“After he'd gone, she'd suffered a momentary, nearly immobilizing flash of panic--what if the Hunters somehow managed to find her while he was gone?--but it dissipated swiftly, leaving her astonished to realize that she truly trust him to keep her safe, at least from everything besides himself.”

“By ten o'clock she thought he might soon be ready to talk. He'd threatened, blustered, even tried to sweet-talk her. Then the bribery had begun. He'd let her live if she let him out immediately. He'd give her three horses, two sheep, and a cow. He'd give her a pouch of coin, three horses, two sheep, not just a cow but a milking cow, and set her up anywhere in England, if she would just leave his castle and not bother him again for the rest of his life. The only offer/threat that had perked her momentary interest was when he'd shouted that he was going to "toop her 'til her bonny legs fell off." She should be so lucky.”

“Adam arrived at 735 Monroe Street prepared for the woman to be a bit skittish. After all, she'd run from him earlier, obviously intimidated by his overwhelming masculinity and epic sexuality. Women often had that reaction to him, especially when he was stripping off his pants. Or kilt, depending on the century. He was also prepared, however, for her inhibitions to drop swiftly, as did all women's when they got a good, close-up look at him. After that, many simply launched themselves at him in a full-frontal assault of sexual frenzy. He'd been entertaining himself with just that possibility, his entire body tight with lust, while tracking her down with the information he'd obtained int he room called "Human Resources" at Little & Staller. But nothing in his vast repertoire of experience had prepared him for Gabrielle O'Callaghan. The bloodthirsty little hellion didn't react like any woman he'd ever encountered. She took one horrified look at him, drew back her arm, hauled off, and smashed him in the face with some kind of satchel she was holding. Then slammed the door and locked it. Leaving him on the doorstep, bleeding. Bleeding, by Danu, blood trickling from his lip!”

“But he didn't need to seek visual confirmation of what he'd just heard to know she had. And the truth was, he couldn't blame her. He'd not have let her die, either. He'd have moved mountains. He'd have battled God or Devil for his wife's life. She'd betrayed him. He smiled faintly.”

“As she entered the room, she halted abruptly. "Oh, my," she murmured. Somehow she'd managed to forget there were three men in her home, soconsumed had she been with thoughts of Grimm. They gathered near the fire, while several maids cleared dozensof platters and dishes from the massive table centered in the Greathall. Yesterday, safe behind the balustrade, Jillian had been struck by how tall and broad the three of them were. Today, standing only a few feet from them, she felt like a dwarf willow in a forest of mighty oaks. Each man stood at least a foot taller than she did. It was downright intimidating to a woman who was not easily intimidated.”

“Circenn moved swiftly, intending to catch the tear upon his finger, kiss it away, then kiss away all her pain and fear, and assure her that he would permit no harm to touch her and would spend his life making things up to her; but she dropped the flask onto the table and turned swiftly. "Please, leave me alone," she said and turned away from him. "Let me comfort you, Lisa," he entreated."Leave me alone."For the first time in his life, Circennfelt utterly helpless. Let her grieve, his heart instructed. She would need to grieve, for discovering that the flask didn't work was tantamount to lowering her mother into a solitary grave. She would grieve her mother as if she'd in truth died that very day. May Godforgive me, he prayed. I did not know what I was doing when I cursed that flask.”

“Chloe kept her expression bland. He looked immensely pleased with himself this morning, and there was no wayshe was letting him know she'd had even one nocturnal thought about him. "I can't remember," she said, blinkingguilelessly. "In fact, I slept so deeply I don't think I dreamt atall.""Indeed," he murmured. When he moved forward, she nearly jumped out of her skin, but he simply reached behindher and pulled the door to her bedchamber shut.Then backed her against it."Hey," she snapped."I sought but to give you a good morrow kiss, lass. 'Tis a Scots custom."She craned her neck, scowling up at him, and gave him a look that said Yeah, right, nice try."A wee one. No tongue. I promise," he said, his lips curving faintly."You never give up, do you?""I never will, sweet. Doona you know that by now?"Oooh, that was beginning to take on shades of her dream.And he'd called her "sweet," a little endearment. She damped her mouth shut and shook her head.”