“She’s coming here?” My voice is unnaturally high in my shock. Gavin grins. “Damn, did someone just punch you in the nuts? What was that?”

“Shanks moaned, stirring. “You broke my nuts”So that was what my elbow had hit. “Sorry.” My voice cracked.”

“The needy child voice inside me said, If she says you’re a nut, then you must be a nut. She’s your mother, the one who always tells the brutal truth.”

“I wanted someone a little more approachable," I explained."What, like Captain McTropicalShorts back there? Where on earth did you find him anyway?""Just did an Internet search." Feeling a need to defend my research, I added, "He comes highly recommended.""By who? Long John Silver?”

“You’re just…too high-maintenance. Too self-absorbed. And you talk too much—usually about thingsthat don’t matter—and it drives me absolutely nuts. What it comes down to is—you’re just not thewoman I need on my arm to get me where I want to go.”Okay, pal, don’t sugarcoat it or anything.”

“What are you?" I whispered. "What are you?" Offended, I frowned. "Human." "Funny, me too." "No, you're not." "Funny, neither are you." I set my jaw and glared. What a jerk. "Why did you come here?" My voice came from his mouth, disconcerting as always. "I could ask you the same thing. Are you going to kill me?”