“She gathered herself up- rather like collecting her skirts before mountibg a carriage”

“But what I kept wondering about is this: that first second when she felt her skirt burning, what did she think? Before she knew it was candles, did she think she'd done it herself? With the amazing turns of her hips, and the warmth of the music inside her, did she believe, for even one glorious second, that her passion had arrived?”

“Like a girl, a baby running after her mother, begging to be picked up, and she tugs on her skirts, holding her back as she tries to hurry off—all tears, fawning up at her, till she takes her in her arms… That’s how you look, Patroclus, streaming live tears.”

“She'd been told time and again that it was rude stare, but she didn't obey her mother's rule now. The giant mesmerized her and she wanted to remember everything she could about him.He must have felt her staring at him, though because he suddenly turned and looked directly her.Brenna decided to make her papa proud of her and behave like a proper young lady. She grabbed a fistful of her skirt, hiked it up to her knees, and bent down to curtsy. She promptly lost her balance and almost hit her head against the floor, but she was quick enough to lean back so she could land on herbottom.She stood back up, remembered to let go of her skirts, and peeked up at the stranger to see what he thought about her newly acquired skill.The giant smiled at her.As soon as he looked away, she squeezed herself up against Rachel's backside again."I'm going to marry him," she whispered.”

“She smiled at him, making sure that the smile gathered up everything inside her and directed it toward him, making him a profound promise of herself for so little, for the beat of a response, the assurance of a complimentary vibration in him.”

“Near the kiosk the old lady who sold refreshments seemed slowly to be gathering all the shadows of evening about her skirts.”