“That they had no idea why they’d been sent. Someone used them to prod a hornets’ nest and see what might come out.”
La Roux’s lips twitched just a fraction.
It was that split second of pride that did it, the proof of how much he was enjoying himself, the idea that he considered it a game. She no longer cared how far he fell. In fact, she wanted to be the one who pushed him.
“Who sent them, Lila?” La Roux asked, putting down his wine glass. When she did not immediately respond, he crossed his arms over his chest and studied her face.
“You know, senator, I really don’t like it when people play on my computer without permission. Your first night in my bedroom? Really? How crass can you be?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Liar,” she said lazily.
La Roux considered her, and all at once, as if a string had been cut away from the top of his head, his entire demeanor relaxed. “I wanted confirmation of some suspicions that I had. I wasn’t sure that I’d get another night with you, so I acted while you slept.”
“While I slept off the drugs you slipped me. Was it worth it? Did you get the confirmation you wanted?”
The senator drained his glass. “You bet your sweet ass I did. You’ve been a naughty girl. I had no idea Wolf Industries was so corrupt, and I’ve barely read through one percent of the files I pulled from your computer. It doesn’t matter that you’ve deleted them. I have copies.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Your snoop programs show promise, but they’re quite crude. It only took me two hours to crack the password with my own programs. You should know better than to use simple encryption. I suppose you got lazy.”
“You’ve been running the files? Studying them?”
“Of course I have. All day.” He poured himself another glass of wine, then stood up and moved to the window, gazing out at his new kingdom. “We should talk after dinner about my future in the Saxony Senate. We’re going to have a very busy season together.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s just the start, President Randolph. We’ll talk more after I seed your heir, after I see if we are as good together as I believe. Do you know how rare we are, madam? Technologically advanced above the highborn masses? Willing and capable of playing them like a drum and fife? You even share certain sympathies with the poorer classes that I do. I’ve reviewed your votes in the High Council, and I must say that I agreed with most of your judgments. I just never thought you’d be so eager in bed.”
“What if I say no to the season?”
“You won’t,” he said, turning away from the window. “If you say no, I turn everything I have over to Bullstow. I should warn you that I lifted quite a bit from your computer.”
The corner of his mouth twisted into a lecherous grin. “It’s all worked out much better than I dreamed. You’re an intelligent, ambitious woman. Quite my match, I’d say, and for more than just the season. We’re going to do wonderful things together, Lila.”
He strolled to the desk and kissed her cheek.
Chapter 24
Lila rubbed the wetness away, then crossed her boots on top of her desk. “That’s your plan?”
“Yes.” La Roux rescued the bottle of Sangre, which threatened to fall onto the floor, and set it on her bedside table.
“You know, senator, I’m surprised that you’d stoop to coupling with such a corrupt family and that you’d force me to take you for the season.”
“You weren’t complaining about the pairing last night. And as for your family’s corruption, I shall make up for it with every piece of legislation that crosses my desk. But I cannot do that unless I am at the capitol. The Saxon Senate needs me. None of those men will do what is just. They’re too busy bowing and preening for the heirs.”
“So you posit that caring about your job will make up for the manner in which you obtained it? You’ve stained the honor of Bullstow, but you believe that everything washes in the end?”
“I have been a force for good in the senate. I have passed fair and just laws that benefited everyone, not just the rich, and I’ve taken no bribes that favored them.”
“Is that so, Baron?”
He stiffened. His eyes shot to hers. “What did you call me?”
“Baron,” she said, drawing out each syllable. “You shouldn’t use childhood nicknames when creating fake IDs, senator, certainly not if you’re going to snoop in BullNet. Can you believe I thought someone had set you up because it was such a stupid mistake? I was prepared to rush in and save you from some corrupt matron or heir. Perhaps you should have gone with something bland, like sexysenator or isuckathis69. It’s disappointing, really.”