“Here. Have a Coke. That’s good for a sore throat, right?”“Good for everything,” Shane croaked, and took the extended cold can with good grace. “Thanks.”“You owe me a dollar,” Eve said. “I’ll add it to the five thousand you already owe me, though.”He blew her a kiss, and she stuck her tongue out at him, and that was the end of the subject, thankfully.”

“When she set Shane’s glass of Coke down in front of him, she did it with probably a little too much emphasis; he glanced up at her with a question-mark expression.[...] ‘‘What?’’ Shane asked her, and took a drink. ‘‘Did I forget to say thanks? Because, thanks. Best Coke ever. Did you make it yourself? Special recipe?”

“Give Win back his hat," I told Natty."It looks good on me," she said, batting her eyelashes.I took it off her head and handed it to Win. "Thanks for babysitting," I said."Stop infantilizing me," Natty protested."That's a very good word," Win commented."Thank you," Natty replied. "I happen to know lots of them.”

“I’ll trade you one dollar for five dollars. What, is my money no good here?”

“He smiled at her. “Now, are you going to thank me properly?”“I said ‘thank you.’ That’s considered in some cultures as thanking you properly.”“I was hoping for a little more than that.”She studied him for a long moment before she nodded.“All right.” She scooted down a bit on the bed, pulled her gown up high on her thighs, and relaxed back into the mattress. “If you could make it quick before the food gets here, that would be great.”Gwenvael felt a small twitch beneath his eye. He often got something similar right on his eyelid but only when he had to deal with his father. Apparently a new one had developed that belonged only to Lady Dagmar. “That’s not what I meant.”“I hope you’re not expecting me to get on my knees because I don’t think the healer—”“No!” Good gods, this woman! “That’s not what I meant, either.”“That’s always what men mean when they ask to be thanked properly.”“Your world frightens me. I want us to be clear on that.” He leaned over and grabbed her waist, lifting her until her back again rested on the propped-up pillows.“I’m unclear as to what you want, then.”“A kiss,” he said, pulling her dress back down to her ankles. “A simple kiss.”

“I knew we’d wear them down,' Eve said. 'After all, we really are amazingly cool.' And now it was Eve’s turn for the high five with Shane. 'For a bunch of misfit geeks, slackers, and losers.''Which one are you?' Shane asked. She flipped him off. 'Oh, right. Loser. Thanks for reminding me.”