“She’s my mate. She’s mine. No one keeps her from me. No one insults her. And no one – and I mean no one – talks to her the way you just did, understand me?”

“She ... is everything to me. Everything. Healthy or traumatized, she’s all I want, and she’s mine.”

“Greta: At one point, you practically stalked poor Dante.Jamie: Stalked? No, I just watched him. At night. From behind a bush. Using night-vision googles.”

“No, I’m done! I’m tired, I’m sweaty, I’m in agony, and why do I feel like I need to shit?”“It’s totally natural to feel that way,” said Grace in a placatory, calming voice. “Some women even have one during labor.”“What?” The word dripped with horror. “Women can shit when they’re in labor? Tell me that won’t happen to me! Don’t you let me shit, Grace!”

“Give me a number between one and twenty.”Unable to see where this was going, she shrugged. “Eleven.”“You lose. Now strip off your clothes.”

“I’ll spank your ass so damn hard there’ll be a permanent handprint right there.”She gave him a cheeky smile. “As long as you understand there’ll be a matching one on your face.”

“You told me you don’t do relationships.”“I don’t. It only ends up a mess when true mates come along” ...“Then why? Why ask for more.”A slight pause. “Because you matter.”