“I am not snotty!" I nearly yelped.He leaned back on his elbows, a wicked smile on his face. "Please.The first day I met you,you practically had a layer of permafrost covering you.”

“No," he said, leaning back to take my face in his hands and dropping another soft kiss on my lips. "All I've wanted since you limped out of my life the first day I met you was to have you back in it. Does that scare you?"I stood on tiptoe to return his kiss. "Not even a little bit. Thank you, Tanner Graham."He smiled. "For what?""For being patient. I'll make it worth it.""You've always been worth it," he said punctuating his opinion with another kiss...Tanner smiled down at me, tightening his hold. "Thank you.""For what?""for being you. I love you, Pepper.”

“Cormac smiled at her, but it was Finn who spoke. "Can I ask you a question?""Sure."He leaned forward conspiratorially. "So, if I gave you some catnip would you act all weird and stoned?""I don't know. If I throw a stick, will you fetch?" She smiled sweetly at Cormac's cousin.Burke made a choking noise, covering a laugh with his hand. Finn screwed up his face, as if in disgust. "Dude. I am NOT a dog.""And I’m not a pampered house cat.”

“―I love you. He breathed down the side of my neck.I nodded. ―I love you too. And the smile on his face when he leaned back, so wide, so arrogant, so relieved, so smug, was not to be missed. I had created a monster with four little words.”

“You can’t tell mewhat to do anymore, Travis! I don’t belong to you!”In the second it took him to turn and face me, hisexpression had contorted into anger. He stomped towardme, planting his hands on the bed and leaning into my face.“WELL I BELONG TO YOU!” The veins in his neckbulged as he shouted, and I met his glare, refusing to evenflinch. He looked at my lips, panting. “I belong to you.”

“Perry," he said quietly, his fingers trailing down the side of my face, "you'll never have to save my life. You gave me life. I never lived a single day until the first day I met you.”