“It's been a long time, you see. There's been no one for five years. Not since Gavin. I've spent five years murdering what I felt for him, starving my need for him, purging my memory. But somehow it still feels...too soon. They say time heals, but--' 'They lied,' he said simply.”

“I am an anomaly - a woman alone, too young to be widowed and too old to be looking for a mate. I occupy that no man's land - no woman's land - between youth and old age.”

“You're like a box of chocolates with the menu missing - the card that tells you what they are. I never know what I'm going to get with you: a soft, creamy centre, something chewy, or an explosion of alcohol.”

“I am safe. For one night at least. Safe, moored to this man.”

“My life's memories take up space with no regard to when they happened, or to their actual time span. The memories of brief incidents occupy almost all time, while years of my life have left no tract. -- spoken by Astrid”

“She had left her legs bare, and if he wasn’t mistaken, they had a slight sheen. He realized she’d caught him staring when she cleared her throat.“Are your legs...sparkly?” he managed to ask, feeling the need to explain since he’d been caught leering.“My body lotion has a little bit of glitter in it,” she said with a trace of diffidence.She seemed apologetic. For what, he had no idea.”

“I have never heard a lady say 'arse,'" the emperor said mildly."I haven't been a lady for long," I reminded him. A little demon–made of exhaustion and the emperors smile– pushed me into adding,"For five years I've been saying 'arse.' It's hard to stop saying 'arse' after that many years. I suppose I should stop saying 'arse,' since ladies don't say-""'Arse'," he finished for me. I met his grin.”