“Damn-the girl knew how to play.”

“Not sure how I felt about Antonio and Echo, I linked my fingers with hers. Antonio cocked a surprised eyebrow. Damn straight, bro. I just marked my territory.”

“Some guys touch the girls they love. Others touch the girls they use. The worst touch girls they hurt.”

“Look, man, I get it. We don't do attachments. We depend on something or someone and the system rips it away from us. But Echo's not the system, man. She's a girl who looked like shit yesterday and chased you down when we all decided you should play the dick instead of being her friend.”

“All i knew was that i couldn't get Echo Emerson out of my mind. No doubt, i wanted her. I couldn't rid my mind of images of her body writhing in pleasure against mine. That siren voice whispering my name. But she appealed to me in more than physical way. I loved her smile, the light in her eyes when she laughed, and damn if she couldn't keep up with me.”

“She'd come home with me to act as my barrier for Family Friday-or as i liked to refer it, Dinner for the Damned.”

“When i said nothing, the best thing that happened to me in three years left. Damn, i was an idiot.”