“I loved and adored you, but I drained you like a thirsty man at a spring. I loved what you could give me - your admiration, your acceptance, your love, your forgiveness. I forgot to love you for yourself.”
―
Jennifer Ashley,
Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage
“We don't fit in, you and me," he said. "We're both oddities no one knows what to do with. But we fit together." He took her hand, pressed her palm to his, then laced their fingers through each other's. "We fit.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“Ian closed his eyes. Beth watched emotions flicker across his face, the uncertainty, the stubbornness, the raw pain he’d lived with for so long. He didn’t always know how to express his emotions, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel them deeply.When Ian slowly opened his eyes, he guided his gaze directly to Beth’s. His golden eyes shimmered and sparkled, pupils ringed with green. He held her gaze steadily, not blinking, or shifting away.“I love you,” he said.Beth caught her breath, and sudden tears blurred her vision.“Love you,” Ian repeated. His gaze bore into hers harder than Hart’s ever could hope to. “Love you, love you, love you, love you, love you, love you…” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“Is this what love feels like?" he whispered to her. "I don't like it, my Beth. It hurts too much.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“Ian cupped her chin and turned her face up to his. Then he did what he’d been practicing since the night on the train – he looked her fully in the eyes.He couldn’t always do it. Sometimes his gaze simply refused to obey, and he’d turn away with a growl. But more and more he’d been able to focus directly on her. Ian’s eyes were beautiful, even more so when his pupils widened with desire. “Have I told you today that I love you?” he asked. “A few dozen times. Not that I mind.”As a young woman who’d been starved for love much of her life, Beth lapped up Ian’s generous outpouring of the words. He’d surprise her with them, catching her as she walked down the hall, pushing her up against a wall, breathing, “I love you.” Or he’d tickle her awake and tell her while she tried to hit him with a pillow. The best was when he lay against her in the dark, fingers tracing her body. She treasured his whispered, “I love you.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“I do not think of him as Lord Ian Mackenzie, aristocratic brother of a duke and well beyond my reach; not as the Mad Mackenzie, an eccentric people stare at and whisper about.To me, he is simply Ian.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“Stay with me.” “We’re married,” she whispered. “Of course I’ll stay.” “You could decide to leave me.” “I won’t.” “Promise me.” “I have promised. I do promise.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“Because when I look at you, I forget everything. I lose all track of what I’m saying or doing. I can see only your eyes.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“Beth stared at the bowl, a fragile piece of the past, such a delicate object in Ian’s large, blunt fingers. “Are you certain?” “Of course I’m certain.” His frown returned. “Do you not want it?” “I do want it,” Beth said hastily. She held her hands out for it. “I’m honored.” The frown faded, to be replaced by a slight quirk of his lips.“Is it better than a new carriage and horses and a dozen frocks?”“What are you talking about? It’s a hundred times better.” “It’s only a bowl.” “It’s special to you, and you gave it to me.” Beth took it carefully and smiled at the dragons chasing one another in eternal determination. “It’s the best gift in the world.” Ian took it gently back from her and replaced it in its slot. That made sense; in here it would stay safe and unbroken. But the kiss Ian gave her after that was anything but sensible. It was wicked and bruising, and she had no idea why he smiled so triumphantly.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“Everything matters.Everything you do touches someone in some way, even though you might not understand that.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Duke's Perfect Wife
“...Mac, I want you to go back to the house and make sure the ladies don't get the idea to go searching as well. I told Eleanor not to, but you know the Mackenzie females."Mac scowled."Hell, Hart, can't you find something easier for me to do? Go up against an army of assassins in my underwear, maybe?” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Duke's Perfect Wife
“...Illegitimate children can be left money, but they can't inherit the peerage.""You wouldn't want it," Cameron put in. "More trouble than it's worth. And for God's sake, don't murder Hart or I'm next.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“Explain to me what loving feels like, Beth. I want to understand.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“Why is she so stubborn? And disobedient?” Cameron barked a laugh. “Because Mackenzies always choose headstrong women. You didn’t really expect her to obey you, did you? No matter what the marriage vows say?” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“My Beth,” he whispered, his breath hot on her swollen lips. “Thank you.” “For what?” Beth couldn’t stop crying, but she smiled, her face aching with it. “Setting me free.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“Hart caressed the letters of baby Graham’s name. “Mac likes to say, We’re Mackenzies. We break what we touch. But this little Mackenzie… he broke me.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Duke's Perfect Wife
“For God's sake!" Hart sprang to his feet.Everyone at the table stopped and stared at him, including Ian. "Do I have to be made a mockery of in my own house?"Mac leaned back in his chair, his hands behind his head. "Would you prefer we made a mockery of you in the street? In Hyde Park, maybe? In the middle of Pall Mall? The card room in your club?""Mac, shut it!” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Duke's Perfect Wife
“Love I want you for my mate because you have eyes the color of smoke. Because you are wicked sexy, because you're fearless and have a smart-ass mouth, and because you kiss like fire. Why wouldn't I want a woman like you around me the rest of my life?” ― Jennifer Ashley, Primal Bonds
“He looked like a man who'd invite you to rest your head on his shoulder while he made everything bad go away.” ― Jennifer Ashley, Pride Mates
“We don't fit in, you and me," he said. "We're both oddities no one knows what to do with. But we fit together." He took her hand, pressed her palm to his, then laced their fingers through each other's. "We fit.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“Ian closed his eyes. Beth watched emotions flicker across his face, the uncertainty, the stubbornness, the raw pain he’d lived with for so long. He didn’t always know how to express his emotions, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel them deeply.When Ian slowly opened his eyes, he guided his gaze directly to Beth’s. His golden eyes shimmered and sparkled, pupils ringed with green. He held her gaze steadily, not blinking, or shifting away.“I love you,” he said.Beth caught her breath, and sudden tears blurred her vision.“Love you,” Ian repeated. His gaze bore into hers harder than Hart’s ever could hope to. “Love you, love you, love you, love you, love you, love you…” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“Is this what love feels like?" he whispered to her. "I don't like it, my Beth. It hurts too much.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“Ian cupped her chin and turned her face up to his. Then he did what he’d been practicing since the night on the train – he looked her fully in the eyes.He couldn’t always do it. Sometimes his gaze simply refused to obey, and he’d turn away with a growl. But more and more he’d been able to focus directly on her. Ian’s eyes were beautiful, even more so when his pupils widened with desire. “Have I told you today that I love you?” he asked. “A few dozen times. Not that I mind.”As a young woman who’d been starved for love much of her life, Beth lapped up Ian’s generous outpouring of the words. He’d surprise her with them, catching her as she walked down the hall, pushing her up against a wall, breathing, “I love you.” Or he’d tickle her awake and tell her while she tried to hit him with a pillow. The best was when he lay against her in the dark, fingers tracing her body. She treasured his whispered, “I love you.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“I do not think of him as Lord Ian Mackenzie, aristocratic brother of a duke and well beyond my reach; not as the Mad Mackenzie, an eccentric people stare at and whisper about.To me, he is simply Ian.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“Stay with me.” “We’re married,” she whispered. “Of course I’ll stay.” “You could decide to leave me.” “I won’t.” “Promise me.” “I have promised. I do promise.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“Because when I look at you, I forget everything. I lose all track of what I’m saying or doing. I can see only your eyes.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“Beth stared at the bowl, a fragile piece of the past, such a delicate object in Ian’s large, blunt fingers. “Are you certain?” “Of course I’m certain.” His frown returned. “Do you not want it?” “I do want it,” Beth said hastily. She held her hands out for it. “I’m honored.” The frown faded, to be replaced by a slight quirk of his lips.“Is it better than a new carriage and horses and a dozen frocks?”“What are you talking about? It’s a hundred times better.” “It’s only a bowl.” “It’s special to you, and you gave it to me.” Beth took it carefully and smiled at the dragons chasing one another in eternal determination. “It’s the best gift in the world.” Ian took it gently back from her and replaced it in its slot. That made sense; in here it would stay safe and unbroken. But the kiss Ian gave her after that was anything but sensible. It was wicked and bruising, and she had no idea why he smiled so triumphantly.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“Everything matters.Everything you do touches someone in some way, even though you might not understand that.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Duke's Perfect Wife
“...Mac, I want you to go back to the house and make sure the ladies don't get the idea to go searching as well. I told Eleanor not to, but you know the Mackenzie females."Mac scowled."Hell, Hart, can't you find something easier for me to do? Go up against an army of assassins in my underwear, maybe?” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Duke's Perfect Wife
“...Illegitimate children can be left money, but they can't inherit the peerage.""You wouldn't want it," Cameron put in. "More trouble than it's worth. And for God's sake, don't murder Hart or I'm next.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“Explain to me what loving feels like, Beth. I want to understand.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“Why is she so stubborn? And disobedient?” Cameron barked a laugh. “Because Mackenzies always choose headstrong women. You didn’t really expect her to obey you, did you? No matter what the marriage vows say?” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“My Beth,” he whispered, his breath hot on her swollen lips. “Thank you.” “For what?” Beth couldn’t stop crying, but she smiled, her face aching with it. “Setting me free.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
“Hart caressed the letters of baby Graham’s name. “Mac likes to say, We’re Mackenzies. We break what we touch. But this little Mackenzie… he broke me.” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Duke's Perfect Wife
“For God's sake!" Hart sprang to his feet.Everyone at the table stopped and stared at him, including Ian. "Do I have to be made a mockery of in my own house?"Mac leaned back in his chair, his hands behind his head. "Would you prefer we made a mockery of you in the street? In Hyde Park, maybe? In the middle of Pall Mall? The card room in your club?""Mac, shut it!” ― Jennifer Ashley, The Duke's Perfect Wife
“Love I want you for my mate because you have eyes the color of smoke. Because you are wicked sexy, because you're fearless and have a smart-ass mouth, and because you kiss like fire. Why wouldn't I want a woman like you around me the rest of my life?” ― Jennifer Ashley, Primal Bonds
“He looked like a man who'd invite you to rest your head on his shoulder while he made everything bad go away.” ― Jennifer Ashley, Pride Mates
