<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua'"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ff99">Cat bit down gently on his shoulder.  "Don't ever tell the woman you've chosen that you're not picky, hotshot.  A lesser woman than I might be offended by that."  To soften the sting, she kissed the place she'd bitten.  "Gabe," she tried it out again.  "I like it.  I like it even better if no one else calls you that -- that it's mine alone."  She ran her hand along his back again.  "I want to ask a question and I want you not to be offended by it -- but I need to know... this... whatever this is between us..." she paused.  "It's real, right?  It's not -- not some magic trick an enemy is playing on us?  Because... if this isn't real..." Cat's voice dropped.  "If this is a joke, I might shatter."</span></span>