Colleen Houck

“Well, because you mysteriously came all this way and obviously are not the man I thought you were, why the heck not. So, Phet, if that’s even your real name, tellme, how do I defeat Lokesh?”“It’s simple. Do to him what I did to you.”“What? Talk to him in broken English?”

“You are my home, Kelsey. Wherever you are is where I belong.”

“I finally found him sitting on his balcony. He was leaning back against the wall with his eyes closed. Soft music played, and a cool ocean breeze blew back my hair as I stepped on to the balcony and inhaled the scent of the sea."May I join you?" I asked softly.He didn’t bother opening his eyes. "If you like."The moon in the dark sky looked like a giant white plate dipping its edge into the ocean. We sat quietly for a while. I closed my eyes too and listened to him hum along in harmony with the music."You haven’t played your guitar in a long time. I miss it," I said when the song was finished.Ren turned away. "I fear there is no music left in me.”

“Fine. The next time that my life is destroyed, I'll try to express my distress in a quieter fashion, far away from your tender sensibilities.”

“Wow Kelsey!" Kishan whistled. "I'm going to have to beat the other guys of with a stick!”

“Don't you see, Ren? That's exactly why I have to go. You need to know that you can survive without me. That's there's more to life than just me. You need to see this world that's opened up to you and know that you have choices. I refuse to be your cage”

“I poked my stomach covertly. It still seemed pretty lean to me. Obviously, I wasn’t built like a supermodel, but all the swimming and workouts were keeping me trim enough. Kishan took my hand, squeezed it, and brushed a kiss on my fingers before setting it back onto my lap. I smiled at him in gratitude.”

“Wow,” I said. “That story is disturbing on so many different levels. One thing that’s mystifying about Indian mythology is how often the names change. The skin color changes – she’s golden, she’s black, she’s pink. Her name changes – she’s Durga, Kali, Parvati. Her personality changes – she’s a loving mother, she’s a fierce warrior, she’s terrible in her wrath, she’s a lover, she’s vengeful, she’s weak and mortal, then she’s powerful and can’t be defeated. Then there’s her marital status – she’s sometimes single, sometimes married. It’s hard to keep all the stories straight.”Ren snickered. “Sounds like a normal woman to me.”

“What’s all the yelling about?” Kishan asked.“Would you please tell your sorry excuse for a brother that I’m not talking to him anymore?”Kishan grinned. “No problem. She’s not talking to you anymore.”

“Later that sweltering evening, I climbed into my tiny tent and lay down on top of my bedroll, twisting the lighter blanket around me mummy-style.Ren ducked his head in to check on me and laughed. “Do you always do that?”“Only when camping.”“You know bugs can still get in there.”“Don’t say that. I like to live in ignorance.”

“Ren grinned. “So… you and lady tigers, eh? Is there something you want share, Kishan?”Kishan shoved a forkful of dinner into his mouth and mumbled, “How about I share my fist with your face?”“Wow. Sensitive, I’m sure your lady tiger friends were all very attractive. So am I an uncle?”

“Lunch is served!" I shouted.The brothers wasted no time. Kishan reached for the chicken, and Ren, the cookies. I smacked their hands away and handed each one a bacterial wipe.Kishan grumbled, "Kells, I ate my food raw off the ground for three hundred years. I really don't think a little dirt's going to kill me.”

“Kishan kept his distance, but his come-hither eyes made my face burn.”

“After a moment, he (Ren) elaborated, "By the way, I didn't say you weren't attractive. I just said you're young.""So is Nilima by your standards. You're more than three hundred years old!""That's true." He grinned lopsidedly in an attempt to get me to smile."Technically, you should be dating a very old lady." A tiny smile passed my lips.”

“Tarzan-like men are my weakness, apparently.”

“Thrilled with the knowledge that she loved me, it took me a moment to realize that she was angry. I found her tantrum irresistible." #Ren”

“I wrapped the unyielding woman I loved in my arms & kissed her slowly, hoping that some part of her would sense my absolute devotion." #Ren”

“She answered with a passion I didn’t expect & I was lost. In that moment our hearts beat as one. In that moment I knew she loved me." #Ren”

“Kelsey," Ren brushed a hand through his hair, and his smile turned into a lopside grin, "the fact is...I'm in love with you, and I have been for some time.”

“Stop looking at me like that.""Like what?""Like you're hunting me. I'm not an antelope.”

“(...) we must learn to accept that all creatures, however fearsome they may be, are of divineorigin.”

“the camp children descended upon me in a raucous, violent flurry of little bodies. I felt like tiny buffalo were stampeding over me.”

“You are my pearl without a price."-Ren, Tiger's Curse”

“Hard work keeps you grounded”

“The dangerous one was Ren. Innocent though the white tiger he appeared to be, he was a compelling predator. Utterly irresistible -- like a Venus flytrap. So alluring, so tempting, so deadly. Everything he did was seductive and possibly hazardous to my health.”

“Well, first of all, you can't expect me to have coherent thoughts when you're touching me. Second, you're too... good-looking. Good-looking people usually get what they want.”

“I was just slipping my pajama top over my head when I heard Ren bellow, “YOU ate ALL of my peanut . . . butter . . . COOKIES?”

“Pulling the chair out for me, he invited me to sit. I stood there wondering if I could sprint for the nearest exit. Stupid strappy shoes, I'd never make it. He leaned in close and whispered in my ear, "I know what you're thinking, and I'm not going to let you escape again. You can either take a seat and have dinner with me like a normal date," he grinned at his word choice, "or," he paused thoughtfully then threatened, "you can sit on my lap while I force-feed you.”

“Kishan shook his head. 'I'm not going to let you hurt her.''Hurt her? I'm not going to harm her. You, on the other hand, I'm going to destroy.”

“I was dying. I knew it. At least the pain was gone. I wanted to tell him that I loved him. Then darkness overtook me...”

“That was a pygmy marmoset by the way. Just in case you were wondering." I wheezed. "Thank you oh Walking Monkey Dictionary.”

“Now turn around and go to sleep. I'm warning you that I plan to sleep with you in my arms all night long.”

“He was like a drug and what did you do with drugs You pushed them as far away as possible.”

“He seemed very pleased with himself for surviving a near-death experience. I could practically hear him chanting to himself: I overcame. I conquered. I’m a man etc etc.”

“Shhh Kelsey. I'm here. I'm not leaving you priya. Hush now. Mein aapka raksha karunga. I will watch over you priyatama.”

“He was my ultimate present my own personal miracle and I'd blown it. I'd given him away. It was like winning backstage passes to meet the rock star of your dreams and donating the tickets to charity. It sucked. Big time.”

“He looks like a runway model. How in the world am I going to be able to reject that? The world is so unfair. Seriously, it's like turning Brad Pitt down for a date. The girl who could actually do it should win an award for idiot of the century.”

“One's enemy is often the best teacher of tolerance.”

“I find that all people are fundamentally alike. We are one human family. Perhaps we have different clothes, our skin is of a different color, or we speak various languages, but that is on the surface only. We all have dreams and seek for things that will bring true happiness. To know all the world, I just need to learn about myself.”

“Um...perhaps I will go with Grandfather," Nilima said. She set down the scissors, looked at my expression, and then changed her mind and took them with her.”

“You know you are in love when you see the world in her eyes, and her eyes everywhere in the world.”

“(...)normalcy is an illusion. Each person is utterly unique. A standard of normalcy is something that most people of the world simply will never access.”

“I sighed softly and basked in the barrage of Ren's kisses- drowning kisses, soft kisses, sultry kisses, kisses that lasted a mere second, and kisses that lasted an eternity. It was easy to believe that my warrior-angel had captured me and had flown me up to heaven. A deep rumble echoed in his chest.I pulled back, laughing. "Are you growling at me?" He laughed softly, twisted my hair ribbon around his fingers, and pulled gently, loosening my braid. Biting my ear lightly, he whispered a threat, "You have been driving me crazy for three weeks. You're lucky all I'm doing is growling.”

“Ren took off his jacket, which slicited a squeak from Jennifer who was now totally focused on Ren's golden-bronze biceps. His perfectly fitted muscle shirt showed off his extremely well-developed arms and chest. I hissed at him quietly, "For heaven's sake, Ren! You're going to give the women heart palpitations!”

“Regrets are only felt by those who do not understand life's purpose.”

“A wise man sees the path all must walk and embraces the free will of humankind, even if to watch it unfold causes him pain.”

“I was destined to love you, and I will belong to you forever.”

“What is real and what is not is for your heart to decide and for your heart to know.”

“It's about bloody time, woman.”

“How poor are they that have no patients! What wound did ever heal but by degrees?'""Shakespeare isn't going to save you this time, Superman. Your time's run out."He scowled. "Perhaps I should have been studying The Taming of the Shrew!”