She was surprised. This delighted him, though it didn't show beyond a glint in his eye and very small momentary twitch at his lips. It wasn't color in her cheeks, but it was something to have made her eyebrows shoot up like that. He could tell by her response that he'd knocked her at least a little off-balance, too, because it was a rather feeble attempt at an insult. The rest of the people in this conversation (all now quiet) might be scandalized by a comment like that, but it wasn't as though Oz was in denial about his bachelor activities or the caliber of women he usually took to bed. If he'd had a high opinion of their wit and judgement, he might have been courting them instead of sleeping with them.

"I wasn't aware you were paying such keen attention to my social habits," he returned smoothly. "To have such a firm opinion of the women I spend my time with."

Six sentences in, and he thought he was coming out on top so far.

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