" Stefano put an end to this tirade, which was developing rather nicely, I thought, by picking me up off the bench and lifting me till my eyes were on a level with his. My feet dangled helplessly, a good ten inches off the ground.
"Just like a man," I said, somewhat breathlessly, because his hands were squeezing my ribs. "When you are losing an argument, you resort to physical violence!"
"Oh no," Stefano said. "The physical violence is only a preliminary. This is how I counter arguments such as yours."
He kissed me. "

― Barbara Michaels , Wings of the Falcon