High Energy by Joy, Dara (ink book reader .TXT) 📗

doing

it." That was the truth. He couldn't even remember what Kim looked like.

"You… you didn't?" She gazed up at him earnestly, tugging at his heartstrings.

"Of course not." He brushed her lips with his several times. "Why would I give

anyone else my—what did you call it? My come-hither smile?—when you're the only

one I want to come hither? Or is it thither?"

Relieved, Zanita snuggled against him, putting her arms around his neck. "It

doesn't matter, Doc; it's really not important." Now that she was mollified,

Zanita saw the wisdom in dropping the subject immediately. If not sooner.

Tyber was not so easily sidetracked. His blue eyes glittered down on her,

amusement evident in their crystalline depths. "You know, Zanita, you almost

sound jealous." She stilled in his arms at once.

"Don't be silly."

"One could almost say that you sound like…"—he paused to shudder slightly—"…a

girlfriend." Then he laughed deeply, nibbing his nose teasingly against hers.

"I do not!"

"No?" His open mouth possessively slipped down the column of her throat,

stopping midway to lave a particularly enticing spot. "If it looks like a

girlfriend and acts like a girlfriend…" He sharply bit the rounded curve of her

breast.

"Tyber!" She walloped the back of his head with her pillow.

Unfazed, he nuzzled between her breasts, chuckling low against her heart. "Then

it must be a…"

"Don't you dare even think it."

He raised himself to look down at her. A laugh line curved the side of his cheek

as he lifted one imperious eyebrow. "Have I taught you about resonance yet?"

Zanita groaned. Tyber looked intent on delivering one of his "special" lessons.

As he lowered himself onto her, his seductive whisper echoed provocatively

against the marble walls. "Let me tell you all about pairs and harmony and

synchronous vibration…."

Chapter Nine

« ^ »

"Throw your leg over and climb on. It's not going to bite you, baby."

Zanita eyed the motorcycle warily. "I don't know, Tyber, it doesn't look all

that friendly to me."

"It's not supposed to look friendly—it's a Harley. Now, c'mon—hop on."

"I—I'm not sure. Why don't we take the truck instead of— eee!" Patience at an

end, Tyber had simply reached around with one arm and hauled her up behind him

on the motorcycle. With a brief "hold on tight" thrown over his shoulder, he

gunned the bike and took off down the drive of the mansion to the main road

heading toward the small village the innkeeper had told them about that morning.

"I don't think I like this, Tyber." Zanita buried her head in the broad plane of

his back, her arms clasping his waist in a death grip.

"If you opened your eyes, you might like it better, Curls." Tyber threw her an

amused glance over his shoulder. "C'mon now, you're missing some beautiful

scenery. Look; we're coming up on a pond."

Zanita wasn't sure she actually wanted to see scenery whizzing by her without

the protection of at least a half a ton of metal between her and it, but she

stalwartly opened her eyes to check it out.

They were approaching a small pond on the right side of the road. The glass

surface of the pond reflected the autumn leaves on the surrounding trees. A few

geese drifted by, honking sporadically. It was a picture-perfect New England

fall scene. Zanita marginally relaxed her grip on Tyber.

"It's different on the back of a bike, isn't it?" Tyber yelled back to her.

Zanita eyed his shoulder blades, wondering if he was starting up again.

"Is it?" She tickled his hard stomach with two fingers, feeling his muscles

tense. He didn't respond, but she caught his slow smile in the side mirror. A

flash of white teeth and a dimple.

The scenery proved magnificent as they sped along the winding road under a

canopy of red and gold leaves, the crisp fall air invigorating in the late

morning. Zanita was just beginning to think she might be able to endure riding a

motorcycle every now and then when Tyber began weaving the bike in and out just

to tease her. She walloped him on the head to let him know how much she

appreciated it. His low chuckle reached her on the wind, but he smoothed the

ride out.

The village was a quintessential small New England town. Most of the houses were

white clapboard with black shutters. The center of the village sported a single

street of interesting little shops that probably depended on the ski crowd for

most of their trade. At this time of year, they were blessedly empty of

tourists. Tyber swung the bike into the curb.

"Brunch or browsing?" he asked as he helped her remove her helmet. They had

elected not to eat breakfast that morning in lieu of trying out one of the local

restaurants.

"Browsing sounds good; I can wait until lunch. How about you?" Zanita was

already eagerly eying the shops.

"That's fine—the innkeeper recommended the Hungry Kitten for lunch. That must be

it." He pointed to a small wooden sign shaped like a cat swinging from the

portico of a large-columned house on the corner of the street.

Zanita's voice trailed after her as she headed into the first shop. "Looks

good—hey, look at these!"

Tyber smiled indulgently as he strolled into the shop after her. "Remember, we

have to be back at LaLeche's by two and—those are great!" They both were

entranced by delicate crystal figurines of winged dragons hanging in front of a

display window.

"He's cute." Zanita fingered a little tubby one with a goofy look on its face.

Tyber eyed a swooping dragon that had a very cunning expression. "I rather like

this one."

Zanita viewed his choice, thinking it somehow appropriate for him. All the

dragon was missing was an eye patch and a little sword. "Where would you hang

it?"

"Over the bed." He winked at her.

She wagged her finger at him.

"I know I'm going to regret this, but—" She reached up, unhooking the swooping

dragon from its display.

"For me? Baby, that's awful sweet of you." His arm curled around her shoulders,

giving her a small squeeze. He bent down to kiss the tip of her nose. "Let me

respond in kind." His free arm reached up to retrieve the chubby dragon.

"No, Tyber, please don't," she protested, placing her hand on his arm. "You've

already spent so much money on this weekend—"

He held Tubby up in front of her. "Look at this