Page 50 of Degrees of Control

“Aboutanything. I know nothing about you. I’m concerned you’re secretly killing people.”

“I’m just not big on chatter.”

“Yeah, but you’re always grilling me about my life and it’s a totally one-way grill. It’s like being interrogated by the FBI.”

James gave her a lecherous smile. “Would you like to be interrogated by the FBI?”

Charlie glared at him. “I know what you’re doing and it won’t work.”

“Oh c’mon, Charlotte, you know about the lingerie thing.”

“Because you yelled it out during sex.”

“I didn’tyell it.”

She sighed. “Look, pervert, I’m happy to parade around in fancy underwear for you, can’t you just talk to me about yourself? At least sometimes?”

James snorted and took another swig of beer. “You’re insane, Blue-Eyes. If you weren’t so cute, more people would know about it.”

“Yeah, well, that’s my problem, are you going to talk to me about yourself or not?”

“Fine, but first tell me why it reeks of pot in here?”

Damn, she’d kind of hoped he wouldn’t notice. “My roommate’s a waster. She’s always inviting bearded men to camp out in our living room and get high.”

“Sounds shitty.”

“You have no idea, stoners have no boundaries. Once I walked into the bathroom and one of them was beating off right into the sink.”

James choked on his noodles. “That sink I justtouched?”

“Yeah, but don’t worry, I bleached it afterward.”

James was pale. “What happened with the guy?”

“Absolutely nothing, he kept right on jerking andIhad to leave. I tried to bring it up later and he just said ‘what happens in the sink stays in the sink.’ Which turned out to be literally tru—”

James made a retching noise and pressed a hand to her mouth. Charlie licked his palm and he withdrew.

“You asked, Hunter.”

“I didn’t ask to hearthat.” James wiped his hand on his jeans. “Why don’t you move out?”

She shrugged. “I can’t afford anywhere else right now.”

“You could stay with Sophia.”

“She’s got her hands full with the wedding, I couldn’t impose myself on her like that.”

James glowered into his food. Clearly Sophia’s wedding was a conversation he wanted to avoid.

“Anyway. Sorry about the pot smell,” Charlie said quickly. “It’s not mine, but we’re meant to be asking each other questions.”

James grinned. “You ever get high, Blue-Eyes?”

“I thought I did once but I wasn’t inhaling. When I tried to do it properly I almost died. You?”

“A little, but I played football in college and it stopped me goin’ too wild where drugs were concerned. You into football?”

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