“He was a rock that she would break herself on.”

“Is there something I can do?""About what?" she snapped. "About your problem," he persisted. "Does anybody's ass need kicking? I can take care of that for you. I kick good ass." Her laughter rang out, sweet and bright and gorgeous. "Wow," she said. "You'd do that for me? After, what has it been now, a fifteen-minute acquaintance? Twenty, maybe, tops?"He considered that, and opened his mouth, and the raw, uncut, uncensored truth just plopped right out. "Yeah," he said. "I would.”

“She was a fairy-tale princess out of his comic book fantasies. She glowed like a star. He hated it. It made his jaw clench [...]. It made him want to wreck something, punch walls, hurl plates. He wanted to drag her into a corner and rip off her glittering veil of illusions. Remind her that she was his beautiful wild animal, not this remote, perfect being. She was earth and sweat and blood and bone, she was hunger and need and howling at the moon. Just like him. Part of him.”

“You saved me, you moron!" she yelled. "You're being deliberately stupid and dense about this! My God, you ask a lot of yourself!"He touched his forehead to hers. "I can't help it," he blurted. "I love you.”

“And now we're going for a shopping spree at the mall, at my expense. Shall we get a latte and a ginger scone at the coffee bar? An acupuncture treatment? A massage?"Bruno stared at the guy. "I can't drag her up to Tony's cabin in a miniskirt and heels. There might be snow up there.""Bruno, he's right. Stopping for clothes would be silly," Lily said. "Let's just save that for when we- ""You're spattered in blood!" he yelled. "You're coat is canvas, with no lining! You don't even have any goddamn underwear!" Lily jerked loose of his encircling arm. "You bastard!" she hissed. "I do, too!”

“He went to the light switch by the door and flicked it off. When he turned, she glowed in the golden light from the space heater, and the shadow over her shoulders on the wall seemed a looming, black-cloaked figure. An ancient, mythical harbinger of doom and destruction.He blinked. It turned into a pattern of blocked light again.Jesus, what the hell was that about? He was rattled, jittery, scared half to death. But he could no more say no to this girl than he could stop breathing.”

“He probably ate girls like her for breakfast. They all did. They all had. She had no intention of being eaten for breakfast, ever again.Her naughty brain took that thought, twirled it around and had a party with it.”