Lessons in Seduction by Sandra Hyatt

course the woman and I need to enjoy each other’s company. I want to like her, a lot, and to eventually love her, but I haven’t got time to dither and get sidetracked. I’d like to be seeing someone by the time Rebecca and Logan get married. Whoever I take to that wedding will immediately come under public scrutiny. And just because I can have fun with a woman doesn’t mean she’s going to be suitable as a partner.” If only it was that easy.
    Danni sighed. “So, fun to be with isn’t anywhere on your list of criteria.”
    He heard and ignored the criticism in her tone. “No.”
    â€œThat explains Clara I guess.”
    â€œClara was very nice.”
    â€œYou have to admit, even if she didn’t want fun, she wanted romance.”
    â€œApparently. And I take the blame for that.” He hadn’t seen that one coming. “In my defense, Clara had seemed more than happy to discuss weighty issues. She was the one who introduced most of the more serious topics throughout our evening.”
    â€œMmm-hmm.” Two syllables laden with cynicism and reproof.
    He sighed. Her skepticism was warranted. “The thing is, in political situations I’m good at interpreting mixed messages and subtext. I look for it. I just hadn’t realized the extent to which I’d need those skills for dating. I don’t want to have to use those skills while dating.”
    â€œIt’s just about listening, Adam, about not being totally fixated on your own agenda.” She set down her hot chocolate. “If your work is all seriousness, then doesn’t that make it more important than ever for you to have someone who can remind you to have fun occasionally, someone who’s fun to be with?”
    â€œI can see your point but you’re missing mine. Besides, my list of criteria is my decision.”
    â€œYou’re not interviewing job candidates.”
    Adam said nothing.
    â€œYou’re not!”
    He cleared his throat. “It doesn’t seem like an unreasonable way to approach it.”
    He could see that she wanted to argue but she bit her lip and long seconds later limited herself to a patient, “What else is on your list?”
    â€œJust the usual.”
    She laughed. The sound, light and almost infectious, broke the tension. How did she make what a moment ago had seemed perfectly reasonable suddenly seem ludicrous? “There is no usual, Adam. People have preferences but they don’t usually have such rigidly official lists of criteria in the first place.”
    â€œHow on earth do they expect to find the right person?” His days and weeks were so full that he lived them by lists. They’d served him well so far.
    She shrugged. “They just know. Like Rafe and Lexie just knew and Rebecca and Logan just knew. Without lists.”
    â€œIt seems unreliable. I can’t trust in anything as nebulous as just knowing .”
    She shook her head in reluctant defeat. “So spill—what’s on your list?”
    He hesitated.
    â€œMaybe I know someone suitable.”
    His list made sense but he knew that Danni would somehow make it seem to not make sense. But it was his list and it didn’t matter what Danni St. Claire, pest from his childhood, thought of it, so long as she helped him.
    â€œShe’ll need to speak multiple languages.” How had it come to this? He was sharing his dating woes with Danni. His driver. Next he’d be asking the head gardener how to manage diplomatic appointments.
    â€œI guess I can see why you’d want that,” she said.
    Despite her words he didn’t believe her; there was a light in her eyes he couldn’t quite trust.
    â€œYou can argue and make love in a range of languages. That’ll give variety, that’s important. It’ll keep things fresh.”
    He’d known she wasn’t taking this seriously. “It’s not for the purposes of arguing or