Priceless Quotes

“Well, I must say, that’s one fine butt you have, Rachel.”
“No doubt you are referring to my incredible head butt.” Rachel yawned. “Damn, that looks so easy when they do it on TV.”
Sam laughed softly. “Well, it was a gutsy move on your part, Rachel, smacking him with your head like that.”
“I only hope he’s in as much pain as I am right now.”
― Mariah Stewart, Priceless

“I say we go back to the Shearwater and spend the rest of the night talking about whatever it was that put that smile on your face."
"Sounds like a plan." She took his hand. "And you know how much I love a man with a plan.”
― Mariah Stewart, Priceless

“The bad guy doesn’t always get what’s coming to him, does he?”
“No, he doesn’t,” Sam said as he tied the dinghy up to the back of the boat. “But the last time I looked, the good guy still gets the girl.”
“The good guy has already gotten the girl,” she told him as she started up the ladder.
“I meant for keeps, Rachel.” Sam grabbed her leg and tugged on it, stopping her momentarily from taking another step. “Not just for while this job lasts, but for keeps.”
“It could happen, Sam.” Rachel reached the top of the ladder and turned to look down at the man standing at its foot, and smiled. “It just could happen.”
― Mariah Stewart, Priceless

“I just never really fit in anywhere.”
Sam put his arms around her and swayed with her slightly, left to right.
“You fit in here,” he told her. “You fit in here just fine.”
“I almost think I do, Sam.” She rocked with him, snug in the circle of his arms. “I could almost believe that I do.”
“Believe it,” he said as his lips sought hers, and the thought occurred to her that wherever Sam was, was where she belonged.
The thought terrified her, and at the same time, made her whole.
“I know where there’s a secluded spot just a little way down the beach,” Sam whispered in her ear.
“I just love a man with a plan.” She sighed.
“Oh, and I do have plans for you.” He laughed softly and took her by the hand.”
― Mariah Stewart, Priceless

“Well, when people have feelings for each other, they spend time together, go places together.” The muscles in Sam’s arms and shoulders rippled as he moved back to the Shearwater. “Sometimes they look at each other. A lot. Sometimes they smile when they look at each other. It happens all the time, Rachel. Now me, I’ve found myself smiling a lot these past few weeks. Grinning for no good reason whatsoever. And I have to believe it’s a good thing.”
He brought the dinghy up behind the Shearwater.
“And you may not be aware of it, but you smile a lot more, too. It’s been very, very nice, Rachel. You’re a beautiful woman, Rachel, but when you smile, the heavens open up.”
― Mariah Stewart, Priceless

“I never did get to brush my teeth this morning, I haven't been able to brush my hair, and I can't unzip my wet suit because I'm only wearing a bikini."
Sam laughed. "That's what you get for boarding vessels scantily clad in the middle of the night." He grinned. "I don't suppose it was enough to prevent you from doing it again."
"No." She grinned back at him. "I don't suppose it was.”
― Mariah Stewart, Priceless

“Sam, you could be descended from a pirate." Rachel sighed dramatically. "And to think that I thought the True Wind would be the more exciting operation. Maybe next time we go ashore, we could find an eye patch for you to wear. I think pirates are so sexy, Sam."
"That information could come in handy someday." He nodded. "I'll definitely put one black patch on the shopping list.”
― Mariah Stewart, Priceless

“Go on in.” Sam smoothed the throw around her shoulders and her nightshirt over her hips.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to climb down the trellis and see who it is.”
“It’s Norman, who else could it be? There’s no one else here, Sam.”
“Well, then, Norman and I will have to have a little talk, then, won’t we?” Sam started to hoist himself over the railing. “Host or not, he has no business spying on the guests like that.”
“Are you crazy? At least take the steps.” Rachel grabbed him by the arm.
“And give him a chance to come back in and sneak back to his room? Uh-uh. I’m meeting him halfway.”
“Sam McGowan, you’re a lunatic.”
“Hold that thought, Rachel. I’ll be right back.”
― Mariah Stewart, Priceless

“I could not eat another bite," Rachel exclaimed. "I don't even know if I can walk after that meal."
"Well, if worse comes to worst, I'll roll you down the street like a beach ball until we get to the car rental place.”
― Mariah Stewart, Priceless

“Ever look at the ocean at night, at that fathomless darkness, and wonder what's under there?" he asked.
"Same thing that's under it in the daytime." Rachel shrugged.
Sam laughed. "I see there's no scaring you into moving a little closer to me for safety.”
― Mariah Stewart, Priceless

“I don't want there to be bad feelings between us, Rachel."
"You mean, maybe we could be friends?"
"Oh, at the very least, yes. Friends. That's a start.”
― Mariah Stewart, Priceless

“Rachel laughed about the same time she realized that the sound she just heard was the sound of water being turned off. Probably the shower. Probably Sam . . .
Before she could utter an uh-oh, a door had opened below.
“Sam!” she called to him, to let him know that she was there. “It’s Rachel.”
“Why, so it is.” He stood at the foot of the steps, holding a white towel in front of him, grinning and taking his time to wrap it around his tanned waist. “I guess you just stopped by to say ‘hey.’”
“No, actually, I brought my sketches over.” Rachel eyed him steadily, as if oblivious to the fact that the only thing that prevented her from getting a glimpse of Sam in all his glory was a bit of terrycloth. Feeling a flush spread from her neck to her hairline, she turned her back and made a show of casually unzipping the backpack and sliding the sketches onto the table.
“Oh? What sketches are they?” He still stood in the doorway at the bottom of the steps, his arms folded across his considerable chest, as if in no hurry to do anything about the fact that he was wearing nothing more than a towel and a few errant drops of water.
“My sketches of the Melrose.”
“You want to show me your sketches?” The hint of amusement in his voice was unmistakable. “I’m flattered, Rachel, I truly am. And here all this time I thought you didn’t like me.”
“I didn’t.” She looked up a bit too sharply. “I don’t. But we have a job to do. And it would make much more sense if there was one set of sketches. After all, we don’t want to end up with two versions of the wreck site. You’ll forget things, I’ll forget things . . .”
Sam nodded and started up the steps.
“I couldn’t agree more. I’m all for collaboration.”
“Sam. Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“What’s that?” He crossed the cabin in three slow strides and was within inches of her before she knew it.
“Your clothes.”
“Oh. The towel thing bothers you? I’m surprised, Rachel, you being a scientist of sorts.” He stretched an arm out toward her and she ducked. Sam laughed and reached behind her to open one of the overhead storage cabinets.”
― Mariah Stewart, Priceless

“With all due respect." Sam folded his arms over his chest. "If all you wanted was an extra diver, you probably should not have hired an archaeologist. We're devils when it comes to details, and not likely to opt for speed when accuracy is at stake.”
― Mariah Stewart, Priceless

“He, Sam McGowan, having been raised in a house where women were expected to achieve, had had any potential sexist inclination beaten out of him by his oldest sister long ago.”
― Mariah Stewart, Priceless

“I want another look, and I thought that Sam should be given the opportunity to voice his opinion.”
“That’s big of you.” Sam surfaced behind her.
Rachel looked over her shoulder to where Sam was treading water.
“I’m trying to keep the fact that you wish you didn’t have to work with me from interfering with the way I handle this job. You’re the archaeologist, you have the right to see the site, untouched. I have an obligation to Winter to make certain that every i is dotted and every t crossed before we remove one grain of sand. I resent the fact that you’re apparently sexist but I . . .”
“Sexist?” Sam’s eyebrows raised slightly. “No one has ever accused me of being sexist . . .”
“. . . won’t let my personal feelings toward you influence one aspect of this job. Now, if you can be a big enough man to look beyond your prejudices, I’ll be a big enough woman to overlook the fact that you have them.”
― Mariah Stewart, Priceless

“Have you ever mapped a wreck before?"
Rachel rolled her eyes. "No. We at Chandler and Associates practice the snatch and grab method of salvaging.”
― Mariah Stewart, Priceless

“The female diver continued to peel off the wet suit. Was Sam the only one who noticed?
"And, Rachel, I don't believe you've met Sam."
"No. No, I haven't. But I've heard great things about him." The diver flashed a million-watt smile as she slipped out of the wet suit. The conservative black maillot swimsuit beneath wasn't worth a damn at hiding what the wet suit had covered up.
Sam's throat went dry and there was a humming sound behind his ears.
Venus had risen from the sea, not in a shell, but in neon yellow and black neoprene.
Green eyes seemed to assess him, as he stepped forward to take the hand she offered. Winter and the photographer faded away entirely.
Please, please, please, he silently begged, don't be Winter's wife.”
― Mariah Stewart, Priceless