“For every bad thing in life, there are more good things to tip the balance.”

“You had your heart broken much?”He paused. “Of course. Everyone does. Part of life.”“Tell me her name. I’ll kick her ass. I don’t want anyone hurting you.”He rested his face against my hair, his tone even and gentle when he spoke. “You’re wondrous and powerful and gifted, but even you can’t save me from hurting. No one can do that for anyone. I can make things perfect in the fictions I create, but the real world isn’t so kind. That’s just how it is. And anyway, for every bad thing in life, there are more good things to tip the balance.”“Like what?”“Like little blonde nieces. And royalty checks. And you.”

“Most good things come with the risk of something bad.”

“Good can still exist when bad things happen, just as evil persists when good things happen.” - Carter to Georgina”

“What's going on?" I sat down on the bed and finished the last of the scone."Bad things," she said mischievously. "You'll approve.”

“Sleep with Seth Mortensen? Good grief. It was the most preposterous thing I'd ever heard. It was appalling. If I absorbed his life force, there was no telling how long it'd be until his next book came out.”

“Sweat isn't a bad thing," he said, leaning his head against the wall thoughtfully. "Some of the best things in life happen while your sweating. Yeah, if you get too much of it and it gets old and stale, it turns pretty gross. But on a beautiful women? Intoxicating. If you could smell things like a vampire does, you'd know what I'm talking about. Most people mess it all up and drown themselves in perfume. Perfume can be good...especially if you get one that goes with your chemistry. But you only need a hint. Mix about 20 percent of that with 80 percent of your own perspiration...mmm." He tilted his head to the side and looked at me. "Dead sexy.”