Being together came close to destroying both of us once already," he says. "But I don't fucking care. You are the memory that gets me through my days, and the fantasy that saves me in the night.

— J. Kenner

Do you know what passion is?” I blink, confused.“Most people think it only means desire. Arousal. Wild abandon. But that’s not all. The word derives from the Latin. It means suffering. Submission. Pain and pleasure, Nikki. Passion.

— J. Kenner

Everyone should feel alive. Should smash up against passion and danger, against temptation and anticipation. You have to push the envelope sometimes, because otherwise how do you know what your limits really are?

— J. Kenner

—except for the fact that your scars mean you’ve been hurting, I am one-hundred-percent cool with having them in the painting. Some models, especially the professional ones, it’s like painting air-brushed people. Give me something raw any day.

— J. Kenner

I am not "cured"--I know I never will be. I will always crave that pain to keep me centered. Furthermore, I will always be just a little astounded when I get through a crisis without putting a blade to my flesh.

— J. Kenner

I assumed he knew that your coach was abusing you. I realized in the limo that he didn't." For a moment, there is only silence. When Damien speaks, his words are ice-cold. "He knew.

— J. Kenner

I could entice you with words,” he said. “Someday, I want to touch you only with my voice and tease you only with my words. I want to watch as you quiver with longing, as your body goes soft and slick. I want to watch the fire build inside you, and I want to make you explode before I even brush a finger over your skin.

— J. Kenner

I don't want you to have to handle it. That's the horror of my past. But you...you're the reality of my present. You're the proof I survived. The prize in the cereal box.

— J. Kenner

I'd rather risk screwing up with you than not even try.

— J. Kenner

I imagine you taste like honey,” Tyler murmured. “And when I slide my tongue between your legs, I’ll lose myself in the sweetness of you. I want to watch your face as the orgasm builds inside you. I want to feel you tremble beneath me. And when you finally explode, I want to hold you in my arms and let my kisses pull you back together.

— J. Kenner