"Joy, Dara - High 02 - High Intensity" - читать интересную книгу автора (Joy Dara)


"Are you serious?"
"Yes. I want to watch this. It's a prime example ofЧof cinema orthodontia."
"Uh-huh." He settled back on the couch next to her. After a few minutes, his hand strayed to her lap. With a few misleading strokes, he diverted her attention, nabbing the plate of chocolate cake.
"Tyber!"
"And you fell for it." He grinned the grin of victory as he lifted the fork to his mouth. "Luscious," he whispered as he slowly tasted the sinful desert.
"YouЧ!"
He viewed her out of the corner of his eye. "I wasn't talking about the cake."
"WatchЧtheЧmovie."
"I can't."
"Why not?" They were lying in their shell bed and Tyber was of an amorous mind. Perhaps "mind" wasn't the right word.
"Because it's expected, Tyber. I don't know if this was such a good idea."
Tyberius Augustus Evans gazed down at his new bride and significantly paled. This was a new glitch. "What are you talking about?"
"I don't know, it's just that... I feel different since the program engaged."
This was trouble. He tried a sympathetic
63

stance with a dash of hurt. "You don't love me anymore, baby?"
"Of course I do! What has that got to do with this?"
He gave her a carefully guarded lookЧone he had learned to perfect around her when she was in her obscure mode. "Well, what is it then?"
"It's as if we're expected to do this."
He gave her the Mysterious Face of Mars look. "I don't know about anybody else, but I certainly expected it."
"Don't you think it takes away the spontaneity?" She had the nerve to look serious.
A muscle in his jaw began to tick. "Sweetheart, originally it was you who asked me to marry you."
Zanita's violet eyes filled with tears. "YouЧ you didn't want to?"
"Yes, dammit! I wanted to!"
Her lower lip quivered. "But you never mentioned it . . ."
Tyber looked up at the ceiling, seeking divine help. At the moment none seemed to be forthcoming. He took a deep breath. "It was on the tip of my tongue." To show her how sincere he was, he showed her his tongue, pointing to the tip.
"But did you really want to?"
Tyber sighed. A big, from-his-toes sigh. "Zanita, I wanted to marry you right from the
64

beginning and I had every intention of making sure it happened."
Zanita beamed up at him.
Tyber noted the pleasure in her eyes; he breathed a sigh of relief. With Zanita, his nonlinear-thinking love, he could never be sure where the conversation was headed. This was just one of the many reasons why he loved her.
The trait was a continual source of intriguing exasperation. The genius in him loved exasperation. It was the whipped cream to his hot cocoa.
So, he wouldn't have it any other way. Except, on their wedding night, he would have liked to hit the home run before he had to run the bases.
It appeared his response had calmed whatever momentary glitch had hiccuped her system.
He rubbed her nose with his own. "There, now, c'mere, baby, IЧ"
Two small hands pressed against his broad chest, holding him off as effectively as if they were a human bench press. "No. I just can't."
The Captain narrowed his eyes and glared down at her for a full minute.
Then he rolled over onto his back and groaned. It was not unlike the sound a dog makes when it knows it's dinner time and there is no bowl forthcoming.
Before Tyber realized what was happening, Zanita took the opportunity to scoot off the bed
65

and run across the hall into another bedroom. By the time he was up and in pursuit, the door bolt was already sliding into place.
"Come out."
"No."
Tyber swore, a thing he rarely did.
"I'm sorry, Tyber. IЧI just can't."