“Just leave me alone, I want to be alone,” she said when Jack tried to open the car door. She hit the lock, and wound the window up. Since the roof was down, it was a fairly pointless exercise.”

“Then Jack turned to her. Safari? That was the best excuse you could come up with for me not being at a meeting?"She winced apologetically. "I'm sorry. I'm a terrible liar."What was wrong with simple sickness? A nice, normal bout of food poisoning?"He was in a bad mood. I kind of got carried away," she admitted.Boy, are you lucky I watched Tarzan so much as a kid.”

“Thank you,” she said. He looked bemused. “For what?” “For everything. For being amazing in bed and endlessly patient, for sacrificing the Savage Club for me and bringing me all the way around the world simply because you were worried about me, even though it meant you were probably going to spend your holidays alone. For the way you always put your hand on the small of my back to guide me across the street and the way you let me be in charge of the television remote control and the way you have never, not once, judged me or mistrusted me or made me feel small or unwanted.” “Violet, sweetheart...” He blinked and she realized that he was close to tears. Her Martin. Mr. Uptight. Mr. Repressed.”

“[Jack] checked his watch, then returned to studying her back. damn if she didn't have a nice back, too - smooth, unblemished skin, nicely shaped vertebrae-He pulled himself up short. Nicely shaped vertebrae? Was he going insane?”

“New hair, new clothes-the classic relationship break-up makeover," Jake said.Delaney stared at him for a beat. In a way, he was right. She was breaking up with Sam. He just didn't know it.”

“Just when she was about to scream with frustration he flexed his hips and slid inside her. Her body welcomed him as he buried himself to the hilt. She let out a broken little sob, almost tearful over how good it felt to be filled by him, how hard and thick and hot he felt inside her.He started to move, and within seconds she’d found his rhythm. Every clumsy sexual encounter she’d ever had, every second of self-consciousness over her body or her own needs, every doubt she’d ever experienced went out the window as she gave herself over to the moment.”

“She ate toast in bed, then reread a favorite book, taking comfort from a story where she knew the outcome would be good and just and right.”