“You don't look so hot, Adrien." "Yeah, well I'm having a bad heart day."His upper lip curled in a semblance of a smile. "Tell me about it.”

“It means I know you, Adrien with an e, and I know you get reckless when you're impatient. You're paying for this investigation, and I'll keep you apprised every step of the way, but if you even think about going rogue on this one, I'm turning in my fedora and you can hire some other dick."I don't want any other dick. I closed my mouth on that one—metaphorically speaking—and said, “I don't know why the hell everyone seems to think I'm so reckless—”

“Adrien, people get killed all the time. Since when is it your job to find out what happened to them?""I'm not usually suspected of murdering them.""You have been as long as I've known you.”

“I’ve been telling you that you should hire Warren.”“Nat, I’m not going to hire Warren.”“Why not?”I opened my mouth to tell her exactly why not, but as I stared at her too-bright blue eyes and the way her chin was quivering, I chickened out.“Because…because I promised Angus when he left that he could have his job back.”“Adrien, he was involved in a murder.”“But he was very good at alphabetizing.”

“That's one of the oldest tricks in the world, Adrien-with-an-e.”

“Jake's mouth found mine, his lips molding hot and soft to my own. His tongue tentatively tested the seal of my lips; I parted them and he pushed inside. It was startlingly sweet and achingly familiar, like finding harbor.”

“Sable hair bisected his pecs and arrowed down to the straight and unequivocal statement of his returned interest. Forcing my gaze to his face, I said, "I really don't think we have time for that.""You know that, and I know that, but HE doesn't believe it.""Believe it," I told HIM.J.X.'s mouth tugged into one of those heart-stopping smiles. "Maybe you should whisper in his ear.”