“Griffin leans closer, his voice dropping to a low, suggestive rumble only I can hear. "There are things I could boast about, but I'd rather show than tell.”

“Temporary homecomings are bittersweet. Sometimes it's better not to go back at all than to have to leave again.”

“Happiness is a strange, frightening, fragile feeling when you're not used to it.”

“The ice inside me melts. Suddenly, I'm burning up and terrified, scared I'll be too weak to resist.Scratch that - I'm petrified I've already given in.”

“I want him everywhere. I burn for him in places he hasn't even touched.”

“I dread this power he has over me. It makes me want to tell him all my secrets and see if he still wants me.”

“Unless they're utterly heartless, people put a certain value on human life. It keeps us from killing each other off for no reason. But for leaders like you and me, a moral high ground is too absolute. There are choices to be made.”

“Have I cheated death again? Hades must be allergic to me.”

“The door opens, and I turn my head, my heart thudding at the sight of Griffin. Tall, broad, muscular but sleek, he stalks into the room like a predator, his gait balanced and sure, his glittering, gray eyes focused entirely on me. Inky hair, a hawkish nose, that stubborn jaw, and thick, black stubble make him look hard and intimidating. With his sword strapped on and his dark brows lowered, he’s a warlord on the prowl. I shiver. I couldn’t want him more.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Griffin asked me to take a chance. On him. On trust. On love. I did, and look where it got me. That my misery is my own damn fault doesn’t escape me. It just makes it worse.”

“His gaze hits mine with the force of a battering ram. He looks… appalled. “I-I won’t do this. I can’t… be with you.”