Sylvia Day

“For better or worse, he was my soul mate. The other half of me. In many ways, he was my reflection.”

“I don't know what the fuck you think you're doing, ace, but this Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde shit ain't cutting it with me.”

“Sabía cómo se sentía: aquellas náuseas en su estómago que se extendían como el cáncer, la rabia, la impotencia y la necesidad de acurrucarse en privado y buscar la fuerza para volver a meter los recuerdos en aquel agujero profundo y oscuro donde seguían viviendo.”

“It's going to be a lot of work, Gideon," Eva warned him."I'm not afraid of work." He was touching me restlessly as if it were as necessary to him as breathing. "I'm only afraid of losing you.”

“I kicked off my shoes and pulled his hand away from the wheel so I could straddle his lap and hold him. His grip on me was excruciatingly tight, but I didn't complain. We were on an insanely busy street, with endless cars rumbling past on one side and a crush of pedestrians on the other, but neither of us cared. He was shaking violently, as if he were sobbing uncontrollably, but he made no sound and shed no tears.The sky cried for him, the rain coming down hard and angry, steaming off the ground.”

“The door opened and Gideon walked in. I held his gaze when I said, "If Gideon's dick touched anything but his hand or me, we'd be over."His brows rose. "Well, then."I smiled sweetly and winked. "Hi, ace.""Angel." He looked at Cary. "How are you feeling this morning?"Cary's lips twisted wryly. "Like I got hit by a bus. . . or a bat.""We're working on getting you set up at home. It looks like we can make that happen by Wednesday.""Big tits, please," Cary said. "Or bulging muscles. Either will do."Gideon looked at me. I grinned. "The private nurse.""Ah.""If it's a woman," Cary went on, "can you get her to wear one of those white nurse dresses with the zipper down the front.""I can only imagine the media frenzy over that sexual-harassment lawsuit," Gideon said dryly. "How about a collection of naughty-nurse porn instead?""Dude." Cary smiled wide and looked, for a moment, like his old self. "You're the man."Chapter 12, pg 214”

“I had to bite back a laugh. "Cary Taylor. Loving you isn't a character defect."Chapter 12, pg 213”

“I'd rather argue with you, angel, than laugh with anyone else."Jesus. It took me a minute to be able to swallow the last bite in my mouth. "You know . . . I love you madly."He smiled. "Yes, I know.”

“One dark brow arched. "You're getting the fuck-me look and thinking about Arnoldo? Do I have to kick his ass now, too?"Chapter 11 pg. 193”

“I'm afraid I'll lose myself in you, Gideon. I'm scared I'll lose the part of me I worked so hard to get back.""I'd never let that happen." he promised fiercely. Chapter 8, pg 140”

“Grabbing his very fine, very taut ass in my hands, I squeezed. "I need more coffee to deal with your gift, ace."Chapter 8, pg 131”

“His gaze was soft on my face, filled with a sudden tenderness that made my throat tight. "You're the greatest risk I've ever taken." He pressed his lips gently to mine. "And the greatest reward." Chapter 6, pg 100”

“The idea I'd been toying with fully formed in my mind. "I'm plotting.""oh?" His mouth curved in a wicked grin. "Do Tell."Chapter 5 pg. 50”

“Doctor." Gideon set one ankle on the opposite knee and settled back, creating a picture of unyielding decisiveness. "The only way I'm keeping my hands off her is if I'm dead. Find another way to fix us." Chapter 3 pg 50”

“Why even call it a fuck? Why not be clear and call it a seminal emission in a preapproved orifice?”

“There was always something hidden. Lying in wait to spring up and ruin everything.”

“Contentment and Happiness didn't exist in my life for more than a few moments at a time, and they were really only illusionary.”

“You’re the greatest risk I’ve ever taken. And the greatest reward.”

“His smile was like lightning in the darkness, blinding and beautiful and mysterious, and I wanted him so badly it was physically painful.”

“Y sin embargo, sentía la alienación de estar rodeada por otros que no podían verme realmente o que preferían no hacerlo. Había sentido odio hacia mí misma, provocado por la sensación de ser un fraude, de interpretar una imagen de lo que deseaba ser pero no era. Había vivido con el miedo a que la gente que quería pudiera alejarse de mí si alguna vez llegaba a conocer a la verdadera persona que se ocultaba en mi interior.”

“Cracking his knuckles, Cary dramatically prepared to open his fortune cookie. “Let’s see. Will I be rich? Famous? About tomeet Mr. or Ms. Tall, Dark, and Tasty? Traveling to distant lands? What’d you guys get?”“Mine’s lame,” I said. “In the end all things will be known. Duh. I didn’t need a fortune to figure that out.”Gideon opened his and read, “Prosperity will knock on your door soon.”I snorted.Cary shot me a look. “I know, right? You snatched someone else’s cookie, Cross.”“He better not be anywhere near someone else’s cookie,” I said dryly.Reaching over, Gideon plucked half of mine out of my fingers. “Don’t worry, angel. Your cookie is the only one I want.”He popped it in his mouth with a wink.“Gag,” Cary muttered. “Get a room.” He cracked his fortune with a flourish, and then scowled. “What the fuck?”I leaned forward. “What’s it say?”“Confucius say,” Gideon ad-libbed, “man with hand in pocket feel cocky all day.”Cary threw half his cookie at Gideon, who caught it deftly and grinned.“Give me that.” I snatched the fortune out from between Cary’s fingers and read it. Then laughed.“Fuck you, Eva.”“Well?” Gideon prodded.“Pick another cookie.”Gideon smiled. “Pwned by a fortune.”Cary threw the other half of his cookie.”

“I was tanned, happy, and blowing a kiss to Cary, who’d playacted the role of a highfashionphotographer by calling out ridiculous encouragements. Beautiful, dahling. Show me sassy. Show me sexy. Brilliant.Show me catty…rawr…”

“Chicks before dicks, and all that.”

“Gideon: We've established some talking points: we have an intense sexual attraction and neither of us wants to date. So what do you want – exactly? Seduction, Eva? Do you want to be seduced?Eva: Sex that’s planned like a business transaction is a turnoff for me.Gideon: Establishing parameters in a merger makes it less likely that there’ll be exaggerated expectations and disappointment.Eva: Why even call it a fuck? Why not be clear and call it seminal emission in a pre-approved orifice?”

“Baby girl, Cross is a tsunami.”

“I've never worked so hard for anything in my life as I have for you.”

“He reached for my hand, lifted it to his lips, and kissed my fingertips. "I love you.”

“You gonna deal with Mr. Hot and Moody?""Not sure. I may just pull out my e-reader."He nodded. "Probably safer for your sanity.”

“Eva: there's so much out there for you. You just don't know it yet.gideon: I don't need anything else. I get out of bed every morning and face the world because you're in it. Because of you, the world makes sense to me in a way it didn't before. I have a place now. WITH YOU”

“I can't go long without you either, Eva. You're an addiction...my obsession...”

“Cary rocked back on his heels and twirled one index finger around another in a sign meaning, wrapped around your finger. Only fair, I thought, since he was wrapped around my heart.”

“Don't. Tell me when, then. And before you say never, take a good look at me and tell me if you see a man who's easily deterred.”

“I will see to this; you see to your sister. Be quick about it. It won’t be long before I come for you, and you’d best be ready, Jess, with my ring still gracing your hand. You won’t stay me then. I’ll drag you to Scotland in irons if I have to.” He left her in a rush. As always, taking her heart with him.”

“B.O.B. and I have a longtime understanding - when we're done with each other, we know exactly which one of us has been used, and it isn't me. Good night Gideon.”

“You definitely have the voice for phone sex, but I've got to go. I have a date with my vibrator.""Oh, Eva." Cross spoke my name in a decadent purr. "You're determined to drive me to my knees, aren't you? What will it take to talk you into a threesome with B.O.B.”

“Sex that's planned like a business transaction is a turnoff for me..... Listen to yourself. Why even call it a fuck? Why not be clear and call it a seminal emission in a pre-approved orifice?" (Eva to Gideon)”

“Romance isn't in my repertoire, Eva. But a thousand ways to make you come are. Let me show you.”

“..then he pushed the call button again and asked, "Are you sleeping with anyone?""Why is that any business of yours?""Because I want to fuck you, Eva. I need to know what's standing in my way, if anything.”

“I had never seen hair that purely black. It was glossy and slightly long, the ends drifting over his collar. That sexy length was the crowning touch of bad boy hotness over the successful businessman, like whipped cream topping on a hot fudge brownie sundae. As my mother would say, only rogues and raiders had hair like that." (Eva about Gideon)”

“I loved the way he kissed me, as if he had to, as if he'd go crazy if he didn't and had nearly waited too long.”

“It's probably best for me to work off some energy before I get you naked. I'm sure you'd like to be able to walk tomorrow.”

“He was the kind of guy that made a woman want to rip his shirt open and watch the buttons scatter along with her inhibitions.”

“As he stared back, he altered...as if a shield slid away fro his eyes, revealing a scorching force of will that sucked the air from my lungs. The intense magnetism he exuded grew in strength, becoming a near tangible impression of vibrant and unrelenting power.”

“It's not the right word, Eva," he pressed on stubbornly, his lips at my ear. "That's why I haven't said it. It's not the right word for you and what I feel for you.""Shut up. If you care about me at all, you'll just shut up and go away.""I've been loved before--by Corinne, by other women...But what the hell do they know about me? What the hell are they in love with when they don't know how fucked up I am? If that's love, it's nothing compared to what I feel for you.”

“I spend a quarter of every day inside you. When you set limits outside of that I can't help but see them as arbitrary.”

“Are you sleeping with anyone?” The question was asked so casually it took a second to process what he’d said. I inhaled sharply. “Why is that any business of yours?” He looked at me and I saw what I’d seen the first time we’d met—tremendous power and steely control. Both of which had me taking an involuntary step back. Again. At least I didn’t fall this time; I was making progress. “Because I want to fuck you, Eva. I need to know what’s standing in my way, if anything.”

“I have wanted you for so long now,” he said roughly, “I’ve no memory of how it feels to be devoid of the craving. But you must know what you do. I need you to think of who you are and where you are and who I am. Think of how things will be once we’ve crossed this threshold. Think of how you will leave this cabin—disheveled and well fucked.”

“I’ve always seen you, angel. From the moment you found me, I’ve seen nothing but you.”

“If I could,” he went on, “I would remain like this indefinitely—clasped by you, held inside you, a part of you—without moving at all. When we make love, I fight climax with everything I have. I don’t want to come; I do not want it to end. No matter how long I make it last, it isn’t nearly long enough. I am furious when I cannot hold back any longer. Why, Jess? If all I seek is the physical relief of natural lust, just as I would seek sleep or food, why would I deny myself?”She turned her head and caught his mouth with hers, kissing him desperately.“Tell me you understand,” he demanded, his lips moving beneath hers. “Tell me you feel it, too.”“I feel you,” she breathed, as intoxicated by his ardency as she was by the finest claret. “You have become everything to me.”

“You forget who submits, Eva,” he said gruffly. “I’ve given up control for you. I’ve bent and adjusted for you. I’ll do anything to keep you and make you happy. But I can’t be tamed or topped. Don’t mistake indulgence for weakness.”