[b]Riber rolled his eyes as Emera insisted that she was just a challenge to River, & she would only have value for as long as she still had her virginity. Even after he said he would wait until she wed him, she was still going on about this? What an impossible woman.

"Emera, I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but you're flattering yourself," River grumbled under his breath, "Men are more simple than you think. I've never worked so hard for a woman's affection before simply because I didn't want to. If a woman turned me down in the past, I was happy enough to find another woman willing to give me what I wanted; & believe me, I have been turned down before."

& then she was going on, talking about taking him to the vampires' kingdom, saying he would have to make peace with them somehow. Finally over his limit, River wrapped an arm & dragged Emera to her bed, tossing her back onto it. River followed immediately after, towering over her & effectively trapping her under him.

"Emera, don't test my patience," he growled, "There isn't a damn thing I can do about relations with other countries, only my brother & his appointed ambassadors have that power. & really, what's so hard for you to believe that I want you to be mine for the rest of our lives? Do you trust me that little that you think any girl with a pretty face could turn my attention from you?"[/b]