“So you're a dom, huh? Nice." I stabbed my pancakes again. "Kinky.""You're the one who ties people up, babe.”

“So you're a dom, huh? Nice." I stabbed my pancakes again. "Kinky.""You're the one who ties people up, babe.”

“Well, duh. You're cuter than she is." He said it like he might say, Grass is green or, Gravity works.Something warm opened up inside my chest. It was a nice feeling.”

“I thought I'd pay you a visit, my dear. Since you're so interesting."My mouth shifted into high gear, leaving my brain behind. "You know, you're the second guy in a few days to call me that. You should be more creative.”

“The only one," he murmured. His chin dipped a little bit. "You know that, Dru? You're the only person who's ever believed in me. You know what that'll do to a guy?"What?"I-""It makes him want to live up to it.”

“You're my friend, Danny. You understand? There's no debt between friends."Maybe it's just that the debt gets so high you stop counting it.”

“Okay. I'll deal with Benjamin. You're safe, okay? Nothing's gonna happen." His mouth pulled tight against itself. And now I was having some sort of heart attack. Because when he looked at me like that, my chest started to feel like it was turned inside out. "Promise."And that—the promise, the way he said it with utter certainty—was enough to make me tear up again.”