“Hawk?"He gazed up at her, still crouched on the floor, ready to pounce if she so much as moved an inch.”

“He's treating her like she's fourteen and he's a normal adult, acting like he's taken her under his wing. Like he needs her detecting skills, same as Barrons did to Mac, and she's falling for it, same as Mac. He's lining up his dominoes, so they fall more easily when he feels like pushing them over, conserving energy so he doesn't have to hunt her when he's ready to kill her.”

“In her dreams the Hawk would be waiting for her by the sea's edge; her kilt-clad, magnificent Scottish laird. He would smile and his eyes would crinkle, then turn dark withsmoldering passion.She would take his hand and lay it gently on her swelling abdomen, and his face would blaze with happiness andpride. Then he would take her gently, there on the cliff's edge, in tempo with the pounding of the ocean. He wouldmake fierce and possessive love to her and she would hold on to him as tightly as she could. But before dawn, he would melt right through her fingers. And she would wake up, her cheeks wet with tears and her hands clutching nothing but a bit of quilt or pillow.”

“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.”

“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.”

“Gwen smiled and asked hopefully, "Is there coffee again this morning?"Silvan put his book down and glanced absently at Gwen. His gaze dropped to her cleavage, and a single white brow shot up. He blinked several times."There certainly is," Nell said, circling the table. She stopped behind Gwen and draped a linen cloth over her shoulders, so it tumbled from her neck like a bib."Peel yer eyes off the lass's breasts," Nell said sweetly to Silvan.Gwen turned twenty shades of red, sneaked a hand beneath the bib, and tugged at her bodice, trying to jiggle them back down a little. Mortified, she devoted her attention to eyeing the medieval dining ware-plates and goblets made of heavy silver, a fat spoon and broad knife, and heavy blue bowls."She's the one who fluffed them up," Silvan protested indignantly. "I didn't mean to look, but they were ... so ... there. Like trying not to see the sun in the sky."Nell arched a brow and circled round the table again."I hardly think 'twas ye she fluffed 'em for, was it lass?" Gwen glanced up and gave an embarrassed shake of her head.”

“He even moved like an animal, fluid strength and surety. And all the devil ever wants in exchange, a small voice said warningly, is a soul.Oh, puh-lease, Chloe rebuked herself sternly. He's a man, nothing more. A big, beautiful, sometimes scary man, but that's all.Graceful as a stalking tiger, the big, beautiful, scary man dropped into a crouch on the ground before her, his dark eyes glinting in the shadowy night. They knelt mere inches apart. When he spoke, his words were painstakingly articulated, as if speaking was an immense effort. His words were carefully spaced, tight, coming in rushes, withpauses between."I will give you. Every. Artifact I own. If you kiss. Me and ask no. Questions.""Huh?" Chloe gaped."No questions," he hissed. He shook his head violently, as if trying to scatter something from it.”