A Taste of Temptation (Love Spectrum Romance) (2 page)

“This better not go any further than this little huddle you’ve got me in.” Her eyes took on a dreamy look. “For lack of better words, it was out of this freakin’ world! I never knew sex could be like that. With Eric it was on the verge of boring. I could balance my checkbook while Eric and I were in bed, but with Polaris, every nerve ending was on fire!”

“He looks like he’s great at everything, especially sex. A man who looks like that can’t help but jam. Come to think of it, don’t you think he looks like Prince William? I bet he can jam, too.”

“Right, when the tabloids aren’t chasing him.” She looked at her watch. “We had better get back in there. My dreams are over!”

“You’ll figure out what to do. Just believe that you will.”

Brandi grabbed her books and walked toward the lecture hall. “There’s no solution to this problem.”

“You’re not going to see him after sharing a night with the only man you seem to care about?”

“He made it clear that night that it was a one-time thing.”

“And you were okay with that?”

“I had to be.”

“But if you like him…”

“I just said what could happen!”

“So you’re going to sit there day after day, remembering what you two did and not even try to make anything else happen?”

“Yep.”

“Have you changed that much?”

“Again, yep. I can’t ruin things for both of us, and apparently I can’t trust him, anyway.”

“I think it’s because he’s white. Your attraction to a white man scares you. You don’t want it out of the closet.”

“That’s not it! He was white the other night, and I wasn’t scared then.”

“I just don’t get what the urgency is.”

“Things have changed. Despite knowing what’s in his pants, I still have to get an education from him.”

“Sure wish I could experience what’s in his pants because he’s fine as hell, girl! You’re lucky.”

* * *

“Glad someone thinks so; I sure don’t.”

Tim had completed his course overview and was announcing the scholarship recipients when Brandi and Tiffany walked back in. Brandi and Tim’s eyes locked briefly and his mind kicked into maximum overdrive.
Please tell me this is not Brandi Miles.
The other name on his list of recipients was Joseph Drake; surely, that name didn’t match that lovely face. He looked at the name again.
This can’t be happening to me.
He squared his shoulders, trying to keep what little composure he had left. “Are you Brandi Miles?”

“Yes.” She stood frozen in her tracks. Tiffany had to force her into her seat. She stared at him open-mouthed, unaware of everything in the room other than the man talking to her. His voice was so real to her, as if she had heard it just the night before. He was impressive, memorable. She could still feel him making love to her as no man ever had. How his body moved through hers with powerful force.
He would be the one, wouldn’t he?

Tim forced himself to look back at the paper in his hand. Yes, there was a red star next to her name. He cleared his throat. “Welcome to Madison Tech, and congratulations on the Seymour Scholarship.”

Brandi felt hyperconscious of herself and her surroundings, as if everyone knew what she had done with him. She knew she was being paranoid. People were looking at her because it took mega brains to even apply for that scholarship, let alone win it. She knew he was aware of her intelligence based on their conversation that night. However, she hadn’t mentioned her schooling, and he had failed to inquire. Turns out to have been a bad move for both of them.

Throughout his lecture, his eyes came back to hers. Something that was normally so easy for him, such as teaching sophomore composition, suddenly was not very easy at all. He wanted to get out of there and never return. The fact that he was paid handsomely kept him there. Now Brandi would keep him there. He didn’t like the idea of having slept with a student, but couldn’t change it. His only recourse was to pray that it would stay between them.

Keeping his mind on track and away from the beautiful, five foot seven-inch, slender natural brunette who had rocked his world was the only ticket to his sanity. Continuing his lecture on 16th-century authors, he wrote several names on the board then turned to the students. “I’ve listed a few names for you. This is an easy question for anyone who has read the first two chapters. I’ve also given you some clues as to the major authors of this time period, but some names have been left off. These are the prominent ones for this century, and you should know all. I need a volunteer to come to the board and fill in the rest. If you know, raise your hand. Reading the first chapter was a requirement, not an option, as indicated in your syllabus.” Arms raised high as he scanned the room. Brandi’s was one of them. He knew she could answer the question; after all, she had won the Seymour, but he was reluctant to call on her. She kept her hand up and he caved. “Yes, Miss Miles?

“I can do that, Dr. Polaris.”

Tiffany whispered in disbelief. “After all that crap you and I went through in the hall, now you decide to get all up in his face?”

“I know the answer, Tiff, that’s all.”

“Please come up and fill in the missing authors, Miss Miles. Remember this is for 16th century, not the following one. The next few chapters are on this century as well. It’s a hard chapter to follow. It’s like a chapter within a chapter, if that makes any sense.”

She remembered how direct he was, the type who usually got what he wanted, at least for the night she was with him. However, she was quite sure that he hadn’t
wanted
her showing up in his class after what they had done together. She felt skittish as she approached him, as if he might bite.

Nonetheless, she knew the answers and wasn’t going to let anyone or anything get in the way of the A she knew she had to get. She took the chalk from his hands and filled in the correct answers, sensing his closeness, smelling his Burberry’s Classic after-shave. He smelled like sex, wonderful sex, incredible sex, and it was making her mind race. She just wanted to finish and get away from him as quickly as possible before her body language betrayed her. There was still one answer, and he expected it from her.

As Brandi worked, he secretly eyed every caramel inch of her frame. Yes, she was definitely the one from the club; sensual, flawless complexion, like honey-butter and just as soft. Her small frame fit perfectly against him and he remembered craving every minute with her. It was a body worth dumping his ‘no women allowed beyond sexual contact’ mission statement. Almost. It was the relationship part that wasn’t allowed. And Brandi Miles looked like a relationship waiting to happen. When he came back to reality, Brandi was almost finished filling in a wrong answer.

He took the chalk from her shaking, sweating hand, and filled in the correct name of the missing author. “This is excellent. You’ve got Anne Bradstreet, 1612–1672, Roger Williams, 1603–1683, Robert Beverly, 1673–1722, Daniel Defoe, 1660–1731, my personal favorite. You missed Mary Rowlandson, 1635–1678. Very good, though, Miss Miles. You were closer than expected with the correct response. I’m glad to see you involved, and remembered the women. They were very important during this era, an almost beginning to the women’s movement. Now I know why you received the Seymour.”

When Brandi returned to her seat, Tiffany whispered in her ear. “You belong to him, and you know it.”

“Drop it. Yes, Polaris is very sexy, but he’s also very off-limits, as you well know.”

“Fine. It’s dropped for now, but I know you won’t be able to leave it alone. I’ve known you since eighth grade, remember?”

“Tiffany, please.”

“Okay, I’ll cut you some slack.” They were both silent for a few seconds, but Tiffany couldn’t let anything rest. She kept on in a sly undertone. “I didn’t know you knew those authors the way you do. He likes smart women.”

“Didn’t you hear him? I
should
know what I’m doing in here. I received the Seymour, after all. Besides, how do you know he likes smart woman?”

“He told me.”

Brandi teased. “If he likes you for being smart then he should love me.”

“He does love you. Know what I’m saying?”

“Yes.”

Brandi spent the rest of the class trying to avoid looking at him, but he was so beautiful, so interesting. He made even the dullest of English lit fascinating. He was enthusiastic about it, born to teach it, and to make sure his students appreciated it as he did. For those reasons as well, Brandi couldn’t take her eyes from him; he was the most exciting instructor she had ever seen.

After class, Tiffany pulled Brandi’s sleeve. “You were mesmerized by him. You seemed to be in a trance over even the dullest of parts.”

“It’s not dull with him.”

“Yes, and for obvious reasons.”

“I don’t mean that.”

“I know what you’re saying; he is very good. He even has me lit up. So, you going up to talk to him, or is that brain of yours still on lockdown over ‘the situation’ you’re in?”

“Are you kidding? I can’t go up to him about that! Both he and I know what we did that night, and it’s a sticky situation.”

“You need to get over that and talk to him. He’s a man, not a boy, Brandi. He understands how the world works. Besides, if you talk to him, you could clear everything up.”

“Yeah, maybe, but it won’t be easy. This man saw me naked, for Christ’s sake. He saw every inch of me, and now I have to act as if nothing happened? How can I do that? I don’t know how to get out of a man’s bed one day and pretend nothing happened the next. I’m used to relationships.”

“Then have one with him and get it done. I wish that were my only problem.” She nodded in Tim’s direction. “Look at him, Brandi. Women crawling all over him, but he keeps looking over here at you. You could at least talk to the guy.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll talk to him, but only because you may fall apart if I don’t.” Clearing the air with him was a good idea. But it took Tiffany to make her do it.

CHAPTER 2

After the entourage of women left, Brandi approached him, reminding herself that Tiffany was right about clearing the air. She cleared her throat. “Dr. Polaris?”

Without looking up, he responded, not knowing exactly know what to say. He quickly got his head together. “Yes, Miss Miles? What can I help you with?”

“I need to talk to you.”

“I know you do.” He stood to greet her, lightly resting his hands on his slender hips. “Both of us need to talk about some rather serious circumstances.” He looked at the clock, then back to her. “Now is not a good time.”

Her thought processes were a jumble as she looked at him. “I can’t believe this is you in here.”

“Neither can I. This really took me off-guard…the last thing I expected this morning.”

“I understand. What time can I come back today?”

“After class is good; I have a prep period at three. Is that a good time for you?”

“Sure. I’ll be getting out of physics and can head right over.”

He moved a little closer to her, so close that she could see the tiny laugh lines at the corners of his mouth. The dimness of the nightclub had hidden just how good looking he was. Looking at him in the light of day, she saw that he was beautiful, but wrong for her in every conceivable way.

His voice brought her back. “Well, then, is there anything else?”

“No, nothing that can’t wait.”

“Then I’ll see you. I need to finish this coffee. I have a sudden need for extreme caffeine.” He sat back and picked up a stack of forms.

Directness seemed to be his preferred approach. When he ended things, he really ended them. They had their fun then it was gone. Just like that, just like now.

There was a bandage on the side of his forehead. It seemed like a trademark, and it was a sexy one, a bad boy’s. She walked to the door without mentioning it.

“Brandi, our time together a month ago was out of this world, for lack of a better term. I just wanted you to know that.”

“It certainly was, Dr. Polaris. God, I’ve gotten so used to calling you Jacob. I don’t even know what to call you now.”

“For our purposes it should be Dr. Polaris.”

“That’ll be hard since I know you as Jacob.”

His eyes shifted a bit. “I am sorry about that but…”

“I’m sure I can handle saying Dr. Polaris, but it’s your trademark that gave you away today. I wasn’t going to mention it, but…”

“Trademark?”

“The bandage. How did you get that bump on your head?”

“Someone pulled a costly move last night.”

“And, as usual, you took care of him, right?”

“How do you know that?”

“Remember, you and I talked about it after we danced? I asked you what happened.” She started smiling.

Becoming more and more bewitched, he added, “And…?”

“You said the same thing, that someone pulled a costly move.”

“That’s my stock answer.”

“I see that now.” She slung her book bag across her shoulders. “I guess I’ll be back by three.”

“Yes, I suppose you will, Miss Miles.” He watched her walk out, remembering their evening, how he kissed her, how incredible she tasted—like the sweetest of wine, and how much he knew he liked her. She was both smart and dazzling, attributes he had never experienced with just one woman. He hadn’t expected that dazzling woman to greet him in English Comp. He moved the pile of papers aside, feeling a migraine coming on. He hoped the rest of the semester wouldn’t go as badly as the first day of class.

* * *

The cafeteria doors opened and Tim walked out carrying two cups of coffee and a bagel. Her eyes followed the sexy young man with light-brown hair that shined golden highlights who had made her night two weeks ago seem magical. Jacob didn’t exist, and who was left in his place? A man she really didn’t know and wasn’t sure that she had wanted to know, despite the fact that she adored him beyond reason. But who was he, really? She didn’t know the answer. She now thought she should have had some clue before sleeping with him. Everyone makes mistakes on occasion, not to say that he was a mistake. However, he sure as hell was going to find out who
she
was.

It was 2:55. She had decided to give him a little time to drink his coffee to get composed before she traipsed in there lowering a bomb on him. At exactly 3 o’clock, she walked in. “Dr. Polaris you said it was okay to…”

He hadn’t looked up, but knew her voice. He had hoped she would get skittish about the meeting and decide to not come, yet there she was. He looked up putting on the best smile he could muster. “Sure, Miss Miles, come in. Just finishing a little lunch; I hardly get a chance to have anything on the first day.”

“Coffee and a bagel is lunch?”

“It is today.” He wiped the whipped cream off his hands. “Now. To the matter at hand. Please have a seat.”

While he finished the last of his bagel, she sneaked a look at him. Few men were considered pretty to her, but he was at the top of the list. Woman could fall for him solely on the basis of his looks. He looked rich, too, as if he had been born with a tennis racket in his hand and a lake in his backyard. She had definitely fallen victim to Timothy Polaris’s looks and charms.

He finished one cup of coffee and lifted the lid from the other. “One thing puzzles me, Miss Miles.”

“What would that be, other than my behavior on July twenty-third? By the way, that was not really me.”

“I don’t mean that. I didn’t have a bandage on the night I was with you. How do you know about this bad-boy image I seem to have?”

“You told me. I thought you were a contractor. They often get hurt on the job. I didn’t know you were a professor.”

“I know you didn’t.”

“I assumed Timothy Polaris would be like all the other instructors here, older and ordinary looking.”

“Is that how college professors are supposed to look?”

“Apparently not all of them; there was a bandage that night. You probably forgot.”

“Really? Where?”

“Your lower left hip. I saw it when you stripped for me.”

“Indeed, you’re right, and it was fun, lots of fun. I get in jams often, Miss Miles. I take hits everywhere, it seems. The Entrapment has turned out to be the biggest jam yet. Not that you were a mistake but…”

“That’s the main reason I’m here. As I said before, the woman you were with that night really wasn’t me. I don’t make it a habit of going home with strange young men.”

“I liked who she was. She was intriguing, extremely beautiful. But you’re right, smart women don’t normally do that. I could have been anyone, and you could be dead by now.”

“But you’re not just anyone, are you?”

“Apparently not.”

“That night wasn’t my smartest moment. I wanted you to know that I…I was out of sorts, getting rid of a boyfriend who was holding me back, getting the scholarship. I was celebrating everything, it seemed. Then I got crazy. I saw you, well, you know the rest.”

“I do, and as I said, I enjoyed your company very much; however, if you’re here to further this relationship, then I’m afraid I’ll have to decline, despite the fact that I don’t want to. My habits have a way of running away with me.” He moved in closer to her. “Brandi, this could get both you and me into some serious trouble. What I do with my nightlife has never gotten me in hot water, but this was close. You understand?”

“I agree. What I…we did was foolish. Winning the Seymour Scholarship has been my goal since I learned about it. As you well know, it’s hard to get and easy to lose.”

“I’m well aware of the Byron Seymour Scholarship. You had to have been on your toes to have won it.”

“I’m the first African-American woman to get it, and the fact that I might have done something to jeopardize my keeping it scares me.”

“Losing it for any reason would be devastating.”

“I just wanted to clear things up with you so you wouldn’t think that I was just some stupid girl chasing after you. I want to further my education, so you really don’t have to worry about me trying to make trouble for you.”

“That’s good to know.”

She couldn’t help but smile. “I hate to admit this to you, but no man has ever made me feel that wonderful, that feminine. It was glorious. You took me to paradise, and I didn’t want to return. I’ve never known anyone like you, and I do cherish that.”

“Indeed, it was paradise. I don’t regret being with you that night either, despite where I work.”

“My body still shivers at the thought of you.” She watched as he rolled his sleeves to the elbow, exposing hints of those well-muscled arms that had held her close that night. The way his eyes had looked so deeply into hers made her want him that much more, again and again. He was perfect, almost.

“You were like no other woman, Brandi. It took me a half-hour to get the nerve to approach you. When I saw you dancing, all I wanted was for you to dance with me, under me, on me, all night, all morning. I never thought you would be here with me now. It scared me when I saw you in class today.”

She wanted to approach him to say something to make him feel better about the situation, but knew it would not solve anything, only would make matters worse. If Timothy Polaris were to touch her one more time, she would give into feelings she knew could ruin them both. “I would never tell on you, never. I promise you that. But why did you have to lie about being someone else? I don’t think that was necessary.”

“It was necessary. Saving my ass around here is always necessary. As I said before, my nightlife has not caught up with me until now. Madison probably doesn’t give a good damn what I do at night. Bringing students home and having something go wrong in a relationship—well, that could cost the university. Could be a scandal if it’s the wrong student.”

“I’m not the wrong student.”

“I’m not saying you are. My point is that it takes a lot to get a teaching position here. Also, I didn’t graduate Princeton with two degrees at the age of twenty-three to have my career go down the toilet over an affair.”

Cool words, Mr. Tim. I’m sure I feel on top of the world now!
She suppressed hurt feelings his words caused. “Believe me, I understand what you’re saying. I feel the same way.”

“It’s hard to stop doing something you’ve been doing for years. I lost my marriage…” Bringing up his crappy past life was painful to hear…and inappropriate. He sat on the corner of his desk. “The fact of the matter is this: My life is my life, Miss Miles, and…”

“You may call me Brandi.”

“Fine, but not in front of anyone. There are things that just can’t end overnight, Brandi, although they should.”

She had gathered something about an ex-wife from his conversation that night. But asking him what happened in that marriage could turn him off even more, causing him to think she was trying to get to him somehow. That she didn’t need.

“I believe you won’t cause a ruckus, Brandi, so don’t worry.” He sat back, and stared at her. “Both times you’ve entered my life when I least expected it. Had I only known the other night…”

“You wouldn’t have slept with me, right?”

“Right.”

“I wanted to be with you. Only that night you weren’t Timothy Polaris, were you?”

“On any given night, I have no idea who I am.”

“I know who you are now, and I really like him. I liked ‘Jacob’, too. He was sweet to me.”

“That’s the only way to behave around a woman.” She was definitely a woman to him, but a very unwelcome woman. At that very minute, his only thought was to take her back into his arms and finish what was cut all too short. Her eyes said that she was feeling the same way. He couldn’t do that to a student. He worked to give students his best, and that’s what he wanted to give her. Suddenly he felt he couldn’t live up to the job—suffering from want of her. He took her delicate hand into his. “Look, Brandi, we really shouldn’t discuss this anymore. I can’t be with you because relationships and I don’t work.”

“I can say this: It’ll be hard looking at you and realizing we can’t, shouldn’t, be together.”

“You’re sweet. I knew that the minute I met you.”

A knock at the door startled them, and they both turned see a beautiful Asian woman entering. Tim immediately released Brandi’s hand and stood, smiling. “Hey, Monica, I didn’t know you were in.” He turned to Brandi and introduced the slender woman to his troubling student.

“Monica, this is Miss Miles. She’s the recipient of this year’s Bryon Seymour Scholarship.”

Monica Shang extended her hand, looking curiously from Brandi to Tim. “So, you’re the one. Congratulations, that’s a prestigious scholarship.”

“Thank you, I worked hard.”

“I’m sure.” She returned to Tim. “I didn’t mean to break in on anything.”

“You didn’t.”

Brandi looked at him, wondering if everything they had discussed was just idle conversation.

Monica continued. “I’ll leave you two alone. But Tim, I need the contract for the spring trip to Niagara Falls. We’ll want to get to work on getting that trip under way early. You know how that fills up.”

“Sure. Five minutes. Miss Miles and I are about done.”

“Fine. It was nice to have met you, Miss Miles.” Then she left, turning so fast that her long dark hair bounced against her face.

Brandi’s attention returned to Tim. “Co-worker?”

“Yeah.”

“She likes you.”

“Not a chance.”

“She does. Take my word for it.”

“She should like me. I sign her extra-credit reports.”

“I don’t mean that way.”

He sat back down, feeling aggravated by her suggestion. “No. She’s engaged.”

“Whatever, but she likes you the way I do. Face it.” She collected her book bag. “I should go, you’ve still got lots to do, I’m sure. I’m glad we had this because I don’t need anything distracting me from my work here. But if anything could, it would be you.”

Tim just stared at her, not really knowing how to respond, except to issue his usual invitation to his students. “I’ll be around if you need any help with my class.”

“Good, because I know I’ll need help in your class. I’m great with writing, but bad with focus sometimes.”

“That happens.”

“Not for you. I know you’ve won literary awards awards. Maybe you could help me with my writing. I’m actually better in math, if you can believe that.”