“I plucked at my salt-stained shirt and tried to find an air of nonchalance as I prepared to introduce His Most Holy Pain in the Ass to Miss Elf Princess.”

“My breath slipped from me, almost a groan. Trent Kalamack. The obscenely successful, smiling businessman, ruthless bio- and street-drug lord, elf in hiding, and pain-in-my-ass-extraordinaire Trent Kalamack. Right on schedule. "Why is it you show up only when I need money?”

“Hovering near panic, trying to focus but finding it hard to open my eyes. My heart was pounding. I couldn’t get enough air, and I couldn’t find the desire to push her away”

“Trent sighed, visibly bothered at my admittedly childish behavior, but I was hot, damn it, and needed money, and therefore I was vulnerable to his bribes and his air-conditioned car.”

“What was in the trunk?" I asked, and my eyes widened when he opened his coat and let me glimpse a big-ass rifle."I know these people," he said, his expression going hard. "We handle their insurance.”

“And yes, I came over here fully intending to seduce you." He lifted his head and whispered in my ear, "It's what I'm good at. Just like you're good at evading demons and kicking ass.""Kicking ass?" I questioned as he dropped his head back to the arm of the couch. His hand was exploring again, and I didn't want to move."Yeah," he said, and I jumped as he found a ticklish spot. "I like a woman who takes care of herself.""Not much of a white knight on a horse, huh?"He raised one eyebrow. "Oh, I could," he said. "But I'm a lazy son of a bitch.”

“Do you have a sleeping bag?” I stared at him. “No. I lost it in the great salt-dip of ’06.”