Loretta Chase, née Loretta Lynda Chekani (born 1949) is an American writer of romance novels since 1987.
The Challenge is to pry Bertie loose from Dain and his circle of oafish dengenerates,” Jessica said severely. “It would be far more profitable to pry Dain loose for yourself,” said her grandmother. “He is very wealthy, his lineage is excellent, he is young, strong, and healthy, and you feel a powerful attraction. ” “He isn’t husband material. ” “What I have described is perfect husband material. ” said her grandmother. “I don’t want a husband. ” “Jessica, no woman does who can regard men objectively. And you have always been magnificently objective.
I love these pet names," she said, gazing soulfully up into his eyes, "Nitwit. Sap skull. Termagant. How they make my heart flutter!
You refuse to listen. Because, like every other man, you can keep only one idea in your head at a time-usully the wrong one.
He pulled away the glove, and at the first glimpse of her fragile, white hand, all thoughts of negotiation fled. "I don't see how matters could become worse," he muttered. "I am already besotted with a needle-tongued, conceited, provoking ape leader of a lady. " Her head jerked up. "Besotted? You're nothing like it. Vengeful is more like it. Spiteful.
I want you," she said. "I told you so," he said.
Prying into others' private affairs is the preferred occupation of small minds.
Parents must be treated with respect, whether one wants to strangle them or not.
"Miss you," he said. It was the barest murmur, scarcely a sound.
Masculine pride is an exceedingly precious and fragile thing
That's what brings in the customers: the combination of gossip and the intricate detail about the dresses, all related as drama. It has the same effect on women, I'm told, as looking at naked women has on men.
Dain kept his gaze on his plate and concentrated on swallowing the morsel he'd just very nearly choked on. She was possessive. . . about him. The beautiful, mad creature - or blind and deaf creature, or whatever she was - coolly announced it as one might say, "Pass the salt cellar," without the smallest awareness that the earth had just tilted on its axis.
I should like to see you try.
You needn't consult me about redecorating. I know no female can live two days in a house and leave anything as it was. I shall be much astonished if I can find my way about when I return.
But I liked you from the moment I first heard your voice,” he said, “when I had no idea what you looked like. I thought it delicious, the way you bargained for me, as though I were an old rug. Then I loved the way you looked at me. Then I loved the way you ordered me about. I loved your patient and impatient ways of explaining things to me. I love the sound of your voice and the way you move. I love your courage and your kindness and your generosity and your obstinacy and your passion. ” He paused. “You’re the genius. What do you think that means?
Jessica swallowed. "I think you had better stick to English. " "But Italian is so moving," Dain said. "To ho voluto dal primo che ti vedi. " I've wanted you from the first moment I saw you. "Mi tormenti ancora. " You've tormented me ever since.
We've been wed more than a month. Since it appears you mean to stay, I might as well give you leave to call me by my christian name. It is preferable, at any rate, to 'clodpole.
I don't know who had the training of you," he continued doggedly, "but your morals are shocking. You spent a night in my bed, remember, after a night in a bawdy house. You go about collecting street urchins and letting inebriated vagabonds kiss you, and then you get into brawls in pawnshops. You are probably past all redemption, but I'm going to reform you anyhow. If you behave yourself, perhaps I'll let you reform me on occasion, but I make no promises.
Did you know you could kill a person with a hatpin?" she said. "I did not," he said. "Do you speak from experience? Have you murdered anybody? Not that I'd dream of criticizing.
I deserve passion," she said. "I deserve to be loved- in every way. I deserve a man who'll give his whole heart, not the part he isn't using at the moment.
Why must women stay quietly? Why must we be little moons, each of us stuck in our little orbit, revolving around a planet that is some man? Why can't we be other planets? Why must we be moons?