The Untouchable Earl 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

“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

“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

“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

“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

“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

“The gossips are saying you have melted the ice of my heart," he said.
His voice was smooth and rich as he patiently worked the buttons on the back of her gown. She bit her lip to hold back the unexpected rush of desire through her system.
She shook her head. "Your heart was never frozen. In fact, it was the fire inside you that lured me." She smiled. "Like a moth to your flame.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“It is not as though you are being forced to abstain from all contact," she added cheekily. "I am simply not ready to share our relationship with the world."
He chuckled, and the sound warmed her heart. "Sweetheart, the world is well aware of my pursuit of you. How can they not be when I dance with you and only you at every ball and visit your great-aunt's house several times a week?”
― 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

“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

“He watched in amazement as her gaze darkened to smoke, swirling with depth and mystery. The quiet calm of her nature reached into his soul, exploring with gentle insistence, soothing long-buried wounds. She was all that was steady and true. Sensual, generous, and lovely. She was his, as he was hers.”
― 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

“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

“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

“Avenell." His name was a whisper, a sigh, a sacred vow on her lips.
The ache inside him deepened. He knew what she wanted. Somehow, he always knew. Despite the truth he had to acknowledge, he was unable to deny her.
He lowered his head to take the words from her, pressing his mouth to hers as her eyes fell closed. Lifting his hand, he cradled the side of her face, indulging in the smooth warmth of her cheek against his palm and the way her pulse fluttered where the pad of his little finger rested below her earlobe.
She tilted her head to deepen the kiss, and he responded with a sensual sweep of his tongue.
No matter how many times they had come together in the last couple of weeks, the heat never dissipated. The urgency and the passion seemed to grow.
It was too much and yet would never be enough.
She began to lean into him, and though he tensed when she pressed against his chest, he did not stop her. Nor did he object when her hands came up to rest on either side of his lower rib cage. He just breathed more deeply of her scent, allowing the essence that was Lily to overwhelm his senses.
After a few long minutes, he drew back to rest his forehead against hers. He could not resist the temptation of savoring that moment.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“He had almost made his escape when he happened to see the gentle face and lovely form of the woman who had become far more precious to him than he deserved.
And she saw him.
Though he did not allow his attention to rest on her for even a moment as he passed by, he still soaked in the sight of her parted lips and widened eyes when she noticed his swift passing. His stomach clenched as tightly as his fists. God, how he wanted to go to her and draw her softness against his body in a desperate attempt to distract him from the pain he felt inside.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“His decision to attend had been based solely on his desire to be near Lily. Though they'd arranged to meet later in the night, he found it difficult to go so many hours without seeing her smile and feeling her presence.
He'd noticed her the moment he stepped into the ballroom.
She had told him once how she had grown accustomed to blending in and going unnoticed beside her sisters or in a crowd. He did not know how it was possible for anyone not to see the treasure that was Lily. Her unique and subtle brand of grace and charm accented her every movement and filled her expression with warmth. Men should be falling at her feet in hopes of gaining her favor.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“It is rather warm in here anyway."
The heat that spread through Avenell's chest had nothing to do with the room and everything to do with the woman who stood patiently waiting for his response to her casual suggestion.
With a rueful curve of his lips, he walked toward her, enjoying the way her gaze flickered over his bared torso with admiration. The desire that never quite went away when he was in her presence flared bright in response.”
― 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

“Tell me what you feel," he demanded. "Right now, in this moment."
Her arms flexed as she pulled against the rope around her wrists, stopping just shy of loosening the restraint. She licked her lips, and her gaze fell to travel hotly over his bared chest and abdomen. And then lower to where his painful erection jutted fiercely from the shadow of his groin.
His entire body tensed when her attention seemed to lock on that part of his body.
"I am on fire from the inside out," she whispered in a husky tone. "I feel desperate and frantic. As though I am fighting for my life." She brought her gaze back to his face. "And only you have the power to save me."
She arched her body, lifting her breasts and rolling her hips. "Please, my lord. Kiss me," she sighed in a quiet demand.
Kiss her? He wanted to consume her.
In that breathless moment, her gaze seemed to contain all the mysteries of life and death. Mysteries he wanted desperately to explore... until he acknowledged with an intense stab of regret that a woman like Lily would not reveal the depths of her heart unless she could expect reciprocation in kind.
Avenell would never know the beautiful secrets she kept. But he could know this.
The sigh she breathed as he lowered his head toward hers.
The silken texture and lush softness of her lips beneath his.
The sweetness of her tongue, the sharp edge of her teeth.
The way he so quickly and easily lost himself in the languid exploration of her mouth.
She arched more deeply toward him. The peaks of her breasts pressed into his chest. He tensed at the rise in sensations but did not pull away. The kiss took priority over all else.
Her tongue played fiercely against his, and her teeth scraped along his lower lip, demanding more of him. Her body melted as her moans and sweet whimpers fanned the fire burning hot inside him. She strained beneath him, arching deeper, pressing harder toward him.
It was the deepest pleasure.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“Her smoky gaze held his intently, as though silently demanding something of him. Stopping at the side of the bed, he studied the stretch of her body. She so eloquently displayed both shameless sensuality and innocent anticipation. She was maiden and courtesan together. Bold and modest.
So many sumptuous curves and mysterious shadows.
Beautiful and all his.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“He couldn't resist her. He didn't want to.
In torturously slow degrees, he lowered his head toward hers. Every sense, every nerve in his body was focused on the next few moments. He knew he would want to savor the memory of this, the first time he had kissed Lily.
He pressed his lips to hers gently at first, not knowing what to expect. But even such a light touch sent a swift rush of sensation through him. It was unlike anything he had ever known. Delicate and passionate at once. The silken texture of her lips, her pliant softness, the little moan that caught in her throat.
It stunned him. Stopped his breath and jolted his heart.
Intent upon exploring this new experience, he shifted the pressure of his mouth, brushing his lips across hers before he flicked his tongue out to touch just the center of her bottom lip. Her lips parted on a sudden exhale. Her warm breath mingled with his. Something more than desire coursed through his blood.
He lifted his hands to grasp her shoulders, and with a groan, he crushed her mouth with his.
A voice in his head demanded he slow down, relish the sensations. But he was too desperate to know more. He tilted his head, craving the taste of her as though it could save his soul. He swept his tongue past her teeth, sliding it into the recesses of her mouth. She tasted of innocence and shadows, and he was ravenous for her.
It shocked him- that desperate, obsessive need to consume her, to take all that she was into himself. To make what was hers, his. Her breath, her taste, her softness, and her need.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“You amaze me." He spoke the words on a low, shuddering breath. Lily was certain she misunderstood. "Even now I can sense the peace within you- your quiet acceptance of whatever may come. Does nothing disturb you, Lily?"
"Only the thought that you might send me away."
Her answer drew a ragged sigh from his chest, and he bowed his head for a moment. "I could no more do that than I could stop my own breath.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“Pendragon had been the first person to accept his condition without judgement, but Avenell wanted so much more than acceptance from Lily.
The feel of her body in his hands, her skin like warmed silk under his lips, had been intense. He had never experienced a woman's body the way he had Lily's, as though every bit of her was magic. Her softness and quiet strength had inspired him to a tenderness he had not known he possessed. The scent of the sweet jasmine and earthy sandalwood of his perfume mingled flawlessly on her body. On every inhale he had drawn her essence in with his breath, and his blood had heated dangerously.”
― 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

“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

“The truth is that I have long been... curious about the more passionate aspects of human existence. I do not want to live my entire life huddled beneath my bedcovers, imagining what desire must feel like. I want to experience it. I do experience it with you."
Her words stole his breath.
"From the first moment I saw you, my lord, I felt something ignite inside me. Something powerful. It is important to me that you know I would never have considered becoming the mistress of anyone but you."
Avenell's heart stopped.”
― 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

“She stared critically at her reflection in the mirror above her dressing table, studying her features in a way she had never done before. Lifting her chin, she looked first this way then that, trying to identify what it was Lord Harte saw in her as desirable.
She was so dreadfully ordinary.
Medium brown hair parted in the middle. Muted gray eyes that did not snap with determination and intelligence like Emma's or glitter with mystery and excitement like Portia's. A straight nose with a base she always thought was a bit too wide. A common enough chin, cheekbones that were nicely defined, and rather straight brown eyebrows beneath a high forehead.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl

“She reached first for one labeled The Glory of Gardenia and quickly set it down after a brief sniff. The flowery scent was fiercely overwhelming. She continued down the row, trying several more: one scented with orange blossoms and juniper, one laced with lavender, one that contained an interesting blend of rose and mint, and one that was crisp with the scent of lemon and some exotic spice.”
― Amy Sandas, The Untouchable Earl