“No man would ever hold me this well. I was made to be wrapped in these arms.A woman could tell a lot by the way a man holds her. She could tell if he had the strength to endure the rougher moments. If he had a mighty yet kind heart. If he could make her feel safe and cherished.Beau’s embrace said all that and more.”

“Suddenly he caught his reflection in the mirror behind her. His face was twisted into a dark scowl, and he was standing there naked, with a boner, and another man’s business card in his hand.He looked like a dick.”

“He tends to go for girls who are-Shelby, honey? Put your hands over your ears for just a sec.” Back into the phone he said, “He likes the real slutty ones. Ow!” he yelled when he received a whop to the back of the head.”

“We’ll make out for a while and you’ll feel better.”

“How do you know?”“Well, I don’t, I’m making this up, but I bet I’m right.”

“He has the body of a professional athlete, chiseled to perfection in all the right places.”

“Wow,” she said. “Do you realise how wonderful you sound?”“Yes, I do,” he said with a firm nod. “And I think I’m underappreciated.”

“To her surprise, Lucky tilted his head and looked her in the eye, appearing oddly…crestfallen, she thought. “Don’t be nervous,” he said. “I hate making you nervous.”

“Forgive me for being the stupidest man on the planet?”“Careful. You’re talking about the man I love.”

“The second he slipped inside of me, all I’d doubted, questioned, or feared evaporated, leaving me with one single, definite truth–I’d fallen in love with him in an all-consuming blaze that would blind me if I wasn’t careful. We fit together like poorly cut puzzle pieces, but when the edges joined and were positioned just right, our scattered images came together to create a solid, deliberate piece of art, completely crystal clear and in focus. I was a goner.”

“What sort of look are you going for?” Damn, how did he answer this? “Something…normal,” he finally said.”

“I’m the guy who knows how you can hurt so much that your insides feel like they’re cut and bleeding.”

“Three Denises wobbled in front of her, all of them watching her with fond concern. “You’re a sweetie. I appreciate you cheering me on from the sidelines. But I think I need to go to the bathroom now and throw up.”

“I know you don’t like to believe you ever need to be taken care of, but I can’t stand the idea of you being sick and alone. I need to be here for you, babe.”

“Maybe we’ll admit this thing we have is perfect, not worth messing around with. And stay together forever. If you’re interested, that is.”She glanced away. “I could think about that.”He buried his face in her neck. “Think fast”