“For the rest of his life he'd remember how she looked in that moment as she put her mark on his soul with four little words."I've made my choice.”

“Why?" Why wouldn't he let her go? Why did he make her stay?She felt the brush of his lips over her hair."Because I need you.""You don't know me.""I know." His finger under her chin lifted her face. "But I've waited centuries for the chance.”

“If you’ve got a bag in that SUV, you might as well get it out.”“He’s not staying here,” Lisa countered.“I say he is.”Lisa yanked at the coat from within. “You’re not the only person who lives here, Robin.”“No, but I’m one-third owner of the house.” She motioned Donovan toward his truck. “Consider whatever part of the house he’s in as my third.”“Damn it, Robin! I don’t want him here.”“I do.”“Why?”Robin cocked her head to the side as if considering the question. “Because he’s got that big, mean, don’t-mess-with-me look of a rottweiler on steroids that could be a deterrent to any repercussions from your trip into town today, and because”—she shrugged and a smile touched her lips—“he bothers you in a way I’ve never seen you bothered. It’s interesting.”

“Oh God.”I told you not to look.”No, you didn’t. You said ‘in a minute.’ That’s not the same thing at all.”It is to me.”She swallowed back her gorge. Her throat was tight in the aftermath. “I’m adding communication issues to the stuff we need to work on.”I communicate just fine. The way I see it, your listening is off.”

“How could she have reacted like that? She didn’t understand what had come over her. She’d felt his passion and her own. It made her anxious. On edge. For something. Something that made her skin prickle whenever he was in the room with her. Indeed, she found it difficult to concentrate when he wasaround. He was big and strong and smelled incredible. She wanted to curl up against his chest and never leave. She’d never had such strong urges. But then again, she’d never met a man who made her feel so protected simply by his solid presence and his confident command of everything around him. His strength was strangely soothing. She couldn’t remember a time in her life when she’d felt so…content.”

“What would you have me do? A knight doesn’t look for a princess among the garbage.”“My Sam had no use for me when he first met me.”That Maddie couldn’t believe. “You are Sam’s princess in the tower.”“I was Sam’s pain in the—” Bella smiled and tapped her behind, leaving the word unsaid.”

“This isn't good.""What isn't good?" Kelon asked Donovan, coming into the kitchen. He nodded to Lisa standing in front of the stove. She flinched, blushed and then glared at him. He cocked an eyebrow at Donovan. He shrugged. "She's mad because I won't discipline her." Lisa snorted and stirred the pot of oatmeal on the stove. "Oh please. Like I couldn't get a spanking if I wanted one.”