J.D. Robb

“Decisions made quickly were almost always regretted quickly.”

“Life is full of circles”

“What other thing, Eve?""I love you. Sometimes it makes my stomach hurt, but I kind of like it. Tired now, come to bed. Love you.”

“In my hands is power. The power to hear or to destroy. To grant life or to cause death. I revere this gift, have honed it over time an art as magnificent and awesome as any painting in the Louvre. I an art, I am science. In all ways that matter, I am God.God must be ruthless and far-sighted. God studies his creations and selects. The best of these creations must be cherished, protected, sustained. Greatness rewards perfection.Yet even the flawed have purpose. A wise God experiment, considers, uses what comes into his hands and forges wonders. Yes, often without mercy, often with a violence the ordinary condemn. We who hold power cannot be detracted by the condemnations of the ordinary, by the petty and pitiful laws of simple man. They are blind, their minds are closed with fear-fear of pain, fear of death. They are too limited to comprehend that death can be conquered. I have nearly done so. If my work was discovered, they, with their foolish laws and attitudes, would damn me.When my work is complete, they will worship me.”

“I'd rather lie bare-assed naked on the sidewalk and be trampled by tourists from South Dakota than be an accountant.”

“Nothing ever seems too bad, too hard or too sad when you've got a Christmas tree in the living room. All those presents under it, all that anticipation. Just a way of saying there's always light and hope in the world.”

“Not fair! Okay, what's the record? How many times?If you can count them, he didn't drop you out.Nadine groaned, shuddered, grinned. 'Bitch.”

“When you find nothing, Morris said, it means you're eliminating what surrounds the something.Is that a Zen thing? Eve questioned.If not, it should be.”

“Something your father wouldn't have told you, he began. Taking blood, it leaves a mark on you. No matter how it's done, or how it's justified, it leaves a mark that goes in deep. Be sure you're willing to wear that mark before you take the blood.”

“It's Major Ketchup in the bathroom with the laser scalpel.""Hmm." He sliced a delicately herbed spear of asparagus. "Obviously we were meant for each other as I can interpret that as you meaning something more like Colonel Mustard in the conservatory with the candlestick.”

“Eve, I know this continues to astound and baffle you, but I actually like to socialize.""I know. If it wasn't for that, you'd be perfect.”

“I hear the cock woke you up."Eve choked on her coffee. "What?""Not that kind of cock." Sinead sent a sparkling look over her shoulder. "Though if that's true as well, good for you. I meant the rooster.”

“Testing, she lifted her hips, let them fall. "Oh, for God's sake. We can't do this on a talking bed. Everybody in the house will know what's going on in here."Enjoying himself, he nuzzled at her throat. "I believe they already suspect we have sex.""Maybe, but that's different than having the bed yell out, 'Whoopee!"Was it any wonder he adored her? he thought.Watching her face, he trailed a finger over her breast. "We'll have quiet, dignified sex.""If sex is dignified it's not being done right.”

“The doll, Dallas. You know, Barbie doll. Jeez, didn't you ever have dollies?""Dolls are like small dead people. I have enough dead people, thanks.”

“When you find nothing... it means you're eliminating what surrounds the something.”

“Roarke: You'd enjoy flying more if you'd learn the controls.Eve: I'd rather pretend I'm on the ground.Roarke: And how many vehicles have you wrecked, had blown up, or destroyed in the last, oh, two years?Eve: Think about that, then imagine it happening when I'm at the wheel at thirty thousand feet.Roarke: Good point. I'll do the flying.”

“You are who you are. I know you. You believe that?"Yea but--""You're Eve Dallas. You're the love of my life. My heart and Soul. You're a cop, mind and bone. You're a woman of strength and resilience. Stubborn, hardheaded, occassionally mean as a badger, and more generous that you'll admit.”

“Eve: "Was that like a cookie?"Roarke: "Hmmm?"Eve: "You know, have a cookie. You'll feel better. Were you making me feel better?"Roarke: "I certainly hope so, it worked for me. I wanted you. I always do."Eve: "It's funny how men can wake up with their brains in their cocks."Roarke: "It makes us what we are. Let's take a shower. I'll give you another cookie.”

“I'm just full of surprises." Watching her, he waved the wrapped bar from side to side. "You can have the candy if you sit on my lap."That sounds like something perverted old men say to young, stupid girls."I'm not old, and you're not stupid." He sat, patted his knee. "It's Belgian chocolate."Just because I'm sitting on your lap and eating your candy doesn't mean you can cop a feel," she said as she folded into his lap.”

“For once, he slept first. She lay in the dark, listening to him breathe, stealing a little of his warmth as her own body cooled. Since he was asleep, she stroked his hair."I love you," she murmured. "I love you so much, I'm stupid about it."With a sigh, she settled down, closed her eyes, and willed her mind to empty.Beside her, Roarke smiled into the dark.He never slept first.”

“We're standing here, beat to shit, walking away from a crime scene where either or both of us could have bought it, and you're asking me to marry you?""Perfect timing.”

“You know, lieutenant, you wear your weapon the way other women wear pearls.""It's not a fashion accessory.”

“Eve: What is it about asking you Catholic questions that gets you all jumpy?Roarke: You'd be jumpy, too, if I asked you things that make you feel the hot breath of hell at your back.Eve: You're not going to hell.Roarke: Oh, and have you got some inside intel on that?Eve: You married a cop...you married me. I'm your goddamn salvation.”

“Roarke: The bodies of the three men were found floating in the Chattahoochee River.Eve: I think it'd be embarrassing to be dead in the Hoochie-Coochie River.Roarke: ChattahoocheeEve: What's the difference?Roarke: Quite a bit, I'd think.”

“Statues are too much like dolls, and dolls are creepy. You keep expecting them to blink. And the ones that smile, like this?" Eve kept her lips tight together and she curved them up. "You know they've got teeth in there. Big, sharp, shiny teeth."I didn't. But now I've got to worry about it.”

“What’s the point of playing if winning isn’t the goal?”

“Roarke, what's going on here?' 'Lieutenant.' He leaned forward, touched his lips to hers. 'Indications are we're having a romance.”

“What did she say?" Eve asked when they got into the car. "Here's love, she said, to hold until next we meet and I give you more.”

“Didn't people consider what could happen if armies of farm animals united in revolt?”

“Roarke: "I'll drop you."Eve: "No, better I catch a cab or take the underground. This guy sees me show up in a hot car with a fancy piece behind the wheel, he's not going to like me."Roarke: "You know how I love being referred. to as your fancy piece."Eve: "Sometimes you're my love muffin.He managed a strangled laugh.She could, at the oddest times, surprise him.”

“Roarke: "Darling, before we shift into the official mode, what do you have on under that dress?"Eve: "A device designed to drive men wild."Roarke: "It's working. I don't believe I've ever seen your butt move quite that way."Eve: "It's a cop's butt now, ace, so watch it."Roarke: "I am." He smiled, gave it a nice solid smack. "Believe me.”

“Do you think the penis ever gets tired?"Whose?Anybody's. I mean anybody with one. Does the penis ever just think: for God's sake pal, give it a rest? Or is it all: Woo-who!! Here we go again!”

“She, as no other ever could, reached every corner of his heart. His joy, and his salvation.”

“He Sipped his coffee, watched the flames. "You gave me my life, you did," He insisted when Summerset made a protesting sound. "And I worked-in my fashion- to build this place. I asked you to tend it for me. You've never let me down. But I needed her. The one thing, the only thing that could make this place home.""She's not what I would have chosen for you""Oh, that I know""But she's right for you. The one for you." Despite, or maybe due to, her many flaws""I imagine she thinks the same thing about you".Memory in Death, Roarke and Summerset”

“Eve: "She had big plans for me. Kind of a pet, I imagine. Like William. Her little trained dog. And with you dead, she figured I'd inherit all your goodies. You're not going to do that to me are you?"Roarke: "What, die?"Eve: "Leave me all this stuff."Roarke: "Only you would be annoyed by that.”

“Eve (to Roarke): "Whatever happened to me back in Dallas, I came out of it. I'm standing here because of it. Maybe I have everything that matters to me, including you, because of it. If that's true, I'd go through it all again. I'd go through every minute of the hell to have you, to have my badge, to have this life.”

“There was never anybody before you," she said. "I just wanted to say that. And when I did what I do, and it opened a crack in me like it did last night, there was nobody there to hold on to me. I didn't want anyone to hold on to me. Until you. And I got through and I got by, and it was okay. But I think, maybe, if I'd just kept getting through and getting by, I'd have come to a point where I couldn't do it anymore. And if I couldn't do it anymore, it'd be the end of me, Roarke. So when you hold on to me, You're helping me stand up, one more time. And the dead, you're standing for them, too. I just wanted to say that." She went out quickly, and left him staring at her.”

“Fine, you do that, and you tell them that at the very first opportunity, I'm coming down there and killing all of them. Mass murder. And after they're all dead, I'm going to kick the bodies around, dance on top of them, and sing a happy song. No jury will convict me.”

“What a woman you are,” he murmured, and she heard the emotion in it, theway the Irish thickened just a bit in his voice. And saw it in those vivid eyes when he drew back. “That you would think of this. That you would do this.”He shook his head, kissed her. Like the breath, long and quiet.“I can’t thank you enough. There isn’t enough thanks. I can’t say what this means to me, even to you. I don’t have the words for it.” He took her hands,brought them both to his lips. “A ghra. You stagger me.”He framed her face now, touched his lips to her brow. “You’re the beat of my heart, the breath in my body, the light in my soul.”

“Bite me." -Lieutenant Eve Dallas, from any of the In Death books.”

“Roarke's brow cocked as he noted Casto take in the black satin that slithered over Eve's body. In the manner of men or unfriendly male dogs, Roarke showed his teeth.”

“Why are you always smiling? What do you know?”

“Peabody, you're an investigative slut.”

“Do you remember the first time we made love?" He touched his lips to hers as he said it. "We rode up in the elevator like this and couldn't keep our hands off each other, couldn't get to each other quick enough. I was mad for you. I wanted you more than I wanted to keep breathing. I still do." He deepened the kiss as the elevator doors opened. "It's never going to change.”

“It's more than you think it can be," she heard herself say. "It changes everything, and fixes everything that matters. Maybe you're never going to be the same, and maybe part of you is always afraid of what will happen if...but he's always going to be there. All you have to do is reach out, and he's going to be there.”

“If you tell me I'm sensible in addition to normal and wise, I'm going to punch you in the stomach.”

“You've got no sense of humor.""I'm going to laugh really hard after I kick your ass.”

“You're the love of my life. I don't care how corny that sounds. You're the start of it, and the end of it. And you're the best of it.”

“Life is never as long as we want it to be, and wasted time can never be recovered.”

“Put all your eggs in one basket... the handle's going to break. Then all you've got is scrambled eggs.”