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640 pages, Paperback
First published April 18, 2011
"Charlie, as ever (if he'd been there but, unfortunately, he was not), was right"
"He cracked two eggs into the side of the skillet with the bacon and the bacon grease and I stared."
"And, I also had to admit, no matter where I went and what I did, Niles didn't seem bothered with whether I arrived safe and sound. He didn't check in, even if I was traveling for work and would be away for a few days. And when I checked in, he didn't seem bothered with the fact that I was checking in. Or, lately (because I tested it a couple times), when I didn't check in and then arrived home safely, sometimes days later, he didn't seem bothered by the fact that I hadn't checked in."
"After doing that, I cleaned up my face. Then I threw another log on the fire. Then I stared at the log burning, trying to sort out my head. Then I failed at sorting out my head. Then when it got late, I made dinner for one and ate cookies for dessert. Then I read until it got later."
“You just need to know, I gotta fight to keep what we got so we can build on it, I will. Him, your Dad, you, I don’t give a fuck. In my life, I’ve learned when to let shit go and when to fight. This, babe, what we got, I’ll fight for.”
Nina (36) was supposed to occupy this house she rented for her timeout. Upon arrival, she met Max (37) the owner of the house who explained that there was a mix up and she couldn’t stay. It was late at night, snowing heavy, and in the middle of nowhere.
In the end, they shared the house together. Nina was sick as a lamb the next day, and Max nursed her back to health. This included: her sleeping in his bed weak and barely conscious, him taking care of her fever, him changing her clothes, and them cuddling.
“Fancy-ass clothes, fancy-ass purse, fancy-ass boots, fancy-ass accent.” His eyes came to my face and he finished firmly. “Duchess.”
“Thank you for showing me it was worth taking a gamble again, darling.” I dropped my head until my lips were against his and finished, “It feels good finally to win and win huge.”
KA Hero: i want you. you're my woman. end of discussion. you're rejecting me?? lol babe, baby, honey, sweetheart. no.
KA heroine: omfg you're f*cking crazy i'm not your woman but also like.......... i am? idk but imma keep rejecting you because i love you??
"Perhaps we should stop talking and go back to relaxing.”
"Explain somethin' to me, babe, why is it you always wanna stop talking when I'm winnin' the fuckin' argument?"
"Because you're more annoying when you're right than you are just normally."
"God, next time I want an adventure, strike me with lightning. You have my permission."
"You just need to know, I gotta fight to keep what we got so we can build on it, I will. Him, your Dad, you, I don’t give a fuck. In my life, I’ve learned when to let shit go and when to fight. This, babe, what we got, I’ll fight for"
"He loved her, Nina, she was his world. When a woman is a man's world and he loses her, ain't nothin' gonna take the place of that and you gotta know that. This is somethin' he wants, Max'll do good by you but he'll know and the whole town'll know, you ain't that to him, what Anna was, you never will be."
“I looked to the ceiling and told God, “God, next time I want an adventure, strike me with lightning. You have my permission.”
“When I met you, my first thought was you were very pretty, great fuckin' eyes, but not my type. High-class which means high maintenance. Then you got pissed and that was it. Even if you hadn't been in that ditch, now you'd still be in my bed. So if you think this attitude is a turn off, baby you're wrong.”
“You think to slide back, settle for something that made you run away because you think it's safe, because it's familiar, because your scare of taking a GAMBLE on me, I'm warning you now, Duchess, I'm not gonna allow that.”
“Babe,” he replied, grinning then said no more. Still being helpful, I explained, “I know you think that word speaks volumes but, I have to tell you, it actually doesn’t.”
“You’re being domineering again,” I informed him.
I felt his mouth grin under mine and watched his eyes do it.
“Yeah, baby, fair warnin’, when we’re naked, you better get used to that.”
I gasped at his words then he kissed me.”
"You think to slide back, settle for something that made you run away because you think it's safe, because it's familiar, because you're scared of takin' a gamble on me, I'm warnin' you now, Duchess, I'm not gonna allow that."
"Fucked her last night, man, and this morning. Five times. Five. It was like she hadn’t been touched in a decade. So fuckin’ sweet. Damn,” he taunted, his eyes locked on Niles. “You’ve had her, you gotta know, not enough money in the world’s worth that."
Learned some things in my life, Duchess, one of the most important, you find a good woman, you take care of her."
"Please."
"This happens between us, Duchess, I'd take care of you."
"Don't."
"Die doin' it," he vowed.
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“You just need to know, I gotta fight to keep what we got so we can build on it, I will. Him, your Dad, you, I don’t give a fuck. In my life, I’ve learned when to let shit go and when to fight. This, babe, what we got, I’ll fight for.”
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"There was a time in my life where I used to roll the dice. I did it a lot and I always lost. Every time, I lost and when I lost, I lost everything. So I got scared of rolling the dice. Thank you for showing me it was worth taking a gamble again, darling. It feels good to finally win and win huge."
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“You know, I do too,” I heard his gravelly voice rumble quietly.
“What?” I asked his throat.
He didn’t answer and when his silence lasted a long time, I lifted my head and looked down at his face to see he looked sated and serious.
“What do I know?” I queried.
His fingers stopped their roaming, one arm locked around my waist, the other hand slid up my spine and into my hair. His amazing gray eyes didn’t leave mine when he answered gently, “I do too. I said it the other day and I meant it.” His fingers tensed against my scalp. “I’m in love with you, Duchess.”
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“In my life, I’ve learned when to let shit go and when to fight. This, babe, what we got, I’ll fight for.”