“That's a killer accent you have. Sounds exotic.”“Just British, I'm afraid. I only know a trifling of foreign tongues.”He plopped down onto the divan next to her, his multi-colored arm stretched along the back.“Foreign tongues—I like the sound of that.”She thought to the article she'd read in the nail salon. “I've picked up a little French and Italian,and more recently, a bit of Hindi, I believe.”“Really?” he said, leaning close. “Such as?”“Oh, you know, Kama Sutra, and things of that nature.”Suddenly Liam was at her side. “You'll be sitting out front, Emily,” he said through grittedteeth, “right next to the stage.”

“What the hell do you have on?”Emily looked down at her ensemble. “I have done something wrong, haven't I?”“Did Tinker put you up to this?”“Well, she said it was my manager uniform.”“You...you look like an oversexed librarian.”She blinked. “Is that a bad thing?”

“You like doing that, don't you?''Yes, I like kissing you.''No,' she said, 'lifting me off my feet. Carrying me around. Pulling me down to kiss you whenever you get the urge.' She turned to him with a mock glare. 'I think it goes hand in hand with the telling me what to do stuff.'He didn't let go of her hand as he lifted his to run the back of one knuckle down her cheek. 'You like it, too.”

“You're speaking English but I still don't get it,” Tinker muttered.”

“I see two people in love," he said with his gaze fixed on hers in the glass. "Two very different people who look extraordinarily well together."Shelby leaned her head on his shoulder again, unsure if she was glad or annoyed that he read her so perfectly. "He would look very good, and much more suitable, with a cool blond in a very classic black dress."Alan seemed to consider for a moment. "Do you know," he said mildly. "That's the first time I've heard you sound like a complete ass."She stared back at his image,at the faintly interested, fully reasonable expression on his face. She laughed. There seemed to be nothing else for her to do. "All right,just for that,I'm going to be every bit as dignified as you are.""God forbid," Alan muttered before he pulled her out the front door.”

“She was sound asleep when he came to curl up next to her. She grunted."Don't worry. I'm too drunk, I won't do anything," he murmered.As she had her back to him, he placed his nose on her neck and slid his arm underneath her to be as close to her as possible. Short strands of her hair tickled his nostrils."Camille?"Was she asleep? Was she pretending? No answer either way."I like being with you."A little smile.Was she dreaming? Was she asleep? Who knows...”

“And the sound of your heart," he continued. "It's the most significant sound in my world. I'm so attuned to it now, I swear I could pick it out from miles away. But neither of these things matter. This," he said, taking my face in his hands. "You. That's what I'm keeping. You'll always be my Bella, you'll just be a little more durable.”