Sticks & Stones Quotes

“Once you admit to yourself that you are or aren't something, then you can begin searching for the reason why," Deuce went on. "And once you've found that, you can begin to take steps toward making it better. So, tell yourself you're an asshole, stop being an asshole, your problem's solved," Deuce said in a pleased voice.”
― Abigail Roux & Madeleine Urban, Sticks & Stones

“You’re okay," Zane said quietly but clearly. "Just focus on me for a few minutes. What’s the first thing that comes to mind?" While talking, he was gently wiping away the blood. Ty blinked at him, opening his mouth as he thought the very first thing that came to mind when Zane prompted him. I love you. He snapped his mouth closed and stared at Zane, unable and unwilling to answer.”
― Abigail Roux, Sticks & Stones

“You listen to me, Beaumont Tyler Grady. You are a wise-cracking, stubborn, annoying pain in the ass who lives to cause trouble. You’re also a brave, courageous, and valiant Marine who puts his life on the line for what he believes and for those he loves. There is no way you have ever been or ever will be a coward. It simply isn’t in you.”
― Abigail Roux, Sticks & Stones

“I like being able to wake up to you. I like knowing you’ll be there if I need you,” he continued, obviously uncomfortable with what he was saying but refusing to be deterred now that he’d begun. “I like being with you, Zane. And I’d like to keep that up now that you’re here,” he admitted shakily. He met Zane’s eyes determinedly. “I want you.”
― Abigail Roux, Sticks & Stones

“What he was afraid of, he’d come to realize, was not dark spaces or falling from great heights or being buried alive. His greatest fears, in the end, were letting down those he loved and saying the words “I love you” without any hope of hearing them in return.”
― Abigail Roux, Sticks & Stones

“At least he now he knew the truth about himself and Zane. Looking raptly into Zane’s dark eyes, Ty wondered why he hadn’t realized he loved the man earlier.”
― Abigail Roux, Sticks & Stones

“Hell would be more relaxing than this," Zane muttered as he glared at the water. "And I could get a tan.”
― Abigail Roux, Sticks & Stones

“Deal with it, Meow Mix,” Deuce advised”
― Abigail Roux, Sticks & Stones

“See, some people, they’re sticky like Velcro. You’re sticky. Your problems stick to you like fuzzballs from the laundry; you take them everywhere with you and people can see them plain as day. Ty, he’s like spandex. Nothing sticks to him, and he’s shiny on the outside”
― Abigail Roux, Sticks & Stones

“Zane wondered if Ty was a mama‟s boy. He tipped his head to the side, watching them as he picked out a piece of warm bread, and thought maybe so. Not that he would ever voice that opinion to Ty until he was good and ready to die.”
― Madeleine Urban Abigail Roux, Sticks & Stones

“Ty’s knee occasionally brushed against his under the table as they ate, but the conversation died down as the food was passed around. It was an odd, remarkable feeling, to be eating breakfast with Ty and his family and feel not only welcome, but like he might belong there.”--Zane”
― Abigail Roux, Sticks & Stones

“knowing Deuce was watching, and Zane knew right then and there that he wouldn’t be giving Ty up without a fight. Ever.”
― Abigail Roux, Sticks & Stones

“Sticks and stones may break my bones,but words will never hurt me.”
― Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux, Sticks & Stones

“My wife has made up Ty’s old bedroom for you,” he told him in a low voice as Ty and Mara argued over the merits of the couch cushions versus the rocks out back.
“Oh Christ.” Zane laughed, falling back in his chair. “He won’t let me forget this. Losing his bed to me.”
“Well,” Earl said with a sigh, “it’s either that or fight his mama over it.” He sat and watched Ty and Mara for a moment, sipping at his coffee contentedly. “Ain’t none of us ever won that fight,” he told Zane flatly.
“Me and Zane’ll just bunk together,” Ty was arguing.
Mara laughed at him. “You two boys won’t fit in a double bed any more than I’ll still fit in my wedding dress,” she scoffed.

[...]

“Good morning, Zane dear, how did you sleep?” Mara asked as she came up to him and pressed a glass of orange juice into his hands.
“Ah, okay,” Zane hedged, taking the glass out of self-defense. “I don’t do too well sleeping in strange places lately, but….”
“Well, Ty’s bed is about as strange a place as you can get,” Deuce offered under his breath. He followed it with a muffled grunt as Ty kicked him under the table.”
― Abigail Roux, Sticks & Stones

“I like being able to wake up with you. I like knowing you'll be there if I need you," he continued, obviously uncomfortable with what he was saying but refusing to be deterred now that he'd begun. "I like being with you, Zane. And I'd like to keep that up now that you're here," he admitted shakily. He met Zane's eyes determinedly. "I want you.”
― Madeleine Urban, Sticks & Stones

“But Ty? Deuce snorted. Not in love, his ass. Ty could fool Zane, maybe. He could even fool himself for a while longer. But Ty couldn’t fool Deuce, not anymore.”
― Madeleine Urban, Sticks & Stones

“He’d take on that mountain lion with his bare hands before it touched Zane; he knew that much for certain.”
― Madeleine Urban, Sticks & Stones

“But he nodded in thanks and smiled as he tried to fight back the hint of warmth it caused. I love you. The thought had haunted him all night, almost as much as the sound of the cougar’s scream.”
― Madeleine Urban, Sticks & Stones

“That was one of the good things about having a partner who was so brutally honest and blunt. When he said something good, Zane knew he meant it.”
― Madeleine Urban, Sticks & Stones

“Ty blinked at him, opening his mouth as he thought the very first thing that came to mind when Zane prompted him. I love you. He snapped his mouth closed and stared at Zane, unable and unwilling to answer.”
― Madeleine Urban, Sticks & Stones

“Next time you’re struggling, you tell me,” Ty said quietly. “Don’t care what it’s about. That way I don’t have to guess what you need from me.”
― Madeleine Urban, Sticks & Stones

“If you want your prisoners to behave until you kill them, you don’t tell them you’re going to kill them!”
― Abigail Roux, Sticks & Stones

“At least he now he knew the truth about himself and Zane. Looking raptly into Zane’s dark eyes, Ty wondered why he hadn’t realized he loved the man earlier.”
― Madeleine Urban, Sticks & Stones

“Ty had never even hinted at this before. It was something Zane had simply considered off-limits. But Ty didn’t waste any time now; he took Zane into his mouth, pushing his head forward to drive Zane’s cock deep into the warmth.”
― Madeleine Urban, Sticks & Stones

“I like being able to wake up to you. I like knowing you’ll be there if I need you,” he continued, obviously uncomfortable with what he was saying but refusing to be deterred now that he’d begun. “I like being with you, Zane. And I’d like to keep that up now that you’re here,” he admitted shakily. He met Zane’s eyes determinedly. “I want you.”
― Madeleine Urban, Sticks & Stones

“In my professional opinion, they aren’t fit to be partnered with anyone BUT each other,”
― Abigail Roux, Sticks & Stones

“Sex would be great, of course – it always was – but Zane would be happy to settle for simply holding him. Something about hearing Ty breathe, so calm and close, was reassuring in ways Zane didn’t examine too closely.”
― Abigail Roux, Sticks & Stones

“What he was afraid of, he’d come to realize, was not dark spaces or falling from great heights or being buried alive. His greatest fears, in the end, were letting down those he loved and saying the words “I love you” without any hope of hearing them in return.”
― Madeleine Urban, Sticks & Stones

“You listen to me, Beaumont Tyler Grady. You are a wise-cracking, stubborn, annoying pain in the ass who lives to cause trouble. You’re also a brave, courageous, and valiant Marine who puts his life on the line for what he believes and for those he loves. There is no way you have ever been or ever will be a coward. It simply isn’t in you.”
― Madeleine Urban, Sticks & Stones

“He’d offered covering fire when he thought Zane might have a chance to fight his way out. Now he regretted not taking the one kill shot he’d had.”
― Madeleine Urban, Sticks & Stones