“Listen, I don't want to be an asshole to you,' I say. So much for the Alex Fuentes Show.'I know. It's your image, what Alex Fuentes is all about. It's your brand, your logo... dangerous, deadly, hot and sexy Mexican. I wrote the book on creating an image. I wasn't aiming for the blonde bimbo look, though. More like the perfect, untouchable look.'Woah. Rewind. Brittany called me hot and sexy.... 'You do realize you called me hot.''As if you didn't know.'I didn't know Brittany Ellis considered me hot. 'For the record, I thought you were untouchable. But now that I know you think I'm a hot, sexy Mexican god...''I never said the word "god,"'I put my finger to my lips. 'Shh. Let me enjoy this fantasy for a minute.' I closed my eyes.”

“Hot or not, there went my tenuous grip on my temper. 'I don't need you looking out for what's best for me, Aiden. I'm not a child!'His eyes narrowed. 'I of all people know you're not a child, Alex. And I sure as hell didn't treat you like one last night.”

“I think reading is sexy.” Daemon smiled at himself.My brows inched up my forehead. ”Do you now?”“Oh, yes, and you know what else I think is sexy?” he leaned forward so his entire face filled the picture and nodded his head toward me. “Bloggers like this. Hot.” Rolling my eyes, I smacked his arm.”

“My stomach flip-flopped, and I let his words play over in my head. “So, no costume?”Tod shrugged. “Nah. Don’t get me wrong—it’s hot. But it’s hot in an obvious kind of way. It’s not really you.”I frowned. “Because I’m not obviously sexy?”“Because you are obviously sexy. Some girls may need costumes to make guys want them, but I couldn’t possibly want you morethan I do right now, no matter what you were wearing. Or not wearing.”I stared up at him. “How is it possible that every time you open your mouth, I—” fall more in love with you “—melt a little more?”

“We are as forlorn as children lost in the wood. When you stand in front of me and look at me, what do you know of the griefs that are in me and what do I know of yours? And if I were to cast myself down before you and tell you, what more would you know about me that you know about Hell when someone tells you it is hot and dreadful?”

“I love you because you always have a T-shirt under your pillow for me, even if you don't know I'm coming to stay. I love you because you know I want sugar in my tea in the morning but not at night and because you always pretend you forgot I wanted a skinny hot chocolate in Starbucks because you know I really prefer full fat but don't like to order it in case the girl behind the counter thinks I'm fat.'Alex started to smile. So I carried on.”