Free The Laws of Seduction: A French Kiss Novel by Gwen Jones Page B

time it didn’t quite work out, did it?” She came closer. “ Did it?”
    He took a step back, though it made him feel larger in context. “You’re drunk.”
    “You bet I am. And it only brings me clarity.” She poked his chest. “You’re a snake. A creepy-crawly-gut-to-the-ground bottom feeder.”
    “My, aren’t we colorful.”
    “You brought that girl into that room for one reason only—to seduce her and throw her away.”
    He laughed, as if it was obvious. “Now that’s a news flash. Did you think perhaps we were out to debate Thomas Piketty and his economic theory?”
    “How can you do that—” She waved her hand in front of her. “How can you be like that?” she said, swaying so much Rex once again grabbed her arm, this time to steady her. “How can you use women in that way?”
    “Use women?” He shook her slightly. “ Her ? ” He pulled Charlotte up to him. “I’ll remind you she was using me. That now, for whatever reason, she’s lying. Why do you suppose she’s doing that?”
    She pushed him away. “You tell me. Or are you saving that for the big reveal?”
    He almost laughed. Drunk or not, there really was no getting over on her. “I don’t know, but someone behind her does, and for one reason or the other they’re out to make me look bad.”
    “Now why is that? Who did you piss off? Besides Lilith, that is.” She let out a short “Ha!” her gaze woozily shifting to his. “Or wasn’t she the first?”
    “Look, I came to Washington for one reason and one reason only,” he said. “So Mercier could bring super-sized container ships into our East Coast terminal, and for that we need a harbor deep enough to accommodate them. Hence the dredging bill. And that’s it. No hidden agenda.”
    Her fingers latched around his arm. “So you figured you had to dredge Lilith’s harbor to accommodate her, hm?” She laughed again, downing more scotch. “ Très original , indeed.”
    “ Tu es complètement givrée ,” he said, shaking her loose.
    “ Oh oui? Et je peux pas te supporter ,” she countered, poking him again.
    “Enough of this shit.” He grabbed her hand, mid-poke, snatching the tumbler of scotch. “I think it’s time to get something to eat.” He looked past her. “How about I make us an omelette?”
    She laughed. “You? Cook? ”
    “I’ve been known to break an egg now and then.”
    “Unless you can make them out of ice and condiments,” she said, her hair falling in her eyes. All of a sudden she slumped against his chest. “That’s about all I have in my . . .”
    He looked down on her, grateful the change in subject at least calmed her down. He wondered how she’d feel about that when she sobered up. “Don’t like to cook, I suppose?”
    “It’s not so much that I mind cooking,” she said after a moment, fascinated with the knot of his tie. “It’s that I like making reservations so much better.”
    “Then how about we go out?” Rex said. “Didn’t we pass a deli down the street?”
    She straightened. “That’s not just a deli ,” she spun the word. “That’s the Famous. Now you’re talking omelettes. They have a smoked salmon and—”
    Suddenly the window exploded over her head, Rex throwing them both to the floor.

 
    Chapter Six
    Or Are You Just Happy to See Me?
    “W HAT THE HELL just happened!” Charlotte cried, squirming beneath him.
    “Keep still!” Rex hissed. All around them was shattered glass.
    Charlotte grabbed his jaw, forcing him to look at her. “Oh, don’t worry about me, I’m all right. Thanks for asking.”
    “Quiet,” he said, sliding her hand to his shoulder. He looked to the window above them. The top pane had a hole in, as just past them lay a brick wrapped in lined paper. Subtle , he thought. He looked to Charlotte, her hair loosened and fanning across the carpet, her eyes a bit boozy. “ Are you all right?” he asked.
    She huffed. “Didn’t I just say so?”
    “Maybe I didn’t hear you.” He liked