“Maybe I should do this for y-" (Samantha)"No, I'm cooking. If you want to be helpful, you can bring me my wine. I poured us both a glass." (Mortimer)"But-""No," he insisted, pushing her toward the door. "In you go. I'm the man. I get to barbecue while you stand around and look cute.”

“Dani," Decker said firmly. "Trust me, this is not a dream.""Why is it you men always say trust me before spitting out something completely unpalatable?" she asked, irritation flickering through her. "Vampires aren't supposed to be real. And how come you had to be a cute vampire? You should be a dog. All evil, vile people should look as ugly as they are inside.""We aren't ev--" Decker halted his denial, and then did something she hadn't yet seen him do and lifted his lips in a very rare-and in her opinion, totally inappropriate-grin as he asked, "You think I'm cute?”

“It was your first time?"Her head snapped up, eyes stabbing her sister."Of course it was," Lisa backtracked at once, and then said, "Well, Fanny must have been wrong then. Or perhaps it is different for everyone."Suzette shook her head with disgust. "If you, who have known me all my life and know I have not been keeping company with men before this, doubts me, why would he not? He probably thinks I have been with half the royal navy.""Why would he think that? We live nowhere near the near the coast," Lisa said with confusion.Suzette glared at her and then shifted to get off the bed,crawling around her to do so."Where are you going?" Lisa asked, standing up."For a walk.""But I was going to read to you to cheer you up," Lisa protested."I don't want to be read to," Suzette said grimly as she slipped her shoes on."I could tell you a story," Lisa offered."No.""I could sing,or-""I want to be alone.”

“I'll talk to Mortimer and see what he thinks, and then get back to you tomorrow. In the meantime, you should really get to sleep and get those shared dreams going."Cale grimaced at the suggestion, and reminded him, "She has a splitting headache, Bricker.""I thought that was a married woman's complaint?" Bricker responded quickly, and then laughed at his own joke as he hung up.”

“I'm mortal. You really don't want me falling down stairs and breaking my neck.""I'd catch you," he assured her solemnly. "I'll always be there to catch you, Inez.”

“Have you talked to her?""What would you have had me say Bastien? Oh, I'm sorry Inez. I didn't mean to bite you, my fangs slipped.”

“Have you tried to talk to her?""What would you like me to say Bastian? OH, I'M SORRY, INEZ. I DIDN'T MEAN TO BITE YOU, MY FANGS SLIPPED.”