An Sentence Examples
He has been here about an hour.
She was an only child who had been very welcome.
He swam to an island that was not far away.
All dissensions are at an end!
He wanted... needed an answer.
What is an earthquake?
It wasn't an easy decision.
I have an appointment.
From the garden it looked like an arbour.
Almost anybody could rig up an old boat like that.
AdvertisementLeave the tripod in my care until we get an answer.
It has an air conditioner.
This was an odd way of proving something, for, as every one can readily see, it proved nothing.
As the dance came to an end, she gazed up at him.
He looked more closely and saw that it was an ant.
AdvertisementHis attitude toward her did an about face so obvious that even Jonathan noticed.
I also see the pace of problem solving—and change in general—accelerating at an astonishing rate.
If you have an unwavering commitment to an idea that all things will be good all the time, then that is irrational.
I think you owe me an explanation.
Alex wasn't buying an heir.
AdvertisementHe pulled away from her, propping up on an elbow as he studied her face.
They fastened each of these wheels to the end of an iron rod which they passed through the boat from side to side.
Was it an animal?
He is an excellent horseman, you know.
To her surprise an unseen hand clutched her and held her suspended in the air.
AdvertisementShe snickered at the unintentional pun and Alex frowned, his gaze an unspoken question.
It's an easy job, like I expected.
I was using my mother as an excuse.
There was not an ugly person in all the throng.
So when we say, "The Internet is an electronic library," this is true.
It was necessary to fight an unexpected battle at Smolensk to save our lines of communication.
She was still awake an hour later when Alex came through the door.
He turned quickly and saw an eagle rising into the air with his moneybag in its claws.
An old Cat was in a fair way to kill all the Mice in the barn.
They should be doing an ultrasound in a couple of weeks.
Was this surrogacy actually an attempt to get an heir?
This isn't an office.
His voice had an edge to it.
Pierre suddenly saw an outlet for his excitement.
And yet, in a way, waiting this long might have been an advantage.
His voice had an annoyed edge.
When Señor Medena introduced the girl as his daughter, Carmen caught her breath and looked at Alex for an explanation.
She had an interesting perspective, and she made him think about things differently.
Others had flat noses, protruding eyes, and ears that were shaped like those of an elephant.
She felt for his hand and knew an instant warm rush when she found it.
One of the old men nearest to him looked round, but his attention was immediately diverted by an exclamation at the other side of the table.
He hated it when she won an argument.
Napoleon having cut our armies apart advanced far into the country and missed several chances of forcing an engagement.
Emerging from the bathroom an hour later half asleep, she put the new nightgown on and climbed into bed.
So they filled a small boat with the things that he would need the most--an ax, a hoe, a kettle, and some other things.
But about this time I had an experience which taught me that nature is not always kind.
In fact, at the party he had spent an unnecessary amount of time with the woman he almost married – and hadn't even introduced her.
He slid an arm under her and gently took her hand in his, planting a warm moist kiss in the center of the palm.
I'll call an ambulance.
We must put an end to this killing of lambs.
Alex wasn't paying a stranger to give him an heir.
She rolled over and rose up on an elbow.
Andrew threw out his hand and received an ugly gash across the knuckles.
On his way to the aunt he bowed to the little princess with a pleased smile, as to an intimate acquaintance.
He now felt ashamed of his speech with its constitutional tendency and sought an opportunity of effacing it.
An old peasant whom Prince Andrew in his childhood had often seen at the gate was sitting on a green garden seat, plaiting a bast shoe.
The doctor came out with an agitated face and said she could not enter.
Alex hesitantly put an arm around her waist, relaxing when she caressed his hand.
Other than an infatuation with Josh before she met Alex, there had been no one else.
He seemed sincere, but it could have been an act.
You mean an employee.
I don't think an admission they were dealing with a psychic or someone with supernatural abilities would sit well with their suit and necktie image.
Directly facing the place where Jim had stopped was an arched opening leading to a broad stairway.
Some of the Greeks said that an eagle caught him in her beak and carried him unharmed to the bottom.
It is a simple premise and yet, at the same time, an article of faith—a faith that the future would be better than the past.
It plays house, as well as horse, having an instinct for it.
Prince Vasili always spoke languidly, like an actor repeating a stale part.
His face looked pale and he rode with an alien stiffness.
He put an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek.
An empty stomach made the experience less embarrassing.
Then she clarified, an octave higher.
One was Mr. Webster's horse; the other was an old gray nag with a lady's sidesaddle on its back.
They knew that they were helpless before so strong an enemy.
In those far-off days, an abbey was half church, half castle.
It is an interesting question how far men would retain their relative rank if they were divested of their clothes.
On the whole, I think that it cannot be maintained that dressing has in this or any country risen to the dignity of an art.
Here the conversation seemed interesting and he stood waiting for an opportunity to express his own views, as young people are fond of doing.
With an incessant hum of voices the crowd advanced to the table.
It made him angry just because the idea of marrying the gentle Princess Mary, who was attractive to him and had an enormous fortune, had against his will more than once entered his head.
What's one to do? he asked, evidently expecting an answer.
Not because she wanted the money, but because it might become an issue.
Do they resent that your father wants only a son for an heir?
In that moment of obvious joy, Alondra barely had an accent.
She found Felipa and Destiny in the dining room where they were having an ice cream snack.
It should have been an exciting discovery.
Large Mahogany doors swung into an entry graced with antique furnishings.
Alex agreed, but he kept an eye on her.
Princess had this birthing thing down to an art.
He swung the car off the road and under an arch that read "Ambrosia Acres."
You're an unusual female.
You're an interesting woman, Lisa.
There was no point making an issue of it.
He lifted an eyebrow.
He was rewarded with an adoring smile.
The girl tells an incredible story.
And when we say, "The Internet is an electronic store," this is true.
After my teacher, Miss Sullivan, came to me, I sought an early opportunity to lock her in her room.
An adjutant came out and announced that everything was in readiness within.
In addition to the assistance from the renters, the money finally gave her an income of her own, and the token independence that went with it.
He pulled her close in an embrace, his lips warm against hers in response to her silent query.
Carmen refrained from looking at Alex or displaying the shock she felt at the introduction of two more siblings he had never mentioned - an entire family.
She was relieved when an older gentleman cut in.
Yet he too was an excellent dancer - or maybe everyone's dancing skills were so much better than hers that it only appeared so to her.
His gaze dropped to her waist and an eyebrow shot up.
At his disappointed expression, she gave herself an attitude adjustment.
You would have had to tell me about an entire family you'd been hiding.
How had their conversation gone from an inquiry about money to a litmus test of their stay in Texas?
An iced cake sat on the counter, decorating icing and tips beside it.
Quint hesitated a moment, watching Lisa with an uncertain expression.
Maybe Howard had been involved in an investigation.
He pulled an envelope from his pocket.
I tried to call you on your cell phone, but I didn't get an answer.
One hand shot out in an instinctive search for anything to stop her fall.
Brandon stood, his tall form unfolding like an accordion until he towered over her again.
An uncomfortable silence surrounded them for a while as Rachel diced tomatoes and Adrienne chopped the lettuce.
He wasn't trying to be rude; he was merely fending off an uncomfortable subject.
How will they feel about an unexpected guest?
Quinn had an I-told-you-so look on his face as he made a second sandwich and opened a beer.
Martha's pending due date was an incentive to Betsy.
We learned later, at first the police were suspicious of the parents as they couldn't believe someone could enter a small house with sleeping adults and two boys in an adjoining room, and not be heard.
The shed at Hugson's Siding was bare save for an old wooden bench, and did not look very inviting.
Another portion he gave to an old servant who waited upon his grandfather.
I am told that while I was still in long dresses I showed many signs of an eager, self-asserting disposition.
Here is life, an experiment to a great extent untried by me; but it does not avail me that they have tried it.
Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other's eyes for an instant?
A man who has at length found something to do will not need to get a new suit to do it in; for him the old will do, that has lain dusty in the garret for an indeterminate period.
The burning of Smolensk and its abandonment made an epoch in his life.
His excellency Prince Andrew himself gave me orders to move all the people away and not leave them with the enemy, and there is an order from the Tsar about it too.
A few minutes after they left, Felipa arrived with an older woman she introduced simply as Maria.
He put an arm around her shoulders.
Alex had invited her to look at his financial files any time she wanted, and yet it seemed an intrusion on his privacy.
Of course, to an extent, she did.
She counted the seconds in tense silence, waiting for the sound of an explosion, but the only sound was a car approaching from below.
Connie gave him an icy stare.
Consider it an advance until you get the package.
It was an exciting prospect.
An instant later he suddenly backed toward the crowd of Mangaboos and kicked out his hind legs as hard as he could.
In a short time they reached Corinth in safety, and the king sent an officer to bring the captain and his men to the palace.
An idea flashed through her brain and left a frown on her face.
I have an anonymous tip.
I've staffed it with an ex San Francisco detective and a few other retired experts.
I chastise myself for taking an undue risk, when other means are available.
I had an idea how it made him feel.
No. It's just an example.
It was unsettling to think he had concealed an entire family and lifestyle from her, but this was different.
She gouged an eye out of the potato she was holding.
Dad was an only child and his Mother died in her twenties.
He stood and lifted Destiny, putting an ear to her chest.
For Carmen, it was an enlightening experience.
Alex told her to call him back if she didn't give birth in an hour.
Most things had returned to normal, but the trip to Texas had given Jonathan an idea.
She selected an off-the-shoulder lilac colored sun dress that Alex liked.
He was watching her, a wry smile on his face and an amused twinkle in his eyes.
She had always claimed that he would listen if she presented an opposing opinion.
We've already established that I'm not an heir.
It doesn't matter to me one way or another, but I wish you would at least make an effort at seeing his side of it.
Katie arrived an hour later to pick up Jonathan and Destiny, and thirty minutes later Carmen and Alex were in the car headed for the airport.
We didn't have Jonathan when he was an infant, and there was so much sadness at the time Destiny was born.
He put an arm around her shoulders, his gaze warm and admiring.
If Lisa was involved with both Spencer and Mertz, maybe she was an informant for Spenser.
To an extent she had even been an accomplice.
Tired of her whining, he gave her an exasperated look.
Lisa felt an immediate bond with the slender mother of her rescuer.
At this point the loss of her car was more an inconvenience than anything else.
With an effort, she managed to straddle the vehicle behind him.
His ride had taken almost an hour.
His touch was like an electric shock, forcing her heart to pound.
Holdings hands like an old world family; we were committing our lives together like marriage vows.
I don't know how you're doing what you do but I got a strong feeling if I keep an open mind, good things will happen.
An undisclosed ransom demand was made.
She may live an eternity, even if her soul comes to you eventually, Darkyn explained.
An eternity with someone who was unable to care for her?
Dean looked up to see just such an opportunity present itself.
One of the ladies who worked at the courthouse made an offhand comment about the popular Lucky Pup Mine.
I submit that the Internet is not defined in that way because it is a technology without an implicit purpose.
It is a custom in the South to build a small house near the homestead as an annex to be used on occasion.
Katie shrugged her shoulders and focused on cutting an eye from the potato in her hand.
Destiny sat on Carmen's lap and Alex held her arm while the pediatric nurse inserted an IV.
Less than an hour after the phone call, Destiny woke up in a fit of coughing.
It had taken more than an hour to get to school on the bus, making any after-school activities rare.
Sarah's expression went from surprise to joy in the blink of an eye.
As they came out on an open trail, he increased speed.
The building she had spent more than a month trying to get into and now was the site of an open house.
It did sound like an interesting job, and she wasn't likely to see Brandon anyway.
It was such an interesting house.
Betsy had referred it as an afterthought, suspecting the young girl was a runaway.
If you want to speak to an agent, you best leave your number.
I explained how an Agent connected my call to the Delaware murder of Marcia Stonehurst.
They're all several hours after the fact and come from an unusual viewpoint; not where there would naturally be someone observing.
I might gradually let you know some pertinent stuff but mostly you'll just get tips, as far as you're concerned, from an unidentified source.
I gave him an hour to check into the matter.
I don't profess to be a believer, but I'd like to think I have an open mind.
Patrolman Murphy drove me back to the Pacific Crest Inn, this time in an unmarked car.
She is naked except for an old tee shirt of mine which, out of my benevolence I allowed her to wear.
The single portal was a thick wooden door that he secured with an equally thick board that fitted across the entire opening on the outside.
An hour of sleep was the longest he'd managed in over a week, and he felt more tired than when he lay down.
She was late by an hour.
I need an answer to a question.
But, if an Immortal or human or deity corners you, and you aren't able to summon me, you need to know how to defend yourself, Darkyn started.
His skin was smooth and warm, stretched taut over an athletic body.
She'd experienced one night with an Immortal mate, and it was the most incredible night of her life.
No part of her was willing to risk an encounter with Darkyn's other form.
She had to figure out what she was missing fast and how permanent it was to be an Immortal mate.
She wasn't going to give him an excuse to attack her.
Need was thick in her body, an inhuman craving she knew now how to satisfy.
I love a fight and an absolute victory even more, he replied.
The thought of an eternity with someone incapable of caring for her was a nightmare beyond those she had already lived.
That's an emotion I do understand, she said.
Wynn was looking at her again, an odd light in his eyes.
She was in the middle of an unfamiliar, tall hallway.
Might give you an advantage with him if you're willing to play the seduction game.
She wasn't able to make an official deal with Darkyn to save the kids, and she had nothing to offer him.
You don't need an invitation to drink, love.
It was an extremely easy victory for me.
She wasn't an Immortal or deity.
Now, she had an eternity to fulfill the list.
I imagine an eternity of punishment as only the Dark One can devise.
He wrapped an arm around her, securing her body against his.
On her way to see Zamon, she stepped into an empty hallway before trying to call a portal.
You'll be the one person in the universe who finds an ounce of good in that creature, Darkyn.
It was still an overwhelming idea.
It's called an Oracle.
Darkyn is not an easy person to understand or live with, and I'm still not certain at all what to think of him at times.
An instinct wriggled, one she didn't want to acknowledge or deal with.
There was an edge in his voice, one that told her he already knew.
Darkyn released her and lifted his chin towards an awaiting portal.
Deidre asked, her new instincts warning her of an attempt at deception.
Deidre had no idea what to say and even less of an idea what exactly happened when the deal was over.
In it was a green soul, glowing faintly like an emerald under a jeweler's lamp.
She halted and quickly piled five small stones in an arrow pointing back the way they'd come, then wiped her muddied hands on her jeans.
We've been gone nearly an hour, I bet.
With an outstretched hand she touched the wall and managed to feel her way around the corner until she could see the weak glow of the near-extinguished light far ahead.
Now, thanks to an overzealous social worker, Martha was scheduled to become reacquainted with mommy dearest—in Denver, over three hundred miles away from Bird Song's nest.
It was half an hour later when she returned, holding Martha's hand as they entered the room.
She wiped an arm across her eyes.
The Deans were on their way to their quarters in the rear of Bird Song when Fred O'Connor returned, fresh from an evening with Mrs. Worthington.
She was his current waltzing widow—first choice to fill his dance card when he wasn't surfing the net, tracking down an auction or garage sale or devouring a mystery novel.
Bird Song's managerial pair tried to present a breakfast happy face over coffee cake and muffins, but their efforts continued to fall short as they waited for Martha to make an appearance.
He sympathized and put an arm about her shoulders.
In an effort at normalcy, she broke the quiet as Martha dallied over the meal.
She possessed an "outie" navel that looked like a cherry tomato had dropped down her too-tight tee shirt and landed on the top of the hill.
It was Pumpkin Green's third day since arriving with an overladen shopping cart he insisted on lugging to his second floor room.
Then try and get an acting job.
He paused at the door and mimed a jump shot at an imaginary hoop.
I thought Jake Weller already had an under sheriff.
While the Deans were pleased that Martha had confided in them about her gruesome discovery, her pending exit remained an ever-present pall that hung over the remainder of the evening like a chilly fog.
My old man beat me like a tom-tom at an Indian dance and he didn't need that much of an excuse.
You've got more time on your hands than an unemployed whaler.
She snuggled next to him, usually an invitation for love, but tonight he sensed she just wanted to be held.
Cynthia turned and propped herself up on an elbow.
They made me wait an hour or so knowing what was coming.
A kiss and an eyes-closed hug was all they were allowed, followed by a smiling promise from the state-appointed villain, "We'll be in touch."
All four Dawkinses joined the showing, which grew to include a widow from Texas, an Illinois couple with a sixyear-old and a handholding pair of seventy-something's with different last names.
It was an interesting conversation, albeit one-way.
We'll be back in an hour or two.
He promised to return in an hour and ferry the group back to Bird Song, which was less than a mile away.
Take this as an official request.
It wasn't as if he was around much when he was in town, so an empty place at the table just meant an extra potato.
It was only an August booking.
Dean closed his eyes as Randy explained excitedly about an offer to play ball.
Dean acknowledged he was still there and started to make an excuse for Cynthia's exit but Randy cut him short.
There's an auction on Wednesday right here in town at one of them storage places.
Paul and Paulette babbled about Telluride and how they wanted an early start for the fifty-mile trip on this summer sunshine morning.
Even the sermon by the personable priest had an appropriate message of listening before pronouncing judgment.
Pumpkin looked at the picture of Randy Byrne, one leg up on a boulder, an I-own-the-world smile on his young face and Jen smiling at him with a look of love.
It's not like I'm an amateur at this sleuthing business.
I've got an autographed ball of his.
Nowadays, that takes an education.
He set down his glass, and taking Cynthia's hand, retreated from the parlor to the kitchen, without even bothering to make an excuse.
While Cynthia was proud of her son Randy's athletic achievements, she always saw those abilities as a means to an end—not an end in itself.
Dean was sure that, deep down, she thought whacking at a ball or chasing one someone else clobbered was an extended children's game and certainly not a worthwhile profession.
He's an adult, or nearly so.
I have to meet with the Women's Club for an inquisition on Friday.
Cynthia suggested an outdoor barbeque for dinner and Dean began preparations in the late afternoon.
There, staring up at the group, nestled in an assortment of other bones, packed into a grubby plaid shirt, was a cracked white skull.
He's the one who made this an official matter for the sheriff's office.
Meeting the Dark One so close to the fortress, then, was not an option.
An ambulance screamed by a few minutes later.
Never heard of someone in your position making an unofficial deal.
She thought him sitting with her so long on the beach was an indication.
Age is no better, hardly so well, qualified for an instructor as youth, for it has not profited so much as it has lost.
Hippolyte is at least a quiet fool, but Anatole is an active one.
She recalled all her life with him and in every word and act of his found an expression of his love of her.
Joseph rose from his chair, pointing an accusing finger.
Ginger muttered an apology, but Joseph was far from finished.
And now, if you don't drop out of the election, you've got an opponent who despises you!
Cynthia toted her camera equipment, in part at least as an excuse for the trip should they be questioned.
The topless Jeep offered an unfettered view of the spectacular scenery they entered as soon as they left the highway.
It was not an uncommon reaction.
It seemed to come from behind them but it could have been anything—a dislodged rock, an echo of their own movements.
Maybe someone gave us 'the finger' only this time it isn't an insult.
Dean was sure they had not passed an unmarked turn.
It was an hour later before they saw their first vehicle, an old Scout, battered and muddy, coming out of a side trail below them.
I camp out sometimes, to get an early start.
Westlake twisted around the seat once more and after a struggle pulled out an old step pump.
Thunder tumbled down the San Juan Mountains, heralding the arrival of pelting rain that turned the Jeep road into a surging stream and the sky to an ominous shade of raven black.
He said in a small town like Ouray, it was an exception when the jury didn't know half the parties in his court.
I just had to promise not to discuss the matter and keep an open mind—which I always maintain anyhow.
Finding another Dawkins in one of Ouray's dozen or two lodging places shouldn't be much trouble for an ace detective-almost sheriff.
Fred was in the kitchen peeling an orange.
Let's chalk it up to an inactive spring.
I'm just trying to run an inn and keep the guests from killing each other.
I got an offer, see.
Everything about Fred is an exception.
Striding to a tree, she barked an order.
This is the first time we've had an honest discussion in about a million years.
This very building was the one Gabriel dived off of in an attempt to keep the terrified human from trying to kill herself.
Darkyn did have an interest in Deidre.
He shook out his tension but felt an even heavier sense of guilt.
They were the kind of fangs a man fantasized about, not too large to cause damage but sharp enough to offer an exquisite combination of pleasure and pain if she nipped him.
He wanted to condemn the horrible things past-Death had done that resulted in an innocent human being thrown to the Dark One.
She paused at an intersection to let a group of Immortals through, uninterested in talking to anyone just now.
If both of their mates disappeared, she saw them starting an all-out war rather than trying to find them.
Deidre knew that look, the one that said that Harmony was staring down an eternity of demon mercy.
It was less an instinct and more of an absence of something.
He summoned Landon and gave his second-in-command an urgent message.
I thought a daughter was just an excuse to declare war on everyone.
After the telephone call tonight, he wasn't so sure money was an asset.
He sighed heavily and rolled over, putting an arm around Carmen's waist and snuggling close to her.
A slender lady dressed in an expensive looking dark suit swung out of the car and stood, slowly shutting the door.
On the other hand, maybe his personality was what made him an accomplished salesman.
It was an open adoption and Lori had every right to see Destiny.
Lori's voice held an edge.
He tried to shift Destiny so that he had an unobstructed view of Lori.
Technically that's true, but maybe she has an angle.
Alex's sister generally had an opinion about everything, so it was no surprise that Katie had one about Lori.
Alex had already set aside a trust fund for both Jonathan and Destiny, and Carmen was listed as an equal partner in everything.
Who could deny looking at those smooth bronzed features and delicious chocolate eyes that he was an unusually handsome man?
It wasn't like in the old house, where she would have slept cold, got up to a colder house and had to start a fire in an old stove, then wait an hour until she could no longer see her breath.
He grunted, slipping an obligatory arm around her.
He eyed her from head to toe with an open appreciation that brought warmth to her face.
Alex had always been an ardent lover.
Lori and I aren't having an affair, Carmen.
After all, he had accused her of having an affair with Josh.
Each time he made an appearance, Alex was close enough to see.
Maybe Lori wanted Alex to think his wife was having an affair.
Maybe it would be best if Lori spoke to them about this only through an attorney.
They would have to keep an eye on her.
Was he an admirer, as Alex thought, or was he paid to make it look like they were involved?
It's an open adoption.
It was strange to have him turning to her for an answer on something.
Carmen saw Alex's truck parked in the drive of an old vacant house where she had admired some healthy quince bushes.
Alex put an arm around her shoulders.
Well, keep an eye on her.
When she looked up at him, he put an index finger to his lips indicating silence.
The whole thing didn't take more than an hour, and she delivered a baby weighing close to seventy-five pounds.
As they headed toward the house, Alex put an arm around her shoulders.
She gave in to the rush of desire, knowing that wherever he led, she could count on an utterly delightful experience.
Nearing the old house, she spotted an unfamiliar truck parked beside the road.
She jerked an elbow back into his stomach and heard the breath escape him in a groan.
The man waved a knife at her, an evil smile on his lips.
They stayed in remote contact with someone while they worked, attaching an IV and doing something with the knife wound.
The yard was filling up with vehicles as two police cars and finally an ambulance arrived.
Alex thought he was an admirer.
She turned as an officer shoved a cell phone at her.
He had red hair and drove a blue truck – I think maybe an old Ford, but it might have been a Chevy.
At Carmen's startled gasp, he said he didn't think that was an issue because they brought him back quickly.
Had he come over that stormy night while Alex was away with the intent of making Alex believe they were having an affair?
Tests gave no indication of an underlying cause.
Every morning she shaved him with an electric razor.
A nurse was hanging an IV on the other bed and glanced up.
For a minute she stared at the picture, remembering what he had said so long ago about his mother having an affair.
Maybe it wasn't the fact that his mother was having an affair.
On an impulse, she leaned down and kissed them.
It would help to think of him as Alex, instead of an empty shell.
That evening, when she picked Destiny and Jonathan up, Katie had an interesting perspective on the incident.
Maybe it was an attempt to smile.
She put an arm around his shoulders.
It was a small strained smile, but it was an actual smile.
The nurse said he was up early, which was probably an indication he was looking forward to going home.
He was no longer an ardent lover.
It might be trivial, but it was an integral part of their marriage.
Being Alex's sister, that seemed an unwise choice.
He jerked the robe from her hand and pulled her close in an intimate embrace, forcing his lips down on hers hungrily.
Short of fighting him off as she would an attacker, there was nothing she could do but submit.
If he would only put an arm around her when they slept, like he used to, she might feel better.
Instead of putting an arm around her waist and drawing her close, he turned away from her.
Sticking her arms through what passed for an armhole, she shrugged into it, struggling to zip it up in the back.
The meeting only lasted an hour, and when she returned, Destiny was taking a nap.
As he drew her toward him in an embrace, she clutched the dress with her arms.
He let lose of her hand and slipped an arm around her shoulders.
Throwing an arm around his waist, they walked to the house together.
In fact, they were probably more an obstacle than the ordeal ahead of him.
He deserved an honest answer about her response.
He frowned and opened his mouth in an attempt to speak, but when nothing came out, his expression became skeptical.
Later he came through the patio door with an empty coffee mug and set it in the sink.
He put an arm around her waist and drew her close.
I worked for over an hour trying to talk.
For a few minutes there was an uncomfortable silence at the table.
An uncomfortable silence prompted Gerald to speak again.
I've got an awesome wife.
With her, money was neither an advantage nor a handicap.
Fluorescent lighting overhead morphed to an expansive blue sky and brilliant sunlight that made him squint.
Speaking of preying on those weaker than you, I have an interest in your … patient.
It was an attempt at levity.
With forest colored eyes and an athletic body, she towered over most men.
The scribbling stopped with an image that left him irritated.
The Code is an instruction manual.
He left for the mortal world and emerged in an alley in some large city.
Aside from drama, it was going to take half an eternity to straighten out the underworld without the distraction of a woman in his life.
She plopped an omelet onto Logan's plate then turned around to make her own.
There are no locks on the doors or windows, and only one route of egress in the case of an emergency.
Logan was an accountant, not a security guard, yet he barricaded the doors with furniture before bed in case there were criminals wandering the beach.
He was, after all, taking time off work during the busiest time of the year for an accountant to be with her.
He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his body.
When her body ceased convulsing from an orgasm, she'd kissed him with tenderness and asked him how she could make him as happy.
Last night was an oasis, a slip.
He'd never been guilty in his role as an assassin or as Death, until sitting with her on the beach.
After awakening feeling at peace, he was close to pulling a Rhyn and decimating the world around him in an explosion of raw fury.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity lost in his fury, a dagger sliced his forearm.
She tilted her head to the side, exposing the delicate skin on her neck in an unmistakable invitation to the demon side of her mate.
It's an interesting piece.
Not an original, but probably kept to spec.
I've got an army of bored assassins on the verge of killing off the wrong souls.
I have an obligation, Rhyn.
You don't need an instruction manual.
Every chain of events starts with one push, a catalyst, the perfect mix of different elements that craft a path and make an outcome more likely.
I'll see you in an hour.
He didn't treat her as an outlet for his own release but as a partner on a sensual journey, one where pleasure was a gift as much as a reward.
It was dark by the time the cab dropped her off in front of the high rise where she shared an apartment with Logan.
You're having an affair, aren't you?
She took an involuntary step back into the hall.
The Atlanta night was muggy and dark; a thin layer of smog trapped the city's light and made the sky glow an eerie yellow-orange.
Did heaven look like an island in the Caribbean?
There's an eighty two percent chance he'll kill you, if you're not behind those walls, the man replied.
There were no other buildings, nowhere else to hide that might withstand an angry Gabriel.
With an annoyed shake of his head, he addressed Deidre again.
He'd never thought of being locked out of the underworld as an advantage, but the soul Darkyn wanted wasn't likely one of those in the lakes on the mortal world.
It creates an obligation for me that I must honor.
He'd extended an olive branch and come back empty-handed.
Wynn's soul was an official debt she incurred, and Death would do its duty and repay.
She opened the heavy wooden door and stepped into an open-air hallway.
It's not an easy transition.
There's an anomaly in your blood that makes you compatible with our kind.
After all we've been through together the past few years, you should've been an open book.
You didn't drink it, because you have an emotional connection to the person who asked you not to.
He sounds like an Immortal.
Wynn lounged in his seat at the garden table, an empty wine glass before him.
As soon as I start down that path, I'm … He raised an eyebrow.
Deidre waited half an hour then rose.
Some sign he was an Immortal?
Struck by an idea, Deidre sat up.
There were six students around five-years-old and an older boy on the verge of puberty sitting around a beautiful blond, who was reading a book out loud.
Not an easy thing to do when you're Death.
Dressed in black, he was an imposing figure, even in the cavernous room.
He made an effort to relax.
She wasn't spending an eternity miserable.
My offer is good whether you expire in three months or an eternity.
Eternity in such an unequal partnership wasn't even worth considering.
I'm not interested in an arrangement with you.
Whether I have three months or an eternity, I'm not going to stop fighting to live on my terms.
She didn't need much beyond jeans and jackets for an Atlanta winter.
Deidre was breathless and upbeat when the lake came into view over an hour later.
I'm an Immortal, and Gabriel has moved on after thousands of years at your feet.
How obligated was she to make amends for something an entirely different person had done?
You have an affinity for jumping off tall things.
You issue me an ultimatum I can't live with and then make out with some lady at the lake.
There was a traitor among the fifty-odd death-dealers he had above ground, and he'd assigned twelve-hour shifts to keep an eye on the apartment where he sent Deidre.
A notebook lay on the table next to a few scrolls, an ancient manuscript and another block of stone with carvings too faint for Gabe to read.
Her reaction – and what he'd read in her mind – left him unable to deny an uneasy truth.
I take it Rhyn has an eye on her?
Gabe stepped into an apartment.
The Code is not an absolute for deities but a relationship.
He heard how to bring an Immortal back from the dead-dead from past-Death but never saw it done.
She was hurt; he was an ass.
An hour later, Gabriel reached the last of the death-dealers in line, relieved yet troubled not to have found another traitor.
Rhyn eyed him, suspecting it was an insult, while Gabriel recalled how polished Andre was.
He'd made her an offer.
Worse, whatever tormented him since they met was no longer an issue.
The power of an Ancient is beyond anything humans can understand.
She didn't ask for fear of discovering he was going to stop playing his keep-away game and offer her an arrangement she couldn't refuse.
Gabriel, if you can't find an option to save me, will you swear to let me live out what I have left in peace?
Didn't I leave you an instruction manual?
Give me some reason why one percent and an eternity with you beats out the alternative.
Wynn's information – pleasure kills – was still an issue.
I'll send someone over in about half an hour.
I won't be turned into a vegetable or an animal or anything else weird?
You will have an eternity with your mate.
An image not of her own creation pushed itself into her mind.
Probability is an entirely different issue.
She quickened her pace, not wanting to end up the dinner of some demon before she had a chance to try to plan an escape.
If she saw an escape route, she was gone.
The door closed with an ominous boom that echoed throughout what sounded like a massive but empty chamber.
Or do you have an escape plan you'd like to share?
Am I … am I an Immortal now?
Deidre turned to see the blonde woman standing in front of an open wardrobe.
He always peeked at his friend, whom he'd dropped off in Hell to serve an undeserved sentence.
Gabriel's lover and master, the deity Death, materialized beside him at the Oracle's altar in the center of an ancient fortress in the Sanctuary.
Each of the four Sanctuaries sat on an island straddling the human and immortal worlds and housed an immortal treasure, such as the Oracle.
Death held out her hand, and an hourglass with black sand appeared in her palm.
He wasn't really sure Rhyn would consider being sentenced to eternity with a mate much of an improvement over Hell.
He shielded his eyes and gazed into an empty prison cell opposite his.
She couldn't be late again for her job as an assistant general manager of a fast food joint, or she'd be fired.
It's just two miles an hour.
She rubbed her face, certain the mistake would be clarified soon and she'd be released with an apology the size of a bottle of painkiller she desperately needed.