Stephen St. Clair stepped into the lab and greeted Kit. "I thought
Lydia might be interested in seeing you in your natural setting," Stephen
informed her, tongue in cheek. "She was a little reluctant after hearing
about some of your more imaginative mishaps, but I convinced her you
weren't working on anything too dangerous today."
Lydia gave her a weak smile. "You don't mind, do you?"
"No, of course not," Kit responded warmly, feeling a twinge of guilt at
Lydia's understandable apprehension. The poor woman clearly didn't know
what to expect after the strange way the dinner at Victoria's had ended --
and Stephen was obviously taking advantage of that bewilderment. The rat.
She turned mocking gold eyes on Stephen. "The dynamite is all safely
packed away and the nitro experiment was yesterday. All we have to work
with today are slimy little bugs." She heard the quiet rumble of
Stephen's laughter and swiftly lowered her lashes to conceal the answering
gleam of amusement she knew must be sparkling in her own eyes. Where had
her anger gone, Kit wondered in amazement, her righteous indignation? One
minute in his company and already they were attuned, their shared sense of
humor an instant bond between them.
And suddenly that wasn't the only thing she wanted to share with him.
Trying to conceal her inner elation, Kit pointed casually toward the lab
wall. "There's a perfect example of one of our little projects," she
said, addressing Lydia.
Following the movement of Kit's hand, Lydia drew back in nervous alarm,
her eyes falling on the bright yellow lump decorating the wall. "Wh --
what is it?" she asked faintly.
"A Slithering Serpent," Kit informed her with great relish, striding
over to the rubbery creation and jerking it off the wall. "We've just
today gotten the formula right so that we can squirt these little cuties
from water pistols," she announced proudly, her eyes eagerly watching for
Stephen's reaction.
It was everything she could have hoped for. "You've done it?" he
demanded in astonishment, a wide, excited grin spreading across her face.
He was at her side in an instant, sweeping her off her feet and twirling
her around. "Congratulations! That's fantastic!" he crowed, hugging her
tightly. He pulled back slightly to look down at her, and the warmth
expressed in his sapphire eyes was echoed in his voice. "I new you could
do it, Kit. I never doubted you for a minute," he told her very softly,
and very sincerely, before releasing her.
Kit turned toward Lydia, Stephen's praise bubbling like champagne
through her veins, the heat of his touch still branding her skin. "It's
really great stuff," she enthused, so wrapped up in her pet project and
her fevered reaction to Stephen that she didn't notice Lydia's
less-than-thrilled response. "It's so simple to use -- just drop the
pellet in the water gun, shake and squirt away. It comes in four colors
and it's a dream to clean up. But the best part -- "
Stephen laughed at her eagerness. "You're beginning to sound like a
commercial."
"Well, that's because I'm so pleased with it. But the best part is
that -- "
"Hey, Kit!" Subconsciously she'd heard the lab door open behind her,
but she'd been so caught up in her explanation about their latest
invention, that she hadn't paid attention. Her reaction was pure
instinct. She ducked.
"Oh!" Lydia shrieked.
Kit squeezed her eyes shut, wincing. Oh, no! Please
don't let it have happened, she pleaded silently. Oh, please let it be
all right. She peeked up at Lydia from her crouched position and
cringed. Nuts! Nuts! Nuts!
Bright red slime was oozing down the front of Lydia's cream-colored
silk dress. The younger woman's face was paper-white, her mouth wide
open, her bulging eyes glued to the repulsively pulsating glob rapidly
spreading across her small, rounded breasts.
Kit leaped to her feet and attempted to calm the terrified woman.
"Don't panic. It'll be okay, Lydia. See, it's all finished bubbling and
I can take it off you now." She swiftly ripped the rubbery mass off the
silk dress.
"It hasn't stained," Kit reassured her. "It's just one of those
creatures I was telling you about." She dangled the quivering, red worms
in front of a horror-stricken Lydia, desperate for a way to save the
situation. "Look, they can't hurt you."
"Kit!" She heard Stephen's warning voice, but ignored it,
concentrating on the shocked woman in front of her.
She offered her most brilliant smile. "See, it's an Oozing
Bloodsucker. And watch this -- " She popped the bright red worms into
her mouth, her words garbled as she tried to speak around the wiggly
mass. "They're even edible!"
"Ohhh . . ." The sound escaped from Lydia's white lips before she
slowly toppled backward in a dead faint.
Related books:
Revist Kit, Stephen, their kids and new
toys in
The Twenty-Four Hour Bride.
From the book:
JINXED
by Day Leclaire
Harlequin Romance #3028 -- January '90
ISBN: 0-373-03028-2
