Wakefield College 01 - Where It May Lead Read Online Free Page A

or more every year across the country to keep our graduates
involved. Here on campus, the biggest was the summer alumni college and, of
course, the spring reunions.”
    “I don’t suppose you had any security problems at either of
those, did you?”
    She smiled. “No.”
    “I doubt we will this weekend, either. I think my role is going
to be an exciting one. I’ll hang around. Maybe even play golf.”
    Her laugh this time was as contagious and unintentionally
erotic as the first. “Do you play golf?”
    “Poorly,” he admitted. “I’ve got a hell of a slice. On the
other hand, from a security standpoint, having me lurking off in the rough
probably isn’t a bad plan.”
    She giggled. “I’ll look for you there.”
    “You’ll be playing, too?”
    “No. Actually, I’ll be frantically finishing arrangements for
the luncheon and dinner while you’re sweating on the golf course.”
    Troy grunted with amusement. “Smart. I hear it’s going to be
sizzling by Saturday.”
    “So they say. Fortunately, the formal dinner is the only
dress-up occasion.”
    “You mean, I can wear shorts and a muscle shirt the rest of the
weekend?”
    Her nose crinkled. “ You can wear
anything you want.”
    “No such luck for you.” He grinned at her. “What’s that saying
about how ladies don’t sweat? That they can only glow?”
    “I suspect I’ll be sweating like a pig Saturday.” She frowned.
“Do pigs sweat?”
    “I have no idea. Never considered farming a career option.”
    “Me neither.” She rose gracefully to her feet. “Thank you for
coming, Detective Troyer.”
    “Troy.” He stood, too.
    A smart man would probably bide his time, not make any move
until after the alumni weekend. He didn’t want her to be uncomfortable with him
when they had to work together. Troy had always thought of himself as a pretty
smart guy. He’d had the grades and SAT scores to get into Wakefield. Turned out
he wasn’t as smart as he’d thought he was, he discovered. Either that, or his
store of patience was severely lacking.
    Seeing that she had started to turn away, probably with the
intention of politely escorting him out of her office, he cleared his throat.
Madison paused, lifting her eyebrows in inquiry.
    “So. I was wondering.” Slick. Really slick. Get on with it, he ordered himself. “Any chance I
could talk you into having dinner with me?”
    Madison blinked. “Do you mean...tonight?”
    Tonight, tomorrow night, every
night. Startled by the instant thought, he cleared his throat again.
“Tonight would be good. Or tomorrow night.” He hesitated. “Unless you’re too
busy getting ready for this weekend.”
    She scrutinized him for a slightly unnerving moment. Then her
expression melted into another sunbeam of a smile. “I would love to have dinner
with you tonight, Troy. As long as we make it casual. I can hardly wait to
change out of this suit.”
    “Yeah, I can see why.”
    He had noticed that she was glowing. In fact, tendrils of her
dark hair looked damp enough around her face to be sticking to her skin.
    He smiled. “You could have said something. I wouldn’t have
minded if you’d ditched the jacket.”
    “I’m more anxious to rip off the stockings.” She rolled her
eyes. “I had meetings this morning. Otherwise I wouldn’t have bothered.”
    Troy definitely liked the idea of her ripping off the
stockings. Better yet, he’d be glad to do it for her.
    Down, boy.
    “Casual works for me.”
    She suggested they meet at the restaurant; he threw out the
idea of Bannister’s, housed in an old brick building downtown and known for
everything from pizza and burgers to quiche and the best damn fettuccini Alfredo
he’d ever had. Madison agreed, and he left before he did something stupid. Like
kiss her.
    He was grinning as he took the stairs two at a time, as if he
was twenty years old again. She’d said yes. He felt young. Half-aroused, too, a common state for twenty-year-old guys.
    He would definitely be