"It was as if he wore a mask and whatever went on behind it wasn't for the world --or her--to see. And she wanted to. She wanted to be that woman, the one who knew him inside and out."

"He presented a mask of indifference to the rest of the world, but for her--and their future children-- he would be different. He would share fun and laughter."

"There was something about those cold, cold eyes that set off sparks in her. Not just sparks. A timber fire. He found something deep inside her that had never been touched before and it ignited just for him."

"Excitement had her blood rushing through her veins and her heart beating wildly. That was it. All of it. He made her feel alive. Every second she was with him, no matter the emotion. She felt intensely alive."

"Her eyes caught him first thing. They were almost too big for her face. A very light brown, amber really, like a fine whiskey you spipped at night when you just wanted to lay it all down."

"Keep making fun of my name and every time you order a drink, I'm going to put something in it you aren't going to like," Ashe muttered under her breath."

"She'd managed, in a very short period of time, to slip under his guard and get inside him. There was something very valiant about her."

"Evangeline lifted her gaze to his. At once she felt herself drowning. Caught. Captive. There was no looking away from either the man or the leopard. Both stared back at her, wholly focused on her. A shiver went down her spine. In that moment she couldn't decide if she was prey or under his protection. Maybe both. She wanted to be both."

"Emma, I'll never be easy. I won't. I'm not going to pretend your life will be a bed of roses, but I can tell you that no man will ever need you more, or want you more, or love you more than I will."