“Are we, like, having a conversation?""Did you just, like, ask me for advice and listen with an open mind? If so, then yes, I would call this a conversation”

“I respect you more than that." I almost fell off the couch. I parted my hair and looked up at him, but he was no longer squatting in front of me. He'd stood and moved away. "Are we, like, having a conversation?" "Did you just, like, ask me for advice and listen with an open mind? Is so, then yes, I would call this a conversation. I can see how you might not recognize it, considering all I usually get from you is attitude and hostility-" "Oh! All I ever get from you is hostility and-" "And here we go. She's bristling and my hackles go up. Bloody hell, I feel fangs coming on.”

“I gained everything. Or at least I'll think so," he growled, suddenly impatient, anxious, "when you give me a bloody answer to my bloody question. How many times are you going to make me ask you? Will you marry me, Gabrielle O'Callaghan? Yes or yes? And in case you're still managing to miss the point, the correct answer is 'yes.' And, by the way, anytime you'd like to tell me you love me, I wouldn't mind hearing it.”

“And here we go. She's bristling and my hackles go up. Bloody hell, I feel fangs coming on. Tell you what, Ms. Lane," Barrons said softly, "Anytime you want to have a conversation with me, leave the myriad issues you have with wanting to fuck me every time you look at me outside my cave, come on in, and see what you find. You might like it.”

“You could ask me to teach you.”“Huh?” This night is getting weird in a hurry. “Teach me like you’re teaching a class or something? What are you going to call it: ‘You Too Can Be a Sociopath 101’?”“It would be more like a graduate-level class.” I start to snicker. His sense of humour sneaks up on you. Then I remember who’s talking and bite it off.”

“For what other reason would you have me save you? Because I like you? Better to be useful than liked.”

“I don't have any idea what to wear anymore, so I tried to cover all bases.""Try skin.""Little chilly for that."We looked at each other across the coffee table.His eyes didn't say, I'd heat you up, and mine didn't say What are you waiting for? He didn't reply, Fuck if I'm making the first move, so I was careful not to say, I wish you would, because I can't, because I'm... and he didn't snap ...choking on your pride?!"As if you aren't.""Excuse me?""Really Barrons," I said drily. "I'm not the only one who didn't just not have that conversation, and you know it."There was the faint, sexy lift of his lip. "You're a piece of work, Ms. Lane.""Right back at you.”