“I thought you'd gotten over your whoring when you left him, Catherine, but it seems you only postponed it."Bones' face turned to stone, and he answered her even before I could snap out an indignant response."Don't you ever speak to her that way again." There was pure warning in the whip of his words. "You can call me any name you like and more, but I will not stand by while you slander her out of your own ignorance.”

“Again, stepping nearer, he besought her with another tremulous eager call upon her name. 'Margaret!'Still lower went the head; more closely hidden was the face, almost resting on the table before her. He came close to her. He knelt by her side, to bring his face to a level with her ear; and whispered-panted out the words: — 'Take care. — If you do not speak — I shall claim you as my own in some strange presumptuous way.”

“I...I'm sorry," Kylie mumbled."Don't you even try to talk your way out of me being pissed!" Burnett growled. "Not a word!""I just...""That's two words and I said not one!" he snapped, and he swiped his hand through the air for emphasis.Kylie bit down on her lip, and wouldn't you know it that's when the tears started flowing. Big, fat, and fast tears. She sniffled and wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. Her breath caught in her chest. But damn it. Why couldn't this have happened when she was alone?"Those tears do not affect me, young lady!" He pointed a finger at her. While she couldn't hear his heart beat to the rhythm of a lie, she heard it in his voice. ***"I just...""Did I say you could talk?" he asked. He did three more pacing laps, as if working off steam, before he looked at her again. "Where were you going, Kylie?"When she just looked at him, he bit out, "Answer me.""You said I couldn't talk.”

“[The maid] went on and on about how you and three casks of wine and three women spent the week before our wedding trying to...you know"--Adrienne muttered an unintelligible word--"your brains out.""To what my brains out?""You know." Adrienne rolled her eyes. "I'm afraid I don't. What was that word again?""Adrienne looked at him sharply. Was he teasing her? Were his eyes alight with mischief? That half-smile curving his beautiful mouth could absolutely melt the sheet she was clutching, not to mention her will. "Apparently one of them succeeded, because if you had any brains left you'd get out of my sight now," she snapped. "It wasn't three." Hawk swallowed a laugh."No?""It was five.""Adrienne's jaw clenched. She held her fingers up again. "Fourth--this will be a marriage in name only. Period.""Casks of wine, I meant.""You are not funny.”

“She realized she’d been staring only when he said, his voice lower and huskier, “Who are you looking for?”His words snapped her out of her terrible trance. “I . . . I . . .” she thought furiously and said the only thing that came to mind. “For you. I was looking for you.”Suspicion flashed in his sea-blue eyes. “In the rigging?”“Yes. Why not?”“Either you’re very ignorant about what a captain does, or you’re lying. Why is it?”Ignoring the plummeting sensation in her stomach, she forced a smile to her face. “Really, Gideon, you are so suspicious. Last night you accused me of plotting behind your back, and this morning you accuse me of lying. Who else would I be looking for but you?”

“After I left here on Saturday, I decided never to see you again.”He was sliding the frittata under the broiler, so she could only see his profile, but damn if he didn’t appear to be smirking.“I know that, darling. It wounds my pride you won’t go out with me, but I can console myself with the knowledge that when you do see me, you can’t keep your knickers on for ten minutes running.”She threw her cookie at him, feigning indignation. “You bastard! Are you calling me easy?”“I like you easy. Besides, you’re not to blame. Who’d want to wear wet knickers?”