Ignite Quotes

“A dollar-fifty!” I turned around and looked at them in the back seat. “You said yesterday the F word was only a buck.” Hallie smiled sweetly. “Prices go up on Sunday.” “Because of Jesus,” added Luna.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“That’s how I want to be loved—big and crazy. Because that’s how I love.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“Because I love you,” I repeated, looking her right in the eye. “I know I’m too old for you, and you could have anyone you wanted—someone with a bigger bank account, someone younger and smarter, someone with way less baggage.” “Someone less hairy,” said Hallie. “That doesn’t snore,” added Luna. “As I was saying,” I went on, throwing a brief but menacing glance over my shoulder at my kids, “I know you could find someone better for you. But you won’t find someone who loves you more. Or wants to be with you the way I do.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“You deserve someone who makes you feel like you’ve been struck by fucking lightning. Don’t you dare settle for fine.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“I think I’m good at reading people when actually what I’m good at is wishful thinking.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“I looked at the girls. Luna had her hands over her mouth. Hallie’s eyes were wide, and she pointed to the bathroom door. “Winnie was naked,” she whispered. “We saw her bum.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“He cursed again. “You’re going to torture me until I break, is that it?” “I’m going to fuck you until I come, is that the same thing?” I was already close, but I didn’t tell him that.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“Daddy’s earlobes are funny. Don’t you think?” Crunch, crunch, crunch. “Funny like how?” Luna asked. “I don’t know.” Hallie stuck something in her mouth and spoke around it. “They’re just so big and lobey.” Luna giggled. “Yeah.” More crackling of the bag. More crunching. And if I wasn’t mistaken, I felt some crumbs drop onto my chest. “Hallie, look what you did. You got Cheetos in Daddy’s chest hair.” I felt someone blowing on me. “Now they’re gone.” “No. You missed some. Right there, it’s orange. See?” “Be careful, Luna. You’re gonna drip.” That’s when I felt a cold splat on my belly. I opened my eyes and saw a purple blob at the top of my abs. “What the hell is that?” “It’s jelly from my toast.” Luna leaned over and slurped it up like an anteater. “Sorry.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“And these are his daughters, Hallie and Luna. Guys, this is my cousin Winnie and her friend Ellie.” “Oh, we already know Winnie,” Hallie informed him. “You do?” Chip grinned down at her in surprise. “Yes, she lives next door,” said Luna excitedly, bouncing up and down. “We saw her bum today!” Record scratch. Horrible silence. Chip looked confused. “Her what?” “Her bum.” Luna patted her own backside while I held my breath and tried to make myself disappear. “We saw it when we were in her bedroom today.” “Luna!” Hallie elbowed her sister. “Daddy told us in the car not to tell that story tonight. You’re gonna get us in trouble and then we can’t go swimming tomorrow.” “I forgot.” Luna rubbed her shoulder and looked up at Dex. “Sorry, Daddy.” Dex struggled for words and came up with, “Fucking hell, Luna.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“You did everything you said you were going to do. A man is only as good as his word, and that means you are the best kind of man.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“Maybe I'm a fool, but I am not a coward. I love you. And I don't want this to end”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“Never let the fear get in the way of being the kind of man you want to be. When you look back, what will matter most?”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“Daddy’s swear box—money for future cat.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“Can you read it to me?” I asked. Hallie went to get her iPad, and Luna wiped her sticky hands on her nightgown. “I got some jelly on the counter,” she told me. “And on the floor.” “Great.” “And Freddie Purrcury stepped in it.” I frowned. “Even better.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“It wasn’t until I was halfway up the stairs that I realized we hadn’t said our usual parting lines to each other. I stopped and waited, expecting him to knock again so he could tell me he didn’t love me. But the house stayed silent.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“I wasn’t, was I? How come the answer felt a little muddy in my brain? Was it the blowjob?”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“But instead, he lifted his beer bottle and slowly rubbed the mouth of it along my lower lip, watching intently. I opened my mouth slightly, and he eased the bottle in a little deeper. I slid the tip of my tongue along the rim. My nipples stiffened beneath the silk of my top.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“Fuck, did anyone survive childhood without wounds?”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“Please give me another chance!” Breathing hard, I waited for a light to come on, a door to open, a sign that she still loved me . . . but the house remained dark and silent. Crickets chirped. I glanced over at the girls, who seemed just as distraught as I was. They looked at each other, and then back at me. That’s when I heard a feminine voice come out of the darkness behind me. “Hey Winnie? Yeah, it’s Audrey. There’s some guy across the street yelling at the Wilsons’ house, but I think he’s talking to you.” Oh, fuck. Horrified, I spun around on my knees. A teenage couple stood under a front porch light at a home across the street. The girl was talking into her phone. “Dude,” the guy called out. “I think you’re at the wrong house.” Fuck. Me. Behind the couple, the front door opened and a barrel-chested man came storming out the front door wearing jeans, a USMC sweatshirt, and a scowl. “What’s going on out here? Who’s shouting?” “That guy over there is telling Winnie that he’s sorry and he loves her, but he’s at the wrong house,” said the girl. “I feel really bad for him.” “What?” The man’s chest puffed out further and he squinted in my direction. Then Winnie’s mom appeared on the porch, pulling a cardigan around her. “Is everything okay?” No. Everything was not okay. “Who is that guy?” her dad asked, and by his tone I could tell what he meant was, Who is that fucking idiot? “Is it Dex?” Frannie leaned forward and squinted. “Is that you, Dex?” “Yeah. It’s me.” I’d never wanted a sinkhole to open up and swallow me as badly as I did at that moment. If my kids hadn’t been there, I might have taken off on foot. Just then, a car pulled into their driveway, and my stomach lurched when Winnie jumped out of the passenger side. Her friend Ellie got out of the driver’s side and looked back and forth between Winnie and me. “Holy shit,” she said. “Dex?” Winnie started walking down the drive and stopped at the sidewalk, gaping at me kneeling in the spotlight from the streetlamp above. “What on earth are you doing?” “Hi, Winnie!” Hallie and Luna started jumping up and down and waving like mad. “Hi!” And then, because apparently there wasn’t a big enough audience, another car pulled up in front of the MacAllisters’ house, and a second teenage girl jumped out. “Bye!” she yelled, waving as the car drove off. Then she noticed everyone outside. “Oh, crap. Did I miss curfew or something?” “No,” the first teenage girl said, hopping down from the porch. “Omigod, Emmeline, this is amazing. Kyle was just leaving when this man pulled up, jumped out of his car, and starts shouting to Winnie that he loves her and he wants another chance—but he was yelling at the Wilsons’ house, not ours. Not that it mattered, because she wasn’t even here.” “Audrey, be quiet!” Winnie put her hands on her head. “Dex. What is this? Why are you on your knees?” “We told him to do that!” Hallie shouted proudly. “Because that’s what the ogre would do!”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“Girls,” I said. “I have to tell you something serious.” “Is it that you’re in love with Winnie?” Hallie asked. “Because we already know that.” I stared at them in disbelief. “You do?” “Yes, we made it happen,” said Luna triumphantly. “With our noses.” “What?” “Winnie taught us how to cast magic spells,” Hallie explained. “It worked for the cat.” Luna shrugged. “So we figured it might work on you guys. Although we weren’t supposed to say anything about it. Even Winnie doesn’t know.” She turned to Hallie. “Do you think we messed it up? What if it only worked on Daddy and not Winnie?” Hallie shook her head. “We did it the same way for both. She has to love him.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“This isn’t a date.” “Thank God.” “But if you want to wear the sexy black underwear, I won’t be mad.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“Yeah.” Luna giggled. “Is that hair in his nose?” “Ew, I think it is. I never noticed that before.” “Maybe he cuts it,” Luna said. “I saw him giving his bushy eyebrows a haircut once.” More giggling. “I’m glad my eyebrows don’t look like that.” “They kind of do.” “Do not!” Hallie was indignant. “I just mean they’re dark like his. But don’t worry, yours aren’t as fuzzy. Daddy’s are like black caterpillars crawling over his eyes.” Hallie snickered. “Totally.” Silence for ten blissful seconds. And then. “Daddy has an outie. I have an innie.” “Me too.” “Outies are funny-looking.” “I know.” The next thing I knew, one of them stuck a finger in my belly button. I opened my eyes. “Seriously?” Luna, whose finger was still on my belly button, grinned. “Did that wake you up?” “Your shit-talking woke me up.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“I pumped my fist. “Fuck yeah.” “That’s another dollar, Daddy,” Luna said. “Remember the swear jar.” “There’s no way I’m having a swear jar in this house, girls. I’ll go broke.” “Or maybe you’ll stop swearing,” Hallie said. I leveled her with a look. “Not. Fucking. Likely.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“You should stop.” “Why?” “It’s dangerous to play with fire. And with firefighters.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“you had any Hello Kitty Band-Aids.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“That’s a dollar-fifty, Daddy.” “A dollar-fifty!” I turned around and looked at them in the back seat. “You said yesterday the F word was only a buck.” Hallie smiled sweetly. “Prices go up on Sunday.” “Because of Jesus,” added Luna.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“Damn, he was handsome. My heart was still fluttering. “It’s fine,” I told myself. “It’s fine that my new next door neighbor is a hot firefighter and single dad with muscles for days and dark, broody eyes. It’s fine, because I am the boss of my feelings.” Slowly, I started walking up the stairs, skimming my palm along the banister and wondering if his abs were as hard and sculpted as his jaw. Then I snatched my fingers off the wood as if it was hot. “I am also the boss of my hands.” I started up the steps again, imagining what it would be like to feel his scruff against my cheek, maybe bite his lower lip. “And my teeth,” I said defiantly. “I’m definitely the boss of my teeth. I will not bite my nice new neighbor.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“He—he kind of, uh, penetrated my mouth with his beer bottle.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“I was going to sit here in my little pajamas and eat his apology with a spoon.”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite

“I went to Pilates class,”
― Melanie Harlow, Ignite