“You've been really hard on my clothes lately", I said. I pushed him away just enough to slip out of my T-shirt and drop it on the floor before he turned it into a stretched-out rag."I've been really hard...and your clothes are in my way.”

“And Lord did I push, for thee more hoursI pushed, I pushed so hard I shat, Pushed so hard blood vessels burstin my neck and in my chest, pushed so hard my asshole turned inside-out like a rosebud.”

“Sophie,” he said again and pushed me hard enough to knock me out of my seat and onto the floor. Dang shifter reflexes. Weren’t they supposed to keep this kind of thing from happening?“Caeden!” I hissed under my breath.“Oopsy daisy,” he blushed.”

“Then before he could break the moment, before he could turn away, I kissed him, and he didn’t stop me. Instead, he pushed my hair out of my face, and he kissed me back, gently, sweetly, his hand slipping behind my head, his lips moving just right against mine, smooth and warm. I gripped his shirt and sighed against his mouth, and knew that as long as I lived, this would be the one perfect kiss that I’d remember forever.”

“I dug out the powder blue cashmere cardigan my mother Lisa gave me the Christmas before last, pulled on my oldest, softest Levi’s. Comfort clothes; the next best thing to a hug from a warm, living body. Lately there had been a shortage of hugs in my life. Lately there had been a shortage of warm, living bodies.”

“Sleeping in your clothes makes you tired. The clothes are crumpled, and also your body underneath them. I feel as if I've been rolled into a bundle and thrown on the floor.”