No one who's been into music ever really stops being into it. It's in your soul forever. Maybe it gets buried deep under piles of shit for a while, but it's always there, waiting to make you happy again.

She lifted her chin; her head weighed fifty pounds. "You tried to poison me." Pretty sure I succeeded in that.

Luke's eyes were on a government position in DC, while all Natalie wanted was help make the world a sweeter place.

You have no idea what I'm thinking," he said. "No idea what I'm feeling --- about you." He walked to her, reached out and touched her cheek. "But we both need to find out.

I love hugging you," Luke said. "I love how our bodies fit when we're still...I feel like a broken record when I say I know there are a hundred reasons why we shouldn't but Nat, I really want to kiss you.

Your head can't do a relationship and my heart can't.

Though there're minor side effects in male adults." "What side effect?" She cocked an eyebrow and lowered her voice. "Spontaneous prolonged erection, big guy...in some test subjects," she added clinically. "A lot of those early tests were done on gorillas... "I'm not a gorilla." She glanced down the front of his lab coat. "Not yet.

We're not thirteen and this isn't a locker room." "Fine, fine. Just remember, I had to watch Dr. Phil with Mom for two months after I had knee surgery. I'm practically a psychiatrist.

Hey," Natalie said. "You're here early." "It's almost seven. Why are you covered in chocolate? Your clothes and your...your face. Both your faces." Luke looked at Natalie, really looked at her. Yep, she was smeared with chocolate like it was camo paint, transferred from his mouth to hers and back again too many times to count. "We were..." Natalie began. "We were just ---" "Sampling," Luke cut in. If Natalie had wanted Ivy to know, she would've come straight out with it. Ivy crossed her arms. "Sampling?" "Yeah, I'm interested in her...product. So she let me, uh, try some." Wow, he couldn't have sounded kinkier if he'd tried. "But it's all over the floor on that side of the lab. Like, all over the place. It's even on the wall. How did it get on the ceiling? You must be one sloppy eater.

The way he looked at her made her heart beat fast. "I like you, Natalie." She could not let that mean anything to her. "That's natural. I'm likable.

Luke snapped awake to see the gray-haired woman looking at him while adjusting her glasses. She smiled like he was something to eat. "There aren't many good shots of you when Natalie was on your lap. She's either leaning over you, or you're at her neck like Bela Lugosi. Though there's one really good part at the end ---

He pointed past her shoulder. "We're surrounded by neighbors. Though once I have you inside, the walls are thick. You'll have to scream really loud for anyone to hear.

She kissed her teenage fantasy, the popular boy she used to dream would see something special in her and love her forever. The man kissed her back.

Hmmm, you like that," he whispered, his breath hot and intoxicating. "I like ... everything.

You're head can't do a relationship and my heart can't.

First one of you to call me Yoko,” Todd warned as he stepped up, “is a dead man.

Her arms slid around my back and I heard the softest moan in my ear as she snuggled into my chest. Her mouth pressed to my neck, not kissing, just…there. On me.Dammity-damn-damn-damn.

He wished he was doing much more than kissing the back of her silky hand, though throwing her on the bar and devouring her like a man-eater wasn't a wise option.But... he was only human.

I don't spill my drinks on just any man, you know." She touched his cheek. "only dashing shark lovers with pantydropping accents.

I want you alone," he whispered, gliding a hand around her hip, "on a slow boat to China. Days together, nights... rocking on the waves.

In the grand scheme of things, we share a mutual goal, but I'm not a distraction."He couldn't help laughing, probably loudly enough to scare a school of hammerheads."What?""Sharona Blaire." He shook his head, keeping his eyes on the smooth ocean surface. "You've been nothing but the sexiest, most desirable distraction of my life." The admission hung in the air, suspended, and for a painful moment, he regretted being so open... trusting."I guess that means we have something else in common, Jeff Cruz.

I shouldn't brag, but I'm one of the top experts in my field."She swallowed. "Of shark sex, you mean.""Well, that, too. Anything you want to know on the subject, Sharona... anything" --he pulled back a sexy half grin --- "I'd be happy to enlighten you.

Why was life so unfair that the one guy she felt uncontrollable chemistry with ---even when they weren't even touching ---was the only guy she had to keep her hands off?

His lips crashed against hers. If there had been air in her lungs, she wouldn't have known what to do with it. He kissed her fiercely, making her head spin wilder than a whirlpool, knocking every last puff of breath from her body.

One of the most elusive things about the white shark is their, uh..." His eyes moved to hers and he held them there."Their what?" she asked when he didn't finish, a bit rapt by his expression.He kept his eyes locked on her. "Their mating.""Mating," she repeated, feeling a flutter in her stomach at the way he was looking at her...then suddenly not looking at her."We don't know if individual animals spawn in a certain spot every time --- kind of like a human might go to a particular pub if she wants some action. Juan an example, mind you?She folded her arm, feeling her cheeks heat up. "Pub Uh-huh."Jeff leaned against the railing, his expression looking smug at her embarrassment. "For all we know, sharks are just, ya know, doing it everywhere.""Like the Kardasians?" ...."But who know. Maybe, if we play just the right mood music, you and I will get lucky, Sharona Blaire."Was he talking about shark reproduction... or human?And... was he flirting? Earlier, he'd gone cold and hostile when she'd tried to apologize. The man was a ball of contradiction. A very sexy, very nice-smelling contradiction."Well." She swallowed, staring in his eyes. "I'm all for getting lucky.

Tell me if this is too forward," he said in a low voice that was surprisingly shaky, "but do you want to come---""Yes," she answered, exhaling hot breath on his neck.He grinned and gave her hip a squeeze. "I must say, this has been the most pleasant surprise I could imagine.""You're not very imaginative, then." She gave him the flirty eyes."Good thing I am.

I think you look...very nice." the way he said it, with a slight pause and that sexy accent, made Sharona forget all about jet lag. Instead, she was on high flirt alert.

Hooking up with a tall, dark stranger in a bar wasn't anywhere on her to do-do list, but as she eyed those broad shoulders, the thick neck, strong-looking hands, and gorgeous mouth...What the hell, maybe he should be on the top of her "to-do" list.

Think of it this way," he rubbed a fist under his square jaw, "If we hadn't been on the same flight or at the same hotel, you would've had no one to spill your drinks on.

If your heart loses the ability to trust, you'll never love again.

And you do know I’m the one who decides who I date”—she glared at Sam—“not you. If I want to drag this guy into the janitor’s closet and have my way with him, that’s none of your business.”“Drag me into a closet?” Hunter asked, his eyebrows up near his hairline. “Offer to buy me dinner first, then I’m all yours.

Slow-slow-quick-quick-slow went her heart.“Damn, I love the tango,” he whispered, tickling her ear.

She ran her hand over the dash.“You’re petting my car,” Hunter said, turning the key. “I usually charge for that.

The way he said it, with a twinkle in his already too-twinkly blue eyes, made Aimee feel twinkly, too.

Miles jogged off, leaving her alone in the large and quiet room. Aimee stood still, waiting for her mind and heart to go back to normal, return to how she felt a week ago before seeing Miles again.But they didn’t. Or wouldn’t. She put both hands over her pounding heart, exhaled, and sank into a chair. Nut-burgers. Now what?

When he began to play again, then sing those first few words, Aimee felt a flutter in her stomach she wasn’t able to squelch. She wasn’t a robot, after all. And it wasn’t so bizarre to get a little fluttery over a boy as talented and hot as Miles Carlisle. Millions of girls suffered the same ailment. But how many girls stood backstage, close enough that he’d accidentally felt her up in the dark? And how many of those girls had already had their heart broken by him?

If I kissed her now, one of two things would happen. We’d either get naked right here on the beach and probably get arrested, or I’d somehow manage to get us up the hill to my house, and then we’d get naked. But kissing her once, then letting her go. That…wasn’t possible. I couldn’t kiss her then go back to my ordinary life. I wasn’t Superman. If I was, though, the girl in my arms was more lethal to me than kryptonite.

Much to her dismay, he was even better looking up close. The kind of sexy that made panties fly on stage. The kind of sexy that made her want to say, “Screw you!” to her twenty-four more man-less days.