“And the last thing I heard before I floated off was his muttered,"love my wild one.”

“Before I succumbed to the sweet lull of his voice, I made one last request. "Stay".I was asleep before he could answer, but in my dreams I heard him reply forever.”

“Kraop was the sound that I heard. Heard it twice--kraop, kraop--one time each for my two fingers that got broke. I heard my bones pop before I felt anything, gunshot-loud they echoed in my ears. Maybe that was the tip-off what'd just happened was going to hurt like hell. Wrong. It hurt so bad, I didn't feel a thing.”

“Do you trust me?” Tam said it almost too softly to be heard. I hesitated, sighed, then reached down and took his hand. Tam’s fingers wrapped warm and strong around mine. The magic sparked between us, though this time it was warm and tingling, not violent and lustful. “Though you’re the last thing I need,” I muttered. I heard the smile in his voice. “But I’m the first thing you want.”

“Though the little voices cautioned it was time to settle, settle in, settle for, settle down, I muzzled these mutterings. One more love affair before marriage. One more trip before stagnation. One more adventure before I turn in my car keys and close the front door.”

“I want to be independent. To meet interesting people. ... I just mean new people with clever things to say. Things I've never heard before. I want to be free. Open to whatever adventure comes along and sweeps me off my feet.”