Gena Showalter

“Are you going to suggest I kiss you for good luck or strength or whatever it is your sex demon needs?" - WilliamThat earned the warrior a two-fingered salute."So that's a no?" William asked.Paris worked his jaw. "Here, let me help you off the cliff to the drawbridge." With no more warning, he shoved William over the ledge. He thought he heard a fading, "So not cool," from the bastard as he fell...fell..Splat.Paris worked”

“Back off, asshole. I haven't had a woman today, so I'm in no mood for this kind of bullshit. ”

“Bianka," he said, his patience clearly waning. "This is not a game. Do not make me bind you to my bed.""Ohhh, now that I like. Sounds kinky." She darted around him running her fingertips over his cheek, his neck. "You're as soft as a baby."He sucked in a breath, stiffened. "Bianka.""But better equipped.""Bianka!"She patted his butt. "Yes?”

“I haven't have fun for a long time," Kaia said with a pout."Me, either. Except with myself, but I don't suppose that counts.""It does the way I do it.”

“And at one point (cough) walking into a chicks knife (cough), he'd finally won.'I'm king of the world, bitches. Come in here and bask in my glory.' His voice echoed through the foyer, expectant eager.-Strider”

“So what. He was made of awesome. Anyone who couldn't see that wasn't smart enough to be with him, anyway.”

“Stridey-Man' asked, Want 2 vacay w/me?William snorted as he typed. Romantic getaway for 2? UR not my type, dickwad.Fuck U. i'm everybody's types. So U in or out?Last chance in or out?InKnew U couldn't resist me. B ready in 5.Right on. Make it 10. I want 2 style my hair for U. U know, just how U like it.ASSHOLE.”

“Replies began arriving seconds after he pressed send, and soon every single one of the warriors (besides William) had agreed to come home.Take me out of your address book, William”

“Knock him out, Paris!''Sure. Want me to spew diamonds from my ass while I’m at it?”

“Um i'm happy to sit close to you and everything, but i had no idea you would like it so much,' Paris muttered.”

“Bomb', Reyes said, not bothering to look up.'One of ours?' Maddox insisted...'Hardly. I know better than to blow myself up,' Reyes sighed.”

“Lean against the edge, sweetheart. I'm falling off."--Brent Greene”

“I like to be admired from afar, and then complimented up close.”

“Let me tell you what I just heard. Talk, talk, talk, I. Talk, talk, talk, I. Well, what about me?”

“Every night death came, slowly, painfully, and every morning Maddox awoke in bed, knowing he'd have to die again later. That was his greatest curse and his eternal punishment.”

“So hot the pages should be on fire! [on Pleasures of the Night ]”

“I am made of awesome." Kaia the Wing Shredder”

“Back up. What questions? (Amun)Everything you asked me and more. (Haidee)Such as? (Amun)A blush stained her cheeks. Like was I going to have telepathic sex with you at the dinner table. Did I know how to cook something other than a PB and J. Was I ok with naked Thursdays.”

“On way. He OK? AeronComing. Something wrong? LucianTake me out of your address book. William”

“Anya made you kiss her?Yeah. And at our next stop, I'll expect you to deliver.I'll pay, William piped up. After you describe everything about that kiss you two shared. Did you cop a feel? You did, didn't you, you little hussy. I bet you moaned a lot, too.Too late for you to pay, she said in a sing song voice. Strider already offered, and I already accepted. And no, I won't do any describing. You can just imagine how sexy it was. Oh, and Willie. Just so you know, your imagination won't do it justice.”

“I cannot kill him, she muttered to herself. I cannot kill him. I promised Bianka I'd stop at ten bodies a day, and I've already surpassed my quota for the fifth day in a row. I cannot kill him.”

“Kaia tossed Strider a shut-your-mouth frown before bouncing in her seat. "Do I get to help? Can I? You may not know this, but I'm very handy with a blade of any kind, a hacksaw, a whip, a-""Hey! Someone went through my bag," William said."So?" Kaia continued, as if William hadn't spoken. "Whatever the weapon, I'm good with it."He would not be impressed. "We won't be using weapons. We'll be smashing jugulars.""Oh, oh! We can play Who Can Smash More!""No, we can't because you can't help," Stider said at the same time William blurted out, "I'd be disappointed if you didn't help.”

“We're on vacation, Kaia, Strider grumbled. You weren't invited.She waved away his words as if they were unimportant. Deep down I know you meant to invite me, so ta-da. Here I am. You're welcome.It's scary how well you know us. Here, pay for this, William said, dumping his candy into Strider's arms. We'll be in the care. Making out.”

“Kaia darling, Willaim said, nearly leaping over a stand of beef jerky in his haste to reach her. Are you here to fight the strippers who just enjoyed hours of my company? Hardly, she said, tossing her glorious mane of hair over her shoulder with a single flip of her wrist. I'm here to thank them for keeping you occupied. Please tell me they're still with you.”

“People stared. Maybe because they were giants compared to everyone else, both in height and muscle mass. Maybe because of the telltale bulge of weapons at their waist. Or maybe because William opened a bag of Doritos and ate while he shopped. Hard to tell.”

“Strider: Red hots dude. He'd ruin anything for a mouthful of those. Now pull over.William: Gummy Bears. You should have said so.”

“There was a pause, static, a muttered "Give me that," by an indignant female. Then the normally quiet reserved Ashlyn was demanding, "Did you just drunk dial my husband?""Yes, ma'am," Strider said, and the other two finally burst into laughter.”

“Give me the effing phone, Strider grumbled, opening his palm and waving his fingers. Effing? William laughed with genuine amusement. You ever realize how polite you get when you're hammered? And you know what they say. A man's true charactor is revealed when he's toasted. So you gotta face facts, man. You're a closet gentlmen. Loser!The heck I am!Even Paris laughed at that.”

“William: I just had the best idea ever. Let's give Maddox a ring.Paris: You mean propose to him? To grumpy ole Maddox? Willie, why didn't you tell us you're a masochist, who swung that way? You're so delicate, he'll rip you to shreds the moment you climb into his bed. Plus, he's hitched himself to Ashlyn. You try to lay a move on him, and that sweet thang will rearrange your face.William: I mean call him, you idiot. What's with you tonight? Permanent brain damage? We'll breath heavily and ask him what he's wearing. I bet no one's phone sexed him before.”

“William: You're just gonna have to take who I give you and dealParis: Like anyone would pick you over me.William: You just wait and see. I'll have every single on of them eating out of my hand.Paris: Only if you had one of those delicious fried Twinkies.Strider rolled his eyes. Egotistical morons. Anyone with a set of eyes could see that Strider was the pretty one in their little three-some.”

“Fried twinkies? Paris nodded. Only once, I've never forgotten the experience. It's like heaven in your mouth, man.”

“He reclined on a delightfully cushioned lounge in the sprawling ranch Paris had rented. In Dallas, Texas, of all places. Promiscuity had decked himself out, too, wearing a Stetson (weird), no shirt (understandable), unfastened jeans (smart) and cowboy boots (weird again). Dude looked ready to rustle cattle or something.”

“William untucked the covers and stood, making a mental list of everything he'd need for the coming trip. A few blades, serrated and non serrated. A vial of acid. A bone saw. A spiked paddle. A cat-o'-nine-tails. And a bag of Gummy Bears.”

“Stridey-Man: " Want 2 vaca w/me?"William: "Romantic getaway for 2? UR not my type"Stridey-Man: "I'm everyone's type. So U in or out? 'Cause I'm thinking about hooking up w/P, wherever he is. U'd just B extra baggage."William: "In"Stridey: "Knew you couldn't resist me. B ready in 5."William: "Right on. Make it 10. I want 2 style my hair for U. U know, just how U like it."Stridey: "Now U only have 8 minutes 2 do UR hair.”

“What Strider thinks of himself "He was too intense, too jaded, too warped and too...everything for most women to take for long. But so what. He was made of awesome. Anyone who couldn't see that wasn't smart enough to be with him, anyway.”

“Strider's bedroom "The only thing hanging on the wall that wasn't a weapon was the portrait just over the bed. No. Not true, he thought then. The portrait was a weapon, too. Of seduction. In it Strider was utterly naked and whisking through the cloads like an avenging angel. He was holding a teddy bear in one hand and a stream of pink ribbons in the other. Anya had given him the nearly life-size monstrasity as a joke. But the joke was on her. He loved the thing.”

“For gods' sake, Strider," Torin snapped. "Open your mouth and form some words. While you're at it, stop staring at the angel like he's a tasty treat.”

“I plan to let Lysander rip the garment off me, make love to me in the dirtiest way possible, and then, while he’s trying to catch his breath, drop the big, bad bombshell on him and run like hell.Bianka to Kaia”

“And okay, fine. If you have to kiss her, you have to kiss her. And believe me, I do not envy you. That's taking one for the team a little far. I mean, I think I'd rather endure the stabbing myself instead of having to kiss her.”

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but I might be a vampire so I don't give a shit. I'll heal”

“The next day she’d examined her red satin sandalsand with a frown said, “I’m thinking about buying twosnakes.”His are you kidding me “Why?” had caused her toshrug.“I’d name them Leftie and Rightie and when theywere big enough, they’d become Mamma’s boots.”

“He had no one but himself to blame, for he’d opened himself up to it. Just a fraction at first, like a crack in a window. But the funny thing was, onceyou welcomed in a breeze, there was no stopping what came next. A wind, a storm, thunder and lightning, until you could no longer reach thewindow to close it—and didn’t really want to anyway. That’s what this new darkness was. Evil in its purest form...-Paris”

“Nicolai, the Dark Seducer as his people called him, had been in bed, but not alone. He was never alone. He was a man known for the violence of his temper as well as the deliciousness of his touch”

“Did you dream of me?" he asked. "Yes," she admitted grudgingly. She had. She'd dreamed of his hands caressing her, of his mouth devouring her. His lush lips inched into a surprised but pleased smile. "You were naked," she told him. His grin spread; his eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "And tied up..." He arched his eye brows in smug expectation. "I did not know the idea of bondage would please you." "Oh, I love the idea of typing you up." She paused dramatically. "Just like in my dream, you'll be secured to an ant-hill and the little things will eat you alive.”

“THREE DAYS AND twelve psychics later, Katie and Jorlan had developed a routine. Morning: jog, visit psychics. Afternoon: work at the Victorian. Evening: talk, watch television. Twilight: sleep apart and fantasize.”

“Problem was, he couldn’t masturbate his sexual desires away because he’d fry off his cock." Hector”

“Impossible. I merely brought the essentials. Clothes, my favorite boots, face cream, makeup, a few books to read, a couple cans of caviar, lingerie, and my coffeepot. Plus a few other things a girl like me just can’t live without but can’t mention in mixed company because it would be indelicate. You know, because they’re sexual.”- at “lingerie,” Hector and Dallas had stood a little straighter. At “sexual,” they’d moaned. Jaxon punched them both in the back of the head.”

“Then she looked away, dismissing him as if she’d found him to be substandard.All right, then. She didn’t find him attractive. Good.In fact, he kept his head shaved to a glossy shine for just that reason. He was a man willing to do anything to discourage feminine attention.Because yeah, females could be vanity hounds and most preferred their dates to have hair. Black, blond, red, it didn’t matter, as long as the locks were thick and lustrous. And here was a news flash for littleMiss Giggles: when he allowed his to grow, it was dark brown, nearly jet, with hints of gold and worthy of a fucking lion.”

“That’s my cousin, dickwad,” Agent Jaxon Tremain said from Hector’s left. Had Whacky Jacky been next to Dallas, he would have drilled his knuckles into the guy’s bicep. “Watch your mouth.”“By watch my mouth do you mean I should invite your cuz back to my place for a game of Hide the Magic Wand, or my new personal fave, Puff on the Magic Dragon?” Dallas asked conversationally. “And I know what you’re thinking. I’m really into wizardry these days. Well, you’re right.” Hector gave a rusty bark of laughter. He hadn’t observed Dallas in this good a mood in a long time.A low growl escaped Jaxon. “I meant I’d scoop out your liver with a spoon, you idiot!”“Sterling silver or plastic?” Hector asked. In their line of work, details were important. Besides, he liked being part of their banter.”

“What were you chanting when you gave me your blood?”“More of my vampire magic. I cast a healing spell to aid the powers of my blood.”She sniffled, her nose stuffy. “It was better than Vicodin.”“Vicodin?”“A painkiller from my world.”“A killer of pain. Did you love him?” The words were growled.A burst of unexpected humor gave her strength. “No. In fact, he was hard to shake. He, uh, stalked me, that kind of thing. I had to pretend he didn’texist.”Nicolai kissed her temple and relaxed against her.”