"It's a very authentic skin," Gabe said delicately. "I pride myself on my authenticity. There didn't seem to be much point if he couldn't enjoy some basic pleasures. Like eating. And drinking."

"And other things?" Melissa managed to ask with only the faintest traces of humour under the sarcasm. Gabe seemed to hear it anyway and shrugged at her with a smile.

"I'm not really interested in that part of him, to be honest. Too easily controlled."

"Sometimes that's the best reason." Now that she was starting to calm down, Melissa was aware that her face was still red. Not exactly in humiliation, but, well. She'd just threatened a four-hundred-year-old animated skeleton sorcerer. She hadn't even had any idea if her kick would work; just that she needed something to hammer things in.

Although if she wanted to be honest, and right now she had to be, the length of time it took for Mr Pleasant to actually get things started again was very satisfying. Helped calm her right down, now she could be sure that he would remember to be careful with someone else's most precious of treasures.

Absently she pressed a kiss to Stephanie's forehead and stroked the teenager's hair back.

"I've heard that," Gabe was saying blandly, and there was a definite mischievous twinkle in his eyes when he looked toward the rearview mirror. "Maybe I should reconsider."