“Not so tough. And my name isn't Cookie.""Right. It's Coco."She took a chance. "It's actually Meg."He leaned in close, his breath warm on her cheek--smelling faintly of whiskey and mint. "Is that what you want me to call you when I'm fucking you?”

“I want that," he said fiercely. "What?" "For you to be around." Her breath caught. A tenuous hope took fire in her chest. "Really?" He closed his glowing eyes and shook his head. "Yeah. It's fucking stupid. It's crazy. It's dangerous." "So it'll fit right into your life script." He laughed and looked down at her. "Yeah, pretty much.”

“Perry was leaning into my mother as he listened to what she said. They talked so close. He only leaned closer, his hands on the table, his leg touching hers. "It's so risky," my mother said. "Why are you doing this?""Because I'm human being. Because we're all human beings."My mother closed her eyes and winced. Maybe her hearing aid was ringing and bothering her, but as I watched her turn down the volume, I wanted to tell her right then that she couldn't quiet all those outside voices forever.”

“What?"Her breathing stuttered at the thought of tasting the sweet cream off his skin. "Nothing.""No, tell me." He stepped closer.She shook her head. "Why mint and peach?"He quirked a crooked smile. "Mint for fresh breath, peach because it's breakfast. You know, fruit.""I don't think peach ice cream counts as fruit.""What's that right there?" He pointed to the hunks of frozen orange buried in the mounds of ice cream overflowing his bowl."Peach, but--""Nuh uh. No but. It's peach. Case closed." He lifted the bowl and took a big bite.”

“What does kiciciyapi mitawa mean?"He kept his head on her breasts. "What?""You called me kicicyapi mitawa. It sounded so beautiful. It wasn't Japanese. What was it?""It's the voice of the Lakota. It would sound silly in English." He cupped her breast, his fingers moving lightly over her skin. His breath warm on her heart. "I want to know. It didn't sound silly when you said it. It sounded...beautiful. It made me feel beautiful. And loved."He kissed her breast. "I called you my heart. And you are.”

“It's Dana! She's back early." He ran his hand frantically over Mitch's neat, blonde hair. "What's she want? What's she doing here?"Maybe she wants Reese's pot back""This is my chance! She's here alone. She wants me. Quick." He yanks my arm and dragged me to the stairs. I cried out in suprise."Get out of sight. Throw that away.""I'm not throwing this away! Besides, you don't think she'll notice that your whole fucking house smells like this? Jesus. Your pupils are the size of her granny panties. Virtuous or not, she isn't stupid.”