party."
Tyber threw himself onto a wicker lounge, crossing his hands behind his head.
"And so I am."
Zanita's eyes narrowed. "There are no other guests, are there?"
"I don't recall mentioning other guests to you."
She tapped her foot. "I can see you have a tendency toward presumption, Dr.
Evans."
"And how is that, Ms. Masterson? I issued an invitation; you accepted." He
watched her from under half-lowered lids. "Now, why was that, I wonder?"
He was toying with her. He knew exactly why she had accepted!
Zanita kicked a pebble off the patio and into the pool. "You know why! I want an
interview with you!"
Tyber's silvery blue eyes followed the pebble with some amusement as it skipped
across the stones to plop into the water. Unfolding himself from the lounge
chair, he walked behind her to cup his hands on her shoulders.
Zanita tried to move away; he pulled her back.
Bending low, he said firmly in her ear, "No interview. No more debris in my
pool."
Zanita swallowed convulsively at the heat of him behind her. She suddenly wanted
to rest her head back against his chest, feel those powerful arms come around
her…
She blinked. Bad enough she behaved foolishly just now. No need to compound her
error by throwing herself at the man.
What was wrong with her? She was usually a very cautious person when it came to
relationships with men. Hadn't Mills told her so? Not that she wanted a
relationship with him. He probably wouldn't be interested even if she did. And
what if she had truly pissed him off just now? How stupid can one person be?
After all, she was his guest.
His capable hands moved at her shoulders, massaging her tense muscles. The act
did not relax her.
"Did you notice the topiary labyrinth when you came in?" His low voice sent
shivers down her neck.
Still captured by his hands, she nodded her head warily.
"Good. I want you to know that the maze is extremely complex. To date, no one
has successfully navigated through it. Do you know why I built it?"
She shook her head, sending her curls bouncing.
"I built it as a foil to anyone foolish enough to seek an interview. Those
creatures eat little reporters like you for lunch."
Zanita gasped, her imagination running wild.
Tyber's answering chuckle was a strong, sexy laugh of male amusement. Was it her
imagination or did his lips just brush her hair?
She broke out of his hold, turning to face him.
"Really, Tyber, I just want—"
"No." He tapped her nose. "Now, would you like something to drink, Curls?"
Tyber was being difficult. But not impossible. She would have to bide her time
and try again in an hour or so. Smiling secretly, she accepted his offer of
refreshment.
Tyber handed her a frosty glass of lemonade from the outdoor bar, thinking she
had the look of his cat again. He knew the look well. She wasn't going to give
up.
He sighed.
How was he going to get her mind off that damn interview? As long as she thought
of him as a subject for her article, she wouldn't be seeing him as a person.
A person who was extremely attracted to her.
There was something about her that drew him like a magnetic force. From the
moment he spotted her sitting in that third-row seat in the lecture hall, he had
been captivated by her. He hadn't quite figured it out yet.
Despite his unorthodox persona, Tyber was not a man who leaped into idle
indulgences with women. Because of his secluded lifestyle and his penchant for
research, his experiences with women were usually based on a mutual interest in
scientific matters, or were the natural result of a deepening friendship.
His liaisons followed a pattern.
He always knew the woman on a professional basis first before engaging in a
friendly affair. These relationships had a tendency to last several months
before being mutually set aside. There was tenderness, decent sex, and a certain
camaraderie.
This one, however, was different.
For some reason, Zanita Masterson incited him.
She made him want
Tyber threw himself onto a wicker lounge, crossing his hands behind his head.
"And so I am."
Zanita's eyes narrowed. "There are no other guests, are there?"
"I don't recall mentioning other guests to you."
She tapped her foot. "I can see you have a tendency toward presumption, Dr.
Evans."
"And how is that, Ms. Masterson? I issued an invitation; you accepted." He
watched her from under half-lowered lids. "Now, why was that, I wonder?"
He was toying with her. He knew exactly why she had accepted!
Zanita kicked a pebble off the patio and into the pool. "You know why! I want an
interview with you!"
Tyber's silvery blue eyes followed the pebble with some amusement as it skipped
across the stones to plop into the water. Unfolding himself from the lounge
chair, he walked behind her to cup his hands on her shoulders.
Zanita tried to move away; he pulled her back.
Bending low, he said firmly in her ear, "No interview. No more debris in my
pool."
Zanita swallowed convulsively at the heat of him behind her. She suddenly wanted
to rest her head back against his chest, feel those powerful arms come around
her…
She blinked. Bad enough she behaved foolishly just now. No need to compound her
error by throwing herself at the man.
What was wrong with her? She was usually a very cautious person when it came to
relationships with men. Hadn't Mills told her so? Not that she wanted a
relationship with him. He probably wouldn't be interested even if she did. And
what if she had truly pissed him off just now? How stupid can one person be?
After all, she was his guest.
His capable hands moved at her shoulders, massaging her tense muscles. The act
did not relax her.
"Did you notice the topiary labyrinth when you came in?" His low voice sent
shivers down her neck.
Still captured by his hands, she nodded her head warily.
"Good. I want you to know that the maze is extremely complex. To date, no one
has successfully navigated through it. Do you know why I built it?"
She shook her head, sending her curls bouncing.
"I built it as a foil to anyone foolish enough to seek an interview. Those
creatures eat little reporters like you for lunch."
Zanita gasped, her imagination running wild.
Tyber's answering chuckle was a strong, sexy laugh of male amusement. Was it her
imagination or did his lips just brush her hair?
She broke out of his hold, turning to face him.
"Really, Tyber, I just want—"
"No." He tapped her nose. "Now, would you like something to drink, Curls?"
Tyber was being difficult. But not impossible. She would have to bide her time
and try again in an hour or so. Smiling secretly, she accepted his offer of
refreshment.
Tyber handed her a frosty glass of lemonade from the outdoor bar, thinking she
had the look of his cat again. He knew the look well. She wasn't going to give
up.
He sighed.
How was he going to get her mind off that damn interview? As long as she thought
of him as a subject for her article, she wouldn't be seeing him as a person.
A person who was extremely attracted to her.
There was something about her that drew him like a magnetic force. From the
moment he spotted her sitting in that third-row seat in the lecture hall, he had
been captivated by her. He hadn't quite figured it out yet.
Despite his unorthodox persona, Tyber was not a man who leaped into idle
indulgences with women. Because of his secluded lifestyle and his penchant for
research, his experiences with women were usually based on a mutual interest in
scientific matters, or were the natural result of a deepening friendship.
His liaisons followed a pattern.
He always knew the woman on a professional basis first before engaging in a
friendly affair. These relationships had a tendency to last several months
before being mutually set aside. There was tenderness, decent sex, and a certain
camaraderie.
This one, however, was different.
For some reason, Zanita Masterson incited him.
She made him want
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