“It's drugs, isn't it"? Tara was so innocent. She got pulled into that glamorous lifestyle with all her rich friends...all that cocaine dust floating around, she probably inhaled some by accident, and then -''There's no such thing as secondhand cocaine snorting, Mom.”

“Zoe gave him a look that was difficult to interpret. Eventually she asked, "What makes you sure I couldn't handle you?"She didn't know what she was asking for, from a man who couldn't remember what it was like to be innocent. Lightly gripping her hair, Alex forced her face close to his. The blond curls danced around his fingers and tickled the backs of his hands. " I 'm a bastard in bed, Zoe," he said quietly. " I 'm selfish and mean as the devil. I have to have all the control. And I 'm...not nice”

“You've always been a know-it-all. Well, you're about to find out how much you don't know.""Believe me," I muttered, "I'm the first one to admit that I have no clue about any of this stuff. I had nothing to do with it. This isn't my baby.""Then give it to Social Services." She was getting agitated. "Whatever happens to him will be your fault, not mine. Get rid of him if you can't handle the responsibility.""I can handle it," I said, my voice quiet. "It's okay, Mom. I'll take care of him. You don't have to worry about anything."She subsided like a child who had just been mollified by a lollipop. "You'll have to learn the way I did," she said after a moment, reaching down to adjust her toe ring.A hint of satisfaction edged her tone as she added, "The hard way.”

“You know,” she said dreamily, passing over his question, “you’re not nearly as handsome as Lord St.Vincent.”“There’s a surprise,” he said dryly.“But for some reason,” she continued, “I never want to kiss him the way I do you.” It was a good thing that she had closed her eyes, for if she had seen his expression, she might not have continued. “There is something about you that makes me feel terribly wicked. You make me want to do shocking things. Maybe it’s because you’re so proper. Your necktie is never crooked, and your shoes are always shiny. And your shirts are so starchy. Sometimes when I look at you, I want to tear off all your buttons. Or set your trousers on fire.”

“I can't get it out," she said."Just pull at it.""It hurts. It's throbbing.""Pull harder.""I can't! It's truly stuck. I need something to make it slippery. Do you have some sort of lubricant nearby?""No.""Not anything?""Much as it may surprise you, we've never needed lubricant in the library before now.”

“Kiss me,” she said urgently.Sam’s eyes flickered with mild surprise. “Right now?”“Yes.”“What kind of kiss?”“What do you mean, what kind of kiss? Just a regular kiss.”“A friendly kiss, or a romantic kiss? Are we supposed to be going out together, or—““Oh, for heaven’s sake,” she exclaimed, and pulled his head down to hers.”

“To Cam surprise, she was smiling up at him steadily, her eyes midnight.His expression turned quizzical. "What's so amus­ing?"Amelia toyed with a button on his coat. "I was just thinking . . . tonight those two old hens will probably go to their beds, cold and alone." An impish grin curved her lips. "Whereas I will be with a wicked, handsome Rom who will keep me warm all night.”