When I take a break, even just a brief one, the creative energy flows in. Only then do I have anything of value to share with others. Once I recognized this, I stopped feeling guilty about taking time for myself.

But the biggest clue seemed to be their expressions. They were hard to explain. Good-natured, friendly, easygoing...and uninvolved. They were like spectators. You had the feeling they had just wandered in there themselves and somebody had handed them a wrench. There was no identification with the job. No saying, "I am a mechanic." At 5 P.M. or whenever their eight hours were in, you knew they would cut it off and not have another thought about their work. They were already trying not to have any thoughts about their work on the job.

I__ in awe of you, Rowan Palotay,_ he said softly. __nd plan to make love to you for the rest of the night, but right now, I want you to be a good cowgirl and ride me._ His finger hooked around the string of her panties, and he tugged them down and off. __he boots stay on.

I can__ make a first impression like the one I made on you. That would be horrible._ __low down there, princess. How do you know what kind of first impression you gave me?_ Rowan made her __re you for real?_ face. __ think it__ safe to say getting tangled in dog leashes and then having one of the dogs urinate on you ranks up there with worst first impressions ever._ ____ classify it as most memorable_. I knew right then my life would never be the same.

He tasted like chocolate and hazelnut liqueur and she wanted to feast on him for the rest of the night. His kiss_ his kiss took her to another place where fireworks blazed.

What if pretending is interfering with the person you__e meant to be?_ he said.