“A pity it was so early in the day and I couldn't treat myself to the roller coaster. we'll have to come back, you and I, and make up for it.""Sure, when I've lost my mind and want to rush screaming through the air in a little car.”

“There was never anybody before you," she said. "I just wanted to say that. And when I did what I do, and it opened a crack in me like it did last night, there was nobody there to hold on to me. I didn't want anyone to hold on to me. Until you. And I got through and I got by, and it was okay. But I think, maybe, if I'd just kept getting through and getting by, I'd have come to a point where I couldn't do it anymore. And if I couldn't do it anymore, it'd be the end of me, Roarke. So when you hold on to me, You're helping me stand up, one more time. And the dead, you're standing for them, too. I just wanted to say that." She went out quickly, and left him staring at her.”

“You're earlier than expected, and appear to have gotten through the day without destroying any article of clothing. I must note this event down on my calendar.""Bitch when I'm late, bitch when I'm early. You could go pro on the bitching circuit.”

“He stepped to her again, laid his lips on her brow. "But I want children with you, my lovely Eve. One day.""One day being far, far in the future. Like, I don't know, say a decade when...Hold on. Children is plural."He eased back, grinned. "Why, so it is--nothing slips by my canny cop.""You really think if I ever actually let you plant something in me--they're like aliens in there, growing little hands and feet." She shuddered. "Creepy. If I ever did that, popped a kid out--which I think is probably as pleasant a process as having your eyeballs pierced by burning, poisonous sticks, I'd say, 'Whoopee, let's do this again?' Have you recently suffered head trauma?""Not to my knowledge.""Could be coming. Any second.”

“I want a homing beacon on your vehicle.""There will be.""No, I want one on before we leave the grounds in the morning. I'll see to it."Give and take, she reminded herself. Even when--maybe especially when--give and take was a pain in the ass. "Okay. But there go my plans to slip off and meet Pablo the pool boy for an hour of hot, sticky sex.""We all have to make sacrifices. Myself, I've had to reschedule my liaison with Vivien the French maid three times in the last couple of days.""Blows," Eve said as they slipped into bed."She certainly does.”

“Damn it all to hell and back again, you know very well that was a setup. You bloody well know I couldn't put my hands on her.""Yeah, yeah, sure, sure." Eve shrugged off her coat, tossed it aside. "I know a setup when I see it, and I know your face, ace. I didn't see desire on it, I saw annoyance.""Is that so? Is that bloody well so? Well, if you knew it was just what it was, why did you sucker punch me?""Mostly?" She turned, cocked a hip. "Because you're a man."Eyes narrowed on her face, he tried to stanch the blood with the back of his hand. "And do you have any sort of idea just how often I might expect your fist in my goddamn face because of my bleeding DNA?”

“Today," she told it, "death comes to all your circuits. Will it be slow and systematic or fast and brutal?" Considering, she circled it, "Tough decision. I've waited so long for this moment. Dreamed of it."Showing her teeth, she began to roll up her sleeves. "What," Roarke asked from the doorway that connected their work areas, "is that?""The former bane of my existence. The Antichrist of technology. Do we have a hammer?"Studying the pile on the floor, he walked in. "Several, I imagine, of various types.""I want all of them. Tiny little hammers, big, wallbangers, and everything in between.""Might one ask why?""I'm going to beat this thing apart, byte by byte, until there's nothing left but dust from the last trembling chip.""Hmmm." Roarke crouched down, examined the pitifully out-of-date system. "When did you haul this mess in here?""Just now. I had it in the car. Maybe I should use acid, just stand here and watch it hiss and dissolve. That could be good."Saying nothing, Roarke took a small case out of his pocket, opened it, and chose a slim tool. With a few deft moves, he had the housing open."Hey! Hey! What're you doing?""I haven't seen anything like this in a decade. Fascinating. Look at this corrosion. Christ, this is a SOC chip system. And it's cross-wired."When he began to fiddle, she rushed over and slapped at his hands. "Mine. I get to kill it.""Get a grip on yourself," he said absently and delved deeper into the guts. "I'll take this into research.""No. Uh-uh. I have to bust it apart. What if it breeds?”