Second Chance At Love Quotes

“But there was something else going on here. He had to admit even to himself that the woman challenged his intellect and his beliefs with her own, and she wasn’t afraid to disagree with him or to disapprove of his views. Nor did she make any attempt to school her sentiments behind the polite, prim, and proper demeanor of the typical English noblewoman. She was fierce. She was passionate. She was fiery and intense. She was like no other woman he had ever met.
And suddenly, just like that, he was under her spell once again.”
― Anna Durbin, King of Wands

“His gaze, though almost improper, was the most sensual thing he could have done at the moment, and it jolted her heart into a strange rhythm, leaving her unable to speak.”
― Anna Durbin, King of Wands

“Oh my. Molly put her hand to her no-doubt agape mouth. Oh my, oh my, oh my. After her divorce, she hadn’t thought this day would ever come again, but here it was, a second proposal. Life is funny, she thought, and she felt herself step back from the reality of her situation for a moment, lest its emotions overwhelm her and make her swoon like a damsel in those Middle English chivalric romances she taught in 10th-grade English. Yes, life was indeed funny. It had no syllabus, which was why Molly, always a diligent student, felt so unprepared for it. Life played tricks on you too, surprised you, with the biggest surprise that life, even at the nearly half-century mark, could still hold surprises. Like so: There is a man in my kitchen, a man I’m in love with, and he wants to spend the rest of his life with me. How strange and how very unconventional by its conventional, everyday setting.”
― Ray Smith, The Magnolia That Bloomed Unseen

“Julia’s heart would not be still. It would not stop the riotous beating it began when she saw Charles on the lawn. He had come for her. Despite her wishes, despite her orders to stay away, he had followed her here to Drake Manor, and she loved him all the more for it. Yet, it changed nothing. They still could never be together.”
― Anna Durbin, King of Wands

“He had never been so infuriated by a woman in his life. Or more flummoxed. And never more aroused. He didn’t know whether to rant at her or kiss her.”
― Anna Durbin, King of Wands

“She dared not glance at him again. She might very well expire if she did.”
― Anna Durbin, King of Wands

“Now he was kissing the shell of her ear, nipping at it gently and then soothing the nips with soft kisses.
“You have no idea what you’re about to unleash if you continue.”
He chuckled low once again, but said nothing as he bit the nape of her neck and gently licked it with his tongue.
“You play with fire, sir.”
“Let it burn, Julia. Let me be your King of Wands.”
― Anna Durbin, King of Wands

“He kept his gaze locked on her. Though she couldn’t see it, she could sense it, and it unnerved her. “I’m probably just a little overheated myself.” His voice rumbled low around her, as though the words were meant only for her. They caressed her skin almost sensually.”
― Anna Durbin, King of Wands

“It was the prospect of seeing Mr. Rodman again that agitated her, especially after their miserable discussion of her beliefs and their silent but heated interaction over the Kama Sutra last Sunday. She didn’t like Mr. Rodman. Not really. There was no denying he was attractive and that he had the potential to affect her like no other man ever had. Still, he was an arse. Not only did he disparage her beliefs and practices but also he had condemned her for keeping wives from their husbands by offering them refuge in her home. True, he might have said he approved of the shelters after hearing the story of Phoebe, but when it came down to it, he was a man. And she had no doubt that, as a man, he would side with other men, the law, and the Church over a woman’s fate, if ever asked to do so.”
― Anna Durbin, King of Wands

“Well, let me put it this way: the only thing about the King of Wands that doesn’t quite fit with you is that he is a man of fiery passions.”
He raised his brows. “And I am not?”
She smirked at him. “I don’t know. Are you?”
Such a question. He dismissed it as rhetorical until she laid the king on the table and locked eyes with him. Boldly. And as he studied her expression, he sensed an invitation. A dare. A challenge for him to answer her about whether he was a man of fiery passions. He nearly succumbed to the temptation to show her just how fiery his passions could be.
Restraint, Charles. Hold yourself in check.
He sobered, as temperance, his lifelong, rational, and calming friend, curbed his urge to kiss the question right off her lips.”
― Anna Durbin, King of Wands

“Thank you, Mr. Rodman.”
When he heard her whispered response, his gaze fell to her lips, and desire coiled through his body as he imagined how they would feel beneath his. Warm and pliant, no doubt. Eager and willing, maybe. Greedy with insatiable need? He hoped. “You’re most welcome.”
She didn’t move, and he? He couldn’t move. He remained rooted to the stone floor as her lovely face entranced him. He was too aware of how close they stood to one another for rational thought. It would take no effort whatsoever for him to lean down and kiss her luscious lips. Something flickered in her eyes as they stared at each other, and he could sense the moment she felt the same pull as he did. Something primal, something hot flashed between them, and as he reached up to stroke her cheek with the backs of his fingers, he determined right then he would do it. He parted his lips slightly and bent down subtly. He was inches away from contact, but he wavered just one second too long as he debated with himself whether to touch her lips lightly with his own or give in to the powerful urge to crush his mouth and body against hers.”
― Anna Durbin, King of Wands

“She spun away from him and raced into the house toward her room to avoid an uncomfortable discussion. And as she flopped back on her bed and stared at the ceiling, she finally confronted the awful, alarming, dreadful, and entirely horrifying possibility that she had been rejecting all day. Though she could hardly accept it, she could no longer deny it. She was pretty sure Mr. Rodman was the King of Wands.”
― Anna Durbin, King of Wands

“Did I misread the heat in your eyes? Was I wrong about what you wanted?”
Still unable to form words, she said nothing.
“Because I know without question what I wanted in that moment.” He paused as though he were waiting for her to respond, but still, she remained silent. He chuckled, his voice low and seductive. “Wouldn’t you like to know what that was?”
She shook her head no.
He shrugged. “I’ll tell you anyway. I wanted more than anything in the world to take you in my arms, Julia, and kiss you senseless. And much more. So. Much. More.”
― Anna Durbin, King of Wands

“I’m a little alarmed, Mr. Rodman. You said no one will ever know anything improper happened between us. You did not say there will be nothing improper between us.”
“And I meant what I didn’t say.”
― Anna Durbin, King of Wands

“She suppressed an eye roll when he reiterated his question as if she had not heard it. She regarded him more closely then, and not for the first time, she noted that he was a handsome man. Alarmingly so. Were he anything other than a vicar and she anyone else but his patroness, she might have found herself attracted to him, in fact. The wildly inappropriate notion amused her while also sending a warm wave throughout her body, and she fanned herself again as she laughed aloud. Embarrassed by her sudden outburst, she managed to sober herself before speaking. “Next Sunday, you say?”
“Yes, next Sunday. Why do you laugh?”
Nerves, she supposed, and then she laughed again. “I don’t really know.”
“You don’t really know whether you’ll attend church next Sunday, or you don’t really know why you are laughing?”
“A little of both, perhaps.” She laughed yet again, and when he did not, she sucked in her cheeks in an attempt to stifle more laughter. “Forgive me, Mr. Rodman. In answer to your question, I don’t know whether I’ll be in church next Sunday. I could be back in London then, for all I know.”
― Anna Durbin, King of Wands

“His touch had scorched her skin and lit a fire within her so intense she thought her hair would ignite. Worse, when she turned around to thank him, she froze, spellbound by his gaze, realizing that if she didn’t do something to tamp down the desire that his aquamarine eyes, his bergamot scent, and his very presence had enflamed within her, she would do something entirely inappropriate, like reach out and launch herself into his arms.
He is not the King of Wands. He is not the King of Wands. He is not the King of Wands.”
― Anna Durbin, King of Wands

“They kissed for years, it seemed, and yet when he broke contact, it felt like he had kissed her for mere seconds. She wanted more from him, but he let go of her and backed away.
Irritated with him for taking advantage of her sensibilities and with herself for succumbing to her baser urges as she always did with him, she crossed her arms over her chest again. “Is that all then? Have you nothing more to say?”
“I think I’ve said everything, except . . . I’m an arse, Julia.”
Her eyes narrowed of their own accord. “Go on.”
― Anna Durbin, King of Wands

“If it is about love, then it always deserves one more chance!”
― Sonia K., The Second Chance

“Smiling, she reached for the book. “I’d be happy to show it to you. It’s one of Arthur’s favorites.” Oh, what wicked fun. She was taunting him without mercy now, she realized, but his reaction was so entertaining— almost adorable —that she couldn’t help herself. When he said nothing, she plucked the book from his hands and flipped it to page forty, revealing a couple in a pose so erotic that even she raised a brow when she saw it again. She stepped closer, turning the book toward him as she tapped the illustration. “This is the one.”
As he peered down at the picture, his eyes widened a fraction. She suppressed a grin as she sensed this very staid and proper vicar’s inability to look away, ensnared by his own carnal instincts. He examined the image for several seconds and then lifted his eyes to hers. Something unexpected— something primal — flashed in his expression then, and her knees wobbled and nearly buckled under the intensity of his gaze as it smoldered and bored into her soul. He gently tugged at the book, removing it from her grip, and in so doing, inadvertently brushed her fingers with his own. She wanted to pull away from him, but so help her, she could not break the contact, and suddenly, the tables turned. Suddenly, this was no longer her little game, her amusing trifle. Suddenly, it was very real. All humor vanished as she realized the joke was now very much on her.”
― Anna Durbin, King of Wands

“And when he took her hand to help her down, her heart did a funny— and frightening —little flip. And not just from the physical desire that his gaze had ignited, but from some new and unfamiliar sentiment that his words— and his touch —kindled in her.
Bad, Julia. Bad. Bad. Bad.”
― Anna Durbin, King of Wands

“If anyone looked at me with the raw desire that shows in his eyes when he looks at you, I’d be petrified they’d have me for dinner — and that I would be their willing victim. I might even throw myself on a plate, salt myself, and offer them a lick — you know, just so they could taste me.”
― Anna Durbin, King of Wands

“He gazed at her for what seemed like an eternity before reaching out to stroke her cheek. “I’d just like to forget. Forget every last thing.”
Her heart beat erratically from the emotions flickering through his eyes. Need and want. Fear and hope. She couldn’t tell where one emotion ended and the next began. The only thing she could tell for certain was that, in the subtle flicker of candlelight, something had changed between them. Profoundly changed. Desire coiled in and around them like a vine and settled low in her belly. Heat blossomed over her, quashing her ability to think straight as he bent his head and touched his lips to hers. She closed her eyes to everything but the feel of his mouth on hers, in a kiss so different from their first that it astonished in comparison. This was not the wild and savage connection they had shared behind the assembly rooms. Yet, there was passion in its tenderness, and hunger in the languorous fusion of their tongues.”
― Anna Durbin, King of Wands

“Her breath caught in her throat. Brett leaned against the doorjamb with both hands, wearing a pair of distressed jeans, a fitted black Henley, and a pair of steel-toed work boots. Even the wicked smile he wore screamed of a bad boy who was about to deflower a virgin... which only made her wish she was still a virgin.”
― Alison Bliss, Meant to Be

“I've decided that I'd like to stay in Pinewood and open my own patisserie. It's been my dream. When my car broke down in Pinewood, I was looking for the right place to settle. I wasn't planning on Pinewood, but it seems fate placed me here. Sweets & Treats”
― Barbara Hinske, Sweets & Treats

“The dark mahogany front door contained an oval, etched glass window in the top half. A peaked overhang was trimmed with white gingerbread, and a small porch extended to the right, allowing room for a small table and chair. Sweets & Treats”
― Barbara Hinske

“He recognized this ornament. It had been part of his childhood--a treasure he hadn't seen in decades." No Matter How Far”
― Barbara Hinske

“A promise is a promise. Five words. After ten years. There’s so much more that needs to be said beyond those seven syllables. But I took one look at her face, and the rest seemed unimportant.”
― Bridget Morrissey, A Thousand Miles

“A lemon flower stands for clarity, happiness, and hope," I told him, still feeling confused. "That's what my mom always said."
Rory studied the necklace and then me. "Clarity, happiness, and hope, huh?" His gaze was warm on my face. "Can I buy it for you?" He turned to the artist and pulled out his wallet.
"You don't have to---" I protested, but he was already handing over the cash.
"Please? I want to. Every time you wear it, you can be reminded to never give up hope, to seek happiness, and to remember that life is full of second chances.”
― Rachel Linden, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

“In my experience, when people don't like each other, it's because they don't really know each other. They're making unfounded assumptions based upon misunderstandings. Over Every Hurdle”
― Barbara Hinske

“In my very best dreams, I saw Gray.
I saw him as I tried to remember him--happy. Usually wearing nothing more than his boxers, in the bed that used to be ours. With his thick, dark hair flopping over his forehead, some soft electricity glowing in his green eyes. Sometimes, he laughed. Others, he took my face in his powerful hands and brushed his sculpted mouth over mine.
The man now standing on my street at two A.M. may have been Grayson Stryker.
But he wasn't Gray...
I'd imagined this reunion a thousand times. But we were't trading stilted pleasantries, now. This was something different than a chance encounter. Something darker.
A reckoning.”
― Ari Wright, For Always