“Maybe he thinks you're worth the risk. If he doesn't, then he's not worth the risk”

“Looks like he recovered from the wood chipper pretty well. Want me to kick his ass?”“No, I don’t want you to kick his ass.”“You sure? Because I specialize in deassholization.”This time she smiles. “Deassholization?”“Yeah. Just think of me as the Orkin man of assholes—utting assholes in their place.”“Well, I appreciate the offer, but he’s not worth it.”I reach forward to tuck a stray lock of raven hair behind her ear. “If he hurt you, he’s worth it.”

“How about two dollars per hour above what your current employer is paying you?”My mouth wants to drop open. “Don’t you even want to know what that is?”He makes a face. “Nah. I get the feeling you’ll be worth it.”

“He looks exotic. Maybe Hawaiian or Cuban. He has light caramel skin, jet black hair and eyes to match. And the smile he turns on me? Holy shit.What is this? The land of misfit models?”

“I love you, Miracle," he whispered. "You're mine," he said, inching his way forward a bit more, "and i'm yours," he added, moving further in. "Forever.”

“No, you're not. And you're not fooling anybody by trying to pretend you are. Maybe it's because of what you've been through. Maybe it's just the way you were born. I don't know, but you're special, Miracle. You may not think you're perfect, but to some people, you're everything they've wished for, whether they realized it or not.”

“You're beautiful" he whispered as he scattered kisses along the incision line and over to her bellybutton. When he heard her release the breath she'd been holding, he slipped his tongue inside the well of her navel. He heard her gasp again, but this time in a different way, an excited way.”