“Then the nickel must have dropped when he realized I had pranked him as he groaned under his breath, "Bob!"Doug's been trying to get back at me for years. But he can't, because I'm a lawyer. You don't get into and through law school like I did without gaining a few street smarts.”

“Perry. I want to see your back."Another surprise, but he nodded and turned away. Dropped his head forward and took the moment to try and calm his breath. He jerked when she traced the shape of the wings on his skin, a groan sliding out of him. Perry silently cursed himself. He couldn't have sounded more savage if he'd tried."Sorry," she whispered... "He's magnificent. Like you," she added softly. That was what did it.”

“Sasha groaned from beside her as he struggled with his belt. "I think I'm going to barf a hairball." Jess let out a frustrated breath as he tried to loosen himself. "You can't. You're canine.""Tell that to the hairball in my stomach." Jess cursed as his hand slipped while he was trying to get loose. "Bet you're glad I made you fasten that seat belt now, aren't you, Mr. I-can-flash-myself-out-if-we-get-hit?" Sasha groaned. "Shut up, asshole." He glared at Jess. "And I would have flashed out of the car, but because we were rolling, I didn't want to get hit by it. Damn those Rytis laws.”

“You get irritated when I say I'm not angry and you get irritated when I say I am angry. I can't win.""Because you just saying whatever you think will shut me up," he accused me."Aye, but it's not working.""Argh!" was his response, and he charged on down the street.”

“But I'm the only one in my class who has to stay after school.""Yeah, well... that's okay. I had to stay after school when I was a kid, too." That seemed to get his attention. "You did?""Yeah. Only I didn't have to do it for only a couple of months, I had to do it for two years.""Two years?"Miles nodded for emphasis. "Every day.""Wow," he said, "you must really have been dumb if you had to stay for two years."That wasn't my point, but I guess if it makes you feel better, I'll take it."You're a smart young man and don't you ever forget it, okay?”

“I don't get it?" she asked "I don't get it? Let me tell you something about what I get. You think you're so smart? I spent three years on a full academic scholarship at the best college-prep school in the country. And when they kicked me out I had to petition-petition!-to keep them from wiping out my four-point-oh transcript."Daniel moved away, but Luce pursued him, taking a step forward for every wide-eyed step he took back. Probably freaking him out, but so what? He'd been asking for it every time he condescended to her."I know Latin and French, and in middle school, I won the science fair three years in a row."She had backed him up against the railing of the boardwalk and was trying to restrain herself from poking him in the chest with her finger. She wasn't finished."I also do the Sunday crossword puzzle, sometimes in under an hour. I have an unerringly good sense of direction... though not always when it comes to guys."She swallowed and took a moment to catch her breath."And someday, I'm going to be a psychiatrist who actually listens to her patients and helps people. Okay? So don't keep talking to me like I'm stupid and don't tell me I don't understand just because I can't decode your erratic, flaky, hot-one-minute-cold-the-next, frankly"-she looked up at him, letting out her breath-"really hurtful behavior." She brushed a tear away, angry with herself for getting so worked up.”