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His tongue dried out before he realized his mouth was hanging open.
Jean-Paul looked inordinately cheerful and as indulgent as a favorite uncle. “I will leave you to your evening then. No use wasting that dress on an old friend, eh, Lori? Quinn, I will see you next week when you return from your trip. Good evening,mes amis.”
After he bowed over Lori’s hand like a damned French count, Jean-Paul returned the way he’d come and left Quinn gaping at his retreating back. “What wasthat?”
“Um, anyway…” she mumbled.
Not quite satisfied with that response, Quinn dropped her hand and looked down to see her crossing her arms. “I must be confused. Because that strange episode gave me the impression that you used to date Jean-Paul D’Ozeville.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“Pardon me?”
Lori cleared her throat and looked around as if she wanted to see who was watching before she answered. “Yeah.”
“Let me get this right. You, Lori Love, used to date Jean-Paul D’Ozeville, French playboy extraordinaire?”
Lori’s chin inched up. “He’s not French. He’s from Monaco.”
He couldn’t keep his jaw from dropping again. Had she really just put a fine point on the guy’s nationality?“What?”
“He’s from Monaco. Though, of course, he lived in France for a while when he was on the Formula One circuit, so…” She cleared her throat. “Anyway.”
He stared at her until she tapped her ruby-slippered foot.
“What?” she demanded.
“Jesus Christ, Lori, that man is old enough to be your father!”
The grumpy set of her jaw inched into anger. “He’s fifty.”
“Yes! He’s fifty! Do the math.”
“Hey, don’t be rude.”
They stood in the middle of the party glaring at each other for at least thirty seconds before Quinn jerked his head toward the front. “Are you ready to go?”
She took off for the door before he’d even finished the question, and Quinn followed, trying his best not to meet anyone’s eyes so he wouldn’t have to smile pleasantly. Pleasant wasn’t even close to what he felt.
* * *
THE JIG WAS UP. There was no point in hanging around the party anymore. After Jean-Paul had yelled out her full name a couple of times just for the hell of it, Lori had made a point of looking around for Peter Anton. He’d been standing only a dozen feet away, staring at her with a less-friendly smile than the one he’d given her before.
Not only had she lost her chance to spy on Anton, but now she was worried that Quinn’s plans for the rest of the evening had changed. He didn’t seem in the mood. Or maybe he did. He certainly looked as if he might be up for paddling her ass. When he reached the sidewalk, he headed straight for the car. Lori briefly considered not following, but in the end she crossed the street and slid into the passenger’s seat.
“What are you so pissed about?” she demanded as soon as he closed his door.
“What the hell do you think?” he shot back. He started the car with a roar and pulled out without looking at her.
“Well, you’re behaving a lot like I did the last time we ran into someoneyou’dslept with. So I guess I’d have to go with jealousy.”
“I’m not jealous,” he muttered. The car sped up.
“No? Wait, I’ve got it. You’re morally outraged that I had sex outside of marriage! No, no, that can’t be it…”
Quinn braked hard and turned the corner onto a residential street. It was probably a bad sign that he’d thrown the car into manual. Each time he shifted gears he clenched his jaw. “I’m morally outraged that you slept withthatguy.”
“Does he kick puppies or something?”
