01c. 1980 ADAm I glowing?""Like a Christmas tree.""Not just the star?"The bed moved a little, and I felt his hand brush my arm. "No. You're super bright. It's kind of like looking at the sun.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
02c. 1980 ADEat it," I ordered, holding it with two hands now, making it dance in the air. "It's begging you. 'Eat me'."He arched a brow."Perv," I muttered.Aiden pressed his lips together, but when he glanced at me and my dancing bun, he burst into laughter. "All right, give me the bun.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
03c. 1980 ADWhen I got home, a spicy scent lured me into the kitchen. My stomach grumbled and I might’ve started drooling the moment I spotted the cheesy enchiladas cooling on the counter.They were drenched in homemade queso.My favorite.Dropping my bag on the floor, I skipped over to where Rosa was placing the plates on the table. I wrapped my arms around her from behind and squeezed.Rosa laughed as she turned. “It’s the queso, isn’t it?”Nodding, I dropped my arms and stepped back.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
04c. 1980 ADSilence is not a fucking virtue. It’s a disease—a cancer that eats away at you and fucks with your head.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
05c. 1980 ADThe mansion was as silent as I wished the inside of my head could be. No noise – not even a ragged inhale of breath or a whispered word. Truly blissful.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
06c. 1980 ADBut if you take off your clothes, I’m sure I can get them dry.”My eyes went wide. “Are you trying tog et my naked?”His silvery gaze met mine. “Do you really need me to answer that?”A hot, sweet flush stole across my cheeks. When he was like this—open, flirty, and downright sexy—I was at my lamest. I wasn’t used to this side of him. I don’t think I ever would be, and there was something thrilling in that. But I stared at him, caught between the images playing out in my head and the very real man standing before me.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
07c. 1980 ADThere were always choices. I’d made a string of bad ones myself. At least I could admit that.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
08c. 1980 ADHe returned my smile with a half grin. "So what do you blog about? Knitting? Puzzles? Being lonely?Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
09c. 1980 ADI think it's obvious if you're wanted here or not.""Daemon," hissed Dee, her cheeks red. She turned to me, tears in her eyes. "He's not being serious.""Are you being serious, Daemon?" Ash turned in his lap, head cocked to the side.My heart was already pounding in my chest when his eyes met mine. His were sheltered. "Actually I was being serious." He leaned over the table, staring up at me through thick lashes. "You're not wanted here."Dee spoke again, but I was beyond hearing. My face felt like it was on fire. People around us were starting to stare. One of the Thompson boys was smirking while the other looked as though he wanted to crawl underneath the table for me. The rest of the kids at the table were staring at their plates. One of them snickered.I'd never been more humiliated in my life.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
10c. 1980 ADThis reminds me of old times,” he said, and his lashes lifted. As his gaze drifted over me, it was focused but all too brief, because he looked away, a muscle working along his jaw. “Kind of.”A flush raced across my cheeks as I switched out the ball for a new one. He was right—this was like all the other times I’d cleaned him up. Well, when I was younger, I tried to clean him up, but had no idea what I was doing, but as we grew older, and he got into fights defending me or for some other reason, this was our routine.Except I was pretty sure that when his gaze roamed over me just now, he’d checked out my breasts, and that was definitely something that hadn’t happened before.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
11c. 1980 ADYou worry about hurting me, but you never seem to worry about me hurting you. And I’m the one with the killer touch.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
12c. 1980 ADSo how long do I have before—what were their names? Carl and Rosa? Yeah, that’s them. How long do I have before they come back?”“I don’t know. Maybe...maybe an hour or so?” My hands felt incredibly small in his.That lopsided grin was back. “I doubt they’d be happy to find me here.”“Why?”His brows rose. “Maybe I’m wrong. They used to coming home to find some strange guy sitting on their couch?”I rolled my eyes.“That’s it, isn’t it?” Rider tugged on my hands, and I rose, letting him pull me down to the couch beside him. He leaned back, sliding one arm around my shoulders and tucking me against his side. “Just par for the course with you, huh?”I didn’t know what to do with my hands since he’d let go of them, so I folded them in my lap. “I’ve never had a...guy here.”Rider stiffened and then he twisted his neck so he was looking at me.Did I seriously admit that out loud? Squeezing my eyes shut, I sighed. “I’m just...going to shut up now.”He chuckled. “Don’t do that. I like listening to you talk.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
13c. 1980 ADI ate lunch with Keira today. Second day in a row,” I told him, then winced at how stupid that sounded.Rider’s grin turned into a full smile, transforming his handsome face into the kind of masculine beauty that was like a punch to the chest. “That’s really good, Mallory.” His voice dropped as he reached over, curving his hand over my arm. There was a near electric rush from his touch. “I’m proud of you. For real.”Giddiness surrounded my heart as I stared at his large hand, darker than my own. He knew how big that was, and I didn’t feel so idiotic. He got it. He got me. And that meant the entire universe to me.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
14c. 1980 ADI loved you when I was eight. I loved you when I was twelve. I loved you when I was twenty, and I... I love you now.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
15c. 1980 ADThey all had their own struggles and stories to tell and they al made it to this point, happy and in love.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
16c. 1980 ADIt’s just snow,” Lesa said, rolling her eyes. “It’s not going to hurt you.”Kimmy smoothed her hands over her blond hair. “Sugar melts.”“Yeah, and shit floats.” Lesa took her seat, yanking out last night’s English homework.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
17c. 1980 ADI would give Alex back control so she could protect herself instead of making the decision for her.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
18c. 1980 ADUh…I’ve seen you around here a couple of times,” he said again, staring at the book I held. “‘I had come face to face with some one whose mere personality was so fascinating that, if I allowed it to do so, it would absorb my whole nature, my whole soul, my very art itself.’”I stared. “What?”His lopsided grin spread into a full one, and it felt like someone had socked me in the chest. “It’s a quote from Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray. It’s one of my favorite books.”Hot and smart. And apparently he was a real-life boy.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
19c. 1980 ADA soft smile curved up her lips, and my gut dropped a little. A smile…I’d never known a smile could have that kind of effect. Could feel like a kick to the chest.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
20c. 1980 ADI’m glad...you texted.”Rider tilted his head to the side. “Yeah?”I nodded, probably a little too eagerly, but as the dimple in his right cheek took shape, it was like being rewarded. Our eyes met for a moment, and I didn’t want him to leave. An urge took me like it had during lunch, and I all but bounced forward. Gripping his arms, I stretched up and kissed his cheek. It was pretty much just a peck, so I figured it wasn’t crossing any lines, but the feel of his skin under my lips was still unnerving and unexpected.“Be careful,” I whispered, backing off.Rider’s grin faded from his handsome face. A moment passed before he spoke. “Always, Mouse.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
21c. 1980 ADThe drawings make you smile,” he replied with a grin. “Working on the speech doesn’t do anything.”That...that was so sweet, I wanted to hug him tight, kiss him, too. “Working on your speech will make me smile, too.”His brows lifted and then he flipped his notebook closed. “I know what else will make you smile.”“What? You actually doing some homework?”“Nope.” He glanced at the door again and then rose. “I think me sitting closer to you will make you smile.”The boy knew me well.He took a step closer. “I think holding your hand will make you smile.”I straightened as I watched him.“And I think...” He sat on the edge of the bed and twisted his body toward mine. “I think kissing you will make you smile, too.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
22c. 1980 ADYou should be working on your speech instead of staring,” Rider said, never taking his eyes off his notebook.Paige’s dark eyes flew to me and then narrowed.Heat exploded across my cheeks.“And you should actually be working on, I don’t know, your speech?” Hector grinned as he gestured to his paper, which appeared to have actual words on it. “And please don’t stare at him, Mallory. Because of Paige, his ego is already big enough. He doesn’t need any help.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
23c. 1980 ADThere you go. That ego of yours getting in the way," I teased."Of what?""The perfect package."He snorted. "Let me tell you, I have the perfect--""Don't be gross.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗
24c. 1980 ADI cupped her chin and tilted it back, deepening the kiss, wanting to somehow claim her very soul. Funny thing was, it was my soul that was being claimed, my breath that was being stolen, and my heart that was pounding crazy fast in my chest.Jennifer L. Armentrout / quote ↗