“Forsaking the shield of insensibility she had tightly woven over herself during her years as a gelder, she unbarred her heart. She invited him in.”

“To tell a love story true, a romance writer must bare hearts, souls and bodies.”

“Fully revealed, the green eyes pierced her heart. In them, she sensed pain, loneliness and despair. Yet they weren't seeing her. Focused on the movement of the blade, the mesmerizing gaze seemed a world away. Stroke after stroke, the unmasked face appeared in the mirror.”

“Forsaking the shield of insensibility she had tightly woven over herself during her years as a gelder, she unbarred her heart. She invited him in.”

“God, please God, touch me, inflame me, burn me, drive me insane with desire but don't let go of me, do not let go of me. - GABRIEL -”

“Then his beautiful lips touched hers. A fluttering of wings, a cry of angels, a single beat of two hearts.”

“I long for your embrace, your warmth, and your gentleness. I crave your touch. Your body, your mind, your words move me. I fear I am not capable of expressing the depth of my emotion, for I have never known such a feeling and never will again. As much as I have striven to remain detached, my heart and my soul belong to you, now and forever.”

“His thumb touched her lower lip, his eyes fixed on her. As if he couldn’t be stopped, the words flowed out of his mouth. “I want to take you in my arms, to kiss you long and hard, to touch you like you’ve never been touched, to give you the pleasure I feel running in your veins.”