“Her eyes widened. “My.” She looked at him hesitantly and then bit her lip. “This might be more difficult than I realized. You’re a large man, aren’t you?” She blushed. “I mean, all over.”He managed to nod. Yes, damn it. And getting excruciatingly larger by the minute.”

“Mia Maz glanced aside in concern at his muffled snort. "Are you all right?""Yes. Sorry," he whispered. "I'm just having an attack of limericks."Her eyes widened, and she bit her lip; only her deepening dimple betrayed her. "Shhh," she said, with feeling.”

“She read him better than he realized and eyed him warily. "Do you want to know?"He thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Nay." It was in the past. "Then I would have to kill him."Her eyes widened, his blunt statement surprising her. "You would do that for me?"The woman was daft. "I will kill anyone who harms you." He cocked a brow. "I hope that doesn't offend your delicate sensibilities?""No," she said hesitantly. "Though I'm not used to having such a fierce protector."He kissed her forehead. "Get used to it.”

“Raylene bit her bottom lip, but she couldn’t break the connection, not that she wanted to. “Do you really have to keep addressing me as Miss Capri, even out here?” He nodded, but didn’t hesitate to add, “The only place I can call you by your first name is in the privacy of a cabin.” Raylene’s eyes widened considerably, as she considered what her heart and mind collided to reply. With a nervous swallow, her voice became little. “Then I think we should proceed to your cabin, First Officer John Drake.”

“Sylvia's dark eyes widened. "You are more than you appear to be""Yes. I am a monster of Darkness, a beast," he agreed with her. Her lips tilted up. "Can a beast weep in sorrow? Does darkness have the capacity to feel loneliness? I think not.”

“His voice dropped to a low murmur, and he leaned down so that he was almost whispering in her ear. “You see, there’s this woman.”She wasn’t going to look at him. She wasn’t.“Normally, one might say that there was a beautiful woman—but I don’t think she qualifies as a classical beauty. Still, I find that when she’s around, I’d rather look at her than anyone else.” He set two fingers against her cheek, and Minnie sucked in a breath. She was not going to look at him. He’d see the longing in her eyes, and then…“There’s something about her that draws my eye. Something that defies words. Maybe it’s her hair, but I tried to tell her that, and she told me I was being ridiculous. I suppose I was. Maybe it’s her lips. Maybe it’s her eyes, although she so rarely looks at me.”