You’re one cruel bastard,” she managed to get out.

He tsked with his tongue. “Everyone says that.” Then he took hold of her chin and locked his gaze with hers. “Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind – you know that. And sometimes, it takes a bastard to see it through.

Love. It seemed impossible that she could love him, but she was so deep in him there was really nowhere to go but further in. So this is what love was. Uncontrollable. Consuming. But so irresistible you wanted to be consumed.

God, no. I don’t want to tame her, I want to watch her. I just want to watch her be herself – it turns me on like nothing else.

The thought of being whoever I want is a terrifying thing, because I have only ever been who everyone has wanted me to be.

The one thing you should never do to a woman, whether you make love to her or fuck her, is apologise straight after.

It took Pueblo a few seconds to take in his surroundings. The first thing he realised was that he felt bruised all over; the second was that his clothes were waterlogged, even more than before, from the quicksand; and the third, was that he had landed on his front and was lying on a large, uncomfortable stone.

No, wait… In his disoriented state, he shifted his weight. The stone didn't move. He was lying on his own fucking erection.