“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.”

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

“She surrounded herself with books at work and at home. Her living space was a testament to her first and abiding love with shelves jammed with books tables crowded with them. She saw them not only as knowledge entertainment comfort even sanity but as a kind of artful decoration. ”

“He trailed off as he saw the books. Piles and stacks of them beside the sofa, another stack on the coffee table, a sea of them on her dining table.Jesus Christ, Dane, you need treatment.”

“She'd done the first, the second and the third, when her father came in.He stopped in the doorway, held up a hand. "Wait, don't tell me.I know you. The face is very familiar." He narrowed his eyes as she rolled hers. "I'm sure I've seen you before, somewhere.Tibet? Mazetlan? At the dinner table a year or two ago.""It hasn't been more than a week." She reached up as he bent to kiss her. "But I've mised you,too. I've been swamped here.""So I've heard." He flipped open the magazine to her article. "Pretty girl. I bet her parents are proud of her.""I hope so.”

“I was going to make a confession. Then I remembered I don't make them very well. We still need to see the monkeys.""You don't really think I'm going to let a provocative statement like that slip by,do you?""Well...I thought the best way to discourage you was to agree to go out with you-to some place like this, which I thought would bore you to distraction-then be as obnoxious as possible.""Have you been obnoxious?" His tone was mild and entirely too serious. "I thought you've been behaving very naturally.""Ouch." Shelby rubbed at the figurative wound under her heart. "In any case, I get the distinct impression that I haven't discouraged you at all.""Really?" Reaching for more popcorn, he leaned close and spoke gently in her ear "How did you come by that?""Oh-" She cleared her throat. "Just a hunch."He found that tiny show of nerves very rewarding. Yes, the puzzle was coming together, piece by careful piece. It was the way he'd always structured his life. "Odd.And not once since we've been here have I mentioned that I'd like to find a small, dim room and make love to you,over and over."Warily, Shelby slid her eyes to his. "I'd just as soon you didn't."All right." Alan slipped an arm around her waist. "I won't mention it while we're here."A smile tugged at her mouth, but she shook her head. "It's not going to come to that, Alan.It can't.""We have a fundamental disagreement." He paused on a bridge. Beneath them, swans floated haughtily. "Because to my way of thinking it has to.”

“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.”