Seducing the Professor (8 page)

Mary and Thomas Shuttle watched their son and noticed the pride in his eyes when he looked at the woman by his side.  Mary’s heart warmed with joy.  She has come to despair that he would ever meet someone to share his life with.  She just could not get over him never having a serious relationship and just using women for the most basic need of man.

Thomas rose and waved at Paul and Slade.  “Come and show me your colt.  What have you named him?”

Alexandra listened to the pride in Paul’s voice as they walked away and was still very relieved that both Yellow Blossom and the colt survived the ordeal.
 

“Tell me more about yourself, Alexa.  Where were you born?”

Alexandra felt very relaxed in Mary’s presence.  She was probably in her late fifties and her love for her son very clear in her eyes.

“Washington DC.  I lived there most of my life.  I am an only child, but my parents did not spoil me.  Dad believes in hard work breeds
brilliance, so I had to work hard for my pocket money and holidays.  I moved to Orient Point when I joined ADC on Plum Island two years ago when I accepted the job at ADC.”

“Do you miss them?”

“Sometimes.  But sometimes it is a relief to be away from them.  Don’t get me wrong, I love them to bits, but they tend to forget I am twenty seven years old and live my own life.  Mom is sort of … no she is very conservative.”

Mary smiled, reading a lot within that statement.  She really liked Alexandra.  She was open and honest.  There was a wildness in her, but also a shyness and it was that she was sure that attracted Paul to her.

“I heard my son had you locked up?”

“
Gmpfh … I’d rather not talk about that.  I am sorry to say, Mrs. Shuttle, but you have a very annoying son.”

Mary smiled and shook her head, delighted when she recognized the glitter in the back of Alexa’s eyes when she referred to Paul.

“Please call me Mary. Strange that you should think so.  Most ladies find him very charming and can’t seem to keep their hands off him.”

“No wonder he has such an overrated opinion of his prowess with women!  I found him
buck naked with a woman the first day here.  Still don’t know what he saw in her though!”

This time Mary could not hold back and laughed delightedly.  When she caught her son’s eye where he stood in the door with his father, her laughter increased.  His cheeks flushed and he glared at Alexandra, not appreciating her telling
that particular tale to his mother of all people.  She shrugged innocently and held her palms up in innocence.

“What?  It is the truth!  It is not my fault you can’t keep your towel around your waist and sweet Gloria’s dress on her ass!”

He groaned and his father laughed whilst his mother gasped.

“Paul!  Gloria
Rathburn?  What the devil were you thinking?”

“My thoughts exactly,
Aunt Mary!”

“Angel … I am warning you …”

She looked at him with innocent eyes and unfortunately for her, did not heed his warning.

“The worst of it all … they did not even bother to close the door!  No, left it standing open for anyone to walk in, here on this floor in the bathroom down the passage!  My ears were ringing from Gloria’s
crie …”

“I am shocked at you, my son!  Paul … what are you doing?”

He yanked Alexandra from the couch and threw her over his shoulder and stomped to the door.

“Will you stop throwing me over your shoulder, you medieval bully!  Put me down!”

“Not before you have learnt your lesson!  This time, Blondie … I am not stopping … even if you beg and cry!”

“
Nooo … help me!  Slade!  Stop him!”

He came to a halt where Slade barred his exit and glared at his cousin.

“Move Slade.  She asked for it!”

“
Ahum … well maybe so … but we’re about to have lunch, so it would be rude to leave us all to our own devices.”

He kept glowering at Slade, but lowered Alexandra to the floor.  She tried to push away from him and pulled her clothes to order, grumbling irritably.

“One would swear I was the cause of your naked display with the damn woman!”

“One more word!”

She spat at him.

“
Gmphf!  Seems you’re sorry you missed out.  I’ll ask your mom to phone her and get her to com … hmm”

He shut her up by yanking her up against him and kissing her sensually and wildly, totally
unconcerned with his parents looking on.  When he let her go she was breathless and blushed profusely catching his parent’s eyes on them.

Paul
turned on his back and groaned.  He has been unable to fall asleep for the past two hours and it was barely one in the morning.

Damn Alexandra for insisting his parents sleep over rather than travel back home so late.  They enjoyed their visit so much, none of them realized how late it got.

She obviously knew with his parents here, he would not be able to insist she sleep with him, but damned if he could fall asleep without her in his arms.  His body craved hers and his shaft was rock hard and throbbing.  He needed her.

He closed his eyes and thought back to the other women he’s had in his life.  Not that he’s had anyone by way of a relationship, something he knew his mother was not happy about.  He took women on dates when he needed a partner for a function and for the most basic sexual needs.  However, he has never had a relationship with anyone.  Ha
s never had the need or the desire to be with one specific woman for an extended period of time.  Until now.  He could not get enough of Alexandra and it was more than just physical.  He needed her presence, he needed her smile, and he needed her annoyance … he just needed … her.

“The hell with this!  This is my house and I am not a damn child anymore!”

He got up and strode to the other side of the passage and opened Alexandra’s door.  She sat up the moment he walked through the door and gasped.

“Paul!  What are you doing here?”

“Coming to fetch you.”

“
Wha … no!  Your parents!  Stop!  Put me down!”

He looked down at her and scowled.

“The fact that you are still awake means you find it just as difficult to sleep as I do.  I am taking you to my bed.  You can either be quiet on the way there or complain and wake my parents.  Either way, I don’t care.  I need to sleep and it seems I can’t without you.”

“Okay! Okay!  But on one condition!”

He stopped just before the door and waited.

“We only sleep!”

“Angel … Feel me!  I am in pain!”

“No.  I am serious Paul!  If I go with you, we only sleep.  I will never be able to look your parents in the eye again if you … if we … while they’re …”

He cursed and nodded.

“Very well, but I want you to know I am NOT happy about it!”

She looped her arms around his neck and cuddled closer, kissing him softly in the curve of his throat.  He growled and walked faster, cursing his shaft that tightened and rose even higher in response.

He dropped her on
his extra-large king sized bed and disappeared into the bathroom.  She giggled when she heard the shower running and stretched out tiredly.  He was right, she could not fall asleep. Visions of what he did in the Vet’s sleepover room kept running through her mind, keeping her hot and bothered, craving more.

She watched him walk to the bed and lifted the sheet.  He settled on his side and pulled her tight against his body.  She shivered
as his chilled body connected with her warmth and then giggled.

“I am glad you find it funny!  Now put your arms and leg around me and heat me up, woman!”

She complied with a tender smile and hooked her leg around his hip, smoothing her leg over the back of his.  He grunted and leaned back, looking at her with a frown and shook his head.  The next moment her oversized tee-shirt flew to the edge of the bed and he pulled her naked body back against his.

“That’s much better.  You better fall asleep quickly, my love … otherwise I am going to forget
about your condition!”

Paul woke slowly, warmth curling down his side an
d over his groin.  He stretched and felt the warmth curl around him sensually. He opened his eyes the same time his senses woke up to the fact that Alexandra was still in his arms.  The source of the heat around him.

He looked down and found her draped half on top of him.  He
r head rested in the curve of his shoulder, her body was flush against his with her one arm curved over his chest and her hand tucked in below his shoulder. Her leg was pulled up and rested on his groin with her lower leg on top of his thigh.  He breathed in deeply and caressed her back and her arm.  The smile on his face bespoke of his enjoyment.

This is what he craved.  This closeness, this belonging. His!  His mind wandered back to her uncontrolled reactions yesterday in the loft of the stable and his body reacted instantaneously.  He groaned softly and pressed up against her leg, trying to find some relief.  Suddenly a thought flashed through his mind and he stiffened.  He looked down and traced her beautiful face, whilst his fingers traced her hip.

He did not wear a condom the day before!  It was not something he planned, but nothing would have stopped him from taking her, even had he realized it at the time.  He breathed in deeply, exploring how he would feel if she were to fall pregnant with his baby.  Nothing but warmth and … anticipation filled his mind.  He clenched his jaw. 

Shit! Get a hold of yourself, Paul Shuttle!  Now you’re thinking babies already!

Suddenly his mind was in shambles and he did not know what to think.  Did he really want this?  Or was it purely because this time he was the hunter and it would blow over soon?

Alexandra stretched like a kitten in the sun and he groaned.  Her naked breasts soft against his hard chest and his hands tightened around her hips.  She gasped and opened her eyes and caught his sleepily.

“Morning Angel.”

“Hmmm.”

Paul smiled at her lazy and sleepy response then stopped breathing when she stretched again and rolled on top of him, her legs tangling with his and her face on his chest.

“Jeez, woman!  Do you know what you’re doing to
me?”

“Hmmm.  This is nice.  Do we have to get up already?”

He gritted his teeth, cursing his parent’s presence in the house.

“We don’t have to, but if you don’t get off me immediately, my parents are going to be witnessing some loud and continuous screams.  If I take you now, Alexandra, I am not stopping until you are completely wrung dry!”

She only stiffened slightly and then giggled, wiggling closer around him.

“You would not do that to me.  Please honey, this is heaven.  Don’t make me move yet.”

“Angel … you’re killing me!”

But he relented and allowed her to remain.  He stroked her back and buttocks and she sighed into his chest.

“I have a confession to make.”

“Hmmm.”

“I did not wear a condom yesterday in the loft.”

He held his breath and waited.  She was quiet for so long he wondered if she fell asleep again.

“Hmmm.”

“Just hmmm?”

She lifted her head and looked into his eyes, then followed every contour of his face before she looked back into them.

“You mentioned it has been nearly a year, so
I assume you are clean and it has been over two years for me.”

She dropped her head, kissed his chest and laid her head back down.

“Besides, I am on the pill.”

“You are?”

“Hmmm.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean why?”

“You’re admitting to not being sexually active for two years, so why are you on the pill?”

“Would you rather I wasn’t?”

This time he was quiet and she lifted her head to stare at him.  He returned her look unflinchingly.

“The thought did cross my mind.”

“What thought?”

“That if you were pregnant you won’t run away.”

Her breath caught in her throat, but he kept her eyes captive, willing her to respond.  She swallowed.

“Paul, we …”

“Paul, are you awake son?”

Alexandra froze and stared at the door with dread.  Then she became energized and before he could stop her she disappeared into the bathroom.  He sighed and went to open the door.

“Morning Dad.  I’m just about to get up.”

“Good, your Mom has been in the kitchen cooking up a storm for breakfast.  Hustle son and go wake Alexa.  You know your Mom hates waiting.”

He watched his Dad walk down the stairs
.  When he turned around Alexandra had her tee-shirt on and headed to the door.  He took her by her shoulders and drew her against him.  He whispered in her ear.

“I am not done talking about this, Angel.”

“Paul, there is nothing to talk about!  I am on the pill exactly to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.  I will never force myself on a man because of a baby!  I was brought up in a very conservative home and if my Mom had to know what I have been doing with you, she would disinherit me!”

“We’re not talking about any man, Blondie.  We’re talking about you and me.  We’ve gone past the quick sex part … as a matter of fact … we completely skipped that part.  If you think for one moment that is all there is between us … you are sadly mistaken
, my dear!”

He turned her to the door and pushed her into the passage.

“You heard my Dad.  Mom hates waiting.”

And he closed the door in her astonished face.

Paul took to the furthest pasture on the Ranch where he had a group of Stallions grazing.  They were still half wild and Samuel and he had to start working with them.  He pulled her roughly against him and kissed her silly, telling her he will see her in a week’s time.

When they worked with those Stallions they lived amongst them to gain their trust and understand their strengths.  Alexandra watched them as they galloped away and sighed heavily.  On the one hand she was relieved but on the other hand she knew she was going to miss him.

Brett arrived at that point and he joined her in the stable lab.  She explained the research she had just started before she was sent to Silver Star as groundbreaking in the thoroughbred racehorse industry.

“Exactly what does it entail?  I read on A
DC’s website it had to do with identifying genetic factors that enhances performance.”

“Yes, there is approximately 120 genes associated with performance and fitness traits.  We started with conducting
genomic scans to identify the regions of the genome, which is the entire DNA material of the horse, that have undergone selection for increased performance in the elite horse. From there we use microarrays.”

She laughed at his expression and he shook
his head.

“And I thought as a Vet I knew everything?  What does that involve?”

“It is a technique where we look at the expression of thousands of genes simultaneously, and measuring the level of messenger RNA, the precursor to protein, that is present in each cell. This allows us to determine gene activity in the cell at any given time.”

“It seems quite a long and detailed process
.  How far are you with it?”

“It is quite a drawn out process, but with the correct activities it would be hugely beneficial to the thoroughbred racehorse industry.”

Alexandra frowned and looked at Brett.

“Now that I think of … yes!  It could work!”

“What could work?”

“I’ve designed a micro gene chip that has most of the horse’s genes on it. If I implant these chips in the horses here, I’ll be able to get accurate measures on their genes
, especially the defective ones!  If I modify it slightly, I might even be able to segregate the chromosome in each of them. It is quite possible that they used different strains and not all of them attack the nerve system, but other organs and genes.  With the chips we will immediately identify and eliminate them! Why did I not think of this earlier?”

Alexandra was so excited her eyes glittered and Brett smiled with her.  Relieved that she seemed so positive there might be a solution to Silver Star’s problems.  She sobered and frowned.

“Now what?”

“It would mean I need to go back to Plum Island.  I need to do the modifications and test them first before we manufacture them.  Paul said he won’t be contactable, but I don’t want to wait a week.  On the other hand it will be quite an expensive exercise and if he did not agree with it …”

“Let me phone Uncle Thomas and see what he says.  He would not agree with this if he thought Paul would oppose it.”

Alexandra listened to the conversation and then took the phone when Thomas asked to speak to her.  She briefly explained everything and answered his questions, then waited while he kept quiet.

“My son trusts you Alexa and so do I.  It is very clear that you know what you are talking about and what you did to save Blossom and her colt … I have no doubt this will work.  Go, I’ll sort it out with him when he is back.”

“Thank you Uncle Thom, but I … he is going to be angry that I left without telling him.”

Thomas chuckled.  “I imagine he will be.  But I also think it would do him the world of good!  Mary and I will go and stay on the Ranch from Wednesday, in case he decides to return earlier.  How long will you be gone?”