finished, but Seth had quite the opposite in mind. He focused on Mrs. Summers. “Sex roles are a natural progression in human development. When a baby boy is born, family members tend to play a bit more roughly with a boy.

  “When a baby girl is born, they are cuddled and handled with gentler care. As children grow and mature, their families, the way they are treated, provide a kind of informal lesson in what it means to be masculine or feminine. Agreed?”

  “That has no relevance on whether Kate should continue with this hobby of hers.”

  Seth watched Kate glower at her mother like an angry she-cat. How could Kate’s mother stand there and call her dream, her success, a hobby? Seth would like nothing better than to see Kate lash out, but he grabbed her hand instead and gave her fingers a light squeeze. He shook his head almost imperceptibly. She swallowed and inhaled a deep breath as he watched her bring her anger under control.

  “Yes or no?” Seth asked before Mrs. Summers could interrupt again.

  “Yes.” Sharp rancor tinged her voice.

  “Good. Wouldn’t you also agree that family members encourage boys to behave like boys and girls to behave like girls? In other words, they teach them the proper conduct for their gender.”

  “Dr. Fallon,” Mrs. Summers ground out the words, “I don’t need a lesson in--”

  “For instance,” Seth plowed on ignoring her outburst, “if a girl expresses an interest in dolls or sewing, the family encourages her. A boy would be discouraged from these pursuits. Correct?”

  “Yes, but I don’t see--”

  “Just answer the question.”

  Mrs. Summers’s mouth pressed into a firm line. Good, about time someone’s feathers were ruffled around here besides Kate’s. Seth still held Kate’s hand and felt her fingers clutch his in a bone-crushing grip. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles in a soothing motion until he felt her fingers relax.