For heaven's sake, Wade, you sound as if it involved capes and daggers and poisons. Take out one of your dreams and dust it off and send it to Miss Harper to work on. Goodness knows you have enough of them lurking in that aweful brain of yours.

The best kind of praise is intelligent praise.

Sure, at heart I wanted to be a Dickens, but I hated being great on command.

I should have mixed something stronger than Coke floats.

Give me a minute to get dressed."

"You're not dressed?"

I smiled in spite of myself at the lighthearted quility of his jest. Until my broken door began to move. "Jace!" I shouted, trying to keep from laughing as I vaulted off the bed and scrambled to stop him. He wasn't seriously trying to sneak a peek; if he had been, he wouldn't have made any noise. But if I let him get away with a joke today, he'd try it for real tomorrow.

Jace yelped as I ripped the door from his grasp and leaned it against the frame. Then he sulked, his eyes roaming just far enough south to see my tank top and shorts. "Liar!" he accused, the smile in his eyes ruining his pout. "You're not naked."

"I meant I wanted to change."

He grinned. "So, go ahead."

"Nice try.

That's kind of a leap, but the Russian judge gave you a nine point five for style, so okay.