“...If I don't have twenty or thirty books right here, waiting to be read, I start jonesing. That's my compulsion.”

“The room was a compact, informal library. Books stood or were stacked on the shelves that ran along two walls from floor to ceiling, sat on the tables like knickknacks, trooped around the room like soldiers. They struck Malory as more than knowledge or entertainment, even more than stories or information. They were colour and texture, in a haphazard yet somehow intricate decorating scheme.The short leg of the L-shaped room boasted still more books, as well as a small table that held the remains of Dana's breakfast.With her hands on her hips, Dana watched Malory's perusal of her space. She'd seen the reaction before. 'No I haven't read them all, but I will.And no I don't know how many I have. Want coffee?'Let me just ask this. Do you ever actually use the services of the library?'Sure, but I need to own them. If I don't have twenty or thirty books right here, waiting to be read, I start jonesing. That's my compulsion.”

“I love you. I don't know when it started, years ago or weeks. But I know my heart's lost to you, and I wouldn't have it another way. You're what I want, all there is of you.”

“Can we go back to the part where you're in love with me?""No, because I'm not anymore. I've come to my senses.""That's a damn shame, that is. You'll have to wait here a minute. There's something I need from inside.""I'll not stand out here. I'm going home.""I'll only come after you, Brenna," he called over his shoulder as he walked to the door.”

“It's not right," he repeated, grabbing her again and turning her to face him. "I'm not having it.""So you said, in clear terms.""I don't mean that.""Oh, well, if you've decided you'd like to have sex with me after all, I've changed my mind.""I haven't decided--" He broke off, staggered. "Changed your mind?""I have. Kissing you wasn't altogether what I thought it would be. So you were right and I was wrong." She gave him a deliberately insulting pat on the cheek." And that's the end of it.""The hell it is." He trapped her against the truck, quickly and firmly enough to have both excitement and annoyance rising inside her. "If I want you, I'll have you, and that's the end of it.”

“I hope that's true, because I figured out why I'd never finished it, what I was waiting for. I was waiting for you, Clare. For them. For us. I want to finish it up for you, for them, for us.”

“And you just had to rush right over here to rub my face in it.""Nope. I rushed right over here to slap your face in it.""A rude but effective wake-up call," Laura commented and earned a shocked stare."I expected better from you.""You shouldn't have." Hands brisk and competent, she affixed a shiny silver bow to the box. "If you don't want to tell us what happened between you and Josh,fine.But you can't expect us to sit around quietly while you mope.""I have not been moping.""We've been cleaning up the blood spilling out of your heart for weeks." Kate passed Laura her credit card. "Face it,pal, you're just no fun anymore.""And that's all this friendship is about?Fun? I thought I might get a little support,a little sympathy, a little compassion.""Sorry," Laura imprinted the card with a steady sweep. "Fresh out.”