Avenell Slade Quotes

“Lily Chadwick knew there was something different about the fiercely scowling gentleman the first moment she saw him.
She could feel it.
The instant their gazes met, caught, held, something skittered across her skin like a rain of white sparks. It entered her bloodstream, heating her from the inside until her breath became stilted and her knees went alarmingly weak.
He stared at her from beneath a brow drawn low in a forbidding expression. His eyes were so dark, even the light of the glittering ballroom could not be reflected there. The angles of his face were hard, his jaw sharply defined, and he held his mouth in a harsh line that attempted to harden the full curve of his lower lip but didn't quite manage it.
Lily tried to glance away demurely, but she couldn't seem to manage. She felt a flutter that became a tightening in her belly. Her heart stopped, skipped a few beats, then started up again in a frantic rhythm as he just kept watching her.
Despite his severe, aloof appearance, something about him reached out to her, touching her with an intrinsic sort of recognition. It left her feeling as though she stood in the heart of a firestorm. She sensed with a certainty beyond rational explanation that his unyielding manner was a facade, as if he were a hero in some gothic novel. There was passion in him. She felt it in every quickened, prey-like breath she took while frozen under his intent stare.
The silent interaction between them was becoming more inappropriate by the minute, yet she could not compel herself to break away. As though caught in an invisible trap, she stared back at him while her hands began to sweat and her stomach trembled.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“Inside, on a bed of black velvet, lay an exquisite perfume bottle designed from rose-colored glass caged in a silver overlay that twined about the glass like living vines. In the very center of the oval shaped bottle, the silver was formed into the image of a lily in full bloom.
It was likely the most precious and expensive gift Lily had ever been given. She ran her fingertips over the delicate silver work before lifting the bottle from its velvet bed to allow the candlelight to shine through the rose-colored glass.
She noticed then a folded slip of paper still in the box. Setting the perfume bottle in the valley of her lap, she lifted the paper and broke the tiny wax seal.
In his precise, slanted script, Lord Harte had written:


I was unforgivably remiss in not having a gift for you the other night. I chose the elements for this blend myself. It made me think of you.


Lily brushed her thumb over the ink before setting the note back into the box. Then she shifted the bottle and removed the glass stopper. The scent wafting from the bottle was light, but heady. She noticed first the rich notes of clove and honey before her senses were claimed by the smooth, velvety scent of jasmine. Lily closed her eyes, allowing the aromatic infusion to settle into her awareness. There was another element hidden deep within the perfume. A layer of earthiness that warmed her blood. Sandalwood.
Lily was enthralled. It was a complex and lovely scent. Floral and exotic, light and dark. Impossibly sensual.
And it made him think of her.
Something deep and fundamental spread through her core, and she understood why young ladies were warned so often not to accept gifts from gentlemen. It was a personal and intimate thing to acknowledge how he had wanted her to have something he chose himself.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“I love the quiet beauty of the night sky," she continued thoughtfully, "filled with mystery and starlight, but there is something magical about the dawn. It is strange, When the sky begins to lighten and soft colors first appear, the transition is so gentle you hardly notice it. But if you are aware enough to observe, if you take the time to really be a part of the transformation, it feels..."
Her explanation trailed off. She found it difficult to find the words to properly describe the wonder she felt as she experienced the very common daily occurrence.
"It feels like it possesses all the possibilities of life," Avenell offered quietly.
Lily turned in place. She slipped her arms around his naked torso and tipped her head back to look into his face. Her smile was so wide her cheeks ached, but she did not hold back. Her joy in the past few months had grown by leaps and bounds, and only because of how much she had seen her happiness reflected in the man she loved.
Love flowed freely between them as he lowered his head to take her mouth in a kiss that was slow and deep.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“She refused to feel guilty for not talking to Portia about the Earl of Harte. She couldn't discuss what she didn't understand, and she had no idea what to think of the man with the forbidding gaze.
Avenell Slade.
Lily snuggled deeper beneath her blankets.
She loved the way his name felt moving through her mind. It was sharp and smooth at the same time. Dark and light.
Lily knew she was no great beauty. She did not have Portia's dramatic dark hair or flashing eyes. Nor did she have Emma's commanding presence. She did her best to be content with her place among her exceptional sisters.
But now, after experiencing Lord Harte's painful slight, she found herself wishing she stood out more, that she was somehow more attractive, more striking.
She should forget him. Put him completely from her mind. He had made it infinitely clear he did not welcome her interest.
Yet, she wanted to know him. It was that simple and that impossible.
A hollowness spread from Lily's center. It was a sensation she had experienced more than once since she had begun her foray into the marriage market. It was the fear that what she sought might never be found- that the kind of deep passion she yearned for existed only in sordid novels.
As thoughts of Lord Harte continued to agitate her mind and created a growing restlessness in her body, Lily imagined an often-read scene from one of her favorite stories. It was frighteningly easy to cast the enigmatic Lord Harte in the role of dark seducer, but she struggled to envision herself as the intrepid heroine.
Lily did not possess a bold bone in her body. By nature, she had always been rather shy and had never been able to cultivate the kind of self-confidence her sisters possessed. Though she may crave the passionate experiences she read about, she did not possess the courage to explore such things beyond the privacy of her mind.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“Tell me you did not spend all those nights with her and never spread her thighs to claim your prize.”
A growl of fury rumbled from his chest at the crudity in her words, but the sound did not seem to bother Pendragon one bit.
She actually laughed at his response. “Of course you did, my lord, as I knew you would. It was the final barrier you had yet to cross in your search for pleasure.”
“It signifies nothing.”
Her green eyes glittered. “It means everything.”
The woman turned away from him and strode toward the chair he had recently vacated. With a swish of her skirts, she turned and lowered herself gracefully. Tipping her head, she looked at him with a superior little half smile.
“What did you feel when you took possession of your gentle maiden?”
Her words might have been mocking if not for her expression, which had settled into one of patient nonjudgemnet. It was the same way she had looked at him the first time he had gone to her.
“Think carefully. What did you feel?”

Avenell’s gut tensed as he involuntarily recalled the sensations of being burned within Lily’s warmth and softness. He relived in his mind the way their naked bodies moved together, heard her endless gasps and moans echo, felt the overwhelming heat, the pervading pleasure. Every time they came together it was intense and consuming, obliterating everything else in existence.
That was the problem. He always felt too much with her.
And despite that, he had never been able to shake his yearning for more.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“But she noticed something interesting.
His hands.
They stretched tensely then curled into tight fists before extending again, the pattern repeating over and over as he walked away. After he climbed into the darkness of the vehicle and waited for the footman to close the door behind him, he looked up at her from the deep shadows.
The angles of his face were hard and forbidding, his mouth set in a firm line, but his eyes... They focused in on her, consuming her despite the distance between them.
Lily's lips parted to draw a swift breath. The flame inside her fanned to a full blaze. She could swear she saw a sort of hunger in his eyes.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“He saw the fear in Miss Chadwick's unfocused eyes and the bright spark of rebellion.
In the next moment, Miss Chadwick's wavering gray gaze found him in the far reaches of the room. And when her eyes locked with his, she refused to let go. He could no more look away from her than he could unleash the moon from its orbit.
There was only one thing he could do.
Speaking in a loud, clear tone, he entered the fray with a firmly stated offer that nearly tripled the last bid.
His competition turned to glare at him for how suddenly he had brought an end to the entertainment. No one was willing to top such an exorbitant price.
Avenell ignored them all.
He was far too busy battling an intense internal war between disgust at what she had been subjected to and an alarming thread of triumph.
Because no matter how they had both ended up here, no matter how wrong this all was... the woman who had been tormenting him for weeks now belonged to him.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“She took a long drink and then another before lowering the glass.
She thought she heard him give a sound of approval before he turned and claimed a seat in one of the chairs. Her courage strengthened, Lily lifted her chin to look at him only a few feet away and swallowed hard past the knot of doubt lodged in her throat.
Dressed in elegant evening wear, he sat with his back stiff and straight despite the plush cushion of the chair. His knees were spread and his feet braced squarely on the floor. His hands, with his long masculine fingers, splayed on the surface of strong thighs. He was the epitome of masculine sophistication and mystery.
Dark, enigmatic, handsome, and intense.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“Of course," she muttered with a rough laugh that was far from humorous, "how foolish of me to consider such a thing when I have seen the evidence of your loathing myself."
"Loathing? Oh yes, I despise you." Avenell murmured darkly. The sarcasm dripping from his harsh words sent a shiver down her spine. He lowered his chin but did not break eye contact. "I would love to show you in a thousand ways just how much I loathe you, Miss Chadwick."
As he spoke, his expression slowly shifted. It felt as though he allowed his facade to fall away, giving her a glimpse of the truth beneath before he shuttered his features again. For a brief moment, she again detected that hunger she had first seen on the night they had collided outside the Mawbrys' town house.
It left her breathless. In a blast of heat and trembling awareness, she understood that what she had been seeing in him all along had never been anger or revulsion.
It was desire, possibly as deep and complex as her own.
The revelation stunned her.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“You have chosen to give yourself to me, Miss Chadwick." The words were low and clear. "I do not take it lightly, this gift you've bestowed. But as I said, it will take far more than one night to make you mine."
Lily released her breath on a soft sigh.
Something flickered in his impenetrable stare, and he added in a murmur, "There will be no going back."
The sentiment echoed her own from earlier, and Lily experienced a sense of rightness in that moment that overcame any lingering question or concern. They would be lovers.
As they stood facing each other in silence, barely an inch separating them yet not touching at all, she wanted so badly to lift her hand and press it to the side of his face. She wanted to feel the hard angle of his jaw against her palm and the roughness of his skin where the shadowed start of a beard darkened his cheeks.
Something held her back.
She touched him with her studied gaze instead, observing the harsh lines of his face as a frown hardened his visage. She slid her attention briefly to the pulse beating at his temple, then across his oppressive eyebrows, down the slope of his strong nose. His mouth was pressed into a stern, unforgiving line, but it could not disguise the elegant upper arches or the generous lower curve of his bottom lip.
His mouth was beautiful, she thought.
Lifting her gaze again to meet his eyes, she was struck by the raw need she saw there.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“He did not move from the door, but stood watching her, a possessive gleam in his eyes.
Licks of flame danced through her blood, and the boldness she had momentarily possessed left her in a long exhale. He wanted her. It was an amazing thought. And though the forbidden novels she had read had given her more insight into what happened between a man and a woman in the bedroom than any young lady should have, there was simply no way to feel prepared for what was to come.
Even though this moment was inevitable and had been from the first time she had seen him.
As she stared back at him, his brows lowered even farther over his eyes, intensifying the delicate anticipation roaring through Lily's body.
His rich voice, when he spoke, flowed through her like fine wine.
"Remove your cloak.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“At least now he finally had her to himself. He slid an intent gaze over the vision she presented.
The pure white of her gown was cinched tightly beneath her breasts before falling gently past the generous curves of her waist and hips. Her bodice was overlaid with lace and fitted securely over her bosom, suggesting the lushness there but revealing only a modest expanse of bare skin.
Her slim neck was arched proudly as she endured his perusal. Her gloved hands were clasped in front of her, and her lips, a perfect rosy pink, were shaped into a gentle bow as her gray eyes stared back at him. There was caution in her gaze.
She was the epitome of the sweet and modest maiden.
And she had agreed to be his.
Deep disquiet rolled through him. He had begun something that went way beyond his capabilities. He knew it, but he couldn't stop his forward progression.
He wanted her.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“Come here, Lily."

A waterfall of tingling sensations flowed Lily at his quiet command. It was a similar directive to the one he had given that first night in his bedroom.
This time he used her name. Hearing it in his deep voice made it sound erotic somehow, and sparks ignited deep inside her.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“As if he knew what she had experience, he dipped his chin and continued to stare at her from beneath heavy brows. "Your breasts are very sensitive."
Lily knew it must be so, because his very mention of them made her nipples tighten even more, her breasts heavy and aching. She loved the way his rich, masculine voice made her body melt and her thoughts go languid.
"I promise to discover just how sensitive they can be," he added thickly. "You are very beautiful."
Something squeezed tight in her chest. "I am... quite ordinary."
A new darkness shadowed his features, and it was unlike the hunger with which she was becoming familiar. "You are far from ordinary.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“Her manner was unhurried, though he noted a trembling in her hands.
Her calm composure was as much a facade as his aloof demeanor.
He was discovering a complexity to her nature that had not been evident in their earliest interactions. She was far more than she appeared to be: reserved, yet fearless in a way he could not have anticipated. Modest and sensual at once. In possession of a quiet confidence that was layered within everything she did.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“Avenell was immediately reminded of how young and inexperienced she was. For all of her quiet self-assurance, she was a maiden still.
The sense of possession that followed that thought added fuel to the steady blaze growing within him. She had chosen him.
He would do everything in his power to prove himself worthy.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“Lily, I..."
Her entire body jolted at the sound of her name in his rough tone. There was a deep plea in his voice.
Withe her emotions thick in her throat, she turned to look at him.
He had risen to his feet and stood there so strong and stern. The rhythm of his breath had slowed, and the strength of his body was undeniable. But it was his vulnerability of spirit that struck her in that moment.
He pressed his mouth into a hard line before he cleared his throat and began again. "Believe me, Lily, I want you to touch me."
His words were heavy with need. Yes. He desired her- she knew that much to be true.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“There was so much heat. So much tenderness in the way her body accepted his. Encompassing, consuming, drawing on his final reserves. It was a sensation unlike anything he could have imagined.
Finally, he could take no more. Tensing his buttocks, he gave one long thrust and drove deeply into her core. His jaw clenched, and a guttural moan caught in his throat. He nearly closed his eyes in an instinctive urge to contain the fierce rush of pleasure, but he could not look away from Lily's face.
The tip of her tongue pressed delicately against the top row of her parted teeth as she gasped for breath.
It was the only reaction she gave to the rending of her maidenhead.
While he felt as though he had trespassed into nirvana. Being inside her, fully encased in her warmth, was more powerful a feeling than he had ever expected. It was possession and surrender at once.
Each ragged breath he drew as he remained still and focused on managing the overwhelming stimulation only made his body crave more. As stunning and intimate as it was to feel so connected with Lily, there was an undeniable force within him, demanding he take them both to the limit of what they could endure.
He knew he should wait, allow her body to adjust to his intrusion, but he couldn't. He had been reduced to nothing but a primitive urge to finally, finally explore the bone-deep pleasure of being joined with this woman.
And it was pleasure, he realized in awe. Full, encompassing, undeniable pleasure.
The flashes of pain across his affected nerves were not nearly enough to distract from the beauty of everything else he felt.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“She is better off without me.
Such is for the lady to decide, I would think.
Details of the woman herself began to penetrate his thoughts. The generosity in her smile. Her gentle, open gaze. The way she had told him her secrets with trust and honesty, her compassion, and her quiet, understated courage.
And before he so effectively and willfully crushed it, he recalled the glimmer of hope she had inspired in him. The hope he had stripped away before it could settle too deeply in his being.
So many times, he had sensed in her a desire to push their intimacy further. He had seen the yearning in her eyes and ignored it. He had witnessed the countless times she reached for him and then held back. He had been grateful for her restraint. He had been a coward.
He understood that she had known better all along. She had understood what was missing between them.
Rather than having the courage to explore those feelings- instead of trusting in her and her love- he had forced her away.
The truth was so clear.
From the very beginning, she had belonged to him, but not as a mistress belonged to her protector.
Lily was his as his soul was his. Just as he was hers.
She was a part of him. He was a part of her. He could not exist without her. And if he loved her, he had to trust that she had spoken the truth when she had said she wanted him, flaws and all.
He did. He did trust her.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“Entering the room, Lily was struck by the changes that had been wrought since she had last been there on the night of her abduction. Though his massive four-poster bed remained, the coverings were now a mixture of midnight blue and a mysterious smoky gray. In fact, various shades of gray had been added throughout the room. The two heavy leather chairs had been beautifully reupholstered in a dove-gray damask, a plush rug in a light and misty color was laid before the fireplace, and on a delicate table between them stood a large vase of lilies, infusing the room with their delicate scent.
"Do you see?" the earl asked from behind her.
Once they entered the bedroom, he had released her hand to close the door, ensconcing them together in the private space. Lily turned to watch him walk toward one of the new chairs. He ran his fingers over the fabric.
"The color of your eyes when you are quiet and content," he stated in a low voice, then he crossed to the bed where he smoothed his palm over a velvet coverlet. "This is the darker shade your eyes become when you are aroused- with emotion or desire."
He looked at her, and Lily's world expanded on a sudden breath at what she saw in the depth of his gaze.
They both seemed rooted in place, standing in the center of his bedroom, staring at each other with their breaths coming fast and their focus locked upon each other, as though they were equally afraid the other might disappear.
"You exist in everything. You have become a part of me," he murmured thickly. "I cannot breathe without you.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“Lily paused on a ragged breath, admiring the sight of his bared chest and rippled abdomen. He was so strong, so tightly contained. Muscle and bone formed a rigid structure- a beautiful design of masculinity. It was hard to imagine the pain and vulnerability that had resided beneath such strength for so long.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“Keeping his arms wrapped around her, Avenell stood and lifted her. He crossed to the bed in long strides and carefully settled them beneath the covers.
He drew her against his side. She laid her hand gently over his belly, and he covered it with his own, keeping her there. Though the sensitivity of his nerves was returning by slow but inexorable degrees, it could not disrupt his desire to hold her. To feel her heartbeat against his rib cage and the waft of her breath over his skin.
"I love you, Lily." His low-spoken words blended seamlessly with the rhythm of their breathing, but he knew she had heard him when she pressed her lips to his skin.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“I hate it that you went through that. You must have been so frightened, so hurt by your father's actions... I wish I could take all the pain away."
He took her hand in his and brought her fingertips to his lips. "You do, Lily. With every smile and every touch, you sweep it out of existence. I am sorry it took me so long to see that. I am sorry I hurt you before I understood."
She shook her head to stop him and rose up to press her lips sweetly to his. He would have allowed the kiss to deepen, but he had not finished all he wished to say. Curling his fingers around the back of her neck, he urged her to lift her head.
As her lips hovered a breath above his and her smoky gaze looked deep into his soul, he murmured, "I love you, Lily. Promise to love me forever, and I swear I will devote myself to your happiness. Marry me, Lily."
She smiled. "This promise will be far easier than the others you asked of me. Nothing would make me happier than to be your wife.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“But for now, you are only mine," she said a bit more fiercely than she had intended. "And I am not ready to share you with them all just yet."
His low laugh, which had been coming more easily lately, rolled freely from his throat as he brought her back into his arms.
"Yet, you force meto share you," he stated. "You realize that once we are married, I will be able to take you away on a grand honeymoon. It will be just the two of us. Not only for the darkest hours of the night," he murmured suggestively as his hands began to roam up and down the length of her back, inciting delicious shivers. He lowered his head beside hers to tease the sensitive skin of her neck with his lips and breath. "But all day, as well. Through sunrise, midday, and dusk. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner."
Lily sighed, melting into him. Her hands reached around to grasp his buttocks, and she pressed her lips to his bare shoulder before asking, "Can we take all of our meals to bed?"
His laughter was deep, rolling, and infectious as he stepped away.
"I had better get you home, or I shall make another meal of you.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl