Sylvain Reynard Quotes

These hands are yours. You can use them
for good, or for evil. And no amount of nature, biology, or DNA determines those
decisions for you. ~ Sylvain Reynard

You've transformed from a rabbit into a furious kitten. Well, you scratched me deeply today, my kitten. You drew blood with every word. Are you happy now? Now that you've humiliated me in front of my students by reciting all my secret sins? It was a true bonfire of the vanities, with you lighting the flame. ~ Sylvain Reynard

In Dante's philosophy, lust is a misplaced love, but a kind of love nonetheless. For this reason, it is the least evil of the seven deadly sins. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Gabriel smiled slowly. I will always need you, Julianne. ~ Sylvain Reynard

You are my sticky little leaf. My beautiful, sad, sticky little leaf, and I want to see you happy and whole. ~ Sylvain Reynard

said once that you were not my equal, but my better. ~ Sylvain Reynard

She was sweetness and light, gentleness and goodness, and the burning and searing goal of all his earthly hunts and fascinations. ~ Sylvain Reynard

The blue sky blushed to see such passionate lovemaking, while the Florentine sun smiled down, warming the lovers despite the gentle breeze. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Thank you for making everything beautiful just by being. -Gabriel ~ Sylvain Reynard

I breathe you," he whispered. "You're everything. You're the air."
-Gabriel ~ Sylvain Reynard

She was both perfect and untouchable, a brown-eyed angel dressed in resplendent white, while he was older, world-weary and wanting. ~ Sylvain Reynard

You know, the act of feeding someone is the ultimate act of care and affection ... sharing yourself with someone else through food." He held another mouthful of cake under her nose. "Think about it. We are fed in the Eucharist, by our mothers when we are infants, by our parents as children, by friends at dinner parties, by a lover when we feast on one another's bodies ... and on occasion, on another's souls. ~ Sylvain Reynard

We don't have to forget the past," he whispered. "But we can make the future better. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Don't you think you deserve to be the center of someone's universe? Instead of chasing after someone who wants someone else? ~ Sylvain Reynard

I spent too long in the shadows ... I'm looking forward to being in the light with you. ~ Sylvain Reynard

I think if you car enough about someone to have sex with them, then you should care enough to respect them and not treat them as an object. You should be responsible and careful and never, ever hurt them. Even if they're fucked up enough to beg you to. ~ Sylvain Reynard

When you love something, you don't see its flaws. ~ Sylvain Reynard

With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow ~ Sylvain Reynard

I am giving you these to commemorate the fact that I have already given you my heart." He swallowed thickly as his eyes searched hers. "This is my way of saying that you, Julianne, are the love of my life, and I want something of mine with you always. Don't you see? These diamonds represent my heart. You can't refuse them. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Sin isn't something that is attracted to a human being, Professor. It's the other way around. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Love is doing a kindness for someone else, not expecting to receive anything in return. ~ Sylvain Reynard

She knew that upon closer inspection Gabriel would make a lousy poker player. He had too many tells, too many ways he revealed his inner turmoil. He shut his eyes when he was close to losing his temper. He rubbed his face when he was frustrated. He paced when he was distressed or afraid. Rachel watched him begin to pace and wondered what he was afraid of. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Patience was a virtue he possessed in abundance. ~ Sylvain Reynard

As soon as the words presented themselves, Gabriel knew that they were perfect for him. Perfect for what he was contemplating doing to her. Perfect for his own self-justification.
Tasting. Taking. Sucking. Sinning. Draining. Abandoning.
She was pure. She was innocent. He wanted her.
Facilis descensus Averni.
But he would not be the one to make her bleed. He could not, would not, make another girl bleed for the rest of his life. All thoughts of seduction and mad, passionate f*cking on desks and chairs, against walls and bookshelves and windows, immediately gave way. He would not take her. He would not mark her and claim what he had no right to claim. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Here was the old Professor Emerson, simmering beneath Gabriel's chastened exterior. ~ Sylvain Reynard

He knew he lived in hell. He accepted it. He rarely complained. But truth be told, he desperately wished he could make his escape. His prayers went unanswered, and his plans for reform were almost always thwarted by something or other. ~ Sylvain Reynard

That's my Heaven. And my Hell. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Gabriel caught her hand in his and pressed his open mouth to her palm. Julianne, you were never just my student. You're my soul mate. My bashert. ~ Sylvain Reynard

You are not a devil, you're an angel. My angel. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Anyone who would judge you based on old gossip isn't a friend of yours, anyway. ~ Sylvain Reynard

You could have had me in the orchard. I would have let you." -Julia ~ Sylvain Reynard

The brown-eyes angel was weeping over the demon. The angel wept because she was grieved at the mere thought of someone hurting him ~ Sylvain Reynard

Then you're going to take off your suit and show me just how much you missed your phone cord."
"And the attachment."
"And the attachment. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Then you haven't lost your soul. Only a creature with a soul can tell the difference between right and wrong. Yes, you've made mistakes, but you feel guilt. You feel remorse. And if you still have your soul, you haven't lost your chance at redemption. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Tell me you want me or get out ~ Sylvain Reynard

This was the joy that the world sought
sacred and pagan all at once. A union between two dissimilars into a seamless one. A picture of love and deep satisfaction. An ecstatic glimpse of the beatific vision. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Before he left, Julia extended her hand. He took it, pressing his lips to her palm.
I don't regret this, she whispered.
He pulled back. The pain medication seemed to be affecting her thought processes.
What don't you regret, darling?
Getting pregnant. After this is over, we're going to have a little girl. We'll be a family. Forever.
He gave her a tight smile and kissed her forehead. I'll see you in a few minutes. You stay strong. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Oh, you can be sure we will get into all kinds of mischief." He winked. "And there is a strong possibility that shenanigans and hijinks of various sorts will also occur, with regularity. ~ Sylvain Reynard

There's no one here but us.
And what I see is Breathtaking ~ Sylvain Reynard

I love you too. I love you far too much, I'm sure. But I don't know how to love you any other way." His final words were a whisper, but they burned in the air. "I don't know how to love you any other way, either," she whispered back. "Then God have mercy on us both. ~ Sylvain Reynard

It's Professor Emerson, and I went to Harvard. Where did you go, an anti–oral sex college?"
"Darling." Julia placed a restraining hand on his arm. "Dr. Rubio is trying to help us and the baby. We want to be healthy."
"Cunnilingus is healthy," he huffed. "I can prove it. ~ Sylvain Reynard

I don' mean to be at all ... St. Francis of Assisi or something, but anyone can shout obscenities. Why should I become like her? Why not think that sometimes- just sometimes- you can overcome evil with silence? And let people hear their hatefulness in their own ears, without distraction. Maybe goodness is enough to expose evil for what it really is, sometimes. Rather than trying to stop evil with more evil. Not that I'm good. I don't think I'm good. ~ Sylvain Reynard

I told you I would go to Hell to rescue you and that's just what I did ... And I'd do it again. ~ Sylvain Reynard

She would give him everything. She would do anything to take away his pain, including offering up herself. ~ Sylvain Reynard

You are the soul of comedy, Mrs. Emerson. ~ Sylvain Reynard

He was distressed to learn that the Pottery Barn Kids gift registry did not extend to children's books in Italian or Yiddish. ~ Sylvain Reynard

His declaration was so honest and so frightening, the words burned into her like fire. ~ Sylvain Reynard

When everyone in the whole world believes one thing and you are the only one who believes differently, it's very tempting to assimilate ~ Sylvain Reynard

This must be love, she murmured, in between sips of water.
What's that? He sat behind her, cradling her in his arms.
You held my hair, Professor. You must love me.
He reached a tentative hand to her lower abdomen. I seem to recall you looking after me once, when I was sick. And that was before you loved me.
I always loved you, Gabriel.
Thank you. He kissed her forehead. We made this little one together. You aren't going to scare me off with bodily fluids.
I'll remember that when my water breaks. ~ Sylvain Reynard

You strip me bare. You see through everything. You are the only one who has ever known everything and still wanted me. Only you, my beloved.
Gabriel Emerson ~ Sylvain Reynard

I am the darkness made visible. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Julia smiled as if he'd given her a present and eagerly sat in it, pulling her legs under herself and curling up like a kitten. Gabriel could swear that he heard her purring. He smiled at the sight of her, momentarily relaxed and almost happy over such a trivial event. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Art is the only beauty that never dies. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Being without you, Julianne, is like enduring an endless night without stars. ~ Sylvain Reynard

So drop the Mr. Rochester-Mr. Darcy-Heathcliff British stuck-uppity and treat her like the treasure she is ~ Sylvain Reynard

He Looked down at her gravely. In many ways, we are the most perfect match. We see each other as we are, but neither of us views the other as broken. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Like they'd never seen a hot professor before. You made quite an impression in your turtleneck."
"Ah, yes, the turtleneck. Turtles have that effect on people. ~ Sylvain Reynard

The cycle of abuse interspersed with occasional bouts of kindness keeps you stuck, waiting and hoping for the kindness to return. And it does, on occasion, only to be swept away. ~ Sylvain Reynard

You can't control all of life's circumstances, but you can control your reactions to them. ~ Sylvain Reynard

When a man kneels before a woman, it's a gesture of chivalry. When a woman kneels before a man, it's unseemly. ~ Sylvain Reynard

After all we've shared, I just want to hold you and be close. Rest in my arms and know that I love you. ~ Sylvain Reynard

He was like a lion, eager to feed but still stalking his prey. He didn't want to scare her off. But she was helpless in her own desire for him. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Of course, one might object that it is impossible for one person, one woman, to represent the ideal of both agape and eros. If you will allow my indulgence for a moment, I will suggest that such skepticism is a form of misogyny. For only a misogynist would argue that women are either saints or seductresses - virgins and whores. Of course, a woman, or a man for that matter, can be both - the muse can be lover to both soul and body. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Love creates; it doesn't destroy. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Why not think that sometimes - just sometimes - you can overcome evil with silence? And let people hear their hatefulness in their own ears, without distraction. Maybe goodness is enough to expose evil for what it really is, sometimes. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Marriage is a sacrament that exists partially to protect women from sexual exploitation. If you take that protection away from her, then she is little more than your mistress, no matter what you choose to call her. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Julia closed her eyes and concentrated on the words to Lacrimosa, sung loudly and hauntingly by the multi-voice choir in Latin ...
Day of Weeping,on which will rise from ashes guilty man for judgment. So have mercy, O Lord, on this man. Compassionate Lord Jesus, grant them rest. Amen.
What is wrong with Gabriel that he listens to this over and over again? And what does it say about me that I can't help but feel close to him when I listen to it? All I've done is replace his photograph with his cd - I'm just not sleeping with it under my pillow.
I am one sick puppy. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Think about it. We are fed in the Eucharist, by our mothers when we are infants, by our parents as children, by friends at dinner parties, by a lover when we feast on one another's bodies ... and on occasion, on one another's souls. Don't you want me to feed you? You don't want to feast on my body, but at least feast on my cake.
Gabriel chuckled. When Julia didn't answer, he turned his full attention to his dessert. She scowled. If he thought this disgusting display of food porn was going to get her attention and maybe make her a little hot and bothered until she was putty in his hands ...
... he was right. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Evil had its own logic and it was not something he, given his own moral code, would ever understand. And humans think we are monsters. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Life is risk. I could get cancer. Or get hit by a car. You could wrap me in bubble wrap and keep me indoors and I could still get sick. I know that I could lose you too. And as much as I don't want to say it, someday you're going to die."
Her voice broke on the last word. "But I choose to love you now and I choose to build a life with you knowing I could lose you. I'm asking you to make that same choice. I'm asking you to take the risk, with me. ~ Sylvain Reynard

I would have done whatever it took to save you.' His voice and his expression were grave. 'Even if that meant I had to spend eternity in Hell. ~ Sylvain Reynard

She would have done anything for Gabriel, the man shh spent the night with in the woods, if he' d give her even a single indication that he wanted her. She would have descended to Hell and searched for him, looking until she found him.She would have stormed the gates and dragged him back. She would have been Sam to his Frodo and followed him into the bowels ofMount Doom. ~ Sylvain Reynard

In a perfect world, there would always be communication and consultation between partners. But we don't live in that world. There are emergencies and dangerous, vindictive people. ~ Sylvain Reynard

We can't change out pasts. All we can change is the future. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Then I'm glad I'm your first. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Chivalry in academia is dead. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Watch," he rasped, fluttering his mouth along her neck.
"Watch what?"
"Us. In the mirror."
Julia opened her eyes and saw the mirror mounted on the wall on the other side of the room. Somehow, it was perfectly positioned to reflect her husband's magnificent and naked back and the dark-haired woman who was hidden by his body. ( ... ) She'd never seen what they looked like together. His body long and lean, hers smaller and softer. Their skin had different tones - he was darker while she was fair. ~ Sylvain Reynard

I've always had a terrible weakness for beautiful but sad things. ~ Sylvain Reynard

I have a problem with anger. I have a bad temper. I have trouble controlling it, and when I lose my temper I can be very destructive. ~ Sylvain Reynard

I'm going to be thrown out of Paradise tomorrow, Beatrice. Our only hope is that you find me afterward. Look for me in Hell. ~ Sylvain Reynard

This is the culmination of all my hopes, Gabriel. Julia reached out to him and he strained to catch her pinky finger with his own. This is my happy ending. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Why do you do that?" he whispered, after a few minutes.
"Do what?"
"Provoke me."
"I don't ... I ... I'm not provoking you. I'm stating a fact."
"Nevertheless, it is extremely provocative. Every time I try to have a conversation with you like a normal person, you provoke me. ~ Sylvain Reynard

She glanced over at the twisted wreckage of the chair - (a nice, Swedish chair that had done nothing in its short life to hurt anyone ~ Sylvain Reynard

We need to see with our hearts and not our eyes. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Look at me and tell me it meant nothing to you, and I will let you go. ~ Sylvain Reynard

I never left you. I was the shadow on your wall. ~ Sylvain Reynard

I want to take care of you ~ Sylvain Reynard

I know you loved me. I just don't understand why you didn't love me enough to stay. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Women are mysterious, he mused.
She laughed, In what way?
They're a study in contrast: soft and strong, fierce and gentle. They can do everything, of course, and yet one feels compelled to do everything for them. ~ Sylvain Reynard

When I told you that I was intending to worship you with my body, I meant it. With all my heart. I will never take from you. I will only give. In my bed and outside of it. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Julia wasn't breathing. How could she when the sensation was so intense? The taste of peppermint, the scent of Aramis, the way his breath consumed her. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Marriage is the strangest thing. Almost without realizing it, I feel as if our lives and our hearts became knitted together. ~ Sylvain Reynard

A lion in charge of wolves, she thought. How convenient. ~ Sylvain Reynard

If I lose you, I lose everything. You are the only goodness in my world. ~ Sylvain Reynard

You are my water. Making love with you is all I need to quench my thirst. Why would I throw this away for water from the ocean? ~ Sylvain Reynard

Sometimes people, when left alone, can hear their own hatefulness for themselves. Sometimes goodness is enough to expose evil for what it really is. ~ Sylvain Reynard

In other words, Botticelli's ideal women look like women and not boys. They're soft and curvaceous. Healthy and rounded. Women of the size figured in this painting were considered beautiful for centuries, if not millennia. They were the aesthetic ideal during my lifetime and long after."
He brought his mouth to her neck before whispering, "My ideal hasn't changed. ~ Sylvain Reynard

I will never be worthy of her. But I spend every day trying my damnedest. ~ Sylvain Reynard

Your love makes me beautiful."
"Then let me love you forever. ~ Sylvain Reynard

I want to be your first and your last. I love you, Julianne. I offer you my heart and my life. ~ Sylvain Reynard