“As Damiano strolled to the back platform, he returned her smile, white teeth against bronzed skin, then he dropped into the water. The man was sex on a stick.MacRieve stepped in front of her, clasping her nape, jealousy ablaze in his expression. "Eyes on the prize, woman. It's a werewolf you'll have, or none at all.”

“A companion," he whispered against her mouth. "A lover." He nibbled at her bottom lip, and his hand slid from her nape to cup the back of her head. "A beloved wife.”

“He leaned closer and she swallowed the rest of her words as he pressed a kiss to her lips. He lifted his head slightly and looked into her eyes. She stared back at him, stunned, her heart thudding against her breastbone. He palmed the nape of her neck, and then he was kissing her again, his tongue sweeping into her mouth this time, turning her legs to jelly.She pressed her body against his, her skin on fire, desire beating a tattoo through her veins. His tongue stroked hers gently, provocatively, and she reached out and gripped his shoulders with both hands.After a long, long moment he drew back. “Come home with me?” he asked very quietly, his voice a low husk.Dear God, I thought you’d never ask.”

“Alex gazed at her. Her mouth was slightly open; she ran her fingernail against her lower teeth as she thought. She'd knotted her hair at the nape of her neck again, and a strand had slipped loose onto her shoulder, gleaming in the lantern light. Suddenly all of his objections seemed meaningless. Don't, he thought. You'll regret it.He didn't care anymore.Slowly, unable to stop himself, he reached out and cupped his hand around her foot.”

“The woman trembled, eyes wide as she stared at the bluff. Her teeth pressed against her lower lip hard enough he wouldn’t have been surprised to see blood. Devyn recognized the building hysteria. His chest tightened; he’d seen like expressions all too often and it opened a raw, bleeding hurt in his chest.”

“How am I to get back to my room dressed like this?"He grinned at her, his teeth flashing whitely in the dim light from the fire. "You'll leave a trail of water.""Which the servants will report to your sister.”