“Her last call, at midnight, had been the worst. "I'll pull your cock out of your asshole," she'd said, and for some reason her voice at that moment had reminded him of his mother's.”

“He'd kissed her, and she'd been poleaxed, frozen in place, because his mouth had felt like coming home. The taste of him, the smell of him, the sound of his breath-the slow slide of his tongue over and around and down the lenght of hers, it had all said, "Here's your place,girl,here with me.”

“As his hands moved to his trousers, he saw that she was pulling the bedsheets over her. "Don't," he said, barely recognizing his own voice. Her eyes met his, and he said, "I'll be your blanket".”

“For what she'd asked him, in her real voice, a voice that only the heart could hear, was a simple question:Have you ever once loved another human creature so much that her life was more precious to you than your own?And his heart had replied in words just as plain:"Yes," it said, and the power of it nearly blinded her.”

“Every moment of every day, she had fought to keep his face out of her mind, and his voice out of her head, had fought not to hear him say, "Just relax, luv. It's all right.”

“She felt him pull her to him. His voice, acidic and sharp, buzzed in her ear. "Soon...I'll be all that's left.”