Lynsay Sands

“She took a bad tumble. Those are some nasty bruises she'scarrying," the maid said with a sad shake of the head."Aye," Cullen agreed, his eyes traveling over lovely, milky white skin,interrupted by several black bruises. "She looks like a cow."Mildrede turned a horrified gaze on him at the comment, but he wasmore concerned by the choked sound that came from his bride. Hereally hadn't meant it as an insult, but it seemed the women were takingit so."I just meant the coloring," Cullen muttered”

“Mr. Sourpuss Pants God I love her Nicholas " Thomas crowed. When he noticed that neither Nicholas nor Inez looked impressed by the words he added quickly "In a totally sister-in-law type fashion of course.”

“You aren't angry " "You must be joking " she said dryly. "I'm alive Nicholas. And I'm immortal like you. This rocks”

“You hate me now. I knew you'd be upset at the choice being taken away but I couldn't see you die.”

“You're important," Nicholas interrupted quietly catching her face and turning her to peer at him. "You're the most important thing in the world to me Jo. I love you. Let me have this moment.”

“We're just people Jo he said quietly. Yeah I suppose. People with fangs who drink blood live a long time and apparently do crafts. She shook her head.”

“Nicholas this is one of those 'yes' or 'no' questions again. You seem to have a problem with those. Did you or did you not kill a woman - Jo”

“What are you doing here " "Hiding with you”

“Dani," Decker said firmly. "Trust me, this is not a dream.""Why is it you men always say trust me before spitting out something completely unpalatable?" she asked, irritation flickering through her. "Vampires aren't supposed to be real. And how come you had to be a cute vampire? You should be a dog. All evil, vile people should look as ugly as they are inside.""We aren't ev--" Decker halted his denial, and then did something she hadn't yet seen him do and lifted his lips in a very rare-and in her opinion, totally inappropriate-grin as he asked, "You think I'm cute?”

“What is it?” Leigh glanced up with uncertainty, then back to his groin with a sort of horrified fascination. “Well, um… is there something about immortals you haven’t told me?” “What? What do you mean?” he asked with bewilderment. Leigh shook her head, then leaned forward and said “Hello?” to his groin, only to stiffen again and jerk back as if it had hissed at her. “Are you talking to my penis?” Lucian asked with disbelief. “It talked to me first,” she said defensively, and frowned. “You didn’t mention this little skill.” Lucian decided she must be joking and laughed. “So, what did it say?” “It said, ‘Lucian? Lucian, are you there?’” He blinked. “Why would it say that?” “I don’t know. It’s your penis.”That’s when he recalled the cell phone in his pocket. A laugh bursting from his lips, Lucian reached in his pocket to retrieve the phone.”

“Lissianna said, smacking Thomas in the arm. “What were you thinking? They don’t waltz here.” “I was thinking I didn’t want my uncle clasping my butt, and our chests rubbing together as he stepped on my feet while trying to shuffle me around the floor,” Thomas answered dryly.”

“Maybe I should do this for y-" (Samantha)"No, I'm cooking. If you want to be helpful, you can bring me my wine. I poured us both a glass." (Mortimer)"But-""No," he insisted, pushing her toward the door. "In you go. I'm the man. I get to barbecue while you stand around and look cute.”

“I made you something to eat if you’re hungry.” Leigh peered at the steaming pile on the plate on the tray, then asked uncertainly. “What is it?” “Prime cuts in gravy.” “Prime cuts in gravy?” she echoed slowly. “Did you cook it?”"I opened the can and heated it up in the microwave for one minute. Someone named Alpo cooked it.” Leigh stiffened, her head shooting up, eyes wide with disbelief. “Alpo?” He shrugged. “That’s what the can said.” Leigh shook her head with bewilderment. “You can use a microwave, but not a phone, and don’t know that Alpo isn’t the chef, but the brand name for dog food?” There was something seriously wrong here.”

“Bring the luggage in, Thomas,” Lucian ordered with a frown as he approached the front. “What about the girl?” Thomas asked with irritation. “That’s what I meant.” Lucian stepped through the open front doors of the house.”

“Can’t you do something for her?” his nephew finally asked, when several moments passed and her screaming anddidn’t stop. “I already have. I didn’t kill her,” Lucian said dryly, then added, “Slow down. You’re as bad as taxi drivers.” “And you’re a backseat driver,” Thomas muttered, then cursed under his breath. “Surely there are some drugs or something we could give her to settle her down?” Lucian glanced at him with interest. “Do you have any?” Thomas blinked. “No.” “Hmm.” He sat back in his seat. “Neither do I.” Thomas stared for a moment, glanced back at the woman in the back of the car, then said, “Her screaming is rather loud, don’t you think? Just a bit distracting for those of us trying to concentrate.” “Yes, it is,” Lucian agreed, and reached into his pocket for his earplugs. He popped them into his ears and closed his eyes, the shrieking in the car considerably muffled. He’d have killed the woman before the plane had landed without the earplugs. They were a blessing.”

“Did you see that? Buffy just staked that poor vampire. He had yet to even do anything untowared, he just crawled out of his grave and she staked him. That is just not right. She is taking out her problems with that Angel fellow on a vampire, that is what she is doing.”

“Okay, why don't we practice your talking with Marguerite? OUT LOUD. I'll be her."Julius stared at him blankly. "Now?""No, I was thinking maybe next April. Then you could maybe give her a call, arrange a date..."He arched his eyebrow in question, and snapped, "Yes, NOW.”

“Okay," Christian said with a great show at maintaining his patience. "So you can't dance. But you could at least talk to the woman."Julius frowned and avoided his gaze. "I am talking.""You aren't," Christian insisted. "You haven't said more than a handful of words."Scowling, he admitted, "I'm practicing in my head."Christian blinked at this. "Practicing?""Well, you don't just blurt out the first thing that comes to mind," Julius said with exasperation. "I have to approach this carefully, so I'm practicing.""In your head?" Christian clarified."Yes." Julius nodded. "In my head.""Right....Good, good," he nodded, and then said "but you know what would be even better?"Julius raised his eyebrows with interest. "What?""Talking to her OUT LOUD!" Christian snapped. "Jesus Christ, Father, you're as old as the earth. You run a huge corporation, dealing with people-even women-day in day out. Surely you can string a couple of words together and manage a little conversation with the woman?”

“I'd rather lose her from my life, but know she was alive and well than lose her altogether to death.”

“I'm mortal. You really don't want me falling down stairs and breaking my neck.""I'd catch you," he assured her solemnly. "I'll always be there to catch you, Inez.”

“Inez? I'm sorry I bit you," he said with sincere regret, and then inspiration made him add, "Bastien made me do it.”

“Have you talked to her?""What would you have had me say Bastien? Oh, I'm sorry Inez. I didn't mean to bite you, my fangs slipped.”

“There was another pause and then Bastien clucked and snapped, "Dammit, Thomas! Inez is one of my best employees."He pulled the phone away from his ear to peer at it with disbelief, and then slapped it back to his head. "What the hell has that got to do with anything?""Well, if you had to find your lifemate, couldn't it have been someone else's employee. I'm going to lose her now. She'll want to be with you and come to Canada and--”

“Lovely was my compliment. Could you not come up with your own?""Lord Paen said compliment her, he did not say we had to be creative about it," the second man pointed out with a shrug”

“For me, marriage should be about partnership. How can you love someone you have to take care of like a child all the time? A wife is supposed to be a partner, and yes partners help each other when they need it, but they are supposed to be together because they want to in my book, not because one needs the other.”

“Merry was worrying about the hurt-a-lot bit when the door suddenly burst open and a group of men began to crowd into the room, carrying Alexander d'Aumesbery before them. It seemed either the men had grown weary of waiting, or the women had informed the men that she was ready and in bed when they'd gone below. She wasn't too pleased about that. Merry would have liked to ask more about this pain and blood. That didn't sound at all appetizing, but then none of it had. Kiss, kiss, squeeze, squeeze, and in it went? It hardly sounded the most exciting business in the world, and it made her wonder why the maids were so willing to let the soldiers and her brothers have at them at Stewart.”

“I know that sounds weird, but it's hard to be scared or even angry at a guy in Spider-Man pajamas,"- Greg”

“See, you have to marry me. I seem to scare off all the help.”

“Kate," Lucern interrupted."What?" she asked warily."I do not need blood." He tugged her off balance and into his lap. "All I need is you.”

“I guess we both lose the bet. What bet Thomas asked entering the room.Boxers or briefs Jeanne Louise answered. I was betting boxers and Elspeth thought briefs. Instead he went commando!! So be warned ladies, don't assume they are wearing any undies!!”

“Lucern felt himself "She called my erections wonderful?" Entienne just gaped, then raised a fist to knock on his brother's forehead as if it were a door "Hello! Earth calling Luc! She thinks it's rigor mortis.”

“Birthdays could be such a bummer when you were older than the country you lived in.”

“Time is not the great teacher. Experience is. A man may live a whole life, but if he never leaves his home to experience that life, he dies knowing nothing. A mere child who has suffered and lived can be the wiser of the two.”

“Have you tried to talk to her?""What would you like me to say Bastian? OH, I'M SORRY, INEZ. I DIDN'T MEAN TO BITE YOU, MY FANGS SLIPPED.”

“Intelligent people know they are intelligent. They also know that one person cannot know all, hence a person is not stupid simply because he is ignorant of one thing or another. They know that, to another intelligent person, they will not appear stupid in asking for an explanation of what they do not know, and so their ignorance on any particular issue does not become an embarrassment.”

“Have you ever noticed how when you're happy, time seems to pass by fast, while when you're miserable it goes real slow? Life would have been a blink with you whether it lasted a millennium or a month.”

“Have you ever seen An American Werewolf in London? Well, I'm not American. I'm not a werewolf, and this isn't London.”

“Husband?" Averill's voice was growing shrill with worry as she asked, "Have you swooned?"I'm a warrior, wife. Warriors do no' swoon," Kade growled, forcing away the faintness trying to lay claim to him.Oh," she said, sounding doubtful. "It's just that your eyes were closed."I was resting them," he snapped.I see," she murmured, and for some reason that irritated the hell out of him.”

“Your face is marked with lines of life, put there by love and laughter, suffering and tears. It's beautiful.”

“Bare," came her answer in a squeak."Yes, we'd both have to be bare," he said with a laugh. "Not bare naked," she gasped. "Bear bear. Furry bear. Bear!"-Mortimer and Sam”

“ 'Dear Mr. Argeneau,'" she began. " 'I haven't read Love Bites, One, but I will, I guarantee it. I just finished Love Bites, Two, and thought it was wonderful. Etienne was so sweet and funny and sexy that I fell in love with him even as Rachel did. He's my dream man.'" Kate paused and glanced up expectantly. "What would you say to those letters?"That was easy enough. "Etienne is taken."-Kate and Lucern”

“I'm starved." -Juli"How can you be starved? You just ate a huge bowl of popcorn." -Elspeth"Popcorn isn't food, it's popcorn." -Vicki”