“His utter helplessness at the sight of my tears leaked through his confident voice. It was almost funny that such a great warrior as Hasani was reduced to panic at the sight of a stupid tear or two.”

“I crumple onto the lounger and cry again even though I didn’t think I had any tears left. And then Dante is next to me, with his wet arms around me and he’s whispering in my ear. And the huskiness of his voice. The smell of his wet skin. The beating of his heart against my hand. All of it. I don’t want to be without him. Maybe he’s right. Maybe love is all that matters. And we can get through our differences. We can get through anything. And then he’s kissing me. And I’m letting him. And I’m kissing him back. Because I love him and he loves me and Elena Kontou doesn’t matter. Dante’s hands are all over me, warm and strong and I lean into him, into his warmth, his strength. It’s still raining, but we are kissing in the rain and it’s sexy as hell. In fact, I think I’ll kiss in the rain forever. For the rest of my life. Because it’s just that sexy.”

“I can never watch you die again," I cried as tears streaked down my cheeks and fell onto him "I cannot do it. Are you listening?”

“My need for him was almost palpable because any time that wasn't spent in his arms was just... wasted. Our time was always so limited.”

“We were soul mates. Bound through time with a love stronger than steel. He was mine. And I was his. Unquestionably. Forever. Yet here we were. He was half-dressed and embracing my sworn enemy.”

“I love you.How much?More than the ocean is large.More than a shark loves human limbs.More than Gavin loves his reflection.More than baseball players love steroids.More than chocolate, more than wine and way, way more than anchovies.More than yesterday, but less than tomorrow.....How much? I type.This much. It's his voice.”

“Because I'm a monster, like my father before me and his father before him, and so on. There is no help for me.”