“You can’t possibly be afraid of trees.”

“She’d never known a man whose initial move was to undress the woman he wanted.”

“Finally, Charlie gave up the hunt and placed (the puppy) back on the floor, dispatching fleas was not his idea of a romantic evening, unless you happened to be a twisted exterminator, he thought.”

“Excuse me,” she said, her voice tight. “But if I’d known there was going to be a firearms examination at the end of the kidnapping, by God, I would have studied for it!”

“But you were concerned about making sure things, you know, didn’t get serious.””Yeah, because I’m an idiot.”

“Being amongst rough lives and confusion does not make you less, it only makes your beauty shine out more clearly.”

“I’m a firm believer in equality at all times—”“At all times?” She glanced at the cuffs clipped to his leathers. “Why do I find that hard to believe?” And why the heck was she arguing with him. Mine, mine, mine.“At all times,” he repeated. “However, in the bedroom or in the club, I am a lot more equal than you.”

“What are you doing here?”All right, he was standing in front of an easel, holding a paint palette and brush. “Taxidermy?” he responded with just a touch of his own sarcasm.”

“Marry me. You’ll learn to love me, I promise.”

“The good shepherd saves his sheep.”

“Okay, babe, I’m here.”The front door smashed opened, slamming against the wall—the man didn’t know how to turn a knob?”

“What the dev— er, deuce did you do that for? It hurt!”“Good,” said the angel. “I was afraid these new shoes would not be sturdy enough.”

“Ty didn’t think Middleton was a great girl. He thought Middleton was a pain in the ass. Waltzing around with her shiny hair and long legs and her throaty voice, being cuter than a fistful of buttons. Where did she get off?”

“Brooke?” he finally found the sense to ask. “What are you doing here?””I need a gun.”This was not how his dream was supposed to go.”