Emma Chase Quotes

The day that changed my life was one of those days. The crappy kind.

Normal people have a whole lot of them.

It starts when I open my eyes - forty minutes later than I'm supposed to. Stupid alarm clock. It should know I mean a.m. Who the hell needs to wake up at four p.m.? No one, that's who. Forget about self-driving cars; Google needs to move their asses on self-aware alarm clocks. ~ Emma Chase

Then I pace the floor, rocking him softly in my arms, patting his ass. You know I must be really desperate - because I try singing: Hush, little baby, don't say a word Daddy's gonna buy you a . . . I stop - because why the fuck would any baby want a mockingbird? None of those nursery rhymes make any goddamn sense. I don't know any other lullabies, so I go for the next best thing, "Enter Sandman" by Metallica: Take my hand, We're off to never-never land . . . ~ Emma Chase

Princess. This is surprising. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I need your help."

He chuckles. "Oh how the mighty have fallen. I love it. How can I be of service?"

I've never met another man who could so artfully convey in his tone the opposite of what his words mean. Sarcasm, thy name is Willard ~ Emma Chase

I want to figure her out, to learn every part of her – the soft curves, the sharp edges, the dark, shadowy corners she tries so hard to hide. I want to break down her doors, climb her ivory tower. I want to slay all her fucking dragons. ~ Emma Chase

What happened to your fingers?" She's referring to the Band-Aids that cover four of my ten digits.
"Mushrooms. Spongy little bastards don't appreciate being sliced. ~ Emma Chase

I feel her hips push forward against mine.
And any blood left in my body descends, making me harder than I've ever been in my life.
Weeks of want and frustration are coursing through me. I've brushed with Colgate for far too
long - and it's tasted like shit. ~ Emma Chase

If you put two pregnant hamsters in the same cage, you know what they'll do? Eat each other. Female hormones are like undetonated warheads. There's just no telling when they're going to go the fuck off. ~ Emma Chase

Challenge rises in her eyes. "You're assuming I actually liked you to begin with. You know what they say about people who assume, ass. ~ Emma Chase

What if the reason I've never let myself fall in love with a woman is because I didn't have anything to give? Because I'd already given my heart to her when we were seventeen years old? And all these years ... I've just been waiting for her to come back to me with it. ~ Emma Chase

I want to hear you say cock."
Lenora's eyes flash to mine. And she frowns.
"Those are cheap words. Vulgar words."
"They're real words. Hot words. Sensual words real people use in the throes of passion and fucking and lust and love. If you can't bring yourself to say it, sweetheart, you've got no business getting anywhere near it.
Lenora lifts her chin and lets out a shuddery breath. And then she looks me right in the eyes – stunning in her stubbornness – and that beautiful bud of a mouth gives me exactly what I want.
"Cock."
And it's fucking sublime. ~ Emma Chase

She talks like you. It's not every day you hear a four-year-old say Prince Charming is a douchebag who's only holding Cinderella back."
"That's my girl. ~ Emma Chase

I thought for sure you were about to ravish her. I've read a lot of books, and that was just like a scene that ends with the hero ravishing the maiden."
"I was closer to strangling her."
The little old lady chuckles in a knowing kind of way. "That's a different kind of book, sonny. ~ Emma Chase

The only reason I really believe in my own goodness is because I see it reflected in her eyes
-Jake Becker ~ Emma Chase

Because Logan is shirtless too. And in the immortal words of Joey Lawrence . . . whoa. ~ Emma Chase

And I know someone who's
perfect for her. He works in my lab. He's smart. He's funny. His name is Bert."
Bert?
Is she fucking kidding me? What kind of sick son of a bitch names his kid Bert in this day and
age? That's just cruel.
"He'll show Kate a good time. I plan on setting them up this weekend."
And I plan on handcuffing myself to Kate's ankle and eating the key. Let's see what kind of good
time Bert can show Kate when she's dragging me around behind her like a Siamese twin. ~ Emma Chase

I saw your interview," she tells me. "You should smile more. You used to seem like such a happy boy."

"I'll try to remember to pretend to be happier. ~ Emma Chase

It's nice to meet you, Evay.' I hold out my hand.
She just stares at it - like it's a spider crawling out of the shower drain. 'I don't make direct female-to-female contact. It depletes the beautification cells.'
O-kay. I glance at Billy. He seems unperturbed. I hook a thumb over my shoulder. 'So...do you guys want to eat? How about a booth?'
When Evay answers, her tone is airy, dazed, like a concussion victim. Or an acting coach - *be the tree.*
'I have my lunch right here.' She opens he realm to reveal an assortment of capsules that make my prenatals look like baby candy. 'But I need water. Do you have clear water from a snowy mountain spring?'
Wow.
Somebody call Will Smith - aliens really have landed.
'Uh...we don't get much snow around here, this time of year. We have Greenville's finest tap water, though.'
She shakes her head. And she still hasn't blinked. Not one freaking time.
'I only drink snowy mountain spring water. ~ Emma Chase

She straightens, and runs her finger over her lips, gazing down at me. "Did you feel that?"
The spark, the electricity. The desire that feeds on itself, relishing the relief of contact but always wanting more.
"Yes."
She takes my hand and places it over her breast – where her heartbeat throbs wildly in her chest. "And do you feel this?"
My own chest pounds with the same rhythm.
"Yes."
"Some people go their whole lives without feeling that. ~ Emma Chase

This is ... beautiful, Brent. Thank you."
"That smile is all the thanks I need. ~ Emma Chase

Her name is Mackenzie. She's got long blond hair and the biggest blue eyes you'll ever see. She's almost four. See her there? On the other end of the seesaw I'm currently riding. ~ Emma Chase

Because apparently One Direction's superpower is instant friendship. Someone should ship them to the Middle East so they can get to work on that Israel-Palestine thing. ~ Emma Chase

I'm not a fool; I know Ellie's crushing on me hard. I'm aware of how she looks at me when she thinks I'm not looking: so idolizing it feels like I'm on a pedestal fifty-feet tall. Other times, her stare is so naked with desire it hits me like a punch to the gut. Because as alluring as Ellie is…she's also young and way fucking off limits. ~ Emma Chase

You are woven into my soul and you are wrapped around my heart. ~ Emma Chase

No, I haven't fucked her. Not that I wouldn't love to. Trust me, if she didn't work for me, I'd hit that harder than Mohammed Ali. ~ Emma Chase

I screwed the pooch with Kate - okay, you're right, where I pretty much fucked the whole kennel ~ Emma Chase

Uncle Drew?"
"Yes?"
"Is you gonna die alone?"
i smirk. "I don't plan on dying for a long time, honey"
"Momma says you're gonna die alone. She tol' Daddy that you gonna die and it be days till a Cleanin' lady find your rottin' corpse."
lovely. Thank you, Alexandra
"Wha's a corpse, uncle Drew?"
Wow. ~ Emma Chase

When he's gone, I turn around to ask Olivia if she's all right, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't expecting a little show of gratitude. Perhaps with her mouth, hopefully with her hands - and just maybe if she's really grateful, she'll bring some hip-grinding action into the equation. She gives me some mouth, all right. "Who the hell do you think you are?" Her hands are on her hips, her cheeks are flushed and she's livid. Cock-stirringly stunning - but absolutely furious. "Do ~ Emma Chase

Life is a short, wild ride. Don't try to put the brakes on, don't over-analyze or try to control it. If you're lucky, like I was, you'll find that perfect someone who'll sit next to you and hold your hand through every curve, every up and down. ~ Emma Chase

Actions win wars. Actions heal wounds. Not words. Words are cheap. Mine, particularly. -Drew Evans. ~ Emma Chase

Five thousand dollars? For a kiss?"

"That's what I said."

"With tongue?"

"It's not really a kiss without it.
Just say yes, pet. You obviously need the money."

I gasp before I can stop myself. I didn't think five words from a stranger could hurt so much. What a dick.

"For fuck's sake, Nicholas," Simon says.

But he just looks at me, waiting, those arrogant green eyes alight with anticipation. So I give him what he's waiting for.

"Hands under the table," I order.

He smiles wider, puts his flask in his pocket, and does what he's told.

"Close your eyes."

"I like a woman who's not afraid to take charge."

"No more talking." He's said more than enough.

I lean in, keeping my eyes open the whole time, memorizing every angle of that face, feeling his warm breath against my cheek. This close, I can see the shadow of stubble on his chin and for just a second, I let myself wonder what it would feel like scratching against my stomach, my thighs - everywhere.

Then in one move, I pick up his plate - and smash the apple pie in his stupid, handsome face.

"Kiss this, asshole. ~ Emma Chase

What'd you do to your face?" she asks, folding her arms. I touch my chin. "I grew a beard." "Well ungrow it. It looks like a vagina from a 1970s porn film. ~ Emma Chase

I sprinkle some flour on the dough and roll it out with the heavy, wooden rolling pin. Once it's the perfect size and thickness, I flip the rolling pin around and sing into the handle - American Idol style.

"Calling Gloriaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa . . ."

And then I turn around.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Without thinking, I bend my arm and throw the rolling pin like a tomahawk . . . straight at the head of the guy who's standing just inside the kitchen door.

The guy I didn't hear come in.

The guy who catches the hurling rolling pin without flinching - one-handed and cool as a gorgeous cucumber - just an inch from his perfect face.

He tilts his head to the left, looking around the rolling pin to meet my eyes with his soulful brown ones. "Nice toss."

Logan St. James.

Bodyguard. Totally badass. Sexiest guy I have ever seen - and that includes books, movies and TV, foreign and domestic. He's the perfect combo of boyishly could-go-to-my-school kind of handsome, mixed with dangerously hot and tantalizingly mysterious. If comic-book Superman, James Dean, Jason Bourne and some guy with the smoothest, most perfectly pitched, British-Scottish-esque, Wessconian-accented voice all melded together into one person, they would make Logan fucking St. James.

And I just tried to clock him with a baking tool - while wearing my Rick and Morty pajama short-shorts, a Winnie-the-Pooh T-shirt I've had sinc ~ Emma Chase

Remember when I said all guys talk to their friends about sex?
Well, we do.
But no guy talks to his friends about sex with his girlfriend. Ever. ~ Emma Chase

Those are the girls I want to meet in a bar on a Saturday night - not the kind I want answering my phones Monday morning. ~ Emma Chase

You have the maturity of a 14-year-old boy!" Kennedy hisses.
"And you have the chest of one. ~ Emma Chase

Making love sweetly has its place; long hours of endless foreplay are great, too. Hell, I can even get into the romance stuff – candles and rose petals and warm baths. But hard, fast fucking should never, ever, be underestimated – 'cause it's awesome. ~ Emma Chase

Remember those dogs I was talking about? The cues? While I was watching TV, I missed a few. Take a look:
Steven is smiling, almost laughing. After all the punishment he's received from my sister over the years, he's developed quite the sadistic streak when it comes to other people getting their asses handed to them.
Then there's Matthew. God only knows what kind of sick and depraved penalties Delores has inflicted on that poor bastard, because he just looks scared.
Kate, on the other hand, is staring at my hand like it's a cockroach. That she wants to squash. And then she gets an idea - a wonderful, awful idea. If you look hard enough, you can see the light bulb go on above her head. She smiles and leaves the room.
I missed all this the first time. ~ Emma Chase

Every healthy man in the world wakes up with a stiffy. A fatty. Morning wood. I'm sure there's some medical explanation for the phenomenon, but I just like to think of it as a little present from God.

A chance to begin the day with your best dick forward. ~ Emma Chase

I'm not gonna wish you happiness, 'cause you've already got that. So I'll just say, may the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon our face. May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live. May there be a generation of children on the children of your children. May you live to be a hundred years, with one extra year to repent. And may the saddest day of your and Kate's future be no worse than the happiest day of your past. ~ Emma Chase

The whole world is a court case ... and we're all ... defendants. ~ Emma Chase

I sigh. Because love is all around me. And I'm Ms. Lonely.
And then my gaze is moving . . . I don't have to scan the room to find Logan, I know just where he is - it's as if my brain has a 24/7 GPS on him.
But the crazy, awesome, amazing thing that gets my heart pounding so loud it drowns out the sound of the music? When I look at Logan St. James across the room, he's not searching the crowd for threats. He's not looking in front of him, so he's ready for whatever may come.
Instead, when I indulge in my daily Logan stare-fest . . . he's staring right back at me. ~ Emma Chase

I shake my head. Eye on the prize, Sofia. And no matter what my clitoris might believe, the prize is not Stanton Shaw's glorious, golden penis. ~ Emma Chase

Henry slides his hand into her hair and brings her face to his. "Go in the back with Logan and Ellie. I will take care of this."
Sarah blinks, breathing deeply. Then she shakes her head. "No. No, I can do it. I need to, I think. Just . . . stay with me?"
Henry brushes her hair back. "Always. ~ Emma Chase

Yelling is a sign of desperation, an indication that you're out of options, with nothing behind your back but volume. ~ Emma Chase

I don't want to control her; I just want to keep her. Her gentle spirit, her kind loveliness has become the center of my world and I'm not sure I know how to function anymore without it. ~ Emma Chase

It makes me want to kiss her and strangle her at the same time. I've never been into S&M. But I'm beginning to see its benefits. ~ Emma Chase

She braces her hands on the table, leaning forward. And I have a whole new esteem for gravity - because it's that force that causes her blouse to pull away from her body, giving me a delectable view of her stunning tits encased in delicate black lace. ~ Emma Chase

Vaginas beat penises every time.
They're like kryptonite.
Penises are defenseless against them. ~ Emma Chase

I wrap my arms around her and kiss her forehead with more tenderness than I ever knew I was capable of. ~ Emma Chase

You're so stubborn – you're so stuck on what you think is supposed to be there, that you're missin' what's right in front of you. ~ Emma Chase

The racket reverberates down the second staircase and spills out into the kitchen, and the two screeching, running kids who are making it do laps around the island like a fucked-up Hunger Games version of ring-around-the-rosy. ~ Emma Chase

Lady Sarah steps in, wearing her nightclothes under a fluffy ivory robe and a chastising expression. Behind her glasses, her eyes narrow on Henry.
"So this is how it's going to be, then? Married only a few days and I already have to search the palace to drag my husband to bed?"
Henry goes to Sarah, like an invisible rope is reeling him to her. "Dragging me to your bed is something you'll never have to do, love. You can even tie me there whenever you like, and I'll be happy to reciprocate."
He kisses her mouth, as she blushes deep and bright.
She leans back. "Then why are you down here instead of up there with me?"
"There was an emergency."
"What kind of an emergency?"
"You're not going to believe it."
"Try me."
"Logan and Ellie are fucking."
She automatically glances at me, and her cheeks deepen to a shade of crimson. "I'm sure there's a more delicate way to word that, Henry."
Henry nods, soberly. "You're right, I'm sorry. Let me try again: Logan and Ellie are humping, like insatiable randy bunnies, all over the palace."
Sarah shakes her head. "You're hopeless."
The Prince grins broadly. "It's part of my charm."
"What am I going to do with you?"
Henry kisses her again. "Take me to bed. Obviously. ~ Emma Chase

Anyway. Give me your ten."
"I've had sex with more than ten women in one week."
Cancun. Spring Break 2004. Mexico is awesome.
"Uck. Is that supposed to impress me? ~ Emma Chase

NO WOMAN IS BORN A QUEEN, no matter the title attached to her name at birth.
Kings are crowned. But queens . . . queens rise ~ Emma Chase

I've kept a tally of the alcohol Ellie's consumed - three martinis at the dinner reception and four whiskeys neat at the pub. She downs a fifth one like water.

"You're a Viking!" Henry encourages her.

"Vikings!!!" Ellie shouts.

When the Prince calls the bartender for another, I push my way through the crowd to Henry.

"She's had enough," I tell him quietly.

"She's fine." He waves his hand at the air.

"She's just a girl," I insist.

Ellie takes exception, poking my arm with her finger and slurring. "Hey! I resent that. I'm a matter adult. Mattur. Ma-ture." She tilts her head, gasping. "Oh my God, I just realized that except for one letter, mature and manure are the same word! That's so weird."

I turn back to Prince Henry. "Like I said . . . more than enough."

He leans across the bar towards Ellie, holding up two fingers. "Ellie, how many fingers do you see?"

Ellie squints and strains, until finally she grabs Henry's hand and holds it still.

"Four."

"Brilliant answer!"

"Was I right?" Ellie asks hopefully.

"No - if you'd gotten it right, I'd be really concerned." Then he bangs the bar with his palm. "Another round!"

That's when Ellie slides clear off her stool. I catch her before she hits the floor, but just barely. And then I glare at Henry.

"Mmm . . . perhaps we have reached our quota for the evening." He ~ Emma Chase

In light of this, I'm not too disturbed about the semi I'm sporting while watching Beauty and the Beast - part of the homework Erin gave me. I like Belle. She's hot. Well ... for a cartoon, anyway. She reminds me of Kate. She's resourceful. Smart. And she doesn't take any shit from the Beast or that douchebag with the freakishly large arms ~ Emma Chase

She crosses her arms. "Are you trying to be cute?"

"No. I don't have to try…it just sort of happens."

Her brow furrows just slightly, like she can't decide if she should be angry or amused. I feel myself smiling. "What's your name? I don't know if I asked before."

"You didn't. And it's Liv."

"That's an odd name. Were you ill as a baby? I mean, is live what your parents were hoping you'd do or did they just not like you?"

Her lips fold like she's fighting a grin. Amused is in the lead.

"Liv, Livvy - short for Olivia. Olivia Hammond."

"Ah." I nod slowly. "That's a beautiful name. Much more fitting. ~ Emma Chase

God! Oh God!"
I smile as I pick up the pace, "God's not the one fucking you, baby. ~ Emma Chase

I don't want to share my daughter's affection with another man. But I also don't want to tear her in half – make her choose between the two people she loves most in the world. It's not her job to protect my feelings or her mother's. It's our job to protect hers . ~ Emma Chase

Who needs dignity? Pride? They're overrated. When you've got nothing, you've got nothing left to lose. ~ Emma Chase

I don't wanna go. I want to defile the prestigious Plaza Hotel by having you ride me like a slutty mermaid in the bathtub. ~ Emma Chase

Self-doubts are like weeds; if you don't deal with them right away, they multiply. And before you know it, your garden looks like a jungle in Vietnam. ~ Emma Chase

I notice that he keeps his head down, his chin tucked - trying to conceal his face.

I lift his chin. "This hiding-in-plain-sight thing only works if you don't act like you're trying to hide something."

He grins a little self-consciously - and the dimples show up. Mmm.

"Most of the people here would never think that you'd be here - and the few that do are probably too chill to make a big deal about it. New Yorkers are cool about celebrity stuff."

He looks at me like I'm nuts. "Not the ones I've seen."

I shrug. "They're probably from Jersey. ~ Emma Chase

Happy ending aren't just for royalty. Happy ending are for all of us. ~ Emma Chase

Don't worry?" I parrot. "This is like some Game of Thrones bullshit right here - how the hell are we supposed to not worry?"

Henry explains.

"It's not as if we don't ever get hate mail. Or online threats - it happens all the time. I had five stalkers by the time I was sixteen."

Henry shrugs at my sister. "You're not really a royal until you have a stalker - welcome to the club, Olive."

Nope. That doesn't make me feel even a little bit better. ~ Emma Chase

Her lips are moving. I know she's trying to tell me something.
What it is? No clue.
"I don't even know what that means!"
She points her finger at me. And hops up and down. "Yes, you do! You're just purposely not seeing my point to drive me crazy."
No, I'm really not. Because judging from this conversation? She's already there.
And then a thought occurs to me. "Are you on the rag?"
Her mouth opens wide. And you might want to take a step back, because I think her head might actually explode. ~ Emma Chase

In a nutshell: I control my dick. My dick does not control me. At least, that's what I've been telling myself for the last hour and a half. ~ Emma Chase

I wouldn't fuck her with a ten-foot dildo. Okay, that's not true. I'd so fuck her. But I wouldn't like it. Yeah you're right. That's not true either. ~ Emma Chase

That's because stacked on and around her desk, in neat skyscraper-high columns, are books. About three dozen of them. For a moment, I freeze, my mouth open and my eyes wide with shock. Then, inanely, I wonder how the hell she got them all up here. Kate weighs a buck-ten at best. There's got to be several hundred pounds of pages in this room. It's then that her shiny dark head emerges over the horizon. And, once again, she smiles. Like a cat with a mouthful of bird. ~ Emma Chase

Sometimes I think I'm schizophrenic. Dissociative. Possibly a split personality. It wouldn't be unheard of. All sorts of disorders show up in ancient family trees - hemophiliacs, insomniacs, lunatics…gingers. Guess I should feel lucky not to be any of those. ~ Emma Chase

She took my razor and kicked me out. Unlike women, guys don't need privacy. There is no bodily function a man won't perform in front of an audience.
We have no shame. ~ Emma Chase

I've never had a fetish, but I'm thinking about starting one. ~ Emma Chase

In a louder voice than I'd intended, I say, "Hey, beautiful."
"Shhh!" She attacks. "If you wake that baby, I'll pluck out every pubic hair you have the next time you fall asleep."
My eyes widen. She's been spending way too much time with Delores these days. ~ Emma Chase

Behind Nicholas, Henry paces back and forth, with a large open book in his hands.
"Didn't we used to have a dungeon downstairs?" the blond prince asks his older brother.
"Could've sworn I found it when I was six or seven. Gave me nightmares for a week." He points at an image in the book and smiles manically. "That device looks like it hurts - we'll order two."
Huh. I thought I was just teasing Ellie about the dungeon. ~ Emma Chase

I've never had someone who was just mine, body and soul – mine to protect and hold and love. And that's what Sarah is…she belongs to me now. We belong to each other. ~ Emma Chase

I've been thinking about something – almost constantly, actually – and it's something we need to discuss."
Her head tilts with curiosity. She stands.
"This sounds serious."
My aching balls couldn't agree more.
I sit on the cushioned chair, leaning back – watching her every move – while she moves to the sofa just across from me. Lenora sit prettily, legs crossed at the ankles, hands demurely resting in her lap like the gracious lady she was raised to be.
"What would you like to discuss, Edward?"
"Fucking."
And she flinches so hard she almost comes out of her seat. I smirk shamelessly while she unleashes her fiercest scowl.
"Must you call it that?"
"I really must, love. ~ Emma Chase

What are you giving him?"
She grins smugly. "Only the greatest gift a woman can give the man she loves."
I take my best guess. "Anal?"
Kate covers her eyes.
Dee-Dee's smile turns into a scowl. "No
pig. I'm giving him the gift of health. My acupuncturist cleared her schedule. She's going to work on Matthew the whole day."
I laugh. Because this explains so much.
"That's your gift? Really? It's the guy's birthday and you're gonna make him get needles stuck in his face all day? What are you gonna get him for Christmas - a colonoscopy? ~ Emma Chase

I think you might be a bully, Prince Henry."
"Well, in grade school I did enjoy pulling on the girls' braids. But these days I only tug on a woman's hair in a very specific situation." His voice drops lower. "Let me know if you're like a demonstration. ~ Emma Chase

I am in love with you. When I look at you, think about you, I can't decide if I want to fuck you, strangle you, or just hold you in my arms. Usually all three. And if that's not love, I don't know what is" ... "You're everything I've been searching for, before I even knew I was looking. ~ Emma Chase

Some battles don't have a winner. Sometimes the best a good general can hope for is a ceasefire ~ Emma Chase

I pull back and tell him, "You're amazing."

He gives me a soft smirk. "That is the general consensus."

I smile. "And I love you."

He sets my feet on the floor but keeps his arms around my waist. "Good. Then you're going to let me put three locks on the door of whatever apartment you decide to move into. And a chain. And a dead bolt."

I smile wider. "Okay."

Drew slowly steps forward, backing me up toward the bed.

"And you're not going to bitch when I have a security system installed."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

We take another step together, almost like we're dancing.

"I'm thinking about buying you one of those 'I've fallen and I can't get up' necklaces too."

My eyes squint as I pretend to think about the idea. "We'll talk about it."

"And . . . you're going to let me walk you home from work every night."

"Yes."

The back of my legs make contact with the bed frame.

"I'm also going to come to every doctor's appointment with you."

"I didn't for a second imagine you wouldn't."

Drew cups my face in his hands. "And one day, I'm going to ask you to marry me. And you're going to know it's not because you're pregnant, or because of some misguided attempt to keep you."

Tears spring into my eyes as we gaze at each other.

In a rough voice, he continues, "You're going to know I'm asking because noth ~ Emma Chase

I woke up and you weren't here."

Her eyes drift over my arms and chest, laden with weaponry. "What are you doing?"

"I'm leaving."

Her brows pinch. "Where . . . where are you going?"

When I speak, I barely recognize my own voice.

"I'm going to find your father, and then I'm going to kill him. Badly. I thought it'd be rude not to ask if you'd like to come along and watch. ~ Emma Chase

I've long suspected something about the Queen that no one else has: despite her steely exterior, Her Majesty, Queen Lenora of Wessco has a soft spot. It may be small and rarely used . . . but the bugger's there. ~ Emma Chase

There are so few people in the world who have the chance and the power to change it. But we can, ~ Emma Chase

And if I strike out? At least I'll go down swinging. If I crash and burn and she grinds my ashes into the dirty with her heel? So be it. But I have to try. Because…
Well, because she's worth it. ~ Emma Chase

Then I hear Willard on the sidelines: "Are we supposed to keep pretending they're actually talking about the book?"

"Wait," Annie responds, "they're not talking about the book?"

Willard pats Annie's head. "You're so pretty. ~ Emma Chase

Swooning is real…and it's rather brilliant too. ~ Emma Chase

If nightmers can come true, and sometimes they do... than so can our happiest dreams. ~ Emma Chase

Life changes us, with its twists and turns, in ways we don't always see coming. It changes what we want, what we dream, lays blessings in our hands better than anything we could've imagined. ~ Emma Chase

My office door slams open, leaving a dent in the drywall.
Here we go.
"You are driving me crazy!"
Her cheeks are flushed, her breathing's fast, and she's got murder in her eyes.
Beautiful.
I raise my brows hopefully. "Crazy? Like you want to rip my shirt open again?"
"No. Crazy like the itch of a yeast infection that just won't go away."
I flinch. Can't help it.
I mean - Christ. ~ Emma Chase

You should address me as Queen Lenora or Your Majesty."
Another should
I hover over her.
"But you're not, are you?"
She lifts her chin to look up at me.
"Not what?"
"My Majesty," I say softly. I drop my eyes, dragging them over every inch of her, all her delectable swells and valleys. And she is glorious to look at.
"At least…not yet. ~ Emma Chase

I take a pull of my beer. "So it's just that easy, then?"
Nicholas glances at me thoughtfully. "When you look at her, does the whole world just sort of . . . fade away? And she's the only thing you see? The only thing you ever want to see?"
I smile stupidly. "Yeah . . . yeah, it's just like that."
"Then yes, it's that easy. ~ Emma Chase

Hey - we have a problem. You have some unexpected guests down at the gate. You should go check it out."

Guests? Who would come here to see me?

I hop in the golf cart and drive down to the main gate. Just in time to hear Franny Barrister, the Countess of Ellington, tearing into a poor, clueless Matched security guard.

"Don't you tell me we can't come in, you horse's arse. Where's Henry - what have you done with him?"

Simon, my brother's best friend, sees me approach, his sparkling blue eyes shining. "There he is."

I nod to security and open the gate.

"Simon, Franny, what are you doing here?"

"Nicholas said you didn't sound right the last time he spoke to you. He asked us to peek in on you," Simon explains.

Franny's shrewd gaze rakes me over. "He doesn't look drunk. And he obviously hasn't hung himself from the rafters - that's better than I was expecting."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

Simon peers around the grounds, at the smattering of crew members and staging tents. "What the hell is going on, Henry?"

I clear my throat. "So . . . the thing is . . . I'm sort of . . . filming a reality dating television show here at the castle and we started with twenty women and now we're down to four, and when it's over one of them will get the diamond tiara and become my betrothed. At least in theory."

It sounded so much better in my head.

"D ~ Emma Chase

For a second, I'm stunned. She wanted this. Just as badly as I did. And I wasted all that time eating chicken Marsala - when I could have been eating her. God. Damn. ~ Emma Chase

There's two of him?"
Chelsea grins. "If that's your way of asking if Rory has a twin, then the answer is yes."
"I see you've met my brother," the boy says, apparently used to this reaction. "Don't judge me just because we share the same DNA. You've heard the term 'evil genius'?"
"Yeah."
"Rory's the evil. I'm the genius. ~ Emma Chase

I carry Kate to the elevator, our lips and tongues dancing furiously. I didn't lock my car. I don't think I even closed the door. Fuck it. They can steal it. I have more important matters at hand. I stumble into the elevator… ~ Emma Chase

- "He means - just how long have you been sticking it to the girl who's like a little sister to us?"
"That's a fairly recent development. But I have loved her for a long, long time. ~ Emma Chase

Okaaay. Time to go, peanut."
"Go? But I like it here! It's fun."
I sweep her into my arms. Even at dead weight, she feels like nothing. "It's all fun and games until someone gets a concussion. ~ Emma Chase

When we pull back into the castle courtyard, James is waiting. And he does not look happy. Actually he looks like a blond Hulk . . . right before he goes smash. Sarah sees it too.

"He's miffed."

"Yep."

We get out of the car and she turns so fast there's a breeze. "I should go find Penny. 'Bye."

I call after her. "Chicken!"

She just waves her hand over her shoulder.

Slowly, I approach him. Like an explorer, deep in the jungles of the Amazon, making first contact with a tribe that has never seen the outside world. And I hold out my peace offering.

It's a Mega Pounder with cheese.

"I got you a burger."

James snatches it from my hand angrily. But . . . he doesn't throw it away.

He turns to one of the men behind him. "Mick, bring it here."

Mick - a big, truck-size bloke - brings him a brown paper bag. And James's cold blue eyes turn back to me.

"After speaking with your former security team, I had an audience with Her Majesty the Queen last year when you were named heir. Given your history of slipping your detail, I asked her permission to ensure your safety by any means necessary, including this."

He reaches into the bag and pulls out a children's leash - the type you see on ankle-biters at amusement parks, with a deranged-looking monkey sticking its head out of a backpack, his mouth wide and gaping, like he's about to eat whoever's wearin ~ Emma Chase

And if anyone ever pressures you or hurts you . . .
I will tie them to a tree and burn them alive. ~ Emma Chase