Kristen Ashley

“Because she’s my mother, he’s the finest man I know and I want them both to be happy but I still don’t know whether to slap him on the back, threaten him, punch him or vomit on his shoes.”

“You wanna beer?”Jasper’s brows shot up. “Seriously?”“Fuck no,” Layne replied.”

“Men like you aren’t made, though, Tanner. Men like you just are.”

“You strutted back and forth to the window at Fulsham’s Custard Stand five times while I was sitting there, eatin’ my cone the first time I saw you, ‘cause you wanted some of this and got it by swinging your ass in my face.”

“Giselle Speakmon’s parents are totally devout. When I get in there and we hook up, there won’t be any cribs for me either, Dad, because I reckon they’ll make me wear one of those chastity belts, knowin’ Jas is my brother and all.”

“Think God’s got bigger concerns in his house than me droppin’ the f-bomb, sweetcheeks.”

“Layne walked up to him and put both hands to his son’s neck, giving it a firm squeeze, he looked him in the eyes and whispered, “Fucked up with you, know it, but you’re a fuckin’ good kid despite that and, even though I didn’t have much to do with it, I’m proud of you.” He gave his son’s neck a gentle jerk and finished. “Love you, Bud.”

“Live this with me, just live it, whatever happens, however it happens, live it with me for two days. It doesn’t go the way you like, we’ll talk Monday night. It goes the way you like, we live it real and ride it out. Will you give me that, honey?”

“His fingers curled around her neck and he put his forehead to hers before sharing, “I remember, Rocky. I remember everything. I remember every… fucking… thing.”

“Her heard turned so her lips were at his ear. “I think that’s about as real as it gets,” she whispered.”

“What’s going on” she asked.“You been in on it the whole time, Roc, you know what’s going on,” he answered.”

“Layne knew he was in love with her. Not only that, he’d never stopped loving her. Not once, not for a second, not for twenty-one years.Fuck him.”

“It’s not fake is it?” Jasper asked softly and Layne studied his son thinking he had vastly underestimated Jasper too. “It was, Jas, it isn’t anymore.” Jasper nodded. Layne continued. “She doesn’t know that yet, though.”Jasper stared at him then his mouth twitched before, very slowly, it spread into a smile.”

“And, like I said, proceed with caution, but fuck, man, whatever you do, for your sake and hers, just… fuckin’… proceed.”

“It’s good she hooked up with me, she’s such a nut, she needs a badass to take her back.”

“The best part, however, was watching Rocky eat a pile of custard-filled, hot fudge-topped profiteroles. He could swear, after the third bite, she was going to have an orgasm and, watching her, he nearly had one.”

“No one puts his hand on my boy. Not like that. Get me?”

“Until you two came along, she was the best thing that happened to me in my whole goddamned life.”

“I love you, man, you know it, sucked losin’ you when you two disintegrated and I’m fuckin’ thrilled to have you back, but I love her a fuckuva lot more than you and I find out she’s in her head because you can’t let go of something that happened eighteen years ago and still feel like getting’ your licks in, you got me to worry about. You get me?”

“You wanna tell me, sweetness, how dessert for seventeen people translates into seven pies and two cakes?” Brock asked.”

“Why do I suddenly want a scary biker dude?”

“Naomi, I asked you to suck my cock, you’d have your mouth wrapped around it so fast, you’d break the sound barrier.”

“I've been involved in lots of GAMES OF THE HEART, gorgeous. Rolled the dice time and again, took a lot of risks, took a lot of falls. Finally seems I'm winning. I'm not about to play it safe now.”

“Never bury something deep, baby. Takes twice as much courage to be who you are, say what you think, feel what you feel and let it show then it does to bury it.”

“You think to slide back, settle for something that made you run away because you think it's safe, because it's familiar, because your scare of taking a GAMBLE on me, I'm warning you now, Duchess, I'm not gonna allow that.”

“Girlie, I'm front Texas. We shoot at each other to say good morning.”

“Girlie, you f*ck this up and I'm calling the boys in the white jackets. You let something that fine slip through your fingers, you deserve a padded room. Especially if he's good at relationship stuff. Most especially if he's serious about you. No one who looks like that and fills out a pair of jeans like that is good at relationship stuff. I don't care if he runs through seven circles of hell.”

“Romeo and Juliet, say they didn’t die but Juliet got pissed and took off. Everyone would know it was Romeo and Juliet, would always be Romeo and Juliet, even if later Romeo hooked up with Nancy. No one ever heard of Nancy, doesn’t even sound right, Romeo and Nancy. Everyone knows Romeo’s meant to be with Juliet. Even if Romeo loved Nancy, Nancy would always know she was never Juliet”

“Prettiest thing I've ever seen.""Gray,""In that getup, in your jeans and tees, in your bikini on the lawnmower, when I open my eyes in the morning and see you next to me, anytime I see you, that's what I think. First thing that comes to mind. Anytime. Every time.”

“Wherever you were born and whatever you did, pool hustler, showgirl, tonight, you were a rancher's woman and just like you, when you do somethin', you're the best there is.”

“You couldn't muck out a horse stall in Christian Louboutins.”

“I'm glad that when I was on the sidewalk on the square in town with you and Casey all those years ago, I decided for the first time in my life not to play it safe.""I'm glad too, Ivey, seriously fuckin' glad you took a chance on me.”

“Hey, honey,” I greeted. “What’s up?” “His filthy, rusted, beat up, in desperate need of a trade up truck is still in front of your house, that’s what’s up,” was Martha’s greeting”

“Woulda made a deal with the devil to get my wife and daughter back." He was still whispering and my breath stilled."Don't have that chance so nothin' I can do about that. But I darkened your door, baby, and you lit up my life again so I'm not lettin' that go.”

“And into the darkness, to his sleeping woman, he whispered, “You don’t know this, baby, but some men have dream women too.”

“No, it was because Hawk, Brock and Mitch stormed that house at Tack’s side. This meant, to Tack, they were different kinds of brothers. Not of blood. Not of the cut. But that bond was unshakable all the same.”

“Babe, look at me.”“Kiss my ass,” I replied.”

“Babe, advice. A man expresses his gratitude, you do not throw attitude. You kiss him and, maybe, suck his dick to show your appreciation.”

“Go to him, Sweet Pea.”

“Love you, Red.”

“My eyes narrowed and I snapped, “You’re not allowed to do that shift.”His head jerked slightly and he asked, “Say again?”“Be sweet and make me all melty and want to jump you when I ‘m celebrating my heretofore unknown badassness with a bunch of bikers and their bitches. Not to mention, I’m hungry.”Tack grinned as his arm snaked around me and he yanked me close.“You wanna jump me?” he asked.“I always want to jump you,” I answered.“Good to know,” he muttered.”

“We done with this talk about everything?”“Yes,” I answered. “You good?” he asked. Oh yes. I was good. I nodded but added another soft, “Yes.”His hands slid down over my ass and he ordered, “Then hop up baby, Time to f**k.”

“Got it all scheduled,” he noted.“Yes,” I returned. “What’s a huge-ass wedding?”“Don’t ask that,” I advised. “Just show up.”His grin turned wicked and I liked it. That was, I liked it until he enquired, “You askin’ me to marry you, Red?”I wasn’t even sipping coffee and, still, I chocked. Then I pushed out, “What?”“I accept.”I shook my head and kept shaking it when I requested clarification, “Let me get this straight. Did you just accept my non-marriage offer?”“Non-marriage?”“I didn’t ask!” My voice was rising. “So you just wanna shack up?” he asked but didn’t wait on my answer. “I’m good with that too.”Gah!“I’m getting my huge-ass wedding,” I declared.“So you are askin’ me to marry you,” he noted. Gah! Gah! Gah!!Sharp as a tack.Someone kill me.”

“The perfect I was looking for wasn’t perfection. The perfect I was looking for was the one. And he was you.”

“Welcome to my nightmare,” Elvira muttered. “Though you got yourself a biker who fills his Levi’s so well he should be in Harley Davidson ads and has an off-the-charts ability to give pleasure so you can’t really understand my pain.”

“Baby,” his voice gentled, “this is me seein’ to that soft spot when I say quiet-like that I... will... be... there... in ten. And what I mean is, when I get there in ten, your ass better be there.”Oh boy. “Are you coming on your bike?”“Yeah.”“I’m in a tight, short, little aquamarine dress with high heels. I can’t get on a bike. “You’re in a tight, short dress and high heels?” Tack asked.“Yes.”“I’ll be in there in five.”

“Bottom line, no one fucks with my woman.”

“I can’t function around a man if I know his ability to give pleasure.”

“No baby, I’m not scaring you. You’re just scared. You give me a little more, you’ll see I protect it. More, I’ll protect that too. More, I got that too. When you give it all to me, if it works with us in a way that lasts, you’ll never be scared. You’ll feel safe enough to have your eyes open, your arms up and you’ll enjoy the fuck outta the ride. I’ll see to that, Red, and that’s a promise.”

“You came to a party, got drunk and got laid. Same as me. The minute you gave me more of you, I took it, wanted even more and I didn’t keep that a secret, babe, and you fuckin’ know it.”