“Unless you want to hang a This Vein for Rent sign around your neck, move already!”

“Getting two-inch silver chain chokers around the neck of a guy, especially Shane, proved to be more of a problem.Shane held the jewelry at arm's length, dangling it like a dead rat. "No way in hell am I caught dead or alive wearing that.""Oh, come on, just this once," Eve said. "Protects your neck. As in your arteries and veins? That's kind of crucial, right?""Thanks for the thought, but it doesn't go with my shoes.”

“Faster!" Shane yelled. Eve hit the gas hard, and whipped around a slower-moving van. The firing ceased, at least for now. "You see why I didn't want you to stop?""Okay, your father is officially off my Christmas list!" Eve yelled. "Oh my God, look at my car!”

“Better be," Eve said. She mock-bit at his finger. "I could totally date somebody else, you know.""And I could rent out your room.""And I could put your game console on eBay.""Hey," Shane protested. "Now you're just being mean.”

“Oh, come on, just this once," Eve said. "Protects your neck. As in your arteries and veins?That's kind of crucial, right?""Thanks for the thought, but it doesn't go with my shoes.""You're seriously going to worry about what people think right now?""No, I'm worrying about people taking pictures and putting them on Facebook. That crap never dies. Kind of like you, Mikey."Michael, straight-faced, said, "He's got a point, because I would definitely take pictures. So would you."Eve had to grin. "Yeah, I would. Okay, then. But you'd look glam. I could fix you up with silver eye shadow to match.”

“She dug in her backpack, found her cell phone, and checked for coverage. It was kind of lame in Morganville, truthfully, out in the middle of the prarie, in the middle of Texas, which was about as middle of nowhere as it was possible to get unless you wanted to go to Mongolia or something....Claire started dialing numbers. The first person told her that they'd already found somebody.... The second one sounded like a weird old guy. The third one was a weird old lady. The fourth one... well, the fourth one was just plain weird.”

“He (Michael) was gone in a whisper of air, hardly making any sound at all, and Claire shivered and leaned against Shane’s solid, very human warmth. His arms went around her, and he touchedhis lips lightly to the back of her neck. “How can you smell this good after the kind of crappy day we’ve had?”“I sweat perfume. Like all girls.”