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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, I—"
    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 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. I—I just can't."
    "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 straight—you 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 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.
     
    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 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