“I haven’t heard a woman say my name in a long time, Theresa. Say myname.”She pulled in a hard breath, pretending to be annoyed rather than unsettled and excited by the intimacy.“Very well. Tolly. Better?”“Infinitely.” Slowly he ran his fingertips along her cheek, making her shiver. “So many handsomegentlemen courting you, Tess,” he whispered, “and yet here you are.”

“You're beautiful" he whispered as he scattered kisses along the incision line and over to her bellybutton. When he heard her release the breath she'd been holding, he slipped his tongue inside the well of her navel. He heard her gasp again, but this time in a different way, an excited way.”

“He didn’t say a word and she didn’t ask anything else, just ran her fingers through his hair until his breathing began to calm. Without letting go of her or even pulling away to face her he finally whispered against her ear, “Please don’t leave me. I promise I’ll try harder.” Slowly he pulled away and their eyes met. “I’m nothing without you, Izzy.”

“Gwyneth.He passed her name through his thoughts a hundred times a day. He wanted to say her name, whisper it into her ear. But that would imply an intimacy they didn’t share.”

“What is your name?" she asked."Names are like clothes, lady. I have many.""And which one do you wear tonight?"The god smiled. She could see he liked her words. He pulled her to him, pressed his wolf lips to hers and said, "My name is Misery, and would you know yet more?""Yes," said the girl, breathing in his scent, the scent of something beautiful, strange and burned. "I would know more."He flicked at her lips with his tongue and whispered, "So is yours.”

“Are you all right?" he said.Water dripped down his face and long nose.He's talking to you! her mind yelled. He's talking to you! Say something clever! Say something clever!Azalea said, "Mffloscoflphus?""The water is rather cold," he said. He pulled her to the bank. Azalea chattered and shivered and coughed, and he continued asking her if she was all right. She wasn't.She was morbidly embarrassed,that's what she was.”