I want her to be happy. It's worth sacrificing myself.

Maybe under all that guilt and certainty that he couldn't love again, he still wanted me. I would have liked to have found out. But I didn't have the time. Instead, I punched him.

My mind... It's who I am. I think I'd rather suffer any other injury in the world than have my mind tampered with.

Dimitri Belikov had arrived.

His fingers never ceased to amaze me. They could break a man's neck, bandage a wound, and slide sensually across bare skin.

It was the most convulted, ridiculous piece of logic I'd heard in awhile... It was something I would have come up with.

I don't remember you being this reasonable before, " Lissa said. "It's because everyone has different definitions of 'reasonable. ' Mine's just misunderstood, that's all. " Christian's voice was lofty. "I think you must be misunderstood a lot, " she laughed. His eyes held hers, and the smile on his face transformed into something warmer and softer. "Well, I hope this isn't misunderstood. Otherwise, I might get punched. " Leaning over, he brought his lips to hers. Lissa responded with no hesitation or thought whatsoever, losing herself in the sweetness of the kiss.