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958 pages, Hardcover
First published March 7, 2006

The front door swung open, and Zadist strode into the house. Wrath glared. "Nice of you to show up, Z. Busy tonight with the females?"
"How about you get off my dick?"

God he was tired of being stuck inside his body, managing its demands, trying not to fall into brutal oblivion...Hell he couldn’t remember what serenity was like. He couldn’t even remember who he was. The disintegration of himself had started up pretty quick. After only a couple of years into the curse, he’d stopped hoping for any true relief and simply tried to get by without hurting anyone. That was when he’d started to die inside, and now, over a hundred years later, he was ,mostly numb, nothing more than glossy window dressing and empty charm.

“Yeah, Tohr, can I ask you a favor?”
“Anything, my brother.”
“Could you not...ride me about the females? Because the truth is, I hate it, I really do. I hate the anonymity of it. I hate the way my chest aches afterward. I hate the smells on my body and in my hair when I get home. But most of all, I hate the fact that I’m going to have to do it again because if I don’t, I could end up hurting one of you guys or some innocent bystander.”...”And those two sisters you’re so impressed with? See, here’s the thing. I only pick the ones who don’t give a shit who they’re with, because otherwise it’s not fair. Those two bar chippies checked out my watch and my roll and figured I was a pimp trophy. The fucking was about as intimate as a car accident. And tonight? You’re going home to Wellsie. I’m going home alone. Just like I did yesterday. Just like I’m going to do the day after. The whoring isn’t fun for me, and it’s been killing me for years, so please give it a rest, dig?

God he'd give anything just to hear her say his real name once. And he wanted...damn, he wanted her naked in his bed, her head on his pillow, her body between his sheets. He wanted to take her in private, just the two of them. No witnesses no half-assed shield of his trench coat. Nothing public, no quickie hallway/bathroom action. He wanted her nails in his back and her tongue in his mouth and her hips rocking under his until he came so hard he saw stars. Then he wanted to sleep with her in his arms afterward. And wake up ad eat and make love again. And talk in the dark about things both stupid and serious-

“I will not fall in love with you.” She said. “I can’t let myself. I won’t.”
“That’s alright. I’ll love you enough for the both of us.”

“I love you, Rhage. I love you something fierce.”
Those heavy arms wrapped around her and he buried his head in her neck. “I didn’t think you ever would.”
“Am I that hardheaded?”
“No. I’m that undeserving.”
Mary pulled back and glared at him. “ I don’t want to hear you say that again. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
