“What is technology?" Cian pulled his brother inside, pushed the button for the next floor. "It's another god.”

“What if there's a fire?" Glenna said sweetly, and Cian merely smiled. "Then I guess you'd better open a window, and fly.”

“Police protection?""If necessary.""I'm touched.Why don't I give you a lift, handsome?""I'll follow you over," he repeated."Suit yourself," she began, and grazed a hand over his cheek.Her eyes widened slightly as his fingers clamped on her wrist. "Don't like to be petted?" She purred the words,surprised at how her heart had jumped and started to race. "Most animals do."His face was very close to hers, their bodies were just touching,with the heat from the room and something even more sweltering between them.Something old, and almost familiar.He drew her hand down slowly, kept his fingers on her wrist."Be careful what buttons you push."Excitement,she realized with surprise. It was pure, primal excitement that zipped through her. "Wasted advice," she said silkily, daring him. "I enjoy pushing new ones.And apparently you have a few interesting buttons just begging for attention." She skimmed her gaze deliberately down to his mouth. "Just begging.”

“love wasn't the soft, silky words the poets spoke of. Love,with it's twin edges, was the one factor that weakened so many women, that pushed them to compromised their own wants, their own needs for the needs and wants of another.”

“Oh, for heaven's sake, Harper, I didn't just pee on the floor. My water broke.''What water?' He blinked, then went pale as a corpse. 'That water. Oh, God. Oh, Jesus. Oh, shit. Sit. Sit, or... I'll get-'An ambulance. The marines.'My mother.”

“He matters to me, too.""I know he does.""He didn't." Phillip pulled out his hammer to nail the laps. "Not as much as he did to you. Not enough. It's different now.""I know that, too." For the next few minutes they worked in tandem, without words. "You stood up for him anyway," Cam added when the plank was in place. "Even when he didn't matter enough.""I did it for Dad.""We all did it for Dad. Now we're doing it for Seth.”

“Without another word, he walked out. Gennie waited until she heard his footsteps on the stairs before she pressed a hand to her stomach. The next time she saw a light in the dark, she told herself, she'd run like hell in the opposite direction.”