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

"I have a key, Curls."
"Don't you dare use it!"
"Zanita, come out of there!"
A door opened down the hallway, and Blooey stuck his stocking-capped head out, followed by Hambone. "Trouble on the mainland, Captain?"
"Promise me you won't come through that door, Tyber!"
Blooey and Hambone gave Tyber expectant looks. After all, Tyber was their Captain, and a hell-born pirate to boot! Would he lose face now before his men?
Tyber put his mouth close to the door and spoke low. "Let me get this straightЧyou can't because you feel you're supposed to?"
"Exactly."
The Captain knocked his forehead against the wooden door. Twice. He had never seen the broadside coming.
"We need spontaneity^' she called out through the panel.
"Ill give you spontaneity," he warned in a low
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voice just before he turned and strode back into the their bedroom.

Zanita bit her lower lip. What did he mean by that?

An Evans storm was coming.

Perhaps she shouldn't have goaded him quite so much. Then again, there was no telling how creative a thwarted pirate could get with only four days to prove his point.

A small smile played about her mouth.

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Chapter Three

The trip to the vineyard was torturous.
Blooey was seasick on the ferry, claiming he had to get his sea legs back because he had been "landlocked" for so long. Hambone, true pirate that he was, perched on the very edge of the bow of the boat, the sea spray misting his orange fur. Zanita swore that the cat had a diabolical grin plastered on his mug as he constantly scanned the horizon. She wondered if he was scouring the ocean for fishing boats to attack and board for booty.
Tyber had given her one searing look from under his lashes that morning and never once mentioned last night. She was not fooled. The battle lines had been drawn. Somehow she had awakened in their bed with him wrapped around her. He must have gotten the key to the
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room while she was sleeping and brought her back. Pirates.
Since it was the beginning of winter, they had probably caught one of the last ferries of the season. If a snowstorm hit during their stay, they would have to see about getting a plane back. As it was, the island was already snowed-kissed; although everyone agreed it was enchanting.
Everyone except Hambone, who issued one of his yawns.
Hambone's yawns could be interpreted in a wealth of ways. There was the "hmm?" yawn. The "so what?" yawn. The "get lost" yawn. The "this is actually interesting sort of yawn. And the ever popular "I'm yawning" yawn. Zanita wasn't exactly sure which yawn this was but opted for the "this is actually interesting, sort of" yawn.
When they arrived at the inn, Todd Sparkling, the chef/owner of the Florencia Inn, met them at the door. He was one of the younger breed of chefs who enjoyed mixing regions and styles in his cooking; he was very much into "concept cuisine." Everything he produced looked like a miniature work of artЧwith a fig attached to it.
Chefs had a strange obsession with figs.
"Come in! Come in! Did you have a good trip over?" The dark-haired chef escorted them into the parlor, helping them with their bags and equipment.
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Built over 150 years ago, the Florencia Inn was surrounded on all sides by a lovely wraparound porch. The place was an odd combination of beckoning warmth and pockets of eeriness. Set apart from the seasonally busy Edgartown, the inn was located in Menemsha, a quiet section with gently rolling scrub land
Of course, all of the Vineyard was quiet at this time of year... if one didn't count the stray ghost or two kicking it up on the rustic side of the island. Zanita had noted in her research that many ghost sightings seemed to occur around bodies of water, or in places surrounded by waterЧsuch as islands.
So this seemed the perfect location for an investigation. Even the name of the place conjured up images of supernatural goings-on.
As they entered the house, she whispered to Tyber, "You know, Menemsha sounds like the ideal location for all kinds of spooky, unearthly things."
He stared at her as if he were checking her sanity.
"Menemmmmmsha... ooooo ..." she moaned.
Tyber placed his hand on the back of her neck and shoved her through the door.
She was undaunted. To add to her theory about the sea and spirits, Zanita had discovered that the water at Menemsha beach was colder than at any other location on the island.
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