“There's something special about her. When she helped me with her touch-""Exactly what was she touching that was so memorable for you?""Watch your mouth.”

“My recommendation is to keep up the good work. I’m changing your title to senior executive assistant, and giving you a three percent raise effective next payday. Congratulations.”Wow, three percent. I could move up that early retirement plan to age seventy-five now, instead of eighty. Lucky me.Thank you,” I said. “That’s very generous.”You’re quite welcome.” Ms. Saunders nodded and grabbed a gold-plated letter opener to begin attacking her stack of mail.I turned to leave. Didn’t want to outstay my welcome.Damn it!” she exclaimed, and I turned back around. She winced and nodded at the letter opener that she’d dropped to her desktop. “Damn thing slipped. I’m probably going to need stitches now. Can you be a dear and fetch the first-aid kit for me?”She held her left index finger and frowned at the steady flow of blood oozing out. A few small drops of red splashed onto the other letters spread out on the desk.I felt woozy. And suddenly dizzy.I blinked.When I opened my eyes, I was no longer standing by the door about to leave. I was crouched down next to Ms. Saunders’s imported black leather chair, grasping her wrist tightly…… and sucking noisily on her fingertip.I shrieked and let go of her, staggering backward. I grabbed at her desk to keep from falling, but I dropped on my butt, anyhow, taking most of the contents of the top of her desk with me.She held her injured finger far away from her and stared at me, wide-eyed, with a mixture of shock and disgust.I scrambled to my feet and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.What in the holy hell just happened? I… I… uh… I’m so sorry,” I managed. “I don’t know what… I wouldn’t normally do something… I just…”Ms. Saunders pulled her hand close to her chest, perhaps to protect it from further abuse.Get out,” she said quietly.Yeah, I’ll get back to work. Again, I’m so, so sorry. Would you like me to bring you a cup of coffee?”No, not to your desk,” she said evenly, but her volume increased with every word. “Get out of here, you freak. I don’t care what you’ve heard, I’m not into women. You’re fired. Now get out of here before I call security.”But… my job review—”Get out!” she yelled.”

“I'm feeling better now," Darrak said. She stifled a scream and clamped her hands over her bare breasts. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" "Did I interrupt something?" There was a short pause. "Oh, I see. Don't let me stop you from getting naked. Please, continue."Eden scanned her reflection with wide eyes. Could she see the demon inside of her? Did she look possessed?" Nope. There was nothing noticeable. Other than the deep voice in her head only she could hear."This should be interesting." Darrak sounded amused. "As I said before, I've never shared living space with a woman before. I honestly never would have guessed black lace panties for you. But I do approve.”

“You can tell this lady to bite me,though," Darrak added. "And she can take that holier-than-thou attitude of hers and shove it right under her granny panties.”

“She raised an eyebrow. "I thought I sensed something oddly human about you. From the moment I though it was simply residue from your recent and ill-advised horizontal romp with that girl""What makes you think we were horizontal?" Darrack's lip twitched”

“Is your future faery bride too ugly for you?”Rhys leaned back against the head rest and studied the seatback in front of him. “That’s not it.”“Too old or too young?”“No.”I rolled my eyes, but smiled. This was why he was upset. Hehadn’t landed the perfect bride-to-be. “Her pretty faery wingsaren’t the right shade of sparkly lavender and pink?”His eyes flashed with anger. “Actually, she doesn’t have faerywings.”“She doesn’t?”“No. As a matter of fact, the dragon oracle tells me the girl I’msupposed to marry, the one destined to someday become the queenof the faery realm, isn’t a faery at all.”Okay, that was surprising. Not a faery?“She isn’t?” I said. “Then who is she?”His expression was severe as he turned to look me right in theeye.“You,” he said”

“No. As a matter of fact, the dragon oracle tells me the girl I'm supposed to marry, the one destined to someday become the queen of the faery realm, isn't a faery at all.""She isn't?" I said. "Then who is she?""You," he said.”