“He nodded, took a step away. “I’ll send for you soon. Believe me."“Would my Westley ever lie?”He took another step. “I’m late. I must go. I hate it but I must. The ship sails soon and London is far.”“I understand.”He reached out with his right hand.Buttercup found it very hard to breathe.“Good-by.”She managed to raise her right hand to his.They shook.“Good-by,” he said again.She made a little nod.He took a third step, not turning.She watched him.He turned.And the words ripped out of her: "Without one kiss?”They fell into each other’s arms.”

“Livia located her fancy jacket and stepped out of the closet. Blake took the coat from her and held it out in an old-fashioned ritual only he could get away with. He moved Livia’s hair out of the way and kissed her neck as he buttoned each of her buttons from behind her. He skimmed parts of her she wished he would linger on. She turned her head to claim his lips.They kissed until he stepped back and shook his head, as if to clear it. “I can only take so much of that with your bed so close.”

“Be honest, how hideous do I look?"He took another step back and pursed his lips."That bad, huh?" I muttered.No, no Bella. Actually. . ." He seemed to be struggling for the right word. "You look. . .sexy."I laughed out loud. "Right."Very sexy, really.”

“We need to talk.”“I’m just – Look,” I said, as he took a step toward me. “I’m just going to give Cee Cee a call and maybe we’ll go to the beach or something, because I really … I just need a day off.”Another step toward me. Now he was right in front of me.“Especially,” I said significantly, looking up at him, “from talking. That’s what I especially need a day off from. Talking.”“Fine,” he said. He reached up and cupped my face in both his hands. “We don’t have to talk.”And that’s when he kissed me. On the lips.”

“His hand fell to his side. "Honey, come here." She shook her head and took another step backward. "I don't trust you." "Baby, you don't trust yourself.”

“I knew, in the silence that followed, that anything could happen here. It might be too late: again, I might have missed my chance. But I would at least know I tried, that I took my heart and extended my hand, whatever the outcome."Okay," he said. He took a breath. "What would you do, if you could do anything?"I took a step toward him, closing the space between us. "This," I said. And then I kissed him.”