Sophie Barnes

“Books are my passion," James told her, "I cannot imagine passing a day without reading.”

“When we’re apart, I can think of nothing but you—of being with you again—and I . . . I’m sorry if I hurt you before. I’m sorry if I wasn’t clear about my feelings, if I wasn’t strong enough to fight for the chance to be with you. I’m going to do that now. I promise. Because I simply cannot imagine choosing a life without you in it.”

“Never in a million years would he have imagined her to look at him like that - eyelids batting of their own volition and her lips puckering in expectation as she leaned slightly forward. Yet here she was doing precisely that - it was much too comical to stop the smile crossing his face.And that was when she hit him.It wasn't a faint slap on the cheek. No, Alexandra put all her weight behind the right hook that landed squarely across his jaw, throwing him completely off balance.Damnation!”

“When we’re apart, I can think of nothingbut you—ofbeing with you again—andI . . . I’m sorry if I hurt you before. I’m sorryif I wasn’t clear about my feelings, if I wasn’tstrong enough to fight for the chance to bewith you. I’m going to do that now. I promise.Because I simply cannot imagine choosing alife without you in it.”

“And then of course there was her opinion to consider. Would she ever care to entertain the thought of kissing him, let alone marrying him? He was willing to bet his life that she wasn't. Not yet anyway. Therefore, he had made up his mind. He had devised a carefully thought-out plan, its sole purpose being to eventually ensure Emily's hand in marriage. And he would do it the old fashioned way--through trickery.”

“It began with the twitch of her lower lip as it took on a life of its own, rippling outward to the corners of her mouth and forcing them upward into a helpless smile. She instantly clasped one hand over her mouth in a frantic attempt to silence the sound that was coming from her throat. The result was that she half-spluttered, half-coughed, her eyes painfully wide as she desperately wished a hole would emerge in the oriental carpet and mercifully swallow her up.”