Page 13 of The Defiant One
"I practice my evil experiments at all times of the day, except, of course, when I'm being harassed by meddling females."
"So now I'm a meddling female!"
"You've been a meddling female since the moment I met you."
"And you've been a surly, arrogant recluse who's nothing short of strange! Look at you," she spat, tossing her head and letting her contemptuous gaze rake his body. "Standing there before me, a lady, wearing nothing but a blanket!"
She struck a nerve with the word strange, knocking him mentally off balance. Andrew drew back, his eyes narrowing.
"Would you prefer I slip it off, then?" he taunted.
"I'm leaving!"
He held himself still as she stormed off down the hall. Nothing short of strange. Her remark had shaken him. Infuriated him. Frightened him, for it showed that certain aspects of his behavior had not gone unnoticed. Emotion boiled up inside him as she marched away from him, her little rump swaying beneath yards of shimmering green satin, her shoulders stiff, her nape white and elegant beneath the pinned-up piles of shiny, tawny-brown hair. He felt an insane desire to call out, to let the damned blanket fall and really unsettle her. But no. He was unsettling her enough just the way he was, and, given her unprecedented attacks on him, he was determined to enjoy what revenge he could take.
She was about to round the corner. In another moment she'd be on her way downstairs. Andrew couldn't let her leave without having the last word. He waited until she was nearly to the stairs before he rashly, recklessly, tossed out a challenge that would change the course of his life.
"I say, Lady Celsiana," he called out, mockingly.
She kept walking, her back as stiff as if someone had poured starch down her spine.
"I say, madam, would you like to see the evil experiment I'm working on now?"
That brought her to a stop.
She spun around.
"I thought you didn't want nosy, interfering females in your precious laboratory," she blazed.
"You forgot annoying."
"That's because I don't consider my efforts on behalf of suffering animals annoying, though I suppose dog haters like yourself would be inclined to disagree!"
"Oh, I am entirely inclined to disagree. You are by far the most annoying female I've encountered all year."
Celsie bit back an angry retort and turned her head, refusing to look at him. His near-nakedness was having an effect on her that she didn't quite understand, a hot, short-of-breath feeling that partnered her thumping heart. She wished she could stop thinking about his naked chest. Wished she could keep her thoughts off what must be concealed by the blanket. Wished she could think — at all.
"So," he taunted. "D'you want to see my laboratory or not?"
"No, I don't want to see your stupid laboratory after all. It will only upset me. You upset me. I was a fool to even come here in the first place."
He crossed his arms, one downbent hand anchoring the blanket low on his hip. "Coward."
Her head whipped around. "I beg your pardon?"
"You profess to be some savior of animals, yet look at you, bolting because you just might see something distressing. Some dog defender you make."
Her chin snapped up with renewed pique. She trembled with the urge to fling something at him. And then she saw the challenge in his far-too-intelligent eyes, and what looked like a teasing smirk dancing about his mouth.
Celsie folded her arms and unflinchingly met his mocking stare, her eyes narrowing.
"Fine then. Since you're so eager to show off your hideous experiments, you can just lead the way!"
Chapter 5
He offered his arm.
Stiffly, Celsie accepted it.
