Louisa Edwards

“I mean, it's just sex. It's simple biology, right? You build up tension and stress-- you need to open a valve somewhere and let it out, or you'll explode. Nothing deep and emotional about it, just a bodily function. Like sneezing.''Sure,' Kane said, nodding sagely. 'Coed naked sneezing. The next wave in porn.”

“I'm shocked and appalled that you would dare to suggest I might not be completely original and unique in every way. I'll have you know that I'm a very special snowflake, Ms. Cavanaugh. There's no one like me anywhere in the world. I know, because I checked.”

“Max rocked back on his heels, shoving his hands into his pockets, and said, 'So. Juliet Cavanaugh. I assume my parents have been talking your ear off for the last however many months, telling you how awesome I am, and filling your head full of stories of my impressive talents in the kitchen.''Um. Not so much,' Jules said, shooting a glance at Danny, who shook his head and went back to his prep work.'No? I should take this opportunity to set the record straight, then.' Max heaved a deep sigh. 'It's all true.''What?''Everything they should've told you about me,' Max explained. 'And I don't know why they didn't, because it's all true. No exaggeration or family bias plays into it at all--I am the best chef in the entire world.”

“Danny shook his head, amusement relaxing the tense line of his mouth. 'Is that all you think about?''No! Sometimes I think about food. And beer. The color cyan. I'm a complex and multilayered flower, Danny.”

“So..." he said, shoving his hands in his pockets and rocking back onto his heels. "You come here often?"Picking up on his mood with the lightning quickness that had won them a space in the finals, Jules flirted right back."Pretty often. But you must be new. I'm sure I'd remember if I'd seen you here before, hot stuff."That made him grin and saunter closer, close enough to reach out and smooth a lock of dark gold hair behind her ear. "What do you say we low this joint?...”

“Giving a nod to his old pal, Fate, he felt a slow smile crease his cheeks,"So," he said. "We really are alone.""Yeah," she said, then her eyes widened comically."Hey, no-stay over there. What are you doing? Personal space!”

“you've got to jiggle the knob hard then bump with your hip."A low cackle of laughter sounded from the other side of the door. "That's what he said. What? Hold on a sec. I got this.”

“You want to be queen of the mountain, you take that crown and wear it with pride. It's gonna look great on you. Me? I'm more of a baseball cap kind of guy.”

“You're unbelievable.""Thank you.""That wasn't a compliment!""I know you didn't mean it as one, Juliet, but when you think about it, what could be more glorious than to be too much, too out of the ordinary, to be believed?”

“Well, thank you kindly, pretty lady," Max said, twisting his mouth into a grin... He blinked. "Wow, that came out creepier than I was expecting. Sorry about that.”

“Hey, no worries. I don't need to be on top." Pausing he quirked one brow outrageously before continuing smoothly. "I like to be on the bottom every now and again."Jules wondered if there were some sort of daily sexual innuendo quota he had to meet.”

“ whatever," Winslow snorted. "The first team that got judged, from the Italian place on East Thrity-Sixth? They came back in here looking like whipped dogs. Come on, I Know i'm not the only one here about to wet myself." There was a short pause while they all looked at Win, and the way he was sort of dancing in place. "Dude," Danny finally said, "Maybe you just need to pee.”

“Winslow bounced over on the balls of his feet, clearly not experiencing any sort of crash. 'Aren't your guys nervous? I'm nervous as all hell.''There's nothing to be nervous about,' Beck said, joining them. 'Nerves are only useful when they can spur you on to work harder, faster, better. Once the work is done, they become pointless.”

“You want me to be your spy in a game of restaurant espionage? Will I need a code name?""It's nothing morally reprehensible or anything, " Wes hastened to assure her. "Just curiosity.""I think your code name should be Tiberius," she said decisively. "I'll be Uhura.""Tiberius? As in James Tiberius Kirk?" Wes blinked, then grinned. "Oh my God, this is your version of flirting. How do you say 'I fancy you' in Klingon?”

“Are we playing dress-up?" she said. "And me without my Uhura costume.”

“Adorkable”

“So the world was nuts and he'd suddenly discovered a kink for geeks. There were worse things.”

“Are you talking about me?" Danny looked up from the pastry board, suspicion written clearly across his face."Just bemoaning your tragic heterosexuality," Win sighed, swinging his knives down on the prep station."Oh," Danny said, blinking. "Well. Sorry about that, but there's not much I can do about it."Win waved that away. "No big. I'm not that into workplace romance, myself.”

“You Americans. You suppress the body of its desires, and treat the heart as if it is a wild animal to be tamed, so that when those things are awakened in you , they have the strength of ravenous lions, too long imprisoned.”

“I need to pull away from this - She gestured between them languidly - "because When I'm with you, I lose my balance. I don't feel calm and happy.She leaned forward, and Kane swallowed down his immediate urge to leap across the table and crush her thin lips under his."When I am with you," Claire said, her accent rolling through the words like thunder, "I am a starving lion, raging at my captivity.”

“His head was thrown back, his chestheaving, and the look on his face was more indicative of pain thanpleasure.Rosemary snatched her fingers back, certain she’dmisunderstood the technique somehow.But he whimpered piteously and she realized, no, she couldn’thave misunderstood. Because (a) she was a genius, and (b) it justwasn’t that complicated”

“And all Wes could think, before pure, unadulterated lust draggedhim under, was: Hey, which one of us was supposed to be thestarving lion, again?”

“She fitagainst him like a teaspoon inside a tablespoon, curves anglingtogether in all the right places to lock them into place with a nearlyaudible click of perfection”

“Forgiveness is a funny thing. We act like it has to be earned, as if there are a certain number of hoops someone can jump through to make us forget that they hurt us. But forgiveness can't be earned! It can only be given freely, as a gift!”

“Uncomfortable.Lord. I’ve been doing the comfortable thing my whole life, it seems like. And what did it get me? I think it’s about time I did something a little uncomfortable.”

“Love was the ultimate act of courage, he understood now. Because you had to go into it knowing it could be snatched away by forces beyond your control. and if that happened, you'd be a shell of a person, a shadow of yourself, and nothing would be any good again.”

“Somewhere along the way." Adam said, "I stopped cooking for anyone other than you. When you were gone, it was like all the flavor had drained out of the world. Without you, nothing tastes as sweet.”