“She didn’t dare expose her heart the way she’d exposed her body.”

“When a writer writes, it's as if she holds the sides of her chest apart, exposes her beating heart. And even though everything wants to heal, to close over and protect the heart, the writer must keep it bare, exposed.”

“He climbed into bed himself and kissed his way up her legs. Instincts she didn’t even know she possessed made her clench her thighs together. Without any hesitation, he pushed them apart, exposing her to his gaze.“The doors of the temple, darling, never close to the devout acolyte.”

“He was a fool. Claire Montoya was convinced she didn’t need anyone. That her way was the only way.He kept walking.Because only a fool would want a woman who would never let him in. He could touch her skin, touch her body, but she’d never trust him enough to let him touch her heart. Not the way he wanted. And he couldn't do that. Not with her. Her terms were unacceptable, her barriers too high.”

“Her heartbeat was in her hands, her heart beat the way she moved her head, her whole body was her heart beating.”

“She didn’t know if she cried for what she’d lost as a teenager, or for the confused tangle of emotions inside her now. Either way, Mike telling her that he was sorry against the top of her head was the only answer that made any sense.”