“Better would be good. Because if she felt a little less like she’d been run over by a truck, she could jump on Dr. Hottie.”

“You aren't human. Your mother is a...sex demon." She tripped over that a little, because seriously, that was one of those things you never thought you'd say. {Location 2966}”

“His voice was low and rough … “What about you? Do you like bad boys?”“There’s definitely appeal,” she breathed. “Good,” He bent and clipped her earlobe with his teeth … “Because they don’t come badder than me.”

“I'll listen to you, but you need to treat me with a little respect. Because it doesn't sound like I'm a pawn. Sounds like I'm more of a queen." A vein in his temple began to throb, and she grew bolder, the sense of power emanating from the mark on her chest filing her with the mettle she'd lost after the break-in two years ago. Lowering her voice to a tense whisper, she nipped his earlobe. "Checkmate.”

“You know I could crush you.""I know you won't.""Why, because I need to protect you?""No," She poked him in the breastplate. "Because you gave me a pillow.”

“He really wished she would stop fingering the brick.”

“I’m over a thousand years old. I’ve seen it all. You, sweetcheeks, are nothing new.” At what must have been an outraged expression on her face, he laughed again. “Come on. Surely you can’t think you are the only female out there who’s had a rough life, had her heart walked on, been kept in a dungeon for three centuries, blah, blah, pick your trauma, and are now stomping around with all this pent-up anger you spill like acid on everyone who gets to know you.” He narrowed his gaze at her. “How close am I?”Sin’s mouth worked, but nothing came out. She finally snapped it shut to avoid looking like a fish gasping on the bank of a river. “That’s what I thought.” He made a shooing gesture with his hand. “No, run along and go be caustic with someone who cares. Oh, wait, no one cares, do they? Because you won’t let them--”