Lord Beast

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Dani lurched away from Rhys, her breath escaping from her in one long hiss as if she had been holding it for a long time. She stumbled slightly, toppling a cup from its saucer in the process.

"Danielle?" Fiona stuck her head out the window. "Oh, I see he's still here."

"I assure you, madam, I was just leaving," Rhys told the old woman witheringly.

How could he be so cool and composed when she felt as if she were about to disintegrate into a cindering pile of ashes? Her equilibrium was thrown off-kilter and her mind still clung to the blurry daze of passion that had consumed her but moments before yet he reclined there, completely at ease in his surroundings, as if nothing had occurred at all.

"Good, good," Fiona mumbled as she began to turn away. "You wouldn't be the first tramp our Danielle has given food to, but you've certainly loitered the longest."

"Pay her no heed," Danielle said suddenly, unable to stop the smile sweep across her lips.

Rhys grunted humourlessly.

"You shouldn't do that, you know," Dani said, quietly as a blush crept up her cheeks.

"What?"

Dani knew that he knew exactly what she meant and that he was

deliberately playing coy just to irk her and make her uncomfortable. She gave him a glare. "That," she snapped, gesturing vaguely at the air that separated them. "Taking advantage of my conditions."

"Your conditions?" he asked incredulously.

"The hood, Rhys," she told him dryly, staring at the offending cloak grumpily. "I'll willingly, er... I'll... I will-"

"Succumb to me?" he provided, his voice dripping with patient humour.

Her cheeks flamed. "Yes," she concurred, none to happily. "But only if you burn that cloak."

"That's just irrational," Rhys chuckled. "I'm not going to burn my cloak."

"You don't trust me."

"How did you get that from what I just said? The mind boggles."

Dani looked at him challengingly. "Why don't you want to show me your face, Rhys?" she demanded in a stern voice.

"You won't like what you see," he told her roughly, "trust me."

She sighed impatiently. "I think you're scared that I will like what I see."

"No, you won't."

"I will."

"Danielle, this is ridiculous."

"I agree fervently." She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a slightly stern, slightly petulant look. "You think you know what I will think, but you're wrong. You're just afraid to trust me, or anyone for that matter, and that's the saddest thing of all."

He didn't say anything. Instead, his response seemed to involve cramming little sandwiches into his mouth two at a time. At least, she supposed, he didn't seem inclined to shout at her anymore. Dani could notch that up as a point for her.

"Fine, ignore me," she told him childishly, "but if you think that I'm going to let this go-"

He simply rose to his feet and began to walk away, leaving Danielle sitting there with her mouth open. How dare he?

She followed suit as quickly as her back would allow her and skidded after him, dogging his heels. "You're leaving?" she asked him angrily. "Without a goodbye or a thank you, seeing as you ate all the sandwiches!"