“Peter smiles at me, shaking his head. Behind the smile I can see he’s scared as I am. Blood drips onto his lips. “You never did listen to my orders,” he said.I smiled back. “Aren’t you glad you’ll have company?”

“Tell me you like me,” he whispered. He was so close I could almost imagine the feel of his lips as they moved, but not quite. I pursed mine together, trying to stop my mischievous smile. “No,” I replied. He shook his head. “That’s not an acceptable answer.” “Well, it’s the one you’re getting.” I laughed and he did too, releasing me and flopping onto his back.”

“You’re stubborn, aren’t you?” The fire gone from his eyes, his mouth pulled up into my favorite smile—that mischievous, I-don’t-have-a-clue-how-hot-I-am-when-I-smile-like-this-which-makes-it-that-much-hotter smile.”

“There's enchantment in a smile, did you know?Shall I prove in a wink that it is so?Watch my mouth grin wide and see,How quick your lips smile back at me!”

“I was glad my father was an eye-smiler. It meant he never gave me a fake smile because it's impossible to make your eyes twinkle if you aren't feeling twinkly yourself. A mouth-smile is different. You can fake a mouth-smile any time you want, simply by moving your lips. I've also learned that a real mouth-smile always has an eye-smile to go with it. So watch out, I say, when someone smiles at you but his eyes stay the same. It's sure to be a phony.”

“His shoulders sagged as he stepped back. Then a half smile made the edge of his lips crook. " You're mad at me.""And that's amusing because?"The half smile spread into a lopsideed grin, and he stood up straighter. "You wouldn't be mad if you didn't care. I'm onto you, Alexis."Oh, that insufferable, arrogant--”