"Aphrodite's_Passion_031" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kenner _Julie_-_[Protector_02]_-_Aphrodite's_Passion_(V1.0)_[lit](multi-file...)

Epilogue

Tracy laughed as Hale tugged at the bowtie around his neck. It was the first time she’d seen him in a tux, and when he’d walked into Tara-too’s private screening room, her first reaction was to melt at his feet. Her second was to rip it off him, forget the party, and stay in bed all night.
“Don’t laugh,” he growled. “I saw you yanking at your pantyhose earlier.”
“I hate the damn things. They must have been invented by men.” She aimed a pretend scowl his way. “Remind me again why we’re doing this?”
He moved closer, sweeping her into an embrace. “It’s Elmer’s big night. His acting debut. And you had the bright idea of throwing a party to celebrate his episode of Mrs. Dolittle.”
“I know that,” she said. “But why am I wearing pantyhose?”
Hale laughed. “The ferret has attitude. Since he’s wearing a tux, he insisted we dress up too.” He pulled back, his eyes roaming over her body. “I plan to thank him for it. You look stunning.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” He bent her over his arm, planting a long, slow kiss on her lips.
“Without the belt, I’m just another girl.” Even in her awkward position, she managed a shrug. “And not even an average girl. Just plain old Tracy. Heck, Leon hasn’t even given me a second look.” Not that she wanted Leon’s eyes on her, but she had to admit that the belt had been nice for her ego.
“Believe me, sweetheart, there’s nothing plain about you. You’re beautiful—inside and out. I knew it from the first moment I saw you. Even though I fought like hell.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Besides, you don’t need any other men looking at you. Your fiancé‘s the jealous type. And a jealous superhero can be a dangerous thing.”
That’s one of the things she loved about Hale: he always knew the right thing to say. And he made her believe she was beautiful. “Have I told you today how much I love you?” she asked.
“Even if you did,” he said, “it bears repeating.”
“Break it up, you two.” Mel’s voice filtered into the room, followed by the click of her heels as she hurried in, a ferret on each shoulder. “The show starts in fifteen minutes.”
Elmer—decked out in his own little tux and tiny sunglasses—started chittering as Hale pulled Tracy back to a standing position.
“What’s he saying?” she asked.
“That if we forget to tape the show, he’s going to disown both of us.”
Penelope chimed in.
“The same?”
“She just doesn’t want us to miss the beginning. This is Elmer’s big night, after all.”
Tracy looked at her watch. “We’ve still got a few minutes. Where’s Zoë and everyone?”
“The kitchen.” Mel glanced around the room at the catered buffet Tracy had ordered that afternoon. “All this, and Hoop wanted popcorn.”
Elmer jumped down to one of the seats and started tapping his paw. Penelope hopped down as well and snuggled up close. The show had taped two weeks before, and even in that short time, her delicate condition had become more apparent. Elmer, who’d developed some surprisingly gentlemanly qualities, scooted over to give her more room on the seat.
“Hey, hey. Let’s get this show on the road.” Hoop stormed in with Deena on his heels. Taylor and Zoë followed, with Lane and Davy bringing up the rear. Hoop aimed a smile toward Tracy and Hale. “Great party, you two. And Hale, congrats on your miraculous recovery.”
Tracy chuckled as Hale scowled, clearly clueless.
“Recovery?”
“Your acute mortalitis,” Taylor explained. “Looks like you’re cured.”
At that, Hale laughed, then pulled Tracy closer. “With this mortal, maybe. The rest of you losers I only put up with because my sister makes me.”
Zoë laughed. “I take the Fifth.”
“And we don’t believe you,” Lane added. “You’ve blown it now, Hale. We know the truth.”
Deena winked. “But don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with us.”
Hale aimed a mock-stern glance toward them all, even as Elmer started hopping up and down, chittering away.
“What now?” Tracy asked.
“He says to shut up. We may have kept the world safe from Hieronymous, but he’s guest-starred in a television show.” Hale grinned. “Can’t argue with that.” A frown creased his forehead. “Of course, now he’s begging Marty to line him up a job in commercials. What do you think? Could Elmer endorse a line of clothing?”
Tracy tugged at his hand, ignoring the neurotic ferret. “Come here, mister.” She led him out of the room and into the hallway. “We still have five minutes before showtime, and there’s something I want to do.”
“I’m not sure we can do that in five minutes.”
She tried to ignore him, but couldn’t help the smile that touched her lips. “Not that. This.” She hit ‘play’ on the jam-box she’d left by the door, and the low strains of Frank Sinatra singing “It Had To Be You” echoed through the hall.
“Dance with me.”
Caressing her cheek, he smiled. “Anything for you, sweetheart. Anything at all.”
He swept her into his arms and they twirled on the floor in time with the music. Just the two of them, alone with the magic.
With a sigh, she rested her head against his shoulder. She’d finally made it. This was the dance she’d always fantasized about. With the man she’d fantasized about.
Only this time, it was a fantasy come true.

Epilogue

Tracy laughed as Hale tugged at the bowtie around his neck. It was the first time she’d seen him in a tux, and when he’d walked into Tara-too’s private screening room, her first reaction was to melt at his feet. Her second was to rip it off him, forget the party, and stay in bed all night.
“Don’t laugh,” he growled. “I saw you yanking at your pantyhose earlier.”
“I hate the damn things. They must have been invented by men.” She aimed a pretend scowl his way. “Remind me again why we’re doing this?”
He moved closer, sweeping her into an embrace. “It’s Elmer’s big night. His acting debut. And you had the bright idea of throwing a party to celebrate his episode of Mrs. Dolittle.”
“I know that,” she said. “But why am I wearing pantyhose?”
Hale laughed. “The ferret has attitude. Since he’s wearing a tux, he insisted we dress up too.” He pulled back, his eyes roaming over her body. “I plan to thank him for it. You look stunning.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” He bent her over his arm, planting a long, slow kiss on her lips.
“Without the belt, I’m just another girl.” Even in her awkward position, she managed a shrug. “And not even an average girl. Just plain old Tracy. Heck, Leon hasn’t even given me a second look.” Not that she wanted Leon’s eyes on her, but she had to admit that the belt had been nice for her ego.
“Believe me, sweetheart, there’s nothing plain about you. You’re beautiful—inside and out. I knew it from the first moment I saw you. Even though I fought like hell.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Besides, you don’t need any other men looking at you. Your fiancé‘s the jealous type. And a jealous superhero can be a dangerous thing.”
That’s one of the things she loved about Hale: he always knew the right thing to say. And he made her believe she was beautiful. “Have I told you today how much I love you?” she asked.
“Even if you did,” he said, “it bears repeating.”
“Break it up, you two.” Mel’s voice filtered into the room, followed by the click of her heels as she hurried in, a ferret on each shoulder. “The show starts in fifteen minutes.”
Elmer—decked out in his own little tux and tiny sunglasses—started chittering as Hale pulled Tracy back to a standing position.
“What’s he saying?” she asked.
“That if we forget to tape the show, he’s going to disown both of us.”
Penelope chimed in.
“The same?”
“She just doesn’t want us to miss the beginning. This is Elmer’s big night, after all.”
Tracy looked at her watch. “We’ve still got a few minutes. Where’s Zoë and everyone?”
“The kitchen.” Mel glanced around the room at the catered buffet Tracy had ordered that afternoon. “All this, and Hoop wanted popcorn.”
Elmer jumped down to one of the seats and started tapping his paw. Penelope hopped down as well and snuggled up close. The show had taped two weeks before, and even in that short time, her delicate condition had become more apparent. Elmer, who’d developed some surprisingly gentlemanly qualities, scooted over to give her more room on the seat.
“Hey, hey. Let’s get this show on the road.” Hoop stormed in with Deena on his heels. Taylor and Zoë followed, with Lane and Davy bringing up the rear. Hoop aimed a smile toward Tracy and Hale. “Great party, you two. And Hale, congrats on your miraculous recovery.”
Tracy chuckled as Hale scowled, clearly clueless.
“Recovery?”
“Your acute mortalitis,” Taylor explained. “Looks like you’re cured.”
At that, Hale laughed, then pulled Tracy closer. “With this mortal, maybe. The rest of you losers I only put up with because my sister makes me.”
Zoë laughed. “I take the Fifth.”
“And we don’t believe you,” Lane added. “You’ve blown it now, Hale. We know the truth.”
Deena winked. “But don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with us.”
Hale aimed a mock-stern glance toward them all, even as Elmer started hopping up and down, chittering away.
“What now?” Tracy asked.
“He says to shut up. We may have kept the world safe from Hieronymous, but he’s guest-starred in a television show.” Hale grinned. “Can’t argue with that.” A frown creased his forehead. “Of course, now he’s begging Marty to line him up a job in commercials. What do you think? Could Elmer endorse a line of clothing?”
Tracy tugged at his hand, ignoring the neurotic ferret. “Come here, mister.” She led him out of the room and into the hallway. “We still have five minutes before showtime, and there’s something I want to do.”
“I’m not sure we can do that in five minutes.”
She tried to ignore him, but couldn’t help the smile that touched her lips. “Not that. This.” She hit ‘play’ on the jam-box she’d left by the door, and the low strains of Frank Sinatra singing “It Had To Be You” echoed through the hall.
“Dance with me.”
Caressing her cheek, he smiled. “Anything for you, sweetheart. Anything at all.”
He swept her into his arms and they twirled on the floor in time with the music. Just the two of them, alone with the magic.
With a sigh, she rested her head against his shoulder. She’d finally made it. This was the dance she’d always fantasized about. With the man she’d fantasized about.
Only this time, it was a fantasy come true.