"I grew up surrounded by them, Deeanna. I hardly notice their looks anymore. I only notice them now when they act like coldhearted bastards."
Rachel glanced over her shoulder to see Lissianna and her new husband, as well as Bastien, had joined their small party and were all standing behind her. She hadn't heard them approach. Cold fury filled the bride's face. Lissianna wasn't happy with her uncle, and she had no problem showing it.
"Come," Etienne murmured, taking advantage of the distraction. He pulled Rachel away.
She followed in silence, her mind whirring. Etienne was wooing her to try to get her to do something. The thought kept flowing through her mind as he escorted her out of the reception hall. If there was one thing Rachel hated most in this world, it was being used.
She got into the car when Etienne unlocked the door. She did up her seat belt as he walked around the vehicle to get in, then sat in stony silence as he started the engine and began to drive.
They were headed to his house, of course, to discuss whatever it was he wanted her to do. Rachel knew this. She also knew that the conversation they would have upon reaching his home was going to be unpleasant, no doubt terribly painful. While she wasn't looking forward to it, Lucian Argeneau had made sure there was now no way to avoid it. That being the case, all Rachel could hope for was that she might escape the conversation with at least her pride. She doubted very much if her heart would survive.
Etienne cursed his uncle silently all the way home. The man had always been a hardass. The rest of the family had often questioned whether he even possessed a heart, but tonight had taken the cake. If Etienne stood any chance at all with Rachel anymore, he would be very surprised. Lucian had just made his life incredibly complicated.
Unfortunately, it was all his own fault, and Etienne knew it. If he had just broached the subject of Pudge with Rachel before the wedding, as he should have done, this wouldn't be a problem. But he hadn't and, now he not only had to try to convince her that claiming Pudge had kidnapped her was the smartest move, but he had to get past her anger to do it. And Rachel had a lot of anger at the moment. A lot. Tons. While he couldn't normally read her thoughts, high levels of passion apparently opened her to him like a book--and apparently not just sexual passion. Right at that moment, she was broadcasting her anger like an FM radio at top volume.
Etienne parked in his driveway and shut off the engine, then sat still for a moment while Rachel undid her seat belt. When he made no move to get out, she paused and waited with what might have seemed patience--if he weren't being blasted by her thoughts.
"I didn't sleep with you to convince you to do what we wanted," he said finally, since that seemed to be the fear she broadcasted most strongly.
"Then why did you sleep with me?"
He wasn't fooled by her calm tone. She didn't believe him and was still furious. Etienne was silent as he sought an answer to her question. Why had he slept with her? That had to be one of the stupidest questions a woman could ask. Or perhaps it wasn't with a normal man. One of them might have answered, Because you were willing, or simply, why not? But Etienne had long outgrown the stage where he would sleep with anything that moved. Sadly, sex had turned out like food over the ages--thrilling and exciting at first with its variety, but then more of a bother than anything. Or so he had thought until Rachel. Then his appetite had been revived and he had wondered, what bother?
Just the memory of the heated moments between them was enough to arouse him. Hell, he was sporting wood now at just the thought. But how did he explain all that in a way she would believe? He glanced down at his lap, then to Rachel, and inspiration struck. Reaching out, Etienne caught her hand, drew it across the car, and placed it firmly over his suit pants. "Because you do this to me."
Rachel snatched her hand away as if she'd been burned and scrambled out of the car.
"Okay, so maybe that wasn't the best argument," Etienne muttered. The car door slammed. Obviously, for all his three-hundred-plus years, he hadn't yet lived long enough to understand women.
Chapter Thirteen
"Rachel!" Etienne slammed the car door and hurried up the sidewalk to his front door.
"Don't even talk to me," she snarled.
Yep. She was pretty mad. Etienne caught up to her on his front porch and grabbed her arm to turn her toward him. "You didn't let me finish."
"Finish?" she echoed with disbelief. "What is there to finish? I got it. I gave you a boner. But you men get erections at the drop of a hat. I've heard some of my male co-workers talking. 'Close your eyes and they're all Marilyn Monroe, right?' " She slammed a fist into his front door. "Open this damned thing."
Deciding it might be better to finish the conversation inside, Etienne pulled out his keys and quickly unlocked the door. She immediately shoved it open.
"Rachel," he tried again as they went inside. "It isn't like that with me. It might have been at one time, but that was long ago. I--Where are you going?"
She started upstairs, not even bothering to answer him but breaking into a jog that had her on the upper landing in a heartbeat. Frustration welling up within him, Etienne hurried after her, chasing her along the hall to his bedroom.
"Look, there was a time when I would have slept with anything that moved," he admitted as he followed her. "But I'd been celibate for at least thirty years before you came into my life. Sex just wasn't exciting anymore. You changed all that for me."
"Glad I could be of service."
Etienne winced. The woman had a razor for a tongue when she was angry. He liked it. "Look, I... What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?" she asked with feigned sweetness. She began shoving her clothes back into the bag his mother had used to transport them.
"It looks like you're packing."
"Got it in one. You're so clever. Care to throw out a couple of big words to impress me?"
Had he just thought he liked her sharp tongue? Etienne glared at her. "You aren't going anywhere. We have to resolve this. We also have to discuss Pudge."