J.T. Geissinger

“Let it be. Accept that you have warring factions inside you. If you’re living by your core values, all the second-guessing is just noise you can give yourself permission to ignore.”

“He could be Jack the Ripper and I’d still let him come all over my tits.”

People say time heals all wounds, but those people are assholes.

What if this whole love thing wasn’t meant to work out for either one of us, and in the end

“I want everything you have to give, Natalie, for as long as you want to give it to me.”

“You’re a woman.”

I decide not to be insulted by the overt sexism and smile at him instead. “You noticed! Was it my boobs that gave it away?”

His gaze drops briefly to my chest. Then he meets my eyes again. “Yes.”

“Let’s just say she’s not exactly a romantic.”

Kage takes my face in his hands. He gazes at me, his lips curved into a tender smile. “Neither was I. She just hasn’t met The One yet.”

My mouth goes dry. My pulse surges.

Is he telling me I’m The One for him? I mean, obsession and true love are two very different things.

“That’s where people go when they need to feel better: home.”

“But your home is in New York.”

“Home can be a person, too. That’s what you are for me.”

I’m his queen…and he’d kill his own king for me.

But maybe this isn’t a random declaration.

Maybe it’s a plan.

The arrogant, entitled, contemptuous look certain wealthy people wear. That expression of exaggerated self-importance you have when you’re going around being billionare-y all over the place and sneering at the common folk like me.”

His eyes darken, and so does his energy. He gazes at me in silence for a moment, then says, “You’re anything but common. And I’d never sneer at you, Emery. Never at you.”