“Seriously,” I whispered, unable to look away. “You're doing the bedroom-eyes thing again.”

“Kope!” the other guy yeled. “What the frick?! You got some cheetah blood in you or what?”“Seriously!” insisted Blake. “How did you run so fast?”“I am African.” Without taking his eyes from mine, Kopano eased himself off me, and I sat up.”

“You told some human kid?”I coughed, buying time. “He's Neph, too.”Jonathan LaGrey went rigid and his ruddy cheeks paled. I squirmed as his eyes bored into mine.“Which one's his father?” he asked through clenched teeth.“Richard Rowe. I guess you'd know him as Pharzuph.” Oh, boy. He wasn't pale anymore.“You came across the country—”“Shhh!” I warned him as people looked over. He lowered his voice to a shouted whisper.“—with the son of the Duke of Lust?! Son of a—”

“I love you,” I whispered.“I've loved you longer,” he said.”

“Wow, you got a car!" she said, surveying the toy box. "it's so cute!"Cute. He was starting to hate that word."I think the word you're looking for is manly," he said.”

“Thankfully I had to stand solitary for only one long moment before Jay came back feeling over-the-moon happy. I let his emotion drench me.“What were you and Kaidan Rowe talking ’bout?” Jay asked me. “Man, y’all looked like you were gonna rip each other’s clothes off!” I gaspedand smacked his arm, but he didn’t flinch.“We did not.” My eyes darted over to Kaidan for a fraction of a second, and though he was too far away to have heard, the wink he sent mebrought another flush to my skin.”

“Spend the night with me.” (...)“I’m tired of living like I’m not alive.” He dropped his hands from my face to grip my shoulders. “I’m bloody sick to death of it. I want one night to be alive. With you.” He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead on mine.“Please, Anna. One last night and we’ll go back to being safe again. I need this. I need you.”