Aware of the awkward position she’d placed his butler in and somewhat vexed on Dartwood’s behalf, Robert straightened his spine and squared his shoulders. Fine. He’d deal with the impossible chit himself.
Striding past his butler, Robert entered the hallway and made his way toward the parlor at a clipped pace. So, Athena thought she could force him to listen to her, did she? She thought she could bully his servants into compliance? After everything she’d put him through, she had some bloody nerve. He muttered a curse. If only he had a secretary and a valet to help make her leave, but the recent state of his finances had unfortunately forced him to be frugal.
Arriving at the door he sought, he flung it open with such force he heard the wood crack. “Christ almighty,” he blurted in pure frustration, “your childish behavior is not to be borne.”
“It is good to see you too, Robert.” Athena rose from her seat like a queen about to bestow a knighthood upon her loyal subject.
She was different than how he remembered.
Robert’s muscles flexed. He blinked.
When he’d last seen her she’d been a child – a bratty hoyden who ran completely wild. That was how he remembered her. It was the image he had retained inside his head for six years whenever he’d thought of her. He hardly knew what to say. Apparently, the plain girl he’d once known had transformed into a beautiful young lady.
Irritation flared. It was just like her to come here like this and shock the hell out of him. He glanced around. “Where is your chaperone?”
“I chose not to bring one.”
Of course. She was just as mad as ever.
“I believe my butler told you to leave.” Robert winced in response to the harsh sound of his voice and the rudeness with which he’d spoken, but frankly, he felt like his head was on backward right now.
“He did.”
“And rather than heed him, you chose to set up camp with the same degree of stubbornness you’ve always applied to everything.” He snorted. “By God, you haven’t changed one bit, have you?”Only in appearance.
Athena raised her chin. “I like to think I’ve grown up.”
Robert stared at her.
Gone were the chubby facial features of her adolescence, replaced by high cheekbones and a delicate jawline. The shapeless figure he recalled her having, not dissimilar to that of a boy, had been exchanged with luscious curves – with hips that flared out from her waist, and breasts... Good God. Athena Townsbridge had breasts – a most generous pair – and he was now gaping at them as if he’d never seen such an anatomical feature before.
He sucked in a breath and forced himself to raise his gaze to the vicinity of her eyes. This was wrong. So very horribly wrong. He’d accused her of being childish, but there was nothing remotely childish about her anymore. She was a woman – a very attractive one at that. He had to get her out of his house at once.
“So you have. Apparently without improving your manners.” Lord help him, he’d be ready for Bedlam after this visit. Especially if she continued watching him as she did, from behind a curtain of thick black lashes, eyes bright with vitality. Her rosy lips curved ever so gently into the sort of cheeky devil-may-care smirk he feared would haunt his dreams later.Christ have mercy. He steeled himself. “Once again, you have chosen to ignore my wishes.”
“Only because I desire to speak with you,” she said. “Or was that part not clear?”
Her voice was no longer as squeaky as he remembered, but rather soft and... Robert struggled to find the right word and could only come up withsultry. Which did not bode well at all. Annoyed with her for disturbing his peace and with himself for noticing her feminine assets, he gestured toward her with impatience. “Go on then. Say your piece, if you must, so I can get back to work.”
