Tess Oliver

“Your thigh? Your shoulder? Is there any part of you that hasn't been hurt yet?"He seemed to be contemplating my question for a moment and then he nodded. He tapped his chest. "Yeah, my heart." He looked over at me. "But its feeling mighty vulnerable these days, so who knows.”

“He puts up with a lot from me, and he never gets irritated.""Yeah, cause you can be so darn irritating..." He lowered his face and kissed my eyebrow tenderly, "with those irritating cinnamon-brown eyes..." His kisses moved down to my nose. "And that irritating, tiny nose..." He paused, his mouth a mere breath away from mine, and he kissed me softly. "And those irritating, luscious lips..." The green of his eyes darkened as he gazed down at my mouth. "God, those lips..." he sighed, and his warm breath drifted lightly across my mouth as his arms tightened around me more. He kissed me long and hard.”

“You were meant for me, Poppy. I can feel it in my fingertips when I touch you.”

“Cade grabbed my hand and pressed it against his chest. "You are right here forever, and no magic tricks or sorcery can pry you from my heart.”

“Do I still 'ave an eye?" I laughed. "Still there." He straightened with a sigh. "Too bad. I hear girls take a liking to a man with an eye patch." "Yes, when the eye was lost in some wildly romantic fashion like a sword fight or pistol duel. Not from smacking it on the eyepiece of a microscope. And you hardly need any more help with the ladies.”

“Strider hovered over the scope and slammed his eye on it before jumping back with a hand over the squinting eye. "That bloody thing is dangerous.”

“A paper man. How romantic. And when I tire of him, I can just crumple him into a huge ball.”

“Thank you," he said in that deep tone that was always laced with sadness."For what?" I asked.This time he reached up and pushed a strand of hair from my face. "For seeing me. Most people I meet look right through me. But when you look at me, I feel real, I feel like flesh, bone and blood.”

“Don't ever do that again, my intoxicating, wicked genius.”

“It was disgusting and terrific all at the same time.”

“It's like being tethered to an angel. Hell keeps calling me but I can't let go.”

“When I'm near you, the air around you vibrates with life, Beck Ryker.”

“Well, if she doesn't like pelicans she must be very disagreeable.”

“He would be gone soon, and with all that had happened in Blackpool Cove, I could not afford to send a piece of my heart with him.”

“Rinkeni, you could be standing on the other side of the earth, and I would hear you if you needed me.”

“A girl doesn't mind a little trouble in her life now and then.”

“His smile reappeared. It was not large or extraordinary, but it was one I would not soon forget.”

“His gaze held mine so long it felt as if he would never release it. And something deep inside me did not want him to.”

“He's rich. Rich boys are always handsome.”

“Blasted grave marker. There sure are a bloody lot of them. They've got some nerve burying all these dead people here.”

“His arms held me like a vice, and I wondered if he would crush the life from me, and it occurred to me that I didn’t care as long as I died in his arms...”

“He looked down at my fingers wrapped around his coat then lifted his eyes to mine. 'My tiny huntress, do you know what you've done to me?”

“My mind argued with itself about whether to adhere to proper etiquette or whether to fling aside all modesty and throw my arms around him. My feet chose the latter before my mind had a chance to settle it. I flew off the stool and landed in his embrace. Freezing rain drenched his coat and shirt. His arms wrapped around me tighter, and there was nothing so right as being pressed against Nathaniel Strider.”

“Hell won't be so bad, you know. After all, I'll be there to keep you company.”

“I don't know how it happened. Through the din of the crowd, I heard this tiny scream. As small and distant as it was, it was like thunder in my head.' He looked up at me. Some of the blood had drained from his face making the dark circles under his eyes more pronounced. 'I knew it was you. I don't know how or why, but I knew it was you.”

“I fell back into my favorite chair and tucked my hands between my knees to stop them from shaking. I sucked in a deep breath, held it, and marveled at my own transformation into a ridiculous ninny.”

“Nathaniel Strider could never love. He's obviously discovered early on that girls' hearts were vulnerable and all a lad needed was a penetrating gaze and a disarming smile and the world was at his feet.”