“And our safe word?""Wonderwall."Lindsey turned around and cast Luc a sardonic look. " Your safe word is the name of an Oasis song?""Blondie, I am the arbiter of all things fashionable in this House. Why not music?""Spoken by a man wearing cowboy boots. I mean, seriously. Who wears cowboy boots ?”

“Have I ever waxed poetic about the glory that is the fuzzy-chested vampire wearing nothing but cowboy boots?”

“Can you at least pretend to be professional today?”Lindsey stopped, glanced back at Luc. “You show me professional, and I’llshow you professional.”Luc snorted, but his expression was gleeful. “Sweetheart, you wouldn’t knowprofessional if it bit you on the ass.”“I prefer my bites in other places.”“Is that an invitation?”“If only you were so lucky, cowboy.”“Lucky? Hooking up with me would be the luckiest day of your life, Blondie.”

“I tried to lighten the mood, and pointed at the house shoes - the last things I'd have expected to see Catcher Bell wearing. "And the shoes?" I asked with a grin."My house, my rules. These shoes happen to be comfortable," he said "If you two roamed around the house naked and carrying bows and arrows before I moved in, it's none of my business.”

“You undo me, Merit. Wholly and completely. You don't take me at my word. You challenge me at every opportunity. And that means when I'm with you, I am less than the head of this House...and I am more than the head of this House. I am a man." He stroked my cheeks with his thumbs. "In my very, very long life, I need you more than I have ever needed anything.”

“Fair enough" I gave him. "But you've got really nice shoes." He blinked, then cast a dubious glance at his boots. "They were in my closet." I snorted and plucked at the sleeves of his jacket. "Please you've been planning this outfit for a week.”

“Lindsey patted my arm. “Don’t be embarrassed. It’s about time you two made the beast with two backs.”I had to work to form words. “There are so many things wrong with that statement, I don’t know where to start.”