Cambria Hebert Quotes

I turned around and waved my fingers at Taylor. "Don't worry, I'm nothing to be jealous of. I'm just using Holt for sex. He's so good in bed."
Her mouth dropped open.
I climbed in the truck.
Holt was still laughing when he fired up the engine and backed out of the driveway. Since her car was parked right behind his, he had to swerve wide and drive on the lawn before pulling out onto the street and driving away.
Taylor just stood there and watched.
"You're a little feisty, aren't you?" he said, giving me an approving stare.
"I am a redhead.

I cleared my throat and looked up at him. "I'll just get dressed and meet you in the hall."
He nodded. "I'll have the nurse ready your chariot."
"My chariot?"
He shrugged sheepishly. "I thought that sounded better than wheelchair."
I grinned. "Totally better.

Try them on," I said.
Rimmel pushed the covers back and pulled her bare legs out to pull on the boots. She got one on and tied and then pushed her foot down in the other.
Her forehead wrinkled. "There's something in there," she said and quickly pulled it back off.
"What is it?"
"I'm not putting my hand in there!" she squealed. "It might be a bug."
"A bug?" I was amused. "How would a bug get in there?"
She screwed up her face and stuck out her tongue. "Who knows? Bugs are creepy like that."
I chuckled and shoved my hand down into the boot. She watched like she was expecting something to eat my hand off. I pulled out the square white box and held it out. "I think it might be for you," I said and winked.

Rimmel" title="Cambria Hebert Quotes: Try them on," I said.
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ROMEO: Fastest way to not hear what someone has to say? Hang up on them.

Did it make me an *sshole? Sure did. Did I give a rat's *ss? H*lls no.

You asked me why I'm here," he murmured, leaning in so he was so close his lips brushed mine as he spoke. "This is why I'm here, Rimmel. Can't you feel it too?"
My eyes drifted closed and I nodded. The small movement bumped our lips fully together and neither of us pulled away.
- Romeo & Rimmel

When I burst into the terminal, my eyes swept around, bouncing from person to person in the crowded, bustling space. My stomach fell a little when I didn't see him, but I knew he probably couldn't come this far. He was probably at baggage claim.
I looked around for a sign to point me in the right direction and finally saw one labeled Baggage Claim with an arrow pointing off to the left.
But I didn't follow the arrow.
My eyes fixed on someone standing beneath the sign.
His hands were jammed into the pockets of his well-worn slouchy jeans. The relaxed action pulled the waistband low, highlighting his flat, narrow waist his Henley tee molded to. As usual, he was wearing his varsity jacket and his blond hair was a mess.
My gaze locked on his sapphire-blue eyes and didn't let go. His eyes, ohmigod, his eyes. The blue was so intense it served as an emergency brake on everything in my life. The second I looked at him, everything else came to a screeching halt. I no longer noticed the huge crowd rushing around.
The anxiety-causing flight was just a distant memory, and the two weeks I spent longing for his touch became something I would live through ten times over just to be in this moment with him again.
His lips pulled into a smile and the charm that oozed from every pore in his body made me almost lightheaded. Romeo pulled his hands out of his pockets and straightened, motioning for me.
I rushed across the space separating us, my bag

They were all joking about the party at my place when they walked away. As I uncapped my drink, I noticed Michael was hanging back a bit.
"Got something on your mind?" I called out, gesturing at him with my chin.
He was a good player, he worked hard on the field, and I respected him. I got the feeling, though, that I wasn't going to like what he wanted to say. I could tell by the hesitation in his face and body language. He probably disagreed with some of the plays I wanted to try tonight and didn't want to piss me off in fear I would freeze him out on the field.
But I wasn't like that. I left personal shit in the locker room. There was no room for drama in the game.
He walked back over in front of me as he adjusted the strap on his shoulder. "I'm not sure I should say anything."
"Just say it, man. It's cool."
"I saw your girl this morning." He started, and everything in me went cold.
This wasn't about football. This was personal.
"You looking at Rimmel?" I asked, my voice calm and low.
His eyes widened a little, but he shook his head. "No, man. I probably wouldn't have known it was her, but she was wearing your hoodie."
I nodded for him to continue.
"She was in the hall, outside her class," he said, glancing at me.
He needed to get to the fucking point already. I was losing patience.
"That guy Zach was with her. It looked pretty intense."
I jerked upright. "What?" I growled.
What the fu

The crowd started going crazy. Like even crazier than when Romeo got up from the hit. I was clinging to the railing, wondering if I would like prison, when Ivy sighed. "I swear. You have all the luck."
Confused, I glanced around. Romeo was jogging toward us, helmet in his hands. Quickly, I glanced at the big screen and it was showing a wide shot of me clinging onto the rails and him running toward us.
When he arrived, he slapped the guard on his back and said something in his ear. The guard looked at me and grinned and then walked away.
Romeo stepped up to where I was. At the height I was at one the railing, for once I was taller than him.
"You're killing me, Smalls," he said. "I had to interrupt a championship game to keep you from going to the slammer."
"I was worried. You didn't get up."
"And so you were just going to march out on the field and what?"
God, he looked so… so incredible right then. His uniform stretched out over his wide shoulders and narrow waist. The pads strapped to his body made him look even stronger. He had grass stains on his knees, sweat in his hair, and ornery laughter in his sparkling blue eyes.
I swear I'd never seen anyone equal parts of to-die-for good looks and boy-next-door troublemaker.
"I was going to come out there and kiss it and make it better."
He threw back his head and laughed, and the stadium erupted once more. I was aware that every moment between us was being broadcast like some

It was him - plain and simple. It was having my best friend become my lover, my heart, and the center of my world.

Sometimes silence carried more impact than noise

I tried to get my hands beneath his shirt, but because of the way we were sitting, I couldn't find the hem. Instead, the back of my hand brushed across the undeniable hardness between his legs. The accidental contact made his entire body jerk and go rigid as a groan ripped from his mouth.
"Fuck, Katie."
"I-I'm sorry," I said, my voice low and shaky.
He pulled back, staring down at me with passion in his eyes. "Do it again.

I smiled into his lips, and he continued to kiss me. "Your smile is my favorite flavor," he said, pulling away slightly.

Sometimes in life you had to tie a knot and hold on. I would be his knot.

Braeden had just become my own personal earthquake. Everything inside me felt rattled and shifted. The composition of my insides would never be the same again.

Romeo caught me around the elbow and gently pulled me around. "What's wrong?"
"You used to be just like him," I blurted out. Then slammed my lips together, cursing myself for not thinking before I spoke.
Romeo's brows drew together. "Braeden?"
I nodded. "You liked to have fun. You hit on a different girl every day..." I paused and took a deep breath. "Pretty girls."
Something very close to anger lit up his eyes and burned there like the hottest part of a flame. Before I could backpedal, his large hands slid beneath my arms and hooked beneath my shoulders. Romeo lifted me off the ground like it was easy, like it didn't even take effort. My feet dangled in the air as he drew me up so we were eye to eye.
"A thousand of those girls"- he made a slight motion with his head toward Braeden- "couldn't even make up one of you."
"Romeo," I whispered, caught up in the molten blue flame flickering in his gaze.
"You know I was like that once. I've never made a secret of it. But you're it for me now, Rim. There's no one else. There never could be."

- Romeo & Rimmel

All three of them started my way. I bit back a groan.
"It's you," the guy said, coming up beside me.
My eyes snapped up to his and I realized I knew him. Well, sort of. He'd been with Romeo when I ran into him on campus. People never recognized me, so of course this guy did. Here. Now.
"You know him?" Ivy asked, turning to look at me.
"He's drunk and confused," I said. "Can we go now?"
-Braeden, Ivy, & Rimmel

We were like two sides of Velcro that fused together to create an unbreakable bond. I was the rough side and she was the soft

You saved my life."
"All in a day's work," he said, giving a little shrug.
"Should I call the nurse?" I asked.
Alarm wiped the barely there smirk off his face and stiffened his posture. He leaned a little closer, those eyes sweeping over my body. "Are you in pain?"
"We might need something for swelling," I replied. "I've never seen anyone's head grow so much so fast.

"All" title="Cambria Hebert Quotes: You saved my life."
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You better not be ready to pass out," I told him. "You're way too big for me to pick up."
He cocked his head to the side and regarded me. "And what would you do, Rimmel?" The way he said my name brushed over me like a fine caress. "If I passed out right here?" He bent at the knees as he spoke so he could get closer to my eye level. I saw the playfulness in his depths. I knew he was probably drunk and wouldn't remember this tomorrow. I told myself beer made people do crazy things.
I lifted my chin and returned his gaze. "Well," I said, wetting my lips with the tip of my tongue. "I'd just have to run over you on my way out."
The whites of his eyes grew bigger when they widened in surprise. Then he threw back his head and laughed.
- Rimmel & Romeo

The first time I saw her had been an accident. I was racing through the woods, attempting to run away from what I am, from the life I lived. Before I even heard her I caught her scent and I was lost. I stopped running and turned, seeking out what called to me. When I found her my life changed.

Braeden sighed and looped his arm across my shoulders again and steered me toward a stack of books. "So innocent," he mused. "Tutor girl, as your man's best friend and your self-appointed big brother, I feel like it's time I teach you about the real world."
"You're my self-appointed big brother?" I asked, looking up at him.
He nodded like it was obvious. "You and Rome ... you're an exception to the rule. You two are the real deal, but most guys, guys like me, aren't looking to settle down. They like - "
"To have fun?" I finished for him, slightly amused.
"Exactly."
"But what about the girls?" I asked.
He gave me a clueless look.
I sighed. "Maybe it's me who needs to teach you, brother."
He lifted an eyebrow.
"Guys might want to have fun," I said, using his words, "but girls have a harder time keeping their feelings from getting involved."
"Relax, tutor girl," Braeden said. "I know how to handle things."
-Braeden & Rimmel

The snow was still drifting from the sky when we stepped out into the parking lot. The Hellcat was covered with a fine layer of the white stuff because it'd been parked there for so long. Beside me, Rimmel shivered, and I felt like an ass because she'd been out in this cold half the day and then stood in the drafty tunnel and had to wait on me.
The engine was already purring; I'd hit the electronic start as soon as it came into sight. I pulled off my varsity jacket as we walked around to the passenger side, and I draped it around her shoulders.
"Pretty soon I'm gonna have your entire wardrobe." She smiled and pulled my coat farther around her.
"You can have whatever you want, baby.

They tried not to stare, but they couldn't keep their eyes away. I was a freak now. I made people uncomfortable and not necessarily because of my scars-but because what my scars represented. Danger, fear, and the unknown. Something had had happened to me, something not even I could remember. They all probably thought that I was crazy, that I somehow did this to myself. I couldn't blame them. ow could I? They might be right.

I slept with Braeden. The guy I hated. The guy my best friend wanted.
What's worse? My body craved him. I needed more.

She was a collector of lost souls. The forgotten, the bypassed, the most beautiful at heart. Rimmel saw beauty no one else saw, and even though how she made others feel was amazing, it was nothing compared to the way it made her shine.

Well, since you seem to know everything," I said, dead calm, "then you must also know that I take care of what's mine. You might be president of this frat, but I own the campus. Do. Not. Push. Me.

I was going to be one of those crazy ladies with fifty cats, a recliner, and a coupon addiction. Except my cats were going to be books. Books were way less stinky than cats.

Speaking of… I gotta go. I need to be at the field." His voice rumbled through his chest and against my ear as he spoke.
I sighed and stepped out of his arms. I was sad that our couple days together were over and I would be here tonight without him. Classes started tomorrow, and I knew we were going to see a lot less of each other now that the semester was starting.
"I'll walk you out," I said and followed him to the door.
Ivy was still digging through my clothes and called out a good-bye.
"Just stay inside," he said, palming the handle. "It's cold and slippery out there. You'll be safer in here."
I grimaced. "You're probably right."
He grinned. "I'll call you later, 'kay?"
I nodded.
He released the door handle and closed the distance between us with one step. The toes of his shoes bumped against my boots and the front of his jacket brushed against me.
My stomach fluttered and my heart rate doubled. The effect he had on me was nothing short of amazing. I tipped my head back so I could look up into his eyes, and the corner of his mouth lifted. He looked at me with so much affection in his gaze that emotion caught in my throat. He didn't have to say anything because I heard everything just by looking in his eyes.
My fingers curled around the hem of his shirt and tangled in the cotton fabric, and at the same time I stretched up, he bent down.
The feel of his lips against me was my favorite sensation. Nothing compa

My name might be Arrow, but it was Hopp who'd pierced my heart like one. I

Hey, I'm sorry." He actually sounded sincere. "I was just ... " He glanced at me, and I raised my eyebrows, waiting for his explanation. He sighed. "I didn't ask for a tutor. It was sort of pushed on me." I crossed my arms over my chest, the movement making the strap of my book bag fall down my arm, and the bottom of the bag hit me in the leg. I ignored it. "Well, I didn't sign up for this either." His eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Seriously?" "You think I don't have better things to do than sit around this place?" His face turned sheepish. "Well, no." I growled a little because his answer was idiotic.

Women don't like to be told what to do. They like to be the ones telling us what to do. You want her to do something, you're gonna have to go about it a different way.

Everyone started to file toward the door, crowding each other in their attempt to get the hell out of this flying deathtrap. I stood and waited for my turn, hefting my purse over my shoulder, and turned my cell phone back on. The second it lit up and I was able, I shot out a text.
Landed. Getting off now.
Romeo's response was instant, and I smiled.
I'm waiting.

ROMEO: If there was one thing I'd learned over the past few years, it was life wasn't easy. In fact, at times, it was f*cking brutal. Family was supposed to be the exception. Family was supposed to make life easier. It wasn't always that way.

Guess that's why the six of us formed our own family. A family by choice and out of loyalty.

RIMMEL: Drunk girls were idiots.

That dude is a class-A douche nozzle."

-Braeden

I didn't know I came off as a judgmental asshole," he mused. "You don't. But you are a total alpha male and you know it." "All the men in this house are," he retorted. "Maybe, but I think we both know you're number one." "Have you met my wife? She totally runs me.

I was into her and it was creating some kind of war inside me. A war between the guy I was and the guy everyone wanted me to be. It never used to be a competition. I was happy to be that guy. The player, the football star, the charmer. I was those things. But I was more.

If you don't want me to be your boyfriend, what do you want me to be?" This was highly amusing but in a kind of appropriate way. It seemed like there was nothing traditional about Drew and me, so why should the way we referred to our relationship be? "You're my person," he concluded after a moment of silence. "My exclusive person." I laughed. "Your exclusive person, huh?" He nodded. The scruff on his jaw scratched against my chest. "And I'll be yours." "Kind of like out of everyone - women and men alike - I'm the person you chose," I mused. "I like it.

Dude," Braeden said and bit down on his knuckle. "You've gotta tap that." I laughed. "Been there, done that." "Then I gotta tap that."
-Braeden & Romeo

I wanted him to take over. I wanted to follow his lead, not because I was weak, but because every good warrior used a shield.

long since given up trying to

And so I can't give you my body, and you can't give me your heart." I surmised, depression threatening to swallow me whole.

He smirked. "Don't worry, Kelly. I won't say a word. I don't want anyone to know I'm here either." "You don't?" I echoed, surprised. I thought he'd be shouting it down the halls. I mean, him staying with Kelly Ross? He'd be instantly popular, and I'd be a laughingstock. "No," he said, his voice flat. I felt my mouth drop open again. Eric let himself in his "new room" and before I could recover, shut the door in my face.

Pam went to the refrigerator and started piling some cold cuts and cheese on the table. "Katie, honey, hand me that bread over there," she said, pointing to the counter behind me.
I handed it to her and she smiled.
"Holt, I'm making your father a sandwich. Do you want one?"
"I'm starved," he said.
"You just ate!" I exclaimed.
"You ate all my bacon," he accused.
"I did not!" I laughed, reaching in for a slice of bread and throwing it at him.
He snagged it out of the air and took a huge bite.
Holt's dad grinned. "I like this one, son. Better not let her go."
"I don't plan on it," he said, giving me a meaningful stare.
I felt my cheeks heat and I made myself busy putting together a sandwich for him.
"Katie, make one for you too," Pam said, handing me the mayo.
"Oh, no. That bacon really filled me up." I grinned slyly.

Don't forget this moment. Don't forget the absolute truth in the way you feel right now. I love you and I'm not going to stop.

wondered, I want to help her.

C'mon, man!" B exclaimed. "It's one thing to be gay, but pinky swearing is for chicks!" "You do it, too," Ivy said, stepping through the doorway. "So don't be acting like you don't." "Burned," Rome sang. "Aww, baby, why you gotta do me like that?

Sometimes as I laid there with my Walkman and headphones, I'd stare at the closed door and know she was just across the hall. What was she doing?

So, Freckles," he said when I sat down.
"Freckles?" I interrupted.
"You said I couldn't call ya, Katie-cat."
I shuddered. "I do have a given name, you know."
"I don't want to call you what everyone else calls you."
"You don't?"
"Nope."
"Why?" I asked suspiciously.
"Because I'm special."
"There goes that ego of yours again." I held out my arms wide. "Big," I mouthed.

Rimmel: I finally accepted the fact I was really struggling today, and with that acceptance, it became a little easier to breathe.

You're a fireman?" I asked. "You're the one who ... ?"
He nodded. "I'm a firefighter."
"You threw me into a pool." I scowled.
He grinned. "You were on fire."
"Well, there is that," I allowed.

I took her face in my hands and tilted it up so I could stare into her eyes. "Listen to me. My reacting to someone putting their hands on you is not me being dramatic; it's me loving you."
"Oh, Romeo," she sighed my name and my cock hardened.
I pulled her into my chest and wrapped my arms around her. "Being an asshole is just part of my charm, baby," I said matter-of-fact, unable to keep the smile out of my voice. "This is just me loving you."
"You love real good," she mumbled against my chest, pushing a little closer.

Romeo appeared in front of us, crossed his arms over his wide chest, and stared at me and Braeden. Braeden didn't seem to mind the death glare he was receiving. "You're looking awful cozy over here with my girl."
"I was just schooling our girl here on the ways of the world," Braeden replied smoothly.
"Our girl?" Romeo repeated.
"Don't get your panties in a twist." Braeden grinned.
I interrupted their macho talk with some talk of my own. "He was asking about Missy."
Romeo grinned.
Braeden dropped his arm from around me and gave me a look of betrayal. "What happened to brother-sister confidentiality?"
I laughed.
"Dude, there's a hot girl in line over there," Romeo said, motioning with his chin. "Go get in line behind her."
Braeden turned and a slow smile spread across his stubbled jaw. "Day-um," he said. "Good looking out, Rome." He held up his fist and Romeo pounded his against it.
"Tutor girl," Braeden said, and then he was gone.

When did everything get so damn complicated?" "When your life became about more than just football." "You sound like Yoda." I grinned. "It's the beer.

I'm hideous"
"You could never be hideous"
"Forget it" I wanted this conversation over.
"I can't forget it," Gran said, not giving up so easily. "I don't like to hear you talk about yourself that way. Your scars do not define you, young lady. Your action do.

"You could never be" title="Cambria Hebert Quotes: I'm hideous"
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You know how to shoot a gun?" "Nope." I passed it back to her. "Safety's off. Point it and then pull the trigger." "What if I shoot myself?" "Don't." "Thanks for the lesson." "Anytime, babe.

Are you going to the bonfire tonight?" he asked, shoving his papers in his bag. He had no organization at all. "No." He glanced up in surprise. "No?" Then he smiled. "Is fun not your thing?" I stuck out my tongue. "I didn't realize a fire in the middle of a field was considered fun." He was already standing, towering over me, but once I spoke, he dropped back into his chair and rotated so his body faced me. "It's not necessarily what you're doing. It's who you're doing it with."
-Romeo & Rimmel

I am a lot of things, young lady ... Grim Reaper, Death dealer, fate sealer ... but I am no liar.

Before I knew what I was doing, I was out of my seat and rushing up toward the railing that divided the seats from the field. I had to make sure he was okay. I couldn't just sit here and watch him lie there in pain.
I heard my name called, but I ignored it as I flung my leg over the top railing and prepared to hoist myself over.
One of the guys working security happened to see me and he rushed over and ordered me to stop.
"I can't. That's my…" My voice broke. I couldn't force the word boyfriend between my lips. It just wasn't enough. It just didn't describe how desperate I was to get to him.
"He's my everything," I finished.
The security guard gave me a grim look. "You can't come on the field."
A lone tear tracked its way down my cheek, and I craned my neck. Frustrated, I glanced up at the big screen to see if it was showing a different angle.
But they weren't playing Romeo. They were focused on me.
I blinked at the site of me half straddling the railing and the security guard standing there with a grim look on his face as he stared me down. My cheeks were red, behind my glasses, my eyes wild.
I turned away from the screen, irritated that they weren't focused on Romeo.
I glanced at the guard. "I'm coming over."
He crossed his arms over his chest as if to say, I dare you.
I flung my other leg over so I was balanced on the bottom rung.
"This is your last warning," the guard shouted.
The crowd st

I stood slowly and deposited Rimmel beside Ivy. "Watch her," I said.
Rimmel huffed and muttered something about not being a dog.
Then she barked.
Ivy laughed.
It probably wasn't my best idea to have one drunk girl look after another, but I had a jaw to punch.

The right kind of love is supposed to bring out the best in people.It adds to your life,fills in all those gaps you didn't even realize where there.

No one wanted to deal with damaged. It made them uncomfortable.

Kissing him was like seeing the ocean for the first time. Meeting something so big it made you feel small.

What's the matter, Freckles?" he said, pressing a light kiss to the tip of my nose.
"What changed?" I blurted out.
He drew back. "Changed?"
"You seemed like you were trying to keep distance between us before, but after last night…"
"I should get a medal for managing to keep my hands off you that long."
"It was only a few days," I reminded him dryly.
"Felt like a lifetime."
"So those first kisses… you liked them?"
His eyes widened. "You thought that I didn't?"
"Well, after that you didn't touch me."
"Shit," he swore beneath his breath and ran a hand over his head. "I liked it too much. The sparks between us are so hot, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to stop. I was afraid I would scare you off. Thank God I did because you're so innocent."
Innocent? Ugh.
I folded my arms across my chest. "So what changed your mind?"
His smile was sexy and filled with innuendo. "I realized you could handle the heat."
I still wasn't so sure, but I didn't tell him that. "Well, you are definitely hot."
He grinned. He had such a big ego. "How hot?"
I shook my head. "So hot your touch leaves torch marks on my skin."
He whistled between his teeth. "Damn. I'm good.

How in the hell could you have given me your heart?" I wondered aloud. "Because you're the one who taught it to beat again.

Leaving Lily standing exactly where he had

You look ... " she said, her voice trailing away as she looked me over again. I braced myself for some polite answer. But what she said surprised me. "Like a warrior.

Baby, I would go anywhere for you. I would drop everything and come running.

My hair floated out around me with the evening breeze, and Romeo caught a strand of it before he opened the door to the car. "You really do look beautiful," he murmured, dipping his head low.
"Thanks," I said against his lips.
His kiss ignited instant desire inside me. Even though I spent last night with him, and the night before, I missed him terribly. I felt like we hadn't had enough alone time. I wanted more. I wanted so much more.
He groaned and pulled back. "Let's get this dinner over with," he said grumpily. "I want to spend some time alone with you."
"You read my mind."
"Now that the season is over, we'll have more time together."
"Want to just go to Taco Bell and hide at your place?" I asked when he slid into the driver's seat.
He laughed. The sound filled the interior of the car. "Why, Rimmel," - he pressed a hand to his chest like he was scandalized - " are you suggesting we stand up my mother?"
I giggled.
"I knew it," he drawled. "Underneath that sweet exterior lies the heart of a baddie baddie."
I laughed out loud. "A baddie baddie?"
"Like totally," he said in a valley girl voice and pretended to flip the long hair he didn't have.
God, I loved him.
"So what do you say?" I taunted as I smiled. "Want to play hookie?"
He groaned. "I'd love to, baby, but we can't."
I stuck out my tongue.
"Watch what you do with that thing, baby girl."
"Yeah? Or what?" I challenged. <

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, his entire body tensed and he looked at me swiftly. He started to pull out, alarmed, but I wrapped my legs around him and pushed him deep.
Romeo's groan filled my ears as I felt him jerk inside me as he spilled his hot seed inside my body. I'd never felt anything more intimate in my entire life.
I kissed his shoulder and the inside of his neck when he partially collapsed on top of me.
I let out a sigh, content.
He pulled back and looked at me, his eyes unfocused and droopy. "I had no idea it would feel like that."
"Me either."
"Promise me you won't let anyone ever do this with you. Just me," he demanded. "Only me."
He was so possessive. He was so selfish when it came to me.
I liked it.
Maybe I shouldn't, but my God, I did.
"What about you?" I asked.
"Oh, baby, the thought of dipping my dick into anyone that isn't you does nothing for me."
"Okay." I agreed. "Only you."
His tongue stroked over mine, mingling and tasting me like he just hadn't had enough.

You know you're a clumsy person when you cause other people to fall down.

My brain was the internet, and I had one thousand tabs open all the time.

You adopted him," I said when Romeo sat on the coffee table in front of me.
"You love him," he said simply. Like that was all he needed to know.
"But you'll have to take care of him. Feed him. Give him water. Change the litter box."
"Thought maybe you'd want to help."
I looked up. Our eyes locked.
"What if I say no?" I asked. "What happens to Murphy then?"
He shrugged. "He's a cook cat. I'll keep him. He can watch football with me on Sundays."
I couldn't help but smile at the image that cast in my head.
"You'd really do that?" I whispered.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Yes." Then his stoic eyes turned playful and his smile came out. "You wanna watch football with me on Sundays too?"
- Rimmel & Romeo

She ducked her head into my chest, and I smiled. She brought out these tender feelings in me I'd never experienced with anyone before. I used the hand that was already draped over her shoulder and tugged on her braid. "Some girls are probably gonna say shit, Rim," I said. "Some bitches be devious."
She giggled and looked up at me as we stopped beside the Hellcat. "Some bitches?"
I grinned. "Just keepin' it real."
- Romeo & Rimmel

I liked having a person who was so strong; that way I could borrow some of his strength when I was feeling depleted.

His hand lightly pressed to the small of my back, and I turned. His arm slid around me and I was brought up against him. 'You're shaking,' he said, a frown lacing his tone. 'I know.' 'We don't have to,' he said. 'I'm a patient man.' 'Are you really?' I asked, my tone slightly rueful. His white teeth flashed. 'For you I would be.' The sincerity in his voice was my undoing. 'No more talking,' I whipered.
- Romeo & Rimmel

He reached down and fingered his hoodie on the bed. 'You sleeping with this?' His voice grew raspy. I shrugged. 'Maybe.' He growled, wrapped his arms around me, and buried his face in my shoulder. 'You really test my limits,' he said. Then I heard him mumble, 'Already.' 'Your limits?' I asked, pulling back to look at him. 'If you were any other girl, I would already have you naked and beneath me.' His words should have shocked me. Maybe made me angry. They didn't. They turned me on. I shivered with newfound desire. He groaned and sat me aside and stood from the bed. 'You're killing me, Smalls.' 'Smalls?' I giggled. He grinned. 'That's what we call the small players on the team.' 'I'm not on your team.' I pointed out. 'No. But you are mine.'"
"- Romeo & Rimmel

I went and turned up the heat and hit the switch for the gas fireplace on the wall opposite the bed. Flames roared to life and filled the dim room with dancing orange.
"This sure beats my dorm room," she half sighed.
I laughed and turned. The breath I was taking in froze halfway to my lungs. She was sitting in the center of my bed, the blankets rumpled and piled around her. My shirt was way too large and the neck slipped down low over one of her slim shoulders, exposing a wide patch of creamy skin. Her cheeks were pink and her lips were swollen. The long thick mass of her hair was tangled and messy, falling around her face and down her back.
I'd missed her.
I'd missed her even more than I'd let myself realize. But seeing her sitting there taking up so little space in my bed but so much room in my chest was sorta something I couldn't deny.
She tilted her head and looked at me, wrinkling her nose. "Do I look a mess?" she asked.
I shook my head, unable to speak. I never thought this would happen to me. I never thought I would love someone so much. So fast.

You're the only one who's ever been in here. You're the only one who's ever had the most important part of me. You're the one who turned a man who vowed to never love into one who loves completely." "How do you do that?" she whispered, not pulling her face away from mine. "Do what?" I stroked the backs of my fingers across her cheek. "Pull me back in the second I start to drift away?" I smiled. "I told you I was dropping anchor." "Don't ever let me go, Braeden." "Oh, baby." I vowed, "Never.

The memories still seemed to haunt me at a moment's notice.

Romeo leaned forward and lifted my chin with his fingers. My eyes connected with his and this ... this current went through the room. His fingers slid from beneath my chin and tucked the hair behind my ear. "You're beautiful," he said, a hint of surprise in his tone.

There is this quote that I read a long time ago. A quote that I loved and made me feel strong. It had stuck with me over the years, like so many of the other words by the author.
And though she be but little, she be fierce.-Shakespeare
I thought about that quote right now.
I might be little. I might be easily intimidated, but I could be fierce.
I was fierce.

The waitress delivered me a plate of towering blueberry pancakes dripping in butter. The sweet scent of the fluffy goodness had my stomach rumbling in appreciation. I pushed back my tall glass of orange juice to make way for the food that was about to be introduced to my belly. I swirled my finger around in a giant pad of softening butter and brought it to my lips as the waitress handed Holt his own stack of pancakes plus a plate loaded with scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. When she was gone, I reached for the syrup.
"Are you trying to kill me?" Holt said, leaning over the table and stabbing his fork in my direction.
I glanced dubiously at the fork. "Are you trying to kill me?"
He grinned. "You can't just go around licking your fingers like that, Freckles. It makes a man forget he's in a public place."
I laughed and dug into my pancakes, shoving an unladylike bite into my mouth and then groaning as the sweetness slid over my tongue.
"There you go again," he said, his eyes darkening with desire.
"Wasn't last night and this morning enough for you?" I asked playfully.
"I don't think I'll ever get enough of you.

This is how it should have been that first night down on the sand," he whispered. "This is our beginning Ivy. I want to make it official. I want there to be no doubt, 'cause I'm gonna do stupid shit all the time." I giggled, and his white teeth flashed. "I'm gonna leave the toilet seat up. I'm gonna be overprotective, probably bossy, and my temper is always gonna run hot." "I don't care," I told him, sliding my hands up to rest on his chest. "Tell me you'll be my girl, and I swear I'll love you with everything I got." "I'm always gonna be stubborn. I'm not gonna take your shit. My makeup will be all over the bathroom, and I still don't have a major. Oh, and I want to keep Prada. You have to like her, too." "I already told Rim to get your adoption paperwork ready for that rat." Then in lower tones, he said, "She's grown on me." I smiled. He totally loved Prada. "So what's my answer?" He tightened his arms around my waist. I pretended to think it over. A girl should never sound too eager-even if she was practically peeing herself with glee. "Blondie," Braeden growled. "I'm already yours, B. I have been for a long time.

I was turning into a pervert.

Tell me what happened."
"He was here," I said, hoarse. "He lit the can on fire and took the extinguisher nearby. I ran to the back to get the other and he pushed one of the shelves over on me."
The muscles in Holt's jaw clenched and flexed beneath the stubble that lined his face.
"Do you ever shave?" I wondered out loud.
He smiled and rubbed at the gruffness. "I just trim it."
I nodded.
"Do you like it?" he asked.
Once again, I touched him, brazenly running my hand along his jaw. It was soft and rough at the same time - the perfect balance. "Yeah, I do."
"Good to know," he said, taking my hand, linking our fingers together, and then his face grew serious again.
"Obviously, I avoided the shelf."
"Did you get a look at his face?" I cringed at the hopefulness in his voice.
"No," I admitted. "I tried, but he kicked me."
His eyes went murderous. Maybe I shouldn't have said that.
"He. Kicked. You," he ground out, making each word into a pointed sentence.
This time I kept my mouth shut.
"Where?" he demanded.
I wasn't going to reply, but his eyes narrowed and I knew he would eventually make me tell him. I was going to have to tell the cops anyway. Weariness floated over me at the thought of enduring yet another one of their hours-long interrogations.
I lifted my wrist, the bandage just dangling from the area now, not covering or protecting a thing.
The waves of hatred that roll

But I started writing professionally about two and

It isn't about what other people think," she said. "It's about the way you feel. Being put together on the outside makes you feel better on the inside.

I'm hitting the shower," Braeden said and slammed his locker shut.
"Hey," I said and caught him by the shoulder.
He glanced around at me. "You wanna tell me why Rimmel called you before the game?"
Braeden spun. "Did you go through my phone?"
"Did you lie to me about my girl?" I countered.
He wiped a hand over his face. "Fucking A. Don't put me in the middle, Rome."
"You're my best friend, asshole. There is no middle. It's my side."
"Hey now," he said. "Sisters before misters and all that."
"What the fuck does that even mean?" I drawled, amused.
"It means I've taken her on as my little sister. You're her mister. I'm officially in neutral territory.

You killing me smalls.

I was stronger. Not healed. I would never be "healed." I didn't think there was such a thing for a person who'd lost a child. It was simply learning to live incomplete.

Ivy linked her arm through mine again and I led her toward where I left the car. As we walked, some shrieking, and yelling broke over the sounds of the party, and I glanced around for what was going on. Over on the other side of the fire, two girls were on the verge of what looked like a fight. I couldn't help but stare because I was so surprised. One of the girls reached out and yanked a handful of the other's hair. It was all downhill from there.
Beside me, Ivy laughed. "That's what she gets for trying to steal someone's man."
I tore my eyes off the fight and glanced at Ivy. "Seriously?"
"Them bitches be cray-cray," she slurred.
I didn't understand what that meant, but I laughed because it sounded ridiculous.
- Ivy & Rimmel

My head cleared the water, and a strong arm wrapped around my middle as my lungs automatically sucked in air. I started coughing immediately, water sputtering out of my mouth.
I blinked against my blurred vision as commotion erupted around me.
"Help me, man," a voice said. It was desperate and raw.
Romeo.
"I got her," said another familiar voice, Braeden.
He slid his arms beneath my arms and towed me up out of the water. My legs buckled, and instead of letting me fall, he scooped me up and held me against him.
I dropped my head against his shoulder and wrinkled my nose. He didn't feel right.
The sound of splashing water drifted over, and I flinched against the sound.
"I got her," Romeo said, and I was shifted against a chest I knew very well.
I was home.
I whimpered because he felt so good, and his arms tightened around me.
"Don't let anyone in the house," Romeo said, and I heard Braeden agree.

Surly. I eyed him, biting my tongue, wanting to tell him to back the hell up and go talk to

I felt lucky to love him in that moment. I understood exactly why I could. I tucked that feeling deep down inside me, because I was sure I would need it later.

He reached across the car and took my hand. "I know I haven't been around as much," he said, "but after today, my schedule won't be so busy."
"I understand," I said softly. And I did. "Football is your life. It's your dream."
He made a sound. "You're just as important to me."
I smiled. "I have to admit I won't be upset when this game is over and all the girls around here stop wearing your number all over their bodies."
His white teeth flashed. "Is someone jealous?"
I snorted.
His smile grew wider.
"Maybe a little," I admitted.
He lunged forward and in seconds had me in his lap, my legs straddling him so we were face to face. He buried his hands in my tangled disaster of hair. I admit I hadn't even brushed it when we got out of bed this morning.
"You're my favorite girl," he whispered.
"I better be your only girl."
He smiled. "That too.

We walked hand in hand toward the diner, until Ivy froze in her steps. 'What's wrong?' I asked, skimming the area around us, looking for some kind of threat. She made a sound of panic. 'Ivy?' My heart was starting to beat faster. 'I'm still wearing your shirt!' She hissed. 'Is that all, woman? Please.' I started walking again. She refused to budge. I turned back and lifted and eyebrow. 'What now?' She stepped up close and whispered dramatically, 'I'm not wearing a bra either!' I matched her tone to whisper back, 'Good thing the girls are perky!' 'Braeden!' She gasped. I threw back my head and laughed. 'C'mon. I'm so hungry I could eat the rotten end of a pig.' 'Oh my gosh, that's disgusting!' she burst out as I towed her along behind me. 'Awe, baby. That hurts my feelings.' She made a rude noise, and I grinned. I opened the door to the diner, and she walked in first. I had to hold back a smile when she crossed her arms over her unleashed girls. This chick was fucking hilarious. Rimmel waved wildly from a booth near the window. Ivy hurried to the table and slid in across from Romeo and Rimmel. I followed with a lot less hurry in my step and slid in right next to Ivy. Romeo looked at Ivy, then at me. We exchanged a look. He held out his fist to pound it out. I obliged. 'About damn time,' he grunted. Then he glanced at Rimmel, who had her hair piled on the top of her head and a pencil sticking out of the mess. 'Can we order now, smalls? I'm so hungry I could eat the ass out of a

Don't call me that." She looked down.
I tipped her face back up. "What?"
"Baby."
Shit. I called her baby?
"Why not?" I asked. I was supposed to tell her she'd been hearing things. That grief was making her cuckoo.
"Because I like it.

Romeo had the attention span of a slice of bread.
Which is none at all.
Every time I start to explain something, it's like not only his eyes glazed over, but his entire body. At one point, I wondered if it were possible for him to be asleep with his eyes open.
And God, he smelled good.

Romeo came forward and grabbed me by the shoulders. "What the hell were you thinking?"
I stared at him blankly.
He blew out a frustrated breath. "You got in between me and a chair, Rimmel."
"He was going to hit you," I said, grim. "I wasn't just going to stand there. I won't let him hurt you."
"I'd rather him hurt me than you." His voice was gentle. Then he smirked. "That chair wouldn't have hurt me anyway.