Marriage In Six Easy Lessons

Chapter Three

The next morning, April made a point to be in her office early. A rock musician might be unpredictable, but the man who wrote “The Mating Game” was bound to be on time.

As she settled down at her desk, she thought about the rule “A woman must strive for compatibility, rather than try to be sexy.”

Compatibility was okay with her, she told herself. The sexy part was definitely out.

Until she glanced down at her new sea-green linen suit and the form-fitting silk blouse. Then there was her perfume, a scent that had cost her a bundle and she almost never wore. The glimpse of Sullivan performing on stage last night must have muddled her thinking. Why else would she have gone to such lengths to look so feminine today? So sexy.

Was it because she believed in the popular scientific theory that the basis for the mating game was a search for someone with the right stuff? And that she’d found it in Sullivan?

Was it because, in defiance of his conclusions in his article, she was out to show him the attraction between the sexes was more important than rational thinking?

Or because Sullivan’s sexuality had gotten to her?

Impossible!

To her dismay, Sullivan found her in the midst of her mental debate.

“Good morning,” he said cheerfully.

“Good morning.” April caught herself before something about his performance last night escaped her lips. She didn’t want him to know she’d been there. “How was last night?”

“Great!” He yawned before he sat down. “Sorry, I was up late. Couldn’t sleep. How about you?”

“I slept like a baby, thank you.” The truth was, she hadn’t slept much last night, either. “So I took a closer look at the article, and as I was saying yesterday…” Her voice trailed off. How could she focus on business when the vision of a pair of perfect buns encased in black leather kept getting in the way?

She studied Sullivan. His eyes were half closed. He didn’t appear any more interested in the business at hand than she was. “Lucas?”

He took a deep breath and sat up straighter. “Yes?”

“You’re not paying attention to what I’m saying.”

“Sorry. I’m afraid I’m a little groggy after last night.” Lucas knew the lack of sleep wasn’t the only thing wrong with him today. It was April Morgan’s scent, her enchanting feminine appearance.

The lush auburn hair that fell softly around her face and the lips that begged to be kissed.

He forced himself to focus on business. “I was hoping you’ve reconsidered asking me to make changes.”

“No, actually there are still a few. That is, if you want me to take your article seriously.” She settled her glasses on her nose and picked up a red pencil. “Perhaps—”

Before she could go on, a young woman with a glint in her eye came into the office. “Is there anything I can do for you, April?”

April smothered a groan. Judging from the avid interest in the intruder’s wide blue eyes as she gazed at Sullivan, an introduction was expected.

“Lucas, this is Tiffany Waters. She’s our college intern and works for us in the summers. Tiffany, this is Lucas Sullivan. We were discussing an article Mr. Sullivan submitted for publication.”

Sullivan stood politely. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Waters.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” a breathless Tiffany said as she held out her hand for Sullivan to take. She gazed soulfully into his eyes. “Really, really nice.”

Obviously Tiffany, too, had managed to see beneath the man’s academic exterior. A man who not only was the target of a blatant sexual invitation but was returning it, if April were to judge by the way he held Tiffany’s hand a little too long and returned her gaze.

Was this the same man who, only yesterday, had appeared uncomfortable around women? Or had she been the only woman he was uncomfortable with?

“Thank you, Tiffany, but we have everything we need.” April escorted the mesmerized intern to the door. “Before you try to seduce the man,” she told her under her breath, “let me tell you that Mr. Sullivan is an academic more accustomed to books than people. Even if you were able to lure him into bed, I’m not sure he would know what to do with you.”

Doubtful, Tiffany glanced back over her shoulder. “You think, April? Gee, what a waste of good material!”

“I think,” April said as she moved Tiffany closer to the door. “Trust me, he’s definitely not the type a vibrant young woman like yourself should become involved with.”

With April occupied persuading a reluctant Tiffany to move on, Lucas turned away to look out the window at the clusters of cumulus clouds floating across Chicago’s skyline. April had a lot to learn about him, namely that there was nothing wrong with his hearing, nor with his manhood and skills in the bedroom.

He wouldn’t know what to do with a woman like Tiffany? When hell froze over!

As for April, if he read the sparks in her eyes correctly, and he was damn sure he did, there was a banked fire burning inside her waiting to be ignited. Why a man hadn’t already staked out his territory was a puzzle. It just wasn’t going to be him.

Too bad, he mused as he watched April at the door with Tiffany. April might not know it, but she was all woman, the type who got under a man’s skin faster than the Tiffanys of the world.

She was tall enough to fit comfortably under his chin, he mused as he made an inventory of her shapely figure. Just the right size to cradle in his arms and to explore her chameleon eyes. Even if she didn’t fit the description of what made women desirable in his article, he was attracted to her.

After all, his article merely recapped his thesis that sexual attraction wasn’t of primary importance. His underlying thesis was that the domestic and companionship qualities of a relationship were. Was it his fault that his conclusions were being interpreted as a series of rules for a woman to get her man?

That brought him back to April.

Lucas sighed as his thoughts drifted down sensual paths he’d been too busy to visit before he’d met April. It seemed he wasn’t that busy now.

“Are you with me, Lucas?”

April’s question caught his attention. With her? Definitely, for all the good it would do him. “Sorry, why don’t you run whatever it was you said by me one more time?”

She was back at her desk, peering over her reading glasses. “I said it might be a good idea to rename your article in order to catch the attention of our readers. What do you think of calling it ‘Sullivan’s Rules’?”

Lucas thought for a moment. “Okay,” he agreed reluctantly, “but please remember these aren’t really rules. What you see there are conclusions based on an empirical study.”

“So you’ve said,” April agreed with a tight smile.

“Anything else?” Lucas idly wondered if April was aware of how attractive she looked with her reading glasses slipping lower on her adorable nose. Or if she realized how charming she looked when her single dimple betrayed her inner thoughts by dancing across her right cheek?

Was she laughing at him again?

“Frankly,” April continued, “I do have a few other minor comments.”

Lucas caught himself admiring the graceful curve of her neck. “Okay. Say, how about I call you April, instead of Ms. Morgan?”

Taken by surprise, April took off her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “If it will make you feel more comfortable.” She pointed to a paragraph and read aloud. “‘A woman must rein in her own desires to promote the health of a relationship.’” She paused for effect. “Sounds like Victorian thinking, don’t you agree?”

“For today’s marriage, yes,” Lucas agreed. “For companionship, no. A number of my friends have live-in companions and seem happy enough. However, I’ve found that most men still prefer to take the lead in a permanent relationship.”

“Before or after the woman tries to make her man feel masculine? Or before she makes an effort not to influence him by being sexy?”

“Well, when you put it that way…” He tried not to dwell on the way the color of her eyes deepened when she was disturbed.

“Exactly,” she agreed, and put her glasses back on. “Let’s move on. How about women showering their men with affection? Shouldn’t that be left out, too? Or haven’t you considered that the close physical proximity that showering affection might entail would break your rules for a premarital relationship?”

“Not if the parties set the ground rules before they enter the relationship.” Lucas tried to ignore an inner warning voice reminding him he was letting his testosterone get in the way of rational thinking. “Intelligent people shouldn’t allow their bodies to rule their minds.”

April smothered a comment. If he actually believed that garbage, where was the man in the black leather pants? The tight black leather pants. “Mind over matter—right. An interesting theory, but you seem to have forgotten the most important factors in the search for a lasting relationship.”

Lucas shifted uneasily in his chair and glanced at the door. Things were getting a little too warm for comfort. He would have given a bundle for another interruption. “And what factors are they?”

“There’s that popular scientific theory about the subconscious instinctive desire to find a mate with strong genes.”

“Of course.” Lucas shrugged. “However, it was my intention to show the sociological aspect of the mating game, not to dwell on what amounts to little more than what I call biolust.”

Biolust! April bit her lower lip to keep from bursting into laughter. “Interesting theory. So tell me—how have your rules worked for you?”

“I wasn’t looking for a mate,” he answered. “I was merely making important sociological observations.”

“While we’re at it,” April continued with a hopeless glance at his article, “how about love? Or isn’t falling in love supposed to enter the picture?”

Lucas thought of haunting memories of his warring parents, their sorry relationship, a divorce, remarriage and the subsequent death of his mother.

“Love is a transitory emotion and can be controlled,” he said. “Especially since it’s what gets in the way of an intelligent choice for a marital partner. At best, love only exists in novels and movies.”

Lucas paused to admire the fascinating golden sparks in April’s eyes.

“Lucas? You’ve gone somewhere else again!”

“Sorry,” he said. “Look, you’re quarreling over a serious study, April. Tom didn’t seem to think I was off base when he called me and asked me to write the article you have there.”

“That’s because he’s a man.” Or a true chauvinist like Sullivan himself. “However, since our magazine has more female than male readers, I honestly think you should try to lighten it up before it gets published.”

He looked incredulous. “The article was drawn from an empirical study. How the hell can it be lightened up?”

“Well, maybe you need to use a tongue-in-cheek approach. Or if you don’t like that, maybe a few female opinions are needed to sway you.”

Lucas straightened. “Are you’re going to offer me yours?”

The flame in April’s eyes grew brighter. “Are you asking?”

“Sure,” Lucas said, confident that April wouldn’t be able to come up with any valid reasons to change his article. Hell, if he began to doubt his research methods or his conclusions, he might as well admit to doubting himself. “I’m game. Go ahead.”

As far as he was concerned, the gauntlet had been thrown down and he was man enough to pick it up. Between Tom Eldridge’s remark about setting the magazine’s readership on fire with the article and April’s challenge to lighten it up, he could hardly sit by and just become an amusing topic of dinner conversation.

April considered giving him the whole nine yards of her opinion. If only the mental picture of the man as he’d appeared last night on stage didn’t keep getting in the way.

On the other hand, the idea of giving Sullivan a few lessons on what went on in the real world, instead of in books, became more enticing by the minute.

Of course, educating him wasn’t going to be easy. Like most of the men she’d already dubbed a “Sullivan,” he seemed to have the ability to compartmentalize the various areas of his life. As far as she was concerned, it was nothing more than tunnel vision.

She took off her glasses again. “To tell you the truth, I’ve decided not to waste time telling you what I think. I intend to take you out and show you. Humanize you a little.”

“I’m all yours,” he replied casually. “When do we begin?”

“Hot coffee, tea or…” To April’s dismay, the young office gofer, Arthur Putnam, cheerfully rolled a refreshment cart to the office door.

“Not now, Arthur, but thanks for the offer,” April said with a careful eye on Lucas. “We’re really busy here.”

Lucas held up his hand. “Just a minute, please. I don’t know about you, April, but after last night I could use a cup of strong, black coffee.”

Arthur’s eyes lit up at the mention of last night. “It’s not what you’re thinking, Arthur,” April said hastily. “Mr. Sullivan performed in a rock and roll band last night.”

Arthur closed his mouth. After a dubious glance at Lucas, he shrugged. “If you say so.”

Lucas reached into his jacket pocket, extracted a card and wrote on the back of it. “Drop in anytime—as my guest.”

Arthur’s face lit up. “Gee, thanks!”

April gave up trying to keep Sullivan’s mind on business, but she wasn’t through with him yet. As for Arthur’s visit, she would have been annoyed if she hadn’t known that Arthur was in the throes of puppy love, with her of all people, and had only been momentarily distracted.

At least Arthur wasn’t another Tiffany hitting on Lucas, April thought wryly. Judging from the number of women who’d found a need to pass by her office this morning, word about Sullivan’s presence had spread like wildfire.

Unfortunately, the morning was still young.

Resigned to the inevitable, at least for now, April beckoned to Arthur. She couldn’t bring herself to be upset with him. Not when he was one of the few men around the office who wasn’t impressed with his maleness.

“Come on in, Arthur. By the way, Lucas, this angel of mercy is Arthur Putnam. Arthur, this is Lucas Sullivan—he’s the author of an article we’re going to publish.”

Arthur was too busy gazing adoringly at April to reply.

“Arthur! Mr. Sullivan asked for a cup of black coffee.”

“Sorry.” Unabashed, a grinning Arthur tore his gaze away. He poured a cup of coffee and handed it over. “What’s the subject of your article?”

“I call it ‘The Mating Game.’ It’s not what you think,” Lucas added hurriedly when Arthur’s eyes widened. “It’s based on an earlier publication of mine, a sociological study about what men want in a wife.”

Arthur turned his adoring gaze back to April, his meaning clear. She was his idea of the ideal woman. “Anything for you, Ms. Morgan?”

“No, thank you. Perhaps later.”

“Sure. I’ll be back. You can bet on it.” With a last soulful look at April, Arthur rolled the beverage cart out the door.

Lucas smothered a grin. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who’d noticed April’s striking appearance today.

Maybe it wasn’t too late to revise his article to include something about how a woman should dress in order to please the man she was interested in?

He looked at April. “You were saying before we were interrupted?”

“That there’s a great deal more to the attraction between the sexes than what you describe in your article, and I’m going to take you out and show you,” April said as she gathered her purse and portfolio. “Shall we go?”

When, Lucas thought, had the question of protecting his research methods turned into something to do with April?

After admitting to himself he found her attractive?

After her offer to humanize him?

“Why not?” He set his half-empty cup on the desk and made a show of looking eager to learn about the real world. “I can hardly wait.”

“April, are you busy?” A lush brunette paused at the office door, leaned against the frame and frankly studied Lucas.

April swallowed a groan. After last night, she might have known Rita would show up today to get a closer look at Sullivan. She beckoned her friend into the office. “Hi, Rita. I am busy, but not as busy as we expect to be soon,” she added meaningfully.

Rita’s eyes lit up as she misinterpreted April’s answer. “Get outta here!”

April swallowed hard. “As long as you’re here, you might as well come in and meet Lucas Sullivan. Mr. Sullivan is the author of the article I told you about yesterday. Lucas, I’d like you to meet Rita Rosales. Rita is our research librarian.”

Undeterred by April’s hint to make her visit short, Rita sashayed into the office. “I’m pleased to meet you, Mr. Sullivan. Although, to be honest, I can’t say I agree with your article. I’d say that there’s a lot more important going on between the sexes than just a woman feeding a man’s ego.”

Lucas wasn’t surprised at the mini critique. Any friend of April’s was bound to disagree with him. As for Rita, she fit right in at this admittedly eclectic publication.

“I’m not surprised to hear that,” he answered wryly. “Just as I won’t be surprised to learn you’re about to enlighten me.”

“Rita, don’t you dare!” April broke in before Rita could launch into her theory that the basis for male-female relationships was purely sexual attraction. Or, as Rita often said in plain terms, good old-fashioned sex.

Undeterred, Rita grinned at Lucas. “You sure don’t look like the man who came up with that old-fashioned set of rules April showed me.”

“‘The Mating Game’ article is not just a set of rules,” Lucas corrected her automatically before he realized he’d just been given a compliment. “I’m not?”

“No. I figured you would either be elderly or a stuffed shirt. As for being old, you’re obviously not. As for stuffy…” Her voice trailed off as her gaze swept Lucas. “You’ve sure got what it takes to get a gal’s attention. Maybe there’s hope for you yet.” She winked at April. “Don’t give up, April. With a little work, I think you can wake up your Mr. Sullivan.”

Rita’s unsolicited assessment of Sullivan’s attractions might be embarrassing, but it was dead on. April grabbed Rita by the arm and urged her to the door before her friend mentioned her visit to the Roxy. “The next time you have something important to tell me, please use the telephone.” Under her breath, she added, “I’ll be up to see you later.”

“Sure, now that I’ve met your Mr. Sullivan, I think it can wait. Just remember what I told you.” Rita grinned at him over her shoulder. “See you later.”

Lucas settled back into his chair. At the rate they’d been interrupted, there wouldn’t be enough hours left in the day for April to take him out and try to humanize him. “Interesting woman,” he commented. “I wouldn’t mind hearing her explain her version of how a man chooses the woman he’d like to spend the rest of his life with.”

“You don’t want to know,” April said, unable to imagine Rita’s raw sex talk without laughing. She pushed a few errant strands of hair away from her eyes. “Rita tends to be frank, but I assure you that it’s all talk. As for what she actually thinks on the subject, I’m not sure you’d want to hear that, either.”

Lucas smiled. “Why not? I heard the birds-and-bees talk when I was ten. I’ve even managed to teach a few classes on marriage and the family without blushing.”

“I wish it were that simple,” April muttered as heat rose to her throat. “I don’t know about you, but I’m afraid I’m not up to an X-rated conversation.”

A roguish grin spread over Lucas’s face. His brown eyes turned a deeper brown. “Try me.”

Mutely, April stared at the man whom only twenty-four hours ago she’d labeled as a stuffy academic. Now that she’d glimpsed the other side of him, she was afraid that the last thing she would be able to manage was a frank discussion of sexual attraction.

Something was definitely wrong here.

The heat continued its upward journey into her cheeks. “It’s not exactly a professional topic for us to discuss. I’m your editor, not your biology teacher.”

“Too bad.” Lucas formed his features into an exaggerated display of regret. “You would have been great.”

April managed a weak smile.

“So,” he said next, “unless you’re expecting more visitors, shall we get on with this show of yours before someone else drops in?”

As he spoke, there was gentle knock at the door.

“April? I’m sorry to interrupt you when you’re busy, but you left a page of the manuscript in the cafeteria.”

Lili? Lili, the friend who had declined to become involved in humanizing Lucas Sullivan yet couldn’t resist meeting him?

April glanced at the printed page Lili offered. A quick glance told her that Sullivan’s fame had spread so throughout the building that even the prim-and-proper Lili couldn’t ignore it.

Resigned to the inevitable, April made the introductions. “Lili works in the art department as a graphic artist, Lucas. She’s also a very good friend of mine. Please try to remember that we all try to be professional around here.”