Learning Curves

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.”