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It Didn't Help Matters That I Was Shy And Wore Glasses. I Was Never One To Stand Out In The Crowd. I Liked To Stay In Corners. And I Was Happiest When I Was Alone Reading. That And The Good Grades I Got In School Had Doomed Any Chance Of Being Popular With My Peers. So It Was A Foregone Conclusion That Boys Like Hardy Were Never Going To Take Notice Of Me.

-Lisa Kleypas

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It Didn't Help Matters

Lisa Kleypas

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It Didn't Help Matters That I Was Shy And Wore Glasses. I Was Never One To Stand Out In The Crowd. I Liked To Stay In Corners. And I Was Happiest When I Was Alone Reading. That And The Good Grades I Got In School Had Doomed Any Chance Of Being Popular With My Peers. So It Was A Foregone Conclusion That Boys Like Hardy Were Never Going To Take Notice Of Me.

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I Loved Him So Much, Loved His Fearlessness, His Strength, Even The Ambition That Would Someday Take Him Away From Me.

One Glance And I Knew Exactly Who And What He Was. The Classic Alpha Male, The Kind Who Had Spurred Evolution Forward About Five Million Years Ago By Nailing Every Female In Sight. They Charmed, Seduced, And Behaved Like Bastards, And Yet Women Were Biologically Incapable Of Resisting Their Magic Dna.

- No, No... She Shook Her Head For Emphasis. No. His Lips Twitched. - One 'no' Is Enough, Darling.

Pity Goes Hand In Hand With Contempt. Don't Ever Forget That, Liberty. You Can't Take Handouts Or Help From Anyone, Because That Gives People The Right To Look Down On You.

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The Guy Who Broke Up With Me... He Was Exactly Like You, In The Beginning. Charming, And Nice. They're All Like You In The Beginning. But I Always End Up Like This. And I Can't Do It Anymore.

Hardy Cates," I Said, Coming Into The Room, "you Behave, Or I'll Step On Your Tube." The Nurse Seemed Taken Aback By My Unsympathetic Bedside Manner. But Hardy's Gaze Met Mine In A Moment Of Bright, Hot Voltage, And He Relaxed, Reassured In A Way That Cooing Sympathy Could Never Have Done. "that Only Works If It's A Breathing Tube," He Told Me.

I Was Going To Have To Leave You Anyway. Because I Loved You Too Much To Drag You Down With Me." My Hand Crept Up To Caress The Rigid Line Of His Jaw. "why'd You Change Your Mind?" I Whispered. "after I Calmed Down A Little And Had A Chance To Think, I Figured . . . I Love You Enough To Try And Deserve You. I Would Do Anything, Be Anything, For You.

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I Have Always Hated Flying. The Idea Of It Is An Affront To Nature. People Are Meant To Stay On The Ground.

If Loneliness Was A Choice, What Was The Other Option? To Settle For Second-best And Try To Be Happy With That? And Was That Fair To The Person You Settled For?

A Man's Vanity Is More Fragile That You Might Think. It's Easy For Us To Mistake Shyness For Coldness, And Silence For Indifference.

You're Surrounded By It Wherever You Go, You Walk Through It, Breathe It...it's In Your Lungs And Under Your Tongue And Between Your Fingers And Toes.

My Lord," Catherine Asked,her Eyes Wide, "do You Think That Has Anything To Do With The Ramsay Curse?" "actually, That Hadn't Occurred To Me Yet," Leo Said, "thank You So Much For Bringing It To My Attention.

Falling Hard And Fast. And There Didn't Seem To Be A Thing I Could Do About It.

If You Pretend Everything's Fine Long Enough, Everything Eventually Becomes Fine.

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Leo Knew Next To Nothing About Governesses, Save For The Drab Creatures In Novels, Who Tended To Fall In Love With The Lord Of The Manor, Always With Bad Results.

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A Book Had Always Been A Door To Another World... A World Much More Interesting And Fantastical Than Reality. But She Had Finally Discovered That Life Could Be Even More Wonderful Than Fantasy. And That Love Could Fill The Real World With Magic.

Tell Me Everything, I Would Say. All About The Blues, And The Time Your Heart Was Broken, And What Scares You The Most, And The Thing You've Always Wanted To Do But Haven 't Yet.

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No One Can Tell You What Your Path Is . . . But Someday You'll Discover It. . . And It Won't Be At All What You Expected.

There Is Nothing On Earth More Beautiful To Me Than Your Smile...no Sound Sweeter Than Your Laughter...no Pleasure Greater Than Holding You In My Arms. I Realized Today That I Could Never Live Without You, Stubborn Little Hellion That You Are. In This Life And The Next, You’re My Only Hope Of Happiness. Tell Me, Lillian, Dearest Love...how Can You Have Reached So Far Inside My Heart?

Babies Were Dangerous . . . They Made You Fall In Love Before You Knew What Was Happening.

Falling In Love

Women Beg Me For It, And Not The Other Way Around." "then You Should Go To One Of Them." "oh, I Will. When We Return To London, I'm Going To Embark On A Spree Of Orgiastic Debauchery That Won't End Until Someone Is Arrested For It. But In The Meanwhile...do You Truly Expect That The Two Of Us Are Going To Share A Bed Tonight-and Tomorrow Night-as Chastely As A Pair Of Nuns On Holiday?

Don't Ever Trust Men With Good Intentions. They'll Always Disappoint You." Leo

Good Intentions

The Only Thing Keeping Two People Together Should Be Love. Not Legalities.

Scorpions Are Quite Ruthless, You Know. That Is Why Artemis Bid One Of Them To Kill Her Foe Orion. And As A Reward She Set The Scorpion On Up In The Sky. I'm Not Ruthless. I Merely Do Whatever It Takes To Achive My Goals That's Not Ruthless?

And You're Not The Kind Of Girl I Want." Surely He Couldn't Mean The Fact That I Was Mexican. From What I Knew Of Hardy, There Wasn't A Bit Of Prejudice In Him. He Never Used Racist Words, Never Looked Down On Someone For Things They Couldn't Help. "what Kind Do You Want?" I Asked With Difficulty. "someone I Can Leave Without Looking Back.

I Grew Up Being Very Shy, Very Much A Bookworm, And I Remember Desperately Wondering How To Be Accepted By The Popular Kids.

These Impossible Women! How They Do Get Around Us!

When Christopher Finished, There Was A Moment Of Silence. Leo Looked At Cam Expectantly. “well?” “well What?” “now Is The Time When You Dredge Up One Of Your Blasted Romany Sayings. Something About Roosters Laying Eggs, Or Pigs Dancing In The Orchard. It’s What You Always Do. Let’s Have It.” Cam Gave Him A Sardonic Glance. “i Can’t Think Of One Right Now.” “by God, I’ve Had To Listen To Hundreds Of Them. And Phelan Doesn’t Have To Hear Even One?

Dear Lord,” She Said In A Strangled Whisper. “i Can Bear It For A While...but Please Don't Let It Hurt Forever.

"i Won't Apologize For My Past. A Man Is Supposed To Have Experience." "from All Indications, You've Acquired Enough For Ten Men".

Recently Mr. Mawdsley’s Donkey Escaped From His Stall, Raced Down The Road, And Somehow Found His Way Into An Enclosed Pasture. Mr. Caird’s Prized Mare Was Innocently Grazing When The Ill-bred Seducer Had His Way With Her. Now It Appears The Mare Has Conceived, And A Feud Is Raging Between Caird, Who Demands Financial Compensation, And Mawdsley, Who Insists That Had The Pasture Fencing Been In Better Repair, The Clandestine Meeting Would Never Have Occurred. Worse Still, It Has Been Suggested That The Mare Is A Shameless Lightskirt And Did Not Try Nearly Hard Enough To Preserve Her Virtue.

But When You Started Dating Someone, You Could Never Be Sure What You Were Getting Into. You Had To Give Someone A Chance To Show You Who He Really Was . . . And Believe Him When He Did.

You Sweet…beautiful…lunatic,” He Heard Himself Mutter.

If You Won’t Marry Me For The Sake Of Your Own Honor, Then Do It For The Sake Of Everyone Who Would Have To Tolerate Me Otherwise. Marry Me Because I Need Someone Who Will Help Me To Laugh At Myself. Because Someone Has To Teach Me How To Whistle. Marry Me, Lillian… Because I Have The Most Irresistible Fascination For Your Ears.

Have You Ever Wanted Something So Much That You Would Do Anything To Have It - Even Knowing That It Was Bad For You?" "of Course," Adam Replied. "all Truly Enjoyable Things In Life Are Invariably Bad For You - And They Are Even Better When Done To Excess.

His Quiet Certainty Made The Ground Beneath My Feet Feel Solid. Like Someday Everything Might Actually Be Okay.

Because Letting Someone In Close Meant They Could Hurt You. I Knew All About That Kind Of Fear. I Lived With It.

I Have So Much Love For You, I Could Fill Rooms With It. Buildings. You’re Surrounded By It Wherever You Go, You Walk Through It, Breathe It...it’s In Your Lungs, And Under Your Tongue, And Between Your Fingers And Toes...” His Mouth Moved Passionately Over Hers, Urging Her Lips Apart. It Was A Kiss To Level Mountains And Shake Stars From The Sky. It Was A Kiss To Make Angels Faint And Demons Weep...a Passionate, Demanding, Soul-searing Kiss That Nearly Knocked The Earth Off Its Axis. Or At Least That Was How Poppy Felt About It.

Does He Behave In Rude Or Improper Ways?" "he's A Bowman. We Don't Know Any Better.

I Had To Let Go Of Him. But I Knew That As Long As I Lived, I Would Feel The Phantompain Of His Absence.

And Then Another Letter Had Come From Christopher, So Devastating That Amelia Wondered How Mere Scratches Of Ink On Paper Could Rip Someone's Soul To Shreds. She Had Wondered How She Could Feel So Much Pain And Still Survive.

Perhaps Only Those Who Had Loved And Lost Could Appreciate This Magic.

I Guess I Thought The Strength Of My Wanting Would Be Enough To Make Him Appear.

Oh, Daisy, It's Revolting The Way I Want To Fawn All Over Him. I'm Afraid I'm Going To Do Something Dreadfully Silly Today. Burst Into Song Or Something. For God's Sake, Don't Let Me.

Annabelle Gave Him A Chiding Smile. “if You’re Implying That I’m Spoiled, I Assure You That I Am Not.” “you Should Be.” His Warm Gaze Slid Over Her Pink-tinted Face And Slender Upper Body, Then Sought Hers Again. There Was A Note In His Voice That Gently Robbed Her Of Breath. “you Could Do With A Bit Of Spoiling.

So You Actually Need Spectacles,” Leo Finally Said. “of Course I Do,” Marks Said Crossly. “why Would I Wear Spectacles If I Didn’t Need Them?” “i Thought They Might Be Part Of Your Disguise.” “my Disguise?” “yes, Marks, Disguise. A Noun Describing A Means Of Concealing Someone’s Identity. Often Used By Clowns And Spies. And Now Apparently Governesses. Good God, Can Anything Be Ordinary For My Family?

I’m Not Short. I’m…vertically Disadvantaged.

Most Of The Time When Couples Argue, It’s Not Really About The Thing They’re Fighting About; There’s A Deeper Reason Why They’re Arguing.

I Figured I Couldn't Love You As Much As I Do, Without You Feeling Something For Me Too.

I’ll Take Your Bet,” He Said Grimly. “i’m Going To Win It. And In Three Months, I’m Going To Put This Back On Your Finger, And Take You To Bed, And Do Things To You That Are Outlawed In The Civilized World.

You Seem To Think You Have A Choice," Cam Said. "but You Have It Backwards. Love Chooses You. The Shadow Moves As The Sun Commands.

My Prize, My Pleasure And Pain, My Endless Desire. I've Never Know Anyone Like You.

Only You Could Love Such A Vile, Selfish Peacock, Evie.

Oh, I Have A Very Pure Soul. It's Only My Private Parts That Have Gotten Me Into Trouble".

Aristotle Taught That Stars Are Made Of A Different Matter Than The Four Earthly Elements— A Quintessence— That Also Happens To Be What The Human Psyche Is Made Of. Which Is Why Man’s Spirit Corresponds To The Stars. Perhaps That’s Not A Very Scientific View, But I Do Like The Idea That There’s A Little Starlight In Each Of Us.

I Have Always Been An Obsessive Reader - I Remember Going Back And Forth To The Local Library With Stacks Of Books Taller Than I Was.

He Liked Cheap Women, Fast Cars, Late Nights, And Hard Liquor, Especially All Together. In Jack's View, You Are Obliged To Sin On Saturday Night So You'd Have Something To Atone For Sunday Morning. Otherwise, You'd Be Putting The Preacher Out Of Business.

I Figured If I Told It To Myself Often Enough, I Would Start Believing It.

In The Fairy Tale You Mentioned Last Night, I Would Probably Be The Villain. But It's Possible The Villain Would Treat You Far Better Than The Prince Would Have.

You Have To Rely On Whatever Sparks You Have Inside.

I Didn't Want To Give You The One Last Part Of Myself That I Couldn't Take Back. And Then You Were Gone... And I Realized It Was Already Yours. It Had Been Since The Beginning. Except That I Hadn't Told You. It Drove Me Mad, The Thought That You Would Never Know.

You Can't Love Someone New Without Getting Over The Last One.

You Can Never Be Truly Happy In A Life Unless You Have Known A Sorrow. All Terrible Things We Have Gone Through In Life Have Created Spaces Inside Us Where Happiness Can Live Not To Mention Love.

That Drew A Mocking Laugh From Lillian. “really, Someone Should Tell St. Vincent That He’s A Living Cliché. He Has Become The Embodiment Of Everything They Say About Reformed Rakes.

Love Will Break Your Heart,[...] But Love Can Also Mend It. Not Many Things In Life Are Both The Cause And The Cure.

It’s Impossible,” He Snapped. “why?” “because I’m Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent. I Can’t Be Celibate. Everyone Knows That.

Bending His Head Over Hers, Leo Murmured, "when I Give You Away At The Altar, Bea, I Want You To Remember Something. I'm Not Really Giving You Away. I'm Merely Allowing Him The Chance To Love You As Much As The Rest Of Us Do.

Remember Something

Most Lives Are Not Distinguished By Great Achievements. They Are Measured By An Infinite Number Of Small Ones. Each Time You Do A Kindness For Someone Or Bring A Smile To His Face, It Gives Your Life Meaning. Never Doubt Your Value, Little Friend. The World Would Be A Dismal Place Without You In It. (tweaked Version Of A Passage From Scandal In Spring)

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