“Stumbling out of the debris cloud, I ran smack into Jules."What the hell did ya do?" she asked in exasperation. "I mean, I only left ya alone for thirty minutes and---""Not me, Boss!" I gasped,coughing up some drywall."Monique. Rei. Schoolhouse-rumble.""Oi," Jules said, face-palming."For the love of the spirit, what for?"I dusted myself off. "Street cred, yo. Street cred.”

“Lucky man,"Jules said to me, leaning over to kiss my cheeks. "What I wouldn't give to be in your head." Instead of the usual quick air-kisses, he took his time kissing both of my cheeks tenderly. "Jules!" I gasped, feeling myself blush. He stood, looking up in space, and raised both arms as if in surrender. "Okay, okay, man. Hands off, I get it! But it's not often we get a young pretty human in the house. in fact, it's never.”

“Do what ya have to do to pay off yer debt with Heaven,’ he said, his concern for proper speech abandoned. ‘But ya do not die on me, ya understand? I can’t live without ya. Yer all I got, woman.’ Her breath caught in her lungs. ‘I don’t want to be here if you’re not.”

“I snipped off the stem and took a knee."For you, my love. A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet as your feet."Jules smacked me on the back of the head.”

“Whose SUV is this?” I asked once we were out of Carnal.“Mine.” He answered.I looked at him. “You drive a Harley.”“Not big on puttin’ bad guys on the back of my bike when I hunt them down, Ace. Fucks with my street cred.”

“I'm sorry. I love you, but it's an enormous conflict of interest."Her head snaps up, "You love me?""What?" MY face is suddenly on fire. "I never said that.""You did. I heard it.""I said I'd love to.""No," Sage says, a grin splitting her face. "You didn't."Did I? I'm so tired I don't know what the hell is coming out of my mouth. Which probably means that I don't have the faculties to cover up what I really feel for Sage Singer, with an intensity that terrifies me.”