“Life hurts.  As long as it doesn’t kill us, we weather it.”

“He reached for my hand, looking sad. “Don’t get hurt, Buttercup.” I shrugged. “Life hurts. As long as it doesn’t kill us, we weather it.”

“He was hurting, and I hurt with him. We had never been able to maintain any level of detachment from each other’s suffering, and wedidn’t now.”

“I love you, too, James, but that doesn’t give you a free pass.” “No, it doesn’t. Being your Dom does that, Love. I’ve compromised far more for you than I’ve ever done for anyone or anything in my life. Controlling you sexually is something I won’t be bending on...”

“Life is funny like that, making us pay for the same stupid mistakes even after we've learned from them thoroughly.”

“That’s the emptiest feeling, to know that you would hurt someone else just to feel something.”

“I want so much for this to last – for us to stay together. I’m desperate for it.”