Slow Burn Quotes

“We were fools.”

“You were children. Was there no one to protect you?”

“Was there anyone to protect you?”

“My father. My mother. They would have done anything to keep me from being stolen.”

“And they would have been mowed down by slavers.”

“Then I guess I was lucky I didn’t have to see that.”

How could she still look at the world that way? “Sold into a brothel at age fourteen and you count yourself lucky.”

“They loved me. They love me. I believe that.” He saw her draw closer in the mirror. Her black hair was an ink splash against the white tile walls. She paused behind him. “You protected me, Kaz.”

“The fact that you’re bleeding through your bandages tells me otherwise.”

She glanced down. A red blossom of blood had spread on the bandage tied around her shoulder. She tugged awkwardly at the strip of towel. “I need Nina to fix this one.”

He didn’t mean to say it. He meant to let her go. “I can help you.”

Her gaze snapped to his in the mirror, wary as if gauging an opponent. I can help you. They were the first words she’d spoken to him, standing in the parlor of the Menagerie, draped in purple silk, eyes lined in kohl. She had helped him. And she’d nearly destroyed him. Maybe he should let her finish the job.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

“She remembered the first time she’d seen him at the Menagerie. He paid Tante Heleen for information—stock tips, political pillow talk, anything the Menagerie’s clients blabbed about when drunk or giddy on bliss. He never visited Heleen’s girls, though plenty would have been happy to take him up to their rooms. They claimed he gave them the shivers, that his hands were permanently stained with blood beneath those black gloves, but she’d recognized the eagerness in their voices and the way they tracked him with their eyes.

One night, as he’d passed her in the parlor, she’d done a foolish thing, a reckless thing. “I can help you,” she’d whispered. He’d glanced at her, then proceeded on his way as if she’d said nothing at all. The next morning, she’d been called to Tante Heleen’s parlor. She’d been sure another beating was coming or worse, but instead Kaz Brekker had been standing there, leaning on his crow-head cane, waiting to change her life.

“I can help you,” she said now.

“Help me with what?”

She couldn’t remember. There was something she was supposed to tell him. It didn’t matter anymore.

“Talk to me, Wraith.”

“You came back for me.”

“I protect my investments.”

Investments. “I’m glad I’m bleeding all over your shirt.”

“I’ll put it on your tab.”

Now she remembered. He owed her an apology. “Say you’re sorry.”

“For what?”

“Just say it.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

“Never took you for someone so naughty."
"Looks can be deceiving."
"Ah, such a fucking smart mouth."
"Face it, you love my smart mouth."
"Hmm..."
"What?"
"Just thinking about all the things I want to do to that smart mouth."
Her breath hitches in her throat. "You---"
"Tell me what I'm thinking right now. If you guess right, maybe we'll make it happen."
Eden's face fills with heat, her heart pounding in her chest. Her brain is about to melt. There are so many possibilities, so many scenarios. But one look from him, and she's a goner. Her tongue is a twisted knot. The fire pooling in the pit of her stomach has her unraveling at the seams. Alexander might have just broken her.
Alexander can sense her struggle and chuckles, tenderly kissing her cheek. "What are you being so shy for? You started it, sweetheart. Come on, venture a guess."
"What if I guess wrong?"
"I doubt you will." He presses his forehead to hers, the tips of their noses bumping up against one another. "Say it," he whispers against her lips. "Say it."
"I think..." Eden takes a deep but shaky breath. "I think you want to fuck me."
"Among other things."
She looks deep into his eyes and reads him like a book. "I think you want to fuck me hard. And then soft. All night, and then all morning. On my back. On my knees. You want to taste me. You want me to taste you."
"I think you want me to make you beg," he says, still soft and only loud enough for her alone to hear. "You want to be taken against a wall. In my bed. On the fucking floor. You want me to make you tremble. You want to be fucked so good, your voice gives out. You want to feel sore in the morning. Isn't that right, Eden?"
"Yes," she gasps, the word bubbling past her lips without a second thought.”
― Katrina Kwan, Knives, Seasoning, & A Dash of Love

“He murmurs, low and hungry, "I really want to ruin you."
Eden bites her lip. She can barely breathe as she rasps, "Then what are you waiting for?"
He hums, content, as he reaches behind her to help lift her bralette up and over her head. Alexander grabs at her small breasts, easily covering her with his massive hands. She shivers, both amused and aroused at how small and protected he makes her feel.
He leaves a line of kisses from her breasts down her stomach, marking her as he works his way down to her jeans. It's a wonder to watch his skilled fingers undo the front of her pants before tugging them off with great haste. All that remains is her matching white lace thong, one that leaves little to the imagination.
Alexander growls. "You're really going to kill me, you know that?"
"Sorry," she replies, breathless.
"Don't be," he mumbles, moving in to lick at her mound through the fabric.
Pleasure spears through her in a massive shock wave, the warmth of his tongue seeping through the lace. The throbbing wetness between her legs grows more and more unbearable with every second. But Alexander takes his time, mouthing at her through her thong with slow and controlled determination.
It's torturous.
It's heaven.
"Take it off," she commands, barely recognizing the sound of her own voice. "Take it---"
"Be patient."
Eden whines. "But I want---"
"I know."
"Please---"
"I told you. I want to ruin you."
Eden moans, lightheaded and babbling nonsense. It's enough to make her toes curl. She's sure she sounds pathetic, panting and mewling like she's in heat.”
― Katrina Kwan, Knives, Seasoning, & A Dash of Love

“No, he only fed off me. That's why he was so hard to fight; he's fueled by whatever is in my blood. But his bite had, uh, side effects."
Ryker grunted, knowing full well what I was talking about. A frustrated sigh escaped me as I tilted my head back, willing the cool air to take some of this heat from me.
"Do you need help taking care of it?" Ryker asked. His tone was surprisingly serious, no playful hints or innuendos marring his offer. I must have had a puzzled look on my face, because he elaborated. "I'm not going to fuck you tonight, Dani. When I take you, it's going to be because you begged me for it, not because another man forced this on you."
My lips parted as I stared at Ryker. If he'd wanted to cool me down, his words had the opposite effect. Now all I could picture was finding out just what he kept under that worn pair of jeans. Preferably, I'd be back in a black cotton dress and not Mina's club-wear, and there wouldn't be a vampire after me. But the picture Ryker just painted? I wanted that.
My thighs pressed together. I could feel the wetness on my skin. "Fucking hell," I groaned out, gritting my teeth. "No, Ryker. I'd rather let it wear off with time. I'm not going to get off on something Apollo started."
The glint in Ryker's eyes was filled with hungry appreciation. Satisfaction was dripping in his voice as he reached out and cupped my chin. "Good girl; I can promise your efforts to wait will be well rewarded."
Another needy sound keened from my throat. "Bastard.”
― Sabrina Blackburry, Dirty Lying Dragons

“It wasn't until a burst of hot flame caressed my left hip that a tingling sensation, not unlike magic, crawled down my skin.
Ryker gave a low chuckle. "Of course it's on your perfect ass."
I craned my neck to see. Across my hip and indeed partially down my backside until it brushed the very top of the back of my leg, a pattern was revealed just a few shades darker than my skin. It was like having a lighter sort of henna painted across my hip in the design of scales. Dragon scales.
"What is that?" I asked, startled.
"The mark. My mark." Ryker mused. "The perfect match to my scale pattern, not repeated in any other dragon."
Brushing my fingers over the skin, it didn't feel any different than it had before. It was just decorated now. My preferred black dresses would always cover it up, but my mind wandered to my closet and exactly what I owned that would show off a flash of scales at my hip. I needed to go shopping. "So, it was always there?"
"Always," Ryker answered, a new sort of interest in his eyes. "How does your chest feel?"
I rubbed a hand where the thrumming usually sat, but found it was gone. I had been so distracted by the process of being covered in fire and his taunting hands that didn't burn me that I hadn't noticed when it left.
"I always knew I liked your ass," Ryker said.
I frowned. "It's on my hip," I insisted.
Ryker took one hand and smacked my left cheek, firmly on the mark. Immediately a delicious heat shot through it, running straight between my legs where I twitched in anticipation. Fuck.
"What's the matter, Danica?" Ryker teased out my full name again, leaning down to meet my neck with a kiss.”
― Sabrina Blackburry, Dirty Lying Dragons

“It felt like we were on fire. Everything got so hot, it was almost too much to stand. Kissing him, having his body close. I thought of how you feel when you're eating a meal and don't realize how hungry you are till you're three bites in. You start eating faster, savoring every bite. Now I couldn't stop, so I took another kiss, then another. I let his tongue slip into my mouth, and I shivered again. He smiled at my reaction and went in for more. The way his hands started to move over my body gave me the impression he had been there before. I could have stopped, I knew I should have stopped, but all the drama and emotional pain I'd experienced over the last few days made me recklessly ignore that thought. I tore his shirt off.
He gasped, which made me giggle. I covered my mouth, and he grabbed my hand and put it around his neck. He scooped me up and I tightened my thighs around his waist. He sat me down on the bar and peeled off my blouse. Any last ounce of Southern lady I had left in me exited the building. I unhooked my bra and threw it across the room. Screw it. If I was going to go ahead and make a mistake, I might as well take the fast lane. We watched it slingshot and land on a booth.
"Is the door locked?" he asked, gasping for air.
"Think so," I said, taking big gulping breaths. I was drowning and was totally fine with it.
"Good," he said.
He pulled me to the end of the bar and pulled my shoes off. I hopped off and helped him along by unbuttoning my jeans and wiggling out of them as sexily as I could. He did the same.
"Man, you look good enough to eat," he said.
"So do you. Take a bite," I said.
We were standing about four feet apart and our clothes were all over the floor. I stood there almost naked and drank in the sight of him. He took a few slow steps toward me, like a lion about to jump on his prey, and dug in.”
― Victoria Benton Frank, My Magnolia Summer

“He undid his shirt and I stared at his tan chest, covered with a light dusting of golden hair. He reminded me of a lion, and I felt like a lioness, proud and ready. His belt was off so fast, it clunked when it hit the ground, and he stepped out of his jeans. I was almost blinded by my desire for him then. It was like the edges of my vision were blurred. I reached out to him, and he pulled me close, unhooking my bra and tossing it on the pile of tangled clothes on the grass, and then pressing me against him again. His chest was so warm against my skin that it only made me burn hotter.”
― Victoria Benton Frank, My Magnolia Summer

“He presses a finger against her wet entrance, dipping down to tease her clit with a quick swipe of his tongue. A sharp gasp escapes her throat as electricity jolts through her, the heat in her stomach growing more and more intense. He draws tight circles with the tip of his tongue as he presses a single finger into her.
Eden moans at the stretch. It's nothing she can't handle, and her slick desire makes it easy to adjust. He inserts a second, this time curling his fingers to sweep over her sweet spot. Eden's hips buck involuntarily, desperation mounting.
"Oh, God," she pants, reaching down between her legs to comb her fingers through his hair. "Right there--- Fuck."
It's almost too much. She's dizzy, overwhelmed by his touch and his tongue. He seems to know exactly what she needs and how she likes it, impossibly accurate and relentless in pursuit of her release. The hot coil within her grows tighter and tighter, threatening to explode.
And then it does, a bright wave of pleasure sweeping over her. She drowns in it, moaning languidly as she closes her eyes and enjoys the high. Her chest heaves, rapid breaths matching the rhythm of her heart. A sudden, satisfying exhaustion hits her soon after. Every inch of her body is alight with soft fire, satiation evident in the way she strokes his hair.”
― Katrina Kwan, Knives, Seasoning, & A Dash of Love

“Oh I brought you something,” Trey said.


I eyed him with suspicion. 


He pulled out a slightly crushed handful of dandelion flowers from his jacket pocket. My breath caught. He laid them on the exam table, and I knew he’d continued talking, but I wasn’t listening. I stared at the small, cheerful yellow flowers, overwhelmed with the flood of emotion sweeping over me. 


“Bones?”


I glanced up at Trey, startled when I realized he'd moved closer. He looked at me with concern.


“You ok?”


I nodded, gazing back at the flowers. My heart ached, and I didn’t think before I whispered, “My brother used to bring me these.”
― K.L. Speer, Bones

“Their gazes locked, and she could not look away. Violet eyes set under dark brows challenged her. For an instant, they seemed familiar, and then the feeling passed as her blood carried the threat of this male singing through her veins. Thump. Thump. Thump. It was no longer the sound of the arrows, but her own heart pounding as the swirling rush inside her spiked with fear.”
― Meg Cowley

“He was the most perfect male she had ever laid eyes on. This male was the promise of sin and darkness. He cocked his head as they appraised each other, and Harper felt as though she stared down the jaws of a wolf.”
― Meg Cowley, Heart of Dragons

“Because I'll be damned to let fear take the beauty of life away from me again.”
― Monica Lu, Damned and Beautiful

“Dreams are the canvases of the soul, movies of forgotten thoughts...and that nightmares were the echoes of the heart's pain”
― Monica Lu, Damned and Beautiful

“But grief is a funny thing like that - it doesn't run on anybody's time frame. It comes and goes, and the pain from losing the light of our lives still resides in all of us. You never really get over these types of things, you kind of live with it and slowly make it your new normal.”
― Monica Lu, Damned and Beautiful

“Some people think words are just words, that they mean nothing. I pity those who think that way - it's sad. It's not true, it's more than just a couple of letters strung together. It's about how they can be brought together to form life. To compose. Whether that be in a story, a speech, or a song. Words that can make you feel something.”
― Monica Lu

“To those who always fantasize about love and think the magic you read is all fictional.
your real, soul-crushing, world-spinning, heart-exploding love is coming. And thank you to romance books for being mine.”
― Monica Lu, Damned and Beautiful

“To those who always fantasize about love and think the magic you read is all fictional. Your real, soul-crushing, world-spinning, heart-exploding love is coming. And thank you to romance books for being mine.”
― Monica Lu, Damned and Beautiful

“You may have not been a part of world history,
but you were a part of mine.”
― Monica Lu, Damned and Beautiful

“It’s like you once said. To be yours, was, is, and forever will be the greatest love story. Because dying in love with you never made me feel more alive.”
― Monica Lu, Damned and Beautiful

“Never rid me of your smile again, Ezra West. It’s fucking beautiful.”
― Monica Lu, Damned and Beautiful

“I wasn’t looking for you when I came here but you found me, Iris. And I’m going to hold on as long as I possibly can.”
― Monica Lu, Damned and Beautiful

“[...] That our love was meant to transcend time. But I reminded you that it did. That no matter what happened to me, our love with still be alive. In our children. In their children. In the letters I wrote and in the roots of the home we grew together. My love for you
wasn’t going to fade because my life was. It would only grow stronger and will continue to live on forever.”
― Monica Lu, Damned and Beautiful

“I’d never forgive myself if he were to die tomorrow and that he didn’t know I loved him, Ezra. He’s not perfect but once upon a time, he showed up and I can’t expect you to understand because you’ve known him for only for the time he wasn’t his best but I love him. I love him more than his mistakes, and while it hurts when he’s not there for me
anymore, I still love him. I can’t just let him go. I’d be damned living my life knowing that I hadn’t even tried.”
― Monica Lu, Damned and Beautiful

“Ezra, you can’t let things like guilt, fear, anger, and grief be the narrative of your life. Because the thing is, the world keeps spinning and you’re going to be left behind in your own miserable sorrow. Loss is hard. It’s difficult. We do not always win, but when we do, we cherish those wins. You cannot be afraid to live just because you’re scared of losing. You only live once, Ezra. Cherish its
highs and its lows. Don’t be scared to live it. Don’t let fear take over you like it once did me.”
― Monica Lu, Damned and Beautiful

“Maggie’s my whole heart but Iris, baby, you’re my soul.”
― Monica Lu, Damned and Beautiful

“You might not see it but you’re strong, Ezra. Maybe not every day, but you are strong. And with everything that life will and continues to
throw at you, I promise, you only get stronger.”
― Monica Lu, Damned and Beautiful

“You’re not damned, Ezra. In my eyes, you couldn’t be more beautiful.”
― Monica Lu, Damned and Beautiful

“Losing someone, it’s not all sadness. Grief…it’s a difficult thing but it’s more than just pain and misery. In a way, it’s a display of love. Grief is an echo of the love and joy that a person brought to your life. Even when
they’re gone, the moments shared with them still live. They still live within you.”
― Monica Lu, Damned and Beautiful

“If I felt," she scoffed, and muttered something inaudible. "You're the reason I felt all these things. After my dad died, I was so numb, for so long, and you...you notice everything, you feel everything, you're like the copper wire stripped of insulation. When you fall asleep in the car I want to splash you with ice water. When you're watching TV in that ridiculous Snuggie I want to fold you in half and squash you so you pay attention to me instead. I want to take you everywhere just to see what wonder in your eyes, to listen to you moan when you eat tiramisu, to watch you pet stray cats as if there couldn't be anything more to life than that.”
― Anat Deracine, Her Golden Coast