“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.”

“Why did you lift your top the other night in my office? Why did you flash your breasts at me like that?” he asked, his voice very low, his grey eyes intent on her.“I don’t know,” she whispered. “Liar,” he said, and then he closed the distance between them and his hands were cupping her face and his mouth was lowering toward hers and her heart was beating so hard and fast it was a wonder it didn’t explode.”

“You want to know what's wrong?" He took her chin, forcing her to look at him. She could feel the angry pounding of his heart through the soft leather of his jerkin. "I'll tell you what's wrong. I want you so bad, I can'tthink straight. My body is on fire. I can't look at you without wanting to pull you into my arms. I can't touch you without thinking of running my handsall over you." Her eyes widened. The raw desire in his gaze shocked her.Never had she thought herself capable of driving a man to such extremepassion. "But that is only half the problem." His eyes had narrowed to slits, the lines around his mouth etched white. The dark stubble of his beard cast an ominous shadow along his hard, square jaw.Whatever the problem, it didn't bode well for her. She tried to pull away, for the first time truly frightened, but he wouldn't let her go. His armswere like steel."You want to know what's really wrong, Elizabeth?" His face was only inches from hers. "I saw you kiss him." He spoke each word with damning precision.”

“The danger wasn’t over.Rolling her around so that she floated on her back, he swam her to shore. A much easier proposition than on the way out. Reaching the safety of the beach, he lifted her in his arms, wrenching her from the steel jaws of the sea that had tried to claim her.He carried her a few feet up the beach and set her down carefully, kneeling beside her.“Flora.” He shook her shoulders gently. “Wake up.”She looked so still. So horribly still. “Flora.” He shook her gently, his chest squeezing painfully.“Please wake up. I need you to wake up.” I need you.Her eyes fluttered again and then—blissfully—opened. And he found himself looking into the achinglyfamiliar fathomless depths. He felt a rush of relief so strong, he could have wept. Instead he kissed her.He knew there wasn’t time, that he had to get her back, but he couldn’t help it. He needed to know that she was alive.His mouth covered hers in a searing kiss, as if he could warm the cold from her lips with the heat of his passion. He kissed her with a raw desperation born of fear. With all the intensity of the emotions she’d exposed inside him. He told her with his lips what he couldn’t admit to himself.In that one brief instant, he told her so much.”

“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.”

“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.”