Madeline Seduces a Man, Part Two, was about to begin

She slid across the front seat to squeeze close to Cal’s side.

Their thighs converged, hip to knee, bringing her barely-there stockings into contact with his denim-clad leg. A rush of heat blazed through her making her more determined to seduce this bad boy.

She whispered softly in his ear, “Don’t I get a second-date kiss?”

He refused to meet her hot gaze.

She grazed her lips against the scratch of his cheek, stole a quick taste of his warm skin.

He let out a low whistle. “Honey, you don’t know what that does to me.”

“I wish it did more.”

He turned to her suddenly. “Do you mean that, or are you just tempting the hell out of me as some kind of social experiment?”

“I want you, Cal.” Maddy trailed a fingertip down his cheek. “I want to see how fast we can go from zero to sixty in that back seat of yours.”

Dear Reader,

What good girl doesn’t occasionally dream of letting her inner wild woman run free? If you’ve ever entertained the idea of really letting your hair down, I bet you’ll like reading about sociology scholar Madeline Watson, who can’t wait to undertake the study of human mating rituals for her dissertation. Too bad the university thinks upstanding Madeline has spent too much time in the ivory tower to undertake such an earthy subject. Now she needs to shed her good-girl image in a hurry, and she knows just the man to help her!

I hope you enjoy seeing how Madeline leads the campus on a steamy, wild ride that turns their lives upside down. Learning Curves is set at my alma mater, the University of Louisville in Kentucky. Although I didn’t have quite as much fun there as Maddy does, I loved every minute spent at that venerable institution in pursuit for my master’s degree.

If you like Learning Curves, don’t miss my first Harlequin Blaze title in February 2002, Silk, Lace & Videotape. Visit me at www.JoanneRock.com to learn more about my future releases or to let me know what you thought of my story. I’d love to hear from you!

Happy Reading!

Joanne Rock

Learning Curves

Joanne Rock

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To Dean, for ensuring we’ve always taken the road less traveled. Thank you for the adventure!

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

1

“IF YOU’RE FREE Saturday night, would you mind initiating me in the rites of womanhood?”

Thunking herself on the forehead, Madeline Watson slumped down on a bench outside the business department’s faculty lounge to wait for her quarry. All the come-on lines she concocted were too stuffy. Head in her hands, she stared down at her penny loafers and wished she’d paid more attention when other women discussed their dating adventures. Why had she spent the past ten years with her nose buried in books? She had no idea how one went about propositioning the sexiest man in town—or any man for that matter.

Wouldn’t it be simpler to invest in a killer red dress and a pair of stiletto heels?

She cleared her throat and tried again. “What would you think of taking our relationship to the next level?” A nearby giggle alerted her to the new wave of students tromping through the University of Louisville’s echoing marble corridors on their way to evening classes. Great. All Madeline needed to cap off this hideous day was to have a student report her for trying to pick up imaginary men in the hallway.

The embarrassment would be well worth it if her proposition worked, however. No man had ever sent her hormones into overdrive the way Cal Turner could with one lazy smile.

The door to the faculty lounge swung wide and Madeline plastered her back to the wall as if she could root herself to that very spot. A handful of university professors poured through the door, balancing heavy textbooks, steaming cups of coffee and overstuffed briefcases. Their sudden appearance forced Madeline to recall that the object of her quest was no imaginary male. Cal Turner might look like a fantasy, but those drool-worthy pecs were as real as the grading curve.

Madeline rose, praying she wouldn’t lose her nerve to face the lone man who would be left in the lounge in a few minutes. She nodded to the handful of professors she knew from her years on staff as a graduate assistant, but most of the coffee-clutching crowd was business faculty, a breed far removed from the social sciences department that Madeline called home.

The old Mae West line ran through her head as she waited. “How’d you like to come up and see me sometime?” But that one didn’t really apply to her…she lived in a one-story house just outside of downtown.

She needed something modern. Something direct and aggressive to go along with her quest to be more daring. If she was ever going to get the dissertation review committee to sanction her study of human mating rituals, she had to prove to them there was more to her than just a buttoned-up intellectual. A fling with the most notorious ladies’ man on campus ought to do the trick.

The fact that a fling would also fulfill her secret desire for Cal was purely coincidental. Could she help it if the perfect man for the job happened to be someone she fantasized about on a regular basis?

Madeline unbuttoned the top button of her oversize men’s shirt and took a deep breath. She could do this.

Once the noise had died down and her digital watch flashed 6:01 p.m., she eased open the frosted-glass door and stepped inside the faculty’s inner sanctum. Foam cups littered all three round tables, along with leftover napkins and doughnut crumbs. The only person left in the faculty lounge was Cal.

For a moment Madeline gave in to the pure pleasure of staring at the man who didn’t know he held her future in his calloused hands. Seated in a back corner with his elbows on the table, he wore a gray T-shirt depicting the school’s mascot—a Louisville Cardinal. The T-shirt stretched over mouth-watering muscles, making him look more like the mechanic he used to be than the successful entrepreneur and business instructor he’d become. Of course, Tuesdays weren’t his night to teach. He usually came to the university to review lesson plans and read student papers, even after long days of overseeing his chain of car repair shops, Perfect Timing.

Madeline savored the broad lines of his shoulders, the intriguing cut of sinewy forearms. When she reached his solemn profile, she was unsettled by the chiseled jaw and sharp angles of his face. Without his customary grin, Cal looked less like her good-natured friend and more like the campus wolf.

Perhaps he heard the catch in her breath.

He turned from his grade book. “Hey, gorgeous.” He smiled the killer smile that had probably broken hearts from Cincinnati to Nashville.

Madeline hadn’t known knees truly could knock until that moment. What had she been thinking to come here like this? She closed her eyes to steel herself, knowing she’d lose her nerve if she didn’t ask him right off the bat.

He waited patiently, his hazel eyes turning her knocking knees to something more akin to jiggling Jell-O.

Don’t talk like a textbook, she schooled herself. Act casual.

“I know you’re busy and all, Cal.” She gulped for air and courage, her heart pummeling her chest in a fit of rebellious nerves. “But what would you say to getting out of here and setting the sheets on fire back at my place?”

For one painfully endless moment, the words hung there, echoing over and over in Madeline’s mind.

She slapped her hand over her mouth in a vain attempt to staunch the stupid question she’d already voiced. She lowered her hand, ready to flee if only her feet would cooperate.

Cal blinked back at her, silent. Slowly he closed the grading book in front of him, as if hoping to stall his response.

She hadn’t known a moment of such keen mortification since she—the scientist’s daughter—had flunked twelfth-grade physics.

“I think all those years on the Harley have started to affect my hearing.” He flashed her a rueful grin, complete with the dimple that sent female coeds into swoon mode. “Could you run that by me again?”

There wasn’t a chance she would repeat that hideous proposition. “It was nothing really, I—” Unsure what to say, she shuffled backward. “I’m just going to head on back to my building now.” She inched further away, eager to escape and disgusted with herself for losing her nerve at the same time.

“Wait a minute.” He rose from the chair.

Maybe, if she had been in the company of an average man, Madeline would have made a break for the door. Instead she could only stand there and gape at six-feet-plus inches of impressive male.

He took full advantage of her immobility as he sauntered over to her. Did he know how disarming that dimple could be?

“I thought I heard a very interesting offer just now.” A hint of backwoods Tennessee still softened an occasional vowel, lending his words a pleasing drawl.

She shook her head so hard her glasses rattled against her nose. “All those years on the Harley, remember?”

“Maddy, how long have we been friends?” He reached up to cup her shoulders, holding her at arm’s length.

Heat stole through her at the contact. “Four years and two months.” She recalled every time they’d touched during that time, too. And none of those idle brushes of hands exchanging coffee mugs could compare to the way he held her now. Cal’s undivided attention intoxicated her.

“That sounds about right.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “And during those four years and two months, I have heard you ask me about my garages, my lesson plans, my teaching ideology, and maybe a time or two about my students. But in all that time, not once have you asked me back to your place to set the sheets on fire.”

Heat suffused her cheeks, her limbs, her chest…she’d bet even her fingertips were blushing bright red. Obviously he’d heard her question just fine.

“The funny part is, I used to flirt outrageously with you just to get you to crack a smile.” He cradled her cheek with one palm and lifted her chin.

Heady sensation clouded her brain cells. She’d had a boyfriend or two since high school, but the emphasis had been on “friend” and those relationships hadn’t compared remotely to this. Ever since she’d come to the university, she’d been absorbed in her work, obsessed with succeeding in the academic world and following in her father’s footsteps. There’d been no time for a man—until now.

His hand slid away, landing on her shoulder once again. “But no matter how much I teased you, you always turned me down cold.”

She blinked up at him, more tongue-tied than usual around Louisville’s bad boy. She might be able to quote complex sociological theory and speak in front of a lecture hall full of hundreds of students, but she had no clue how to converse with a man on an intimate level.

“So why don’t you explain to me what’s going on?” He maneuvered her toward the office chair at the lounge’s lone computer terminal, then gently pushed her into the seat. Pulling over another chair, he plunked down in front of her and waited.

Maddy sighed. “I guess that means no?”

There was something unbearably sad about having your best friend turn you down, even though Cal surely had no idea he rated as the closest friend she’d ever had. He probably had other people off campus who were more important in his life with his chain of garages, but Madeline’s world of geeky scholars and tenure-obsessed assistant professors brightened whenever Cal was around. She valued the evenings they’d sit together comparing problematic students, the demands of the administration, the joys of the classroom.

Cal lifted his hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “It means that if the Lady Scholar is propositioning a guy from the wrong side of the tracks like me, then her world has obviously been turned upside down. So out with it.”

The soft scrape of his fingers against her cheek imparted a pleasure that went far beyond the thrills she found in a successful day of research. Cal’s work-roughened hands, the same ones that had wrestled blowtorches and solder guns, caressed her so gently.

Yet she knew that physical pleasure was only temporary, even if she’d never fully experienced it before. Her career field—sociological studies—had always been the one constant in her life. She had to find a way to get her project approved. If only Cal would help.

Cal watched Madeline take deep breaths. She was an odd bird, his Lady Scholar, but he’d had the hots for her since laying his hands on her engine and his eyes on her up-tipped nose four years ago. Intelligent, diligent, and already respected for her contributions to the sociology department even at her young age, Maddy embodied the qualities he most admired in a person.

The fact that she also epitomized the absentminded professor only added to her appeal. Cal guessed she had miles of dark hair, even though she wore it in some sort of knot all the time. She seemed to have no clue she was gorgeous—in a sweet, unassuming way. Cal wondered sometimes if he was the only guy on campus who recognized it. Maddy trooped around the university in sensible shoes and glasses, her delicate figure hidden beneath her bulky men’s clothing.

Cal had passed many pleasurable hours imagining precisely what that body looked like beneath those baggy shirts. Like a car cover over a vintage Vette, her clothes kept her hidden. But Cal had always been able to spot a classic, even when shrouded. She’d put up with enough of his come-ons to last her through her next two degrees and hadn’t once bitten. What was her game now?

“Honey, I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s going on here, so you might as well spill it.”

He got up to get her a cup of coffee while she pulled herself together. This had become part of their ritual on Tuesday nights—kicking back in the lounge near his office, sharing java and tales from the classroom. Cal enjoyed shaking off the blue-collar world of his car repair shops with some academic talk, but not nearly as much as he liked being near Maddy. He’d always flirted with her, but now he accepted the friendship she offered. He was safer with friendship anyway, considering his history with relationships.

Friendship he could handle. According to his ex-wife, it was the serious, intimate relationships he screwed up.

Willing away unhappy memories, he returned with two mugs to find Maddy’s eyes were bright with unshed tears. She didn’t look sad exactly. She looked…furious.

“They turned down my dissertation!” She wailed the words as if she’d announced Armageddon.

“I’m sorry.” What did that have to do with her sheet-burning plea? This woman had just flipped his world and now she wanted to talk about her research?

“The dissertation committee wants me to continue my work in literary sociology, but I’m not interested in that anymore.” She removed her glasses and pressed the heels of her hands against her forehead.

Cal felt a moment of triumph to see her wide, dark eyes without their perpetual tortoiseshell screen. He folded her glasses and set them aside. “You’ve had a lot of success in that arena, right?”

“Yes, but I’m ready to move on. I got into sociology because I wanted to study people, not literary theory. I want to do a pure sociological study.”

What was it about her stuffy way of speaking that acted like a hormone shot in the arm? The way those luscious lips wrapped around lofty concepts proved brains and beauty could coexist quite happily. “Okay. What did you propose?” He steeled himself for more of her highbrow speak by taking a long swig of coffee.

“I want to study human mating rituals.”

It took every bit of control he possessed to not spew coffee on her shoes. Instead, he opted to choke down his drink and indulge in a long coughing spell.

“Are you okay?” she asked, hammering him on the back with a surprisingly strong fist.

“I don’t know,” he rasped. “I think you’re just taking me a little by surprise today.”

She stiffened. “You don’t think I’m cut out for it, either, do you?”

“What?” Dear Lord, he’d barely recovered his breath. He wasn’t ready for round two.

“You don’t think I’m the kind of woman who knows enough about the mating process to write effectively about it.” She stood, all five and a half feet of her trembling with anger and indignation.

“Is that what your review committee said?” No wonder she was upset.

She seemed to lose a bit of her edge then, sinking back down into the chair, defeated. “Just because I don’t go out very much doesn’t mean I can’t see mating rituals all around me. It’s not like I don’t have…feelings.”

Thank goodness his coffee cup remained firmly planted on the table, where he intended to leave it for the rest of this conversation. “Just where have you been hanging out to witness these…whatever you call them…‘mating rituals’?” Cal didn’t know if he’d be able to continue this discussion if they kept flinging around the term “mating.”

“I don’t mean the sex act,” she informed him. “I mean the flirtation that goes on between men and women as a prelude to sex. The human equivalent of mating calls. You know.” She waved her hand in the air as if he would understand exactly what she meant. “Mating rituals.”

Heat surged through him. He couldn’t sit there staring back at her any longer, so he got up and paced the lounge. “This is what you want to study for your dissertation?”

“I want to do some empirical research on what sorts of flirtation leads to an actual relationship.”

Cal wiped a hand over his face. “Now you mean the sex act.”

She beamed at him like a star pupil. “Exactly.”

“Won’t this be difficult to follow up on?” No wonder her plan had gotten turned down by the review committee. If there had been any men on that board, they wouldn’t have been able to sit still through her risqué proposal. “I mean, how will you know what takes place between men and women after they leave your field of vision?”

“Interviews.” She sipped her coffee, appearing more calm now that they were discussing her field.

He, on the other hand, felt edgier than a caged beast. “I see.”

But he didn’t see. All he could envision was naive Madeline Watson camping out at area singles bars in her glasses and sensible shoes, getting hit on by the hounds that hang out in those places. She might be a smart lady when it came to college, but she had obviously lived a sheltered life. She didn’t know anything about the world Cal had grown up in—a world where guts and determination counted for more than any degree.

She set her coffee mug back on the table and traced the red U of L logo with an idle finger. “One of the members of the dissertation committee implied I didn’t get approved because I’m not experienced enough to handle such a racy project. Can you imagine?”

That had been his thought exactly. How could you write about flirtation when you’d never tried it? He, of all people, knew Madeline Watson wasn’t the type of woman a guy could trade sexual innuendos with. He’d gotten the impression that because her father had been a single parent and a brilliant scientist to boot, Maddy had been a little overprotected.

“But I’ve decided I’m not going to take no for an answer.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m going to repropose the project.” She looked up at him, her gaze unusually sure and steady. “But first, I’m going to procure some of the experience the committee seems to think I’m lacking.”

Cal paused in mid-pace and sank onto one of the tables for support. “You’re going to procure experience?” He had that feeling you get when they’re reading off the lottery numbers and you have them all right so far. Did the Lady Scholar really want to use him for…practice? He couldn’t decide whether to be insulted or excited as hell.

“Yes.” She stood, her back straight beneath her bulky men’s dress shirt.

Still, he could see her fingers pluck a nervous rhythm against the cuff of an overly long sleeve.

“But I need to create a public splash as I do this experience gathering. I need to have an affair that will be highly visible.”

Damn. Maddy’s public splash was dousing cold water over a scheme that had started out sounding so promising. He couldn’t afford a high-visibility affair. Not anymore. “And you were coming to me with this proposal because…?”

Maybe part of him wanted to hear that she’d found something to admire in him after all this time. Underneath that proper exterior, did Madeline Watson hide a small flame for the garage mechanic?

“I came to you because you’ve got the most notorious reputation on campus. If I’m seen so much as walking to class with you, my status as the inexperienced bookworm with nothing to do on Saturday nights will disappear. And if, perhaps, you imparted a passionate public kiss or two…”

Cal’s insides twisted. She only wanted him because his bad reputation might rub off on her. She wanted the man he once was, not the man he was trying to become—the man he had to be if he had any hopes of gaining custody of his sister.

Even so, he would have jumped all over that offer a few months ago. He’d have given anything to see what happened when uptight Madeline decided to take a walk on the wild side. If her actions tonight were any indication of what was in store, then it sounded pretty damn enticing to him.

But Madeline officially ranked as a graduate student at U of L, even though she taught more classes than he did. Relations between graduate students and teachers—including part-time ones such as Cal—were frowned upon by the administration. Cal couldn’t risk the potential scandal of a relationship like that right now. He was sort of surprised Maddy would, considering her dedication to her job. This project obviously meant a lot to her.

Madeline studied him intently, the flicking rhythm of her fingers against her shirt cuff picking up pace. “Will you help me?”

Cal closed his eyes, knowing he would damn himself for a long time to come. “I’m sorry, Maddy. I can’t.”

He was prepared for her to be disappointed. He wasn’t prepared for the horror in her voice as she echoed his words back at him.

“Can’t? What do you mean, you can’t?”

2

SHOCKED AT CAL’S announcement, Madeline allowed her gaze to roam over the broad expanse of his impressive chest. “I have a hard time believing that, Cal Turner. You have the most notorious reputation on campus! I don’t think you could have claimed such a distinction without being perfectly capable of fulfilling the mating function.”

Cal’s jaw dropped as he gaped at her. “I am capable, Maddy.” He squeezed his temples, his closed jaw now flexing in what appeared to be a case of vast frustration. “In fact, I am more than capable.”

An odd flash of relief sizzled through her at that news. Her quest to study mating rituals aside, she recognized that she had propositioned Cal because she’d been attracted to him for years.

His hands fell to his sides and he stalked toward her. There was no other way to describe how he zeroed in on her as he approached. Like a watchdog with hackles raised, Cal seemed to have flexed every muscle in his possession. She could pick out the lines of virtually every one exposed to her view.

Madeline swallowed hard, trying to will away thoughts of the strong sinews that were off limits to her hungry gaze. Her interest in him wasn’t purely carnal, after all. She might have always been attracted to Cal, but she never would have approached him if she hadn’t desperately needed his help for scientific purposes.

He didn’t stop until he stood toe to toe with her—until his big chest hovered inches from her starched shirt. Her flesh tingled and tightened in direct response to the heat of his body.

“I am also very ready, and physically willing.” Cal’s hazel eyes seemed to darken to almost-brown as he stared down at her. “Do you know what that means?”

Madeline forced herself to not look down. “I have a pretty good idea.”

“The problem is not that I can’t, Professor, but that I will not allow myself to indulge in…” His gaze slid from her eyes to her body, and perused her with aching slowness. “…the pleasure.”

Awareness kicked to life, making her wish for the first time that she was the kind of woman who wore silks instead of cottons. Would he have taken her up on her proposition then?

“Oh.” The edgy hunger inside her started to fade—a little anyway—as it began to sink in that he was really telling her no. She took a deep breath and attempted to smile politely. “I see.”

“No. You don’t see.” Cal stepped back a pace and seated himself on one of the tables.

Madeline had no desire to hear Cal’s excuses for not sleeping with her. She’d put herself on the line and he’d turned her down flat. She wouldn’t stick around for a let’s-still-be-friends speech.

“That’s okay.” She retrieved her glasses and shoved them back where they belonged. Picking up her U of L mug, she retreated to the lounge’s small kitchen area. As she washed the cup and placed it back on the rack next to a dozen other people’s mugs, she rambled. “I just happened to think of you because we’ve been friends for a while, and I thought you were safe.”

Maddy noticed Cal wince, so she hastened on “But I guess it was a pretty bold thing of me to even ask. Especially since the university could officially ax us if we went too public with a relationship.” The administration frequently overlooked liaisons of that sort, but Madeline knew better than to risk her job, didn’t she? The whole idea had been crazy—a lame-brained attempt to fulfill a fantasy and to show her review committee she wasn’t such an inexperienced old maid after all. She tried to edge past him to the door. “I’d better get back to work now.”

“Maddy, wait.” He reached out to her, cupping a hand around each of her upper arms.

She wanted to keep on walking. But some emotion in his eyes proved even more compelling than his touch.

Madeline waited.

“I need to keep a low profile these days because I’m trying to gain custody of my half sister.” Cal let go of her, and reached into his pocket. He pulled out his wallet and flipped it open to a worn photo of a grinning preteen with braces. “Of course, she’s sixteen and twice as much trouble now.”

“She’s a half sister?” Madeline couldn’t help but be intrigued by this rare glimpse of Cal Turner’s private life, even if he had delivered a healthy blow to her ego tonight.

“After my mom left us, my dad married Allison’s mom and Allison was born a couple of years later.” Cal traced his thumb over the little girl’s smiling face before snapping the leather billfold closed. “We were pretty close, even after I left Tennessee, but when Dad and Allison’s mother died in that crash this spring…”

Madeline squeezed his hand, unsure what other comfort to give. “I know that hit you hard.”

Cal shrugged. “My dad and I had worked out our differences before then, but I know Allison is still pretty torn up. She stayed with her aunt for a few weeks and then called me to come get her. She moved in with me over the summer, and I’m trying to gain legal custody.”

“I bet that’s a project.” Madeline recalled her father’s headaches when he’d made a motion to obtain sole custody of his only daughter. Cal’s battle would no doubt be twice as hard.

“Especially when Allison’s aunt Delia is convinced I’m a bad influence.” Cal shook his head. “The woman has never forgiven me for riding around the neighborhood on a motorcycle when I was a teenager. You know those people who see a motorcycle and right away assume you’re a Hell’s Angel, ready to spirit away their daughters?”

Madeline had never seen a Hell’s Angel or been worried about anyone spiriting her off, but the idea sounded sort of exciting. She nodded, eager to hear the rest of the story.

“Anyway, Aunt Delia is contesting the motion and trying to prevent me from winning guardianship. Not that Delia wants to take care of Allison herself—she just can’t bear to see me win this suit.”

“What a nightmare.” Madeline couldn’t have felt like more of a heel for worrying about her problems when Cal’s seemed so much bigger. It also deflated her to realize that Cal hadn’t considered her a close enough friend to share this part of his personal life.

“And there are other hoops to jump through,” Cal continued. “Mostly because Allison’s a certifiable genius. She started classes here this semester.”

“Here? At U of L?”

Cal grinned, brotherly pride lighting his features. “She graduated high school early and now she’s tackling college.”

“A sixteen-year-old in college.” Madeline shook her head. “You have your hands full.”

“I don’t know, Maddy. Sometimes I think she’s more mature than me.”

Madeline knew a thing or two about gifted students, and she doubted that was the case. Highly intelligent people often hid social uncertainty behind a screen of erudite conversation. She didn’t share her insights with Cal, though. He had enough on his mind.

“But I wanted you to know what I’m trying to do so you’ll understand why I can’t take you up on a very tempting offer.” He lifted her hands to his lips and graced the back of each one with a chaste kiss. “I’ve got to mend a reputation that’s been a lifetime in the making, so I can’t take any chances making a splash on campus now. Especially with you being a grad student.”

Madeline nodded and pulled back her hands. She hadn’t given much thought to that particular issue. She’d known Cal before he’d even started teaching. “It’s okay. I mean, it would have been great if you could have helped me, but I’ll figure something out.”

Cal frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean, I’ll come up with another plan to get my dissertation approved.” Her mind had already started to brainstorm, searching for a new approach to the problem as she backed toward the door.

He nodded and flashed her a wink. “Okay. Just as long as there are no more steamy propositions involved.”

Maybe the wretched happenings of her day had made her less circumspect than usual, but for some reason Madeline couldn’t suppress a wicked giggle. “As a purveyor of human mating rituals, steamy propositions are my new business, Cal.”

She pushed open the door, wondering why he was scowling. “Don’t worry about me. And good luck with your sister!”

As Madeline squeaked down the corridor in her sensible shoes, she tried not to think about how deliciously gratifying a night with Cal Turner would have been. She couldn’t very well force the man.

Instead, she focused on the new plan of action quickly taking shape in her head. Since she wouldn’t be gaining any notice—or notoriety—on the arm of the campus playboy, it was clearly time for Madeline Watson to invest in a red dress.

AS CAL STEPPED OUT of his vintage Chevy in the shopping mall parking lot the next day, he didn’t take any of his usual pleasure in the compliments strangers tossed his way.

He nodded in acknowledgment of one teen’s, “Nice ride, man,” but his heart wasn’t in it. His day at the new garage had been tormented with thoughts of Madeline. He’d attempted to suppress thoughts of her in the scramble to move into his new office, but no matter how hard he tried, he hadn’t been able to excise Maddy or her tempting request from his mind. He’d been awake half the night envisioning just how rewarding it would have been to take the Lady Scholar to his bed.

Not that he regretted his decision, he assured himself as he strode through the mall, peering into one store after another in search of his shopaholic half sister. Really, what choice did he have? Allison’s well-being meant more to him than his own. His first priority was to secure guardianship of her and to get her settled in school. He didn’t imagine Aunt Delia would send an investigator up from Tennessee to spy on him or anything, but he did worry that the social services department would watch him all the more closely because she was contesting his suit for custody. Who knew when they would track him down for a surprise visit?

Besides, Allison required some stability in her life again, and she needed to cultivate some pleasures besides shopping. That meant Cal needed to spend more time with her. An affair with Maddy, especially a very public affair, was out of the question.

Refusing to think about what man Maddy might approach next with her scheme, Cal concentrated on finding his sister and getting out of shopper’s heaven. His mother’s main passion in life was shopping, and she had dragged her only son with her day after day to indulge her addiction.

Or at least she had until his father’s money ran out and she’d moved on to more lucrative husbands. By Cal’s calculation, Mom was now on spouse number six, while Cal’s shopping aversion remained unchanged.

Allison’s voice cut through his brooding. “Over here, Cal!”

He located her in the food court, surrounded by packages and grinning triumphantly. Today, as always, she wore every conceivable gadget on her body—rings, bangles, handbag, scarf, hat, belt, pins. The theme today seemed to be “cowgirl,” because she wore a cowboy hat he’d never seen before, Western boots with a denim skirt, and about ten turquoise necklaces. The purse she carried looked like a saddlebag, complete with a silver sheriff’s star pinned to the brown leather strap.

“The Limited was having a sale,” she announced, gesturing toward the overflowing bags.

Cal hated to squash her enthusiasm, but she had to ease off the spending. He’d indulged her so far, because he couldn’t bear to say no to a grieving child, but he couldn’t see hocking his collection of classic cars to support Allison’s shopping addiction.

“We’ll talk about the mountain of purchases later.” He reached for the bags. “I need to get going, though, I—”

At her pout, he noticed her half-eaten bagel and full cup of soda.

“Okay.” He pulled out one of the metal chairs and straddled it, joining her at the small table. “Five minutes, but then I’ve got to take you home so I can go back to the garage.”

“Thanks, Cal.” Allison twirled her short blond braid between her fingers and launched into a description of her day, complete with imitations of her professors.

Cal relaxed for the first time since Maddy’s proposal, grateful for his sister’s ability to remind him of his priorities. Allison was smart, funny and warmhearted, and she deserved every bit of love and security Cal could give her.

The afternoon was improving by the minute until Cal caught sight of the women’s lingerie store just outside the food court. Or rather, the afternoon was improving until Cal caught sight of a particular woman entering the lingerie store directly behind Allison’s Stetson.

He would recognize the signature button-down shirt and slouchy skirt anywhere. Madeline Watson’s heavy leather shoes tread silently on the marble floor, allowing her to walk through life without turning any heads but his.

Cal forgot his promise to himself to not think about her. He lost track of Allison’s story as he watched Maddy through the clear glass of the store front window.

Her ethereal profile seemed all the more delicate in contrast to the large frames of her tortoiseshell glasses. Her dark hair twirled around her head in a seemingly endless spiral, finally tucking back down inside itself to form a weighty knot.

Cal’s fingers itched to touch that silky mass. Would it be as long as he imagined?

His gaze dropped lower, hungry for more of her, when his eyes encountered a sign that sent a flash fire through his veins.

He’d never spied on a woman before, but he couldn’t have torn his gaze from the scene in front of him if a vintage Duesenberg rolled down the mall corridor. Less than thirty feet away, Madeline Watson lingered over a display table labeled Bikinis And Thongs.

“Cal, you haven’t heard one word I’ve said, have you?” The concern in Allison’s voice drifted through his consciousness.

“Um, yeah,” Cal managed to reply, reaching absently for his sister’s soda. He took a long swig, but the icy drink failed to cool the heat generated by quiet, unassuming Maddy as she lifted a scrap of black silk and lace from the pile.

Somewhere, in the foggy recesses of his brain, Cal registered the fact that Allison swiveled in her chair to follow his gaze.

“Did the lingerie shop put up new pictures or something?”

Cal couldn’t find words to respond because Maddy chose that moment to toss a handful of Bikinis And Thongs into a small shopping basket.

Visions of the Lady Scholar in her glasses and black panties robbed him of breath. Not that he’d ever mentally undressed her before, but if he had, he would have pegged her for white cotton. The addition of black silk to his fantasies would make Madeline all the more difficult to forget.

The cowgirl turned toward him again. “Hey, isn’t that Professor Watson?”

The sound of her name brought Cal crashing back to reality. Before he could think of an appropriate answer, Allison was tossing her leftovers into the garbage and gathering her deputized saddlebag.

She gave him an elbow nudge. “Come on, let’s go say hi.”

Horror crawled through him in the wake of Allison’s rustling shopping bags. “Wait, Al. I don’t think we should….” He rose to halt his sister, unwilling to confront Maddy while she shopped for sexy lingerie.

Allison merely waved him forward as she pulled open the door to the store. “Come on!” she called airily, strolling inside and missing the thunderous look he purposely threw her way.

Cal followed, silently vowing to wring his sister’s neck. Why had he ever encouraged Allison to sign up for Maddy’s class at the university?

He hesitated at the door, knowing he had no choice but to say hello, yet cursing his bad luck just the same. Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside.

A feminine, floral scent assailed him. Silk, lace and satin draped the bright pink walls of the store. Some guys might feel comfortable in a feminine domain such as this, but Cal Turner was not one of them. He jammed his hands into his pockets to prevent himself from inadvertently knocking some delicate item from its perch and consoled himself by imagining this was how some women felt when they entered a garage for the first time.

On the other side of a rack of garter belts, he could hear Allison rambling in sixteen-year-old fashion. “…so when I want to shop after school, Cal picks me up in time for dinner.”

He also heard the trepidation in Maddy’s voice.

“Cal?”

If there had been a way to retreat, he would have. But his only option was to ditch his sister, and Cal wasn’t about to do that, especially not in some racy lingerie store.

Stepping around the rack into the aisle, Cal brazened it out. “Hey, Maddy.” He knew Madeline would probably feel twice as awkward as he did. He grabbed his sister’s arm and tugged Allison toward the door. “We were just headed home.”

All Madeline had to do was toss him a token “Nice to see you,” and he would be home free.

“Wait.” She hurried toward them, toting her own armfull of shopping bags and the basket containing enough lingerie to fuel a man’s dreams for a year. “As long as you’re here, would you mind giving me a man’s opinion on a little purchase?”

Sweat beaded on his forehead as Maddy set down her basket. He caught another glimpse of its provocative contents and swallowed. Hard.

Before she could reach for anything titillating, Cal nudged his sister in front of him.

“Allison knows more about that stuff than me.” Cal knew Maddy wouldn’t show anything too suggestive to his sixteen-year-old sister.

Madeline frowned. “But I wanted to see what you—”

“Really, she does. Did I mention she is a certified genius? ” He squeezed his sister’s shoulders with what he hoped looked like brotherly affection and not a controlled urge to strangle her.

Obviously the time had come to ditch his sister. There was no way Cal could view Madeline’s slinky purchases without breaking his vow to live a more circumspect life. With the black silk and yesterday’s torrid proposal both working against him, Cal was about ten seconds away from spiriting Madeline out of the store and cashing in on her offer to fire up the sheets.

What else could a guy do besides cut his losses and run? Maybe Maddy would be forced to make more conservative choices with his sister in tow. Although Cal had the feeling that even Maddy in white cotton would have him sinking to his knees singing a hallelujah chorus. He edged closer to the door. “I, uh, parked at the main entrance, Allison, just come on out when you ladies finish up here.”

“But—” Madeline took a step toward him.

“See you soon, Maddy,” he rushed on, flashing her a forced grin and a wave as he backed out the door.

He pretended to not hear when his sister called to him.

He waited alone in his car for a good half hour before his breathing returned to normal. When Allison finally appeared at the car door, he had no interest in hearing what the two women might have discussed. He flicked on the radio to avoid a conversation that might induce further torturous thoughts.

As he started the car and headed home, Cal was plagued by images of Madeline holding the black panties between her delicate fingertips. The worst part was that Cal knew she wasn’t buying that scrap of lace for him.

Apparently, Maddy’s plan to gain some mating rituals experience would now target another guy. The lingerie that Cal had spied would be used to seduce someone else. Cal would never have the pleasure of seeing Madeline unbutton her bulky men’s shirt to reveal the skinny black straps of a lace bra. That satisfaction would be given to another man. The thought caused his gut to twist.

After his hellish experience today, Cal now had one more reason to hate shopping malls. From now on, Allison would have to find another way home from her favorite haunt, because Cal wasn’t venturing anywhere near the sight of black satin for a long time.

3

THE TRANSITION from wallflower to bombshell wasn’t going to be easy, but Madeline thought if her eyelashes could only support a few more coats of mascara, she might have a fighting chance.

At very least, her red dress fit the bombshell mode. What would Cal say if he could see her now decked in the sexiest thing she’d ever owned? Would he be so quick to refuse her?

She’d hoped to get his opinion on the dress at the mall, but he’d been too busy running from her to look at it.

Madeline stepped back from the full-length mirror in the women’s locker room. The university gym was deserted on Friday nights, making it a perfect place for her transformation. Because she hadn’t really wanted to prance around her neighborhood in the raw silk sheath, she’d decided to get ready for her evening out at work. She’d brought her new outfit and a shopping bag full of makeup to school this morning, and she’d spent the past hour attempting to follow all the instructions the woman at the cosmetic counter had given her.

She stared at her image critically, trying to decide if her eyeliner made her eyes look lopsided, when the door to the locker room squeaked.

Thank goodness. Help had arrived.

The cavalry appeared in the form of Dr. Rose Marie Blakely. The six-foot-tall, imposing sociology department chair met Madeline’s gaze in the mirror’s reflection.

“Holy Toledo, Maddy, what happened to you?” Rose Marie yanked Madeline around to look at her firsthand. “I can’t decide if you’re going for Oscar Night glamour or the Whore of Babylon look.”

Although Rose Marie was twenty years older than Madeline and as uninhibited as Madeline was guarded, the women had formed a solid friendship in Madeline’s years at U of L. They frequently ate lunch together and stayed late at the university talking about work.

“The dress is killer,” Rose Marie observed, flipping her long blond hair over her shoulder as she nodded approval at the short sheath with tiny rhinestone buckles at the waist. She walked in a precise circle around Madeline, her uncommon height and girth giving her the look of a fabled Amazon warrior. “But despite the makeup, you look like you haven’t slept in days.”

Hmm. Madeline had rather hoped she looked a step above insomniac. After Cal Turner had turned her down flat, she’d decided she wouldn’t waste any more years stuck inside her haphazard dress and hiding behind her glasses. She’d been living in the ivory tower too long, sheltered by the academic world she’d called home since her childhood with her single father the professor. Maybe if her mom had stuck around she might have cultivated more in the feminine wiles department.

Maddy frowned. “Not quite. I called you here because I obviously need some help.”

She might not be able to coerce Cal into helping her cultivate a more worldly reputation, but with a little effort, she felt sure she could attract another man’s notice.

Although she was finding it difficult to work up much enthusiasm for the project now that her target had to be someone other than Cal. Maybe she should forget about experiencing the mating dance and just observe….

No. She would not chicken out just because Cal rejected her. She would prove to him, and herself, that she could do this.

With her dissertation project all but swinging in the gallows, she had to act fast. She couldn’t wait around for Cal to gain guardianship of his sister—if that was even his real reason for not going out with her.

If she didn’t start changing her reputation in a hurry, the dissertation committee would nix her mating rituals study for good. Then she’d turn into a crusty old academic, researching something boring like literary sociology because she was an uptight prude with the social skills of a robot.

This dissertation was important to her—a departure from her usual staid research projects. For once, she would have the courage to conduct an investigative study that truly interested her.

Dr. Rose stepped closer and ran her fingers beneath Madeline’s eye. She peered down at the black goo left on her fingers. “Good Lord, the dark circles are makeup?”

Madeline shrugged, pointing to the bench with her bagful of cosmetic loot. “The saleswoman suggested one of everything, since I didn’t have anything to start with.”

Rose Marie raised her finely arched eyebrows. “Oh, did she now?” She stepped over to the bench and peered inside the bag. “Vitamin C serum. Revitalizing concealer cream. Eyebrow gel?” Rose Marie pawed through the contents, shaking her head and sending long hair dancing across her floral blazer. “What exactly did you use?”

“A little of everything.”

“Everything?”

“I wouldn’t have lugged it all around campus, Rose, if I didn’t think I had to use it all.”

Rose Marie puffed out a martyred sigh and pointed a manicured nail toward the bathroom. “Okay, Maddy. Dig out your oxidizing facial scrub and wash all that stuff off.”

Madeline scooped up her cotton robe and a towel and did as she was bid. One didn’t question the wisdom of Dr. Rose.

“And remind me to get you a subscription to Cosmo for your birthday,” Rose Marie shouted. “I can’t believe you’ve never worn makeup before.”

“My father said serious scholars don’t wear makeup,” Madeline called over the running water. Then, realizing her gaffe as she envisioned Rose Marie’s precisely defined red lips, Madeline added, “Of course, he can be a little closed-minded.”

By the time Madeline had banished every trace of her failed makeover, Rose Marie had set up a chair in front of the mirror.

“I’m taking over here, Maddy. Have a seat.” Rose Marie burrowed into the cosmetic bag. “But in exchange I want to know exactly what you’re up to tonight.”

While Rose Marie patted Madeline’s face with powder, Madeline kept her story as simple as she could. She omitted her encounter with Cal, of course. There was no sense relating that embarrassing tale.

“So you’re going out on the town tonight in pursuit of a man to flaunt around campus…preferably a guy who can’t keep his hands off you in public and who can effectively tarnish your reputation.”

Madeline squinted to see what Rose Marie did with her little makeup brush. Unfortunately, Madeline could scarcely see beyond her nose without her glasses. “Pretty much.”

“Has it occurred to you that maybe you ought to just give the committee time to adjust to the idea of your mating rituals study?” Rose Marie suggested. “Maybe you should wait a few weeks and propose it again.”

Madeline shook her head. “I can’t risk them turning it down twice. I didn’t get involved in sociology so I could study books. I want to study people.”

“Personally, I love the concept.” Rose Marie flicked a skinny brush across Madeline’s eyelid with efficient strokes. “I might be able to help find a more supportive faculty member to sit on your committee, but you know I can’t interfere with the committee’s eventual decision.”

Madeline halted Rose Marie’s hand and looked her in the eye. “I would never ask you to.”

Nodding, Rose Marie clicked one small compact closed, then opened another. “Okay. But tell me this. Just how are you going to say a graceful good-night to your male prospect tonight when he tries to take you back to his place?”

A little flutter of fear rolled through her. “I hadn’t really thought of that.” If Cal had accepted her proposal, she wouldn’t have to concern herself with fighting off a man. Instead, Cal would be stuck fending off her advances.

“The Commonwealth of Kentucky boasts some fine young men, Maddy, but you can’t count on every one of them being a gentleman. You need to be careful.” Rose Marie reached for the topknot on Madeline’s head and unfastened the scrunchy. “Wow! You look like Morticia.”

Madeline eyed her damp hair. “It’s sort of flat. I usually just leave it up.”

“When you called me for help, you were admitting I’m the expert. Now sit still while I find the blow-dryer and we’ll give you some serious glam.”

Thirty minutes later Madeline walked out of the gym in her red dress and heels, her long hair swinging a seductive rhythm against her back. Sure, she still had her glasses on, but Rose Marie had assured her she was a knock-out.

Besides, she couldn’t watch what was happening around her if she couldn’t see. How sexy would it be if she accidentally drank from a flower arrangement, mistaking it for a fruity umbrella drink? Madeline promised herself she would think about getting contacts next week.

She felt different with her hair down…more daring, maybe a little decadent. Rose Marie had ended up putting barely any makeup on her, but she’d spent half an hour blow-drying Madeline’s long hair and brushing the ends so they would curl under.

Madeline was just about ready to go out, except that she wanted to retrieve the can of Mace she kept in the desk drawer at her office. Ever since one of the teachers had been assaulted by a student, Madeline had kept the can tucked away just in case. After Rose Marie’s warning about ardent gentleman, Madeline decided to take it along for her night on the town.

Certainly her reason for going back to her office didn’t have anything to do with the fact that Cal taught a continuing education business class on Friday nights. Or that Madeline would have to walk right by his building.

Okay, maybe a little part of her wished Cal would see her the one time in her life she had ever looked marginally sexy. And it wouldn’t hurt to gauge one man’s reaction to her appearance before she subjected herself to the larger test of the popular dance club she was planning to hit tonight. Seeing Cal would be like a trial run. A scientific experiment.

Rapidly rationalizing her plan, Maddy slowed outside of Honors Hall and waited for Cal’s class to emerge. She paced in front of the stately brick building in the twilight, making sure she remained on the sidewalk so her high heels wouldn’t sink into the damp grass.

To distract herself, she thought about how different the University of Louisville looked from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the campus where her father worked which was practically her hometown. Where Rensselaer had been sleek and new, Louisville was traditional and dignified. She loved the mishmash of brick buildings, the flowering trees and the rampant cardinals the school had adopted as its mascot.

The pace was slower here and Madeline appreciated that. Even though she’d worked hard to make a place for herself in the academic world, the environment here wasn’t as cutthroat as in her father’s realm.

She pushed her glasses up on her nose, belatedly recognizing the telltale sign of nervousness carried over from her youth.

“This is silly,” she muttered, annoyed with herself for stalking a guy as if she were a lovelorn teenager.

Despite Cal’s playboy reputation, Madeline knew he was a sharp man with a successful business to run and a busy life to manage. He didn’t need her and her adolescent schemes taking up his time.

She turned on her heel to leave just as the double doors swung wide and a small troop of students emerged.

Madeline picked up her speed, not an easy task in spike heels. Now that she had talked herself out of her plan, she definitely didn’t want to be caught loitering outside Cal’s class.

“MADDY?”

Cal watched the woman in the red dress walk away, wondering if he had dreamed the resemblance to Madeline. He squinted to get a better view of her in the growing dusk.

He hardly ever took note of flashy women anymore, having outgrown that particular preference long ago. He’d worn himself out on the insubstantial type in that year of living hell after his divorce.

But something about this woman had grabbed his attention. There was a familiarity to her efficient little walk, her regal bearing, that sent a message of quiet reserve in spite of her sexy get-up.

“Maddy?” he called her name again. If it had been her, wouldn’t she have turned around?

He stepped up the pace, determined to satisfy his curiosity. He didn’t think it really could be her. After all, what would the Lady Scholar be doing garbed in come-hither shoes and a dress three inches shy of her knees?

And then he knew. It was Friday night, and Madeline Watson was putting her plan into effect.

Searching for a man to seduce.

Oh, God.

Fury kicked through him, sending his legs into a sprint. He caught her in ten strides. One firm tug on her slender arm caused her to topple off her heels and straight into his arms.

“Oh!” Her breathless gasp would have confirmed her identity, even if his gut instinct hadn’t.

For one mind-numbing moment Maddy lingered against him, imprinting her compact curves on his body. Lust mingled with the anger simmering in his veins.

She looked gorgeous. Sexy as hell in her tiny silk dress, she revealed a tantalizing glimpse of skin. She was every inch the temptress, glasses perched on her nose and all. There was something incredibly appealing about a woman in a little red dress who wore glasses.

Her hair swirled around her like a dark sea. The strands shimmered and swayed in the streetlight as she moved, robbing her of her usual reserved look.

He used both hands to steady her.

Or to feel her. He couldn’t honestly say which.

But his hands fit right into the notch of her waist as if they were meant to be there. The smooth silk of her dress seemed to beg for his touch, but he contented himself with gently smoothing the fabric over her hips.

“Cal.” She straightened and stepped away from him. “You startled me.”

He took in the dress and the expanse of long leg it revealed. Her shoulders were bared to his gaze, too, exposing golden skin and thin tan lines from a bathing suit. Looking down at her, he glimpsed a tantalizing hint of cleavage and…good Lord. Was that body glitter she had dusted in that particular curve?

The scent of raspberries seemed to emanate from her and he nearly groaned with the torment. He couldn’t have been more aroused if she’d strutted by him naked.

Then again…

“Good night, Mr. Turner!” One of his students waved as he jogged by, forcing Cal to recall where they were.

“See you next week,” he returned absently.

“I’d better go, too,” Maddy announced, spinning away from him.

“No.” He anchored her to him by the arm.

“No? What do you mean, no?” She glared up at him with the same mutinous look Allison had given him when he’d taken away her credit card yesterday.

“I mean, not yet. Not until you tell me what you’re doing traipsing around campus alone after dark in a dress like that.”

She tilted her chin toward him. “I do not traipse.”

As another evening class let out around them, Cal heard a low wolf whistle among the crowd. He didn’t have to look around him to know the target.

He hustled Madeline toward the parking lot, wishing he had a jacket to toss over her shoulders. “Well, there you have it, gorgeous. You’ve already collected your first bit of research for your dissertation.”

She stumbled along next to him, apparently forgetting to be angry when her intellectual curiosity was piqued. “I have?”

He pressed his advantage and hurried her toward his car while she was distracted. “The wolf whistle is one of the earliest possible steps in a mating process.”

“What wolf whistle?” She stopped and peered around her, wide-eyed, as if waiting for wild hounds to emerge from the trees around campus.

“Come on, honey, I’ll explain it to you once we get to my car.” He couldn’t really account for his sudden need to hide her from anyone’s eyes but his own. In fact, he wasn’t sure he cared to examine his motivation right now. But that didn’t stop him from tugging her forward once more.

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 fire-power 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.”

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 new-found 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 correctly. “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.

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