Quotes From "The Dead Girls Dance" By Rachel Caine

I am sorry my decisions do not meet with your approval, but nevertheless, they are mine, and the consequences are also mine. Rachel Caine

The look in his eyes turned a little wild. "That's the only reason I'm letting you go. If I had any choice--"" You do, " she said "Wed can all sit here and let him die. Or you can let Eve go on her wild-ass rescue mission and get herself killed. Or you can let sweet, calm, reasonable Claire go do some talking." He shook his head. His long, elegant hands, which looked so at home wrapped around a guitar, closed into fists. "Guess that means there's no choice."" Not really, " Claire agreed. "I was kind of lying about that choice thing. Rachel Caine

Claire scraped her chair back, walked over to the cordless phone lying on the counter, and dialed from the business card still stuck to the refrigerator with a magnet. Four rings, and a cheerful voice answered on the other end and announced she’d reached Common Grounds. “Hi, ’” Claire said. “Can I talk to Sam, please?’”“ Sam? Hold on.’” The phone clattered, and Claire could hear the buzz of activity in the background–milk being steamed, people chatting, the usual excitement of a busy coffee shop. She waited, jittering one leg impatiently, until the voice came back on the line. “Sorry, ’” it said. “He’s not here tonight. I think he went to the party.’”“ The party?’”“ You know, the zombie frat party? Epsilon Epsilon Kappa? The Dead Girls’ Dance?’”“Thanks, ’” Claire said. She hung up and turned to face Michael and Eve, who were staring at her in outright surprise. She held up the phone. “The power of technology. Embrace it. Rachel Caine

You’re not touching us, ’” Eve said, and raised her voice. “Shane! Shane, get your ass up here now! ’” There was a touch of panic in her voice, although she was putting on a good front. Her hands were shaking where they gripped the hockey stick. The man glided around the end of the bed, prowling like a cat. Six feet tall, at least, and as broad as two of Eve, maybe bigger. His bare arms were ripped with muscle. His blue eyes looked shallow and hungry. Claire heard the thump of footsteps outside, and then a bang as Shane fetched up against the locked door. He rattled the knob and pounded hard. “Eve! Eve, open up! ’”“ She’s busy! ’” the biker yelled, and laughed. “Oh yeah, gonna be real busy.’”“ No! ’” Shane screamed it, and the door shook with the strength of the blows he put into it. “Stay away from them! . Rachel Caine

How about us?’” she heard herself ask. “Don’t we deserve a little fun?’” I did not just say that. Only she had. He smiled. She wondered if the shadows were ever going to leave his eyes again. “I could do something fun.’”“ Ummm…’” She licked her lips. “Define fun.’”“ Quit doing that, jailbait. It’s distracting.’” The whole idea that somebody would even think of her as jailbait was tremendously exciting. Especially Shane. She tried to hide that, and act like she wasn’t quaking on the inside like a Jell-O fruit salad. “So now you want me to stay up? I thought you said I should go to bed.’”“ You should.’” He didn’t put any particular emphasis on it. “’Cause if you stay down here, there’s going to be fun. I’m just saying.’”“ Video game fun?’” His eyes widened. “You want to play video games?’”“ Do you?’”“ You are the weirdest girl. Rachel Caine

Both girls jumped at a hard blow on the door. Eve hastily unlocked the door and stepped back as it flew open, and Shane charged through.“ How–?’” He was breathing hard, and he had a crowbar in his hand. He’d have broken through the locks, Claire realized, if he’d had to. She came toward him slowly, trying to figure out what he was feeling, and he dropped the crowbar and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up off the ground. His face was buried in the crook of her neck, and the warm, fast pump of his breath on her skin made her shiver in raw delight. “Oh Christ, Claire. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.’”“ Not your fault, ’” Eve said. She held out the field hockey stick. “Look! I hit him. Um, twice.’”“ Good.’” Shane kissed Claire’s cheek and let her slide back down to the floor, but he kept hold of her arms. His eyes, bright under the bruises and swelling, surveyed her carefully. “He didn’t hurt you? Either of you?’”“ I hit him! ’” Eve repeated brightly, and brandished the stick again for emphasis. Rachel Caine

As he was bringing his hands up her sides, his fingers just barely brushed the outer curve of her breasts, and she gasped into his mouth. Shane immediately sat her upright, and moved to the other end of the couch. His face was flushed; his eyes were bright and no longer looked even a little bit tired. “No, ’” he said, and held out his hand like a traffic cop when she tried to scoot closer. “Red flag. If you make that sound again, we are in trouble. Or I am, anyway. . Rachel Caine

His lips parted under hers, damp and soft and warm, and she forgot all of that. Her entire life focused in on the sensations, the gentle pressure that grew more intense the longer the kiss went on. Chaste kisses, then dirtier ones, and man, those tasted good. They tasted better the wider her mouth opened, and especially after his tongue touched hers. She could have done a whole semester of kissing with Shane. Intense personal study. With lab classes. Time really wasn’t happening for her, but eventually Claire realized that there was a soft glow coming from the windows, and she was numb and sore from sitting on the floor. She winced as a muscle in her back protested, and Shane reached out, pulled her up, and settled himself on the couch. He stretched out, and extended a hand to her. She stared, tingling and confused. “There’s no room.’”“ Plenty of room, ’” he said. She felt breathless and kind of wild, stretching out on the tiny area of sofa cushion available next to him, and then smothered a yelp as Shane picked her up and draped her over his chest and, oh my God, over all the rest of him, too.“ Better?’” he asked, and raised his eyebrows. It was a real question, and he was looking for a real answer. Claire felt a blush building a fire in her cheeks, but she didn’t look away from his gaze.“ Perfect, ’” she said. Rachel Caine