“I dont do gentle, Mara, he felt compelled to warn even as he worked his way down from her lips, over her chin, to the tender spot where her neck met her shoulder. He scraped his teeth over the fran...”

“Christ, she was like his own personal drug, and hed been jonesing for more of her since November. And now that hed had her again, he didnt know if hed ever be able to quit her. Yeah. He was in trou...”

“Men like him, the kind of guys who left the womb fighting? They didnt get fairy-tale endings. They burned bright until they burned outand he was burning out.”

“I don’t do gentle, Mara,” he felt compelled to warn even as he worked his way down from her lips, over her chin, to the tender spot where her neck met her shoulder. He scraped his teeth over the fr...”

“Men like him, the kind of guys who left the womb fighting? They didn’t get fairy-tale endings. They burned bright until they burned out—and he was burning out.”

“Every great love starts with a great story...”

“I knew, in the silence that followed, that anything could happen here. It might be too late: again, I might have missed my chance. But I would at least know I tried, that I took my heart and extend...”

“You know what charm is: a way of getting the answer yes without having asked any clear question.”

“Im in, especially if theres a bad guy. Do I get to hurt a bad guy?”

“He was silent a moment; then he said, "I want a drink of water." She almost laughed aloud, because it was such a mundane request that could have been made of anyone, but then she saw the tension in...”

“Calmly, deliberately, he moved his hands down to her breasts and molded his fingers over them. Jay inhaled sharply, and he said, "Easy, easy," as he stroked the soft mounds. "Steve, no." But her ey...”