Nevermore

by Addison Beck

Reign

My life was impossibly normal. Living by honest means, working a regular job, and being a fumbling and awkward teenager were just the norm.

Until Mama remarried. Being thrown into a world so different from mine is jarring. The parties, the people, the wealth-

And my stepbrother.

Santiago is everything I’m not. He’s carved from stone— a god amongst mortals-with an intelligence and elegance that I’ll never possess, and I can’t help but wonder who he is behind his cruel but apathetic facade.

What started as nothing turned into everything. What was only an infatuation turned into an obsession.

Because I didn’t understand what it would mean to be his.

Nevermore is Part I of “The Cruel Love” duet. Fall into a world of summer love, obsession, and heartache.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Forced Proximity, Enemies To Lovers, Dark Romance, College, Dark

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 23, 2025

Reviews

[Emna · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHAAAAATTTTTTTTT ????? WAITTTTTTT NO NO NO YOU CAN'T JUST DO THIS TO ME NOOOO WTFFF WHATTT THE ACTUAL FUCK DID I JUST GETTTTT MYSELF INTO ????? NO FUCKING WAYYYY WHERE IS THE 2ND BOOOK WHERRRE IS IT??? MYYYYYY HEARTT...... IMMMM CRUSHED.BYE.

Please note: this NONSENSE was written past midnight while I was emotionally wrecked. The next day… please don’t look at me

[kaye taz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️
spice: 🌶️🌶️/5
format: ebook

i am heartbroken with where we've left off, but so anxious to get back to these two.

reign and santi are so cute together. what started as somewhat ambivalent stepbrothers who pushed each other's buttons really turned into the sweetest romance. i love how down bad and obsessed santi immediately got. and how reign really brought out this complete other side of him.

i don't know what to say other than i need more right now. the last chapter was devastating, and i just need them together and happy forever.

please and thank you.

[peoniesandmm · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾️ stars!

i needed this to be 500 pages - i cannot wait until the second book 😭😭.
THAT ENDING. BYE.

[Laura Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nevermore is book one of a Cruel Love Duet. This MM stepbrother romance story is about Reign and Santiago.

Reign and Santiago are both eighteen, becoming stepbrothers after their parents secretly marry. They meet for the first time when Reign and his mother Holly move from their trailer park home into Santiago and his father Emiliano’s mansion. Reign and Santiago are definitely opposites, especially with growing up on different sides of the track. Reign is super smart, awkward, but oh so sweet. Santiago is cold, indifferent, and rough around the edges.

Santiago did not make things easy for Reign in the beginning, but when they finally connect, I enjoyed seeing them fall for each other. I ate up all of their sweet moments together. I loved Reign from the start, and although I didn’t care much for Santiago in the beginning, I eventually fell for him too. I just loved the obsession and the possessiveness! I knew this was a duet and tried to prepare myself for a cliffhanger, and boy was the last chapter hard to read. It left my heart aching and had me desperately needing more.

The way I devoured this book…I just couldn’t get enough of Reign and Santiago. I absolutely cannot wait for more. I am a huge fan of stepbrother romances, and let me tell you that Reign and Santiago are now in the top of my favorites. I don’t just want but need book two of this duet.

I received an advanced copy of this book, and this is my honest review. 

[Kim Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens if you meet the love of your life at 18?

Boy oh boy, I really wasn't prepared for this one 🙈 It's a duet, so be prepared for a second part of these two.

So, Reign and Santiago meet over their parents since they got married, which means they are stepbrothers (honestly, my favorite 🤭).

They are very different from one another, like extremely opposites in every aspect. But, they soon discover they have one very important thing in common: their undeniable attraction and chemistry ❤️‍🔥

I loved Reign immediately, such a humble soul and he really was interesting considering his abilities. Santiago is an intense character who's more than what you first may think.

This book soothed me and hurt me simultaneously and I neeeeeeed the second part so bad 😭

These boys definitely filled the he-fell-first-but-he-fell-harder, too 🤧🥺

One of my favorite reads this month for sure!

[melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐️
“Why do you make yourself smaller than you are? Apologizing, making questions out of statements. You do these things because you’re sorry for what? Existing? You don’t have to apologize for existing with me. I rather like your existence.”

This was...hum it was good? No. It could’ve been good, but it didn’t get there.

I always loved pools.
I don’t think I like swimming anymore.

I liked the beginning, it really caught my attention and I liked Reign, he was such a baby, I wanted to protect him. But then they lost me, I kept reading, but my interest was gone. It kind of picked up again a bit at the end, but then… nothing. I finished it and I feel nothing.

“In order to hate you, I’d have to care. In order to despise you, you’d have to be something of interest to me. You offer nothing to me, Reign. Don’t mistake my indifference for hatred.”

Yes, THAT'S the energy I want, and Santiago better be bringing it in their second book. I got the feeling that I’ll like it more than this one so I’ll treat this one as an intro...a weak intro to the real story between Reign and Santiago.

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Touching him was an error so great, I feel like an idiot. Because it’s almost like I’m in a trance. Like I’m zeroed in on the feel of his body pressing into mine. As if all I want is to keep touching the broken, pathetic boy until he breaks for me."

I was not ready for Nevermore! Tough reading and a tougher ending for part 1 in this Cruel Love duet from the fabulous Addison Beck.

What To Expect:

🖤MM romance
🖤Stepbrothers
🖤All the angst
🖤All the spice
🖤Broken boys
🖤No HEA in book 1

Neeeeeed book 2!

[Bettina · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️ I. NEED. THE. NEXT. BOOK. NOW! This was such a great and exciting story from Addison Beck, and the way I need more from Reign and Santiago is unreal. I felt all the emotions with this story, and I was truly weeping.

Touching him was an error so great, I feel like an idiot. Because it’s almost like I’m in a trance. Like I’m zeroed in on the feel of his body pressing into mine. As if all I want is to keep touching the broken, pathetic boy until he breaks for me.

I was immediately sucked into this universe, and fell in love with the characters. There were so many details that I loved, from the pool scene, the wood whittling, and how truly head over heals one certain grumpy character became. It was truly a great start to a story, and I'm very much looking forward to see how this turns out. There was also other characters in this univers that I found interesting, so maybe we we'll get more from them at some point as well, fingers crossed.

Addison Beck proves ones again why she is one of my absolute favorite authors, and I highly recommend this heartbreaking love story with step-brothers, opposites attract, grumpy x sunshine, and all the feels.

A big thank you to the author and her team for providing me with an arc of this great story!

[el :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

gimme book 2 rfn!! 🫠

[Courtenay (ceelovesbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️

Ahhhh Reign and Santi. My sweet baby boys. I say this because Addi told me about this idea she had for them MONTHS AND MONTHS ago, and I finally got my hands on them. I couldn’t wait to see how they came together. And of course they were so much fun!

Reign and Santi are new stepbrothers from different sides of the tracks. Reign is “trash”, born and raised with almost nothing and happy that way. He’s such a sweetie, and so when his mama gets married to a new, very rich man.. they pack up their life to head to the boujee side of town.

Santi doesn’t believe in love. He’s been hurt, and after losing his mom a couple years ago he’s lived a very closed off life. Sure he has friends, money, fancy cars.. but nothing makes him happy. Until Reign shows up and now? Santi has a new toy to play with.

One thing to note is that this is a SUMMER ROMANCE. Meaning it takes place over the course of about 3 months. Things move QUICKLY. They’re also 18.. and as 18 year olds tend to do, they really just jump in with two feet and no regrets. They are CONSUMED with one another, and it was really just an accurate representation of what falling in love at a young age really looks like.

18 year olds don’t have many problems you know? They’re enjoying a free summer before college (for Santi) and they party. They have fun, and there were some super sweet moments that they shared that were just really heartfelt.

Reign deserves all the hugs. Protect that boy at all costs. And once Santi falls for him? All bets are off. His possessive side comes out in full force and nothing can stop him from keeping what he wants safe.

This is part 1 of a duet, so you know it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.. because of course the second part of their story is coming soon! But don’t worry, I’m sure everything will work out JUST fine 😌

[nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

UGH i need the second one NOW. addison always keeps me on the edge of my seat with her books. i went into this one SCARED. knowing this was probably going to end on cliffhanger🙂 i was preparing myself and it still made my heart hurt🥲 this all takes place over a summer so the vibes were 🫶🏻. reign is so adorable and so cute. whittling??? like come onnnn that’s the cutest hobby someone can have. santiago suprised me though. i was not expecting him to LOVE that hard. (the piano scene❤️❤️❤️❤️) i cannot wait to read more about these guys. another addison book that made me cryyyy. (im very sensitive💔)

[Daryn Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nevermore ARC Review

❤️🥀Reign and Santiago🥀💔

Reign’s world is uprooted when his Mom marries a wealthy man, making the family of two move into a world that Reign isn’t sure how to navigate. Santiago, his new step brother, is no help with his adjustment with how cold and uncaring he is. Over the summer Reign and Santiago’s bond blossoms into more than either thought was possible, but will life be as simple as falling in love is?

Nevermore is the first book in a new duet about Reign and Santiago, who meet as recent high school graduates in the summer before their new adult lives begin. Once again, despite knowing this was the first part of the duet and expecting to shed a tear or two, I ended up sobbing. Reign and Santiago already complement each other brilliantly, and though their journey isn’t complete, I can tell that their growth is going to be messy in both wonderful and agonizingly painful ways.

I was pulled into their world from the prologue, and only felt my heartache more with each chapter as I fell right along with them. These two find love within each other at a pivotal moment of their young lives, and I am going to be staring out my window until I have Part II in my hands.

Thank you for the exquisite pain and love I feel with and for Reign and Santiago. I cannot wait to see how the events of Nevermore will impact them when I meet them again in Part II. In the meantime, I will try not to cry in the first chapter when I see my precious babies again 🥹

5/5 🌟

[Christina Sturgill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5/5 🌟
Spice: 2/5 🌶️
Characters: Reign and Santi

This was seriously not long enough. I'm so anxious for the next book and hate that I have to wait for more of their story. I loved these two.

These two meet by becoming stepbrothers. And honestly if you tell me, it's mm and they are stepbrothers I'm already in. I have such a weakness for it.
They are complete opposites. Reign is so sweet and laid back, avoiding confrontation. While Santi is a bit more intense, rough, harder. We get to see his walls come down for Reign and I ate it up.
It's a summer love before they start college, but it ends on a cliffhanger. A pretty devastating cliffhanger.

Since it's a duet and on the shorter side I don't want to give much more away so I'm keeping my review short and a bit direct for book one of this duet.

[V · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars. This book would’ve been better had it been longer and less rushed. I honestly think making both parts of this duet a single book with a time skip would’ve been a better choice. The bullying made me feel terrible for Reign, and I love that angsty feeling I get. However, there was nonexistent groveling, and the payoff wasn’t hitting.

[Graciela · Rating 5 out of 5]

"All I want is to keep touching the broken, pathetic boy until he breaks for me"

Nevermore by Addison Beck

What can I even say? My heart is broken. Angry? Absolutely. Sad? Completely. Frustrated? More than I can put into words. My emotions are all over the place, and the worst part is, I NEED MORE.

This was different for Addison, and I was absolutely captivated by it. From the very first page, even from the dedication, Addison set the tone for the storm that was coming. Honestly, I should’ve been prepared, but I wasn’t. The title alone should’ve been my warning. From the start, you’re on edge, bracing for the inevitable, and still, it wrecks you when it happens.

Short book? Sure. But it left me breathless every step of the way.

What broke me the most was that both of these characters, Santiago and Reign, have something in common: something inside them dies. A part of them that they’ll never get back. The difference? With Santiago, we see it. We see who he turned into when he meets Reign, but something buried deep within him starts to stir again. A piece of his heart he thought was long gone begins to pulse with life again.

But with Reign… we don’t know yet. And that kills me. It feels like being left behind in the dark, calling his name and getting nothing in return. Dramatic? Maybe. But that’s how it feels. I felt abandoned right alongside him.

I related so much to Santiago. Watching his father strip the boy out of him, crushing any softness or innocence that was there, forcing him into the shape of a cruel, hardened young man, but what choice did he have? Boys grow into the men they’re raised by, especially when that raising comes with cruelty and control. Santiago became what his father demanded. But then Reign walked into his life… and for the first time, something good took root in all that ruin.

It wasn’t instant. Not love at first sight. But like all those unforgettable teenage summers, the ones that creep up on you until suddenly you’re burning alive in it. Their chemistry built slow, steady, until it was too much.

But then Santiago’s world, the cruelness, the coldness, the weight of it all, burned Reign alive. And I’m left here wondering if anything of that sweetness, that soft, open hearted boy, survived.

My sweet, sweet Reign, you didn’t deserve that. Your heart was never going to survive Santiago’s world untouched. And now I’m desperate to know, did they break you completely? Or is there still something left to save?

I can’t fully blame Santiago. His father was the architect of all this destruction. But Reign… he brought the boy Santiago used to be back to life. He gave him back his heart. And that means everything to me.

Now I’m here, aching, waiting for the next part of this duet. Praying that maybe, just maybe, they’ll find a way through this wreckage together. I’m rooting for them with everything I have. And until then, I’ll be here, broken, angry, sad, and still hoping.

[Mylz Belanger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nevermore is part 1 of the Cruel Love duet. It was such a fast paced and bingeable book I really enjoyed it.

We follow Santiago and Reign, whose lives have been disturbed by the sudden marriage of their parents. They come from totally different upbringings and it's all the more apparent when Reign has to move from his trailer park house to the enormous mansion Santiago's dad owns. He wants his mom to be happy so he tries to play nice and befriend Santiago and his friends.
Reign starts to pick up Santiago's interest, and it soon turns into an obsession.

If you love obsessive and possessive boys with a soft side, you're going to love this book! I loved seeing their relationship progress throughout the book. Even though it can seem like Insta love, since the book takes place during the few summer months, it didn't feel rushed to me.

It does leave you on a cliff hanger so be aware of that if you don't want to wait for the next book maybe wait to read this one.

Thank you to the author for an arc of this book!

[˗ˏˋ mckenna ˎˊ˗ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I WAS NOT AWARE THAT THI S WAS A DUET??? aND THE SEQUEL ISNT OUT YET?!??? I READ THIS IN ONE SITTING AND IM WRECKEDDDDDD

[Gabi · Rating 1 out of 5]

That’s terrible wtf just wasted my time

[Linda Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 40%. This was truly awful. I can’t even begin to explain how bad it was. Sorry, I don’t think this author is for me.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐
2 🌶️

Reign was very sweet and endearing. I really loved his sweet southern attitude. I could relate to him. Not wanting confrontation and just letting things happen to him until it boiled over. I honestly just wanted to give him a hug every time he was on page.

Santi was a little more rough around the edges. His childhood & his father has hardened him to life. Watching his walls come down for Reign was very sweet to see. However, I also kind of wanted to strangle him at times.

The story takes place the summer before they go off to college/into the workforce. You can feel their youthful ignorance. Some of that I think is what drives their decisions & attitudes towards certain things. This story is very much a young love, instalove. It was both heartwarming and devastating.

I cannot wait to see where these two end up. I will be patiently waiting with a broken heart for part 2.

• WHAT TO EXPECT •
🖤Opposites Attract
🖤Possessive MMC
🖤Summer Love
🖤Insta Love
🖤Stepbrothers
🖤Duet Part I
🖤Cliffhanger

Cheating: No
Third-act breakup: Yes
POV: Dual POV (First Person POV)

[areadsbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 <3

arc review:

when i tell you i need another 300 pages of this. a summer of love, opposites attract, insta love trope is always gonna grip me like i needed this fr and it very much hit the spot for me. and a slam dunk for them being stepbrothers too.

i truly adored santi and reign, sweet cowboy talking, totally innocent and naive baby reign, i loved him and wanted to bust through those pages to protect him i swear.

reign is new to this rich world lifestyle when his mother decides that they are gonna up route their lives for her new boyfriend and to be husband, and move them in with to be stepdad and step brother. the instant one sided dislike and disgust from santi was so good, he did not have any interest in knowing or getting to know reign until it was forced upon him. once those protect instincts kick in, it was game over for santi — ooooft and the protectiveness, possessiveness, like damn. here for it.

i truly love the direction this story is taking and was very much aware this was on part one of a duet so that helped but also didn’t bc now I’m sat here twiddling my thumbs waiting for my babies to return.

i have said it before and i’ll say it again — i will forever read anything addison writes, okay! loved, ate, give me more

[gab_e_reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh what can I say? This book leaves me speechless. I feel so much for the two young men ❤️. All these strong emotions, the affection, the doubts, the expectations, the misunderstandings. Their first true love! Reign with his open, loving nature and Santiago, who usually has high walls around him and is now suddenly overwhelmed by extremely strong feelings. I hope so much that they find their way together. Now the wait for part two begins!

Oh, was soll ich sagen? Dieses Buch macht mich sprachlos. Ich fühle so sehr mit den beiden jungen Männern ❤️. All diese starken Gefühle, die Zuneigung, die Zweifel, die Erwartungen, die Missverständnisse. Ihre erste wahre Liebe! Reign mit seiner offenen, liebevollen Art und Santiago, der normalerweise hohe Mauern um sich hat und nun plötzlich von extrem starken Gefühlen überwältigt wird. Ich hoffe so sehr, dass sie ihren Weg zueinander finden. Nun beginnt das Warten auf Teil zwei!

[Seraphina Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nevermore
A Cruel Love Diet part one
Addison Beck

Santiago and Reign
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶

Stepbrothers
Opposites attract
Insta love
First times
Bi awakening
Duet part 1

Wow this was so great

Santiago and Reign have become step brothers. With Reigns mom marrying Santiago's dad

Santiago immediately wants nothing to do with his new stepbrother. Dismissing him immediately. Reign is very different from Santi, wanting to make the situation he has found himself in work, especially to make his mom happy.

Reign wanting to become friends with Santiago, he starts going out with his friends. One of Santiago's friends takes it upon himself to torment Reign.

Seeing Reign tormented, flips something in Santi, now wanting to protect him while also climbing him as his.

“What if Santiago and I… What if it was always meant to be this way? What if this is some sort of fairytale where the prince and the pauper meet and fall in love? Is that what this feeling is?”

‘Santiago doesn’t just make me bold and brave. He makes me strong.”

This is a great book
Reign is so sweet where Santi is hard and the two come together being eachothers peace.

Only that peace doesn't last
What an ending
I can't wait for the next book

So thankful for this arc

[Abigail | mooretoread | · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨4.5- and w.t.f. This book had me hooked immediately and I couldn’t put it down. I kept inching closer to 100% and was getting pissed bc there was no way I would get all my answers! And now I get it.

I love Addison’s books so much. This one was no different. I easily could have read 200 more pages or more!

More review to come!

Thank you for this arc!

[Betty Loves Books Galore · Rating 5 out of 5]

story of Reign and Santiago

This is a stepbrothers more dark romance, featuring Reign and Santiago, and is book one in A Cruel Love duet.

Reign’s life changes when his mother remarries and he’s thrown into a world of the rich — and into the path of his cold, mysterious stepbrother, Santiago. What starts as a crush quickly becomes an obsession, and Reign learns that being his comes at a cost.

These two couldn’t be more different, but when something sparked between them, it exploded. The chemistry, the tension, the pull… it was all so addictive. And then, ARGH! That cliffhanger! Now that I’ve got that off my chest, I can say I absolutely loved this story. I’m already counting down the (very long) four months until the conclusion. Can’t wait!

Things to expect in this book are:
Book 1 in duet
MM dark romance
Summer love
Slow burn
Stepbrothers
Dislike to obsession
Opposites attract
Rich vs. Poor
Virgin MC
Crush
Possessive
Double bi awakening
All the firsts
MC leaves
Cliffhanger

[ashlee ❤ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reign + Santiago

-mm romance
-summer romance
-stepbrothers
-opposites attract
-possessive mmc

i honestly have no words. the way reign came in...& flipped santi's whole world & mind on its axis...& then...what happened? i fucking can't right now. my baby...😭😭😭 what is happening!!

[Marilla ☘︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐

[ReadingRed125 · Rating 4 out of 5]

After that ending..I’m going to need book 2 soon! Loved the tension in this one.

[Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

This whole while i was reading, i was thinking what a cute read this is until the moment the mom got pregnant then all hell broke loss 😭

I meant after reading that part, i started to realized this is actually the first book about step siblings trope that actually have new siblings coming along. This book make me realized why i have been having such a breeze read with others step siblings trope due to them not having any siblings addition into the family while this one wow the conflict of actually becoming “real family” and sharing an actual blood related siblings coming soon just turn the taboo into another level.

My heart truly went out for Reign the conflict he is facing and with the people around him totally not helping him at all. This is also a first of me reading an actual book that describes very details on feelings regarding sudden change in your status in life… suddenly going into rich life is not as breeze or as lucky for everyone to adapt and accept. Sometimes it is not even in a person wish to be rich since they are happy with their current state and life. I am glad that the author touch that aspect and it is written very well and realistically.

Also not forgetting the way Satiago change so drastically after feeling intrigued with Reign, wow does that boy fall hard and fast that he himself is shock and can’t even control ✨

But i hate went Satiago freeze and didn’t help Reign, i was basically screaming for him to move and do something during that moment. And Reign feeling afterwards make me freaking feel like crying 😭 it just prove so much how such mistake that might seems simple can impact a person so strongly and change their feelings towards their partner. It was a very realistic scene too 😭

Overall i do think that i can just be a standalone book… it might not even need to be a duet with the plot and all i could have just be in one whole book. But who know their might be so much going on in the next book that it needed to be a duet 🤷🏽‍♀️

⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

I can sense her guilt. I can see it in the way her eyes grow dim with sadness and she gnaws at the inside of her cheek. I don’t want her to think that she needs to trade her happiness for mine, I’d rather have it the other way, so I smile as best as I can.

“Yeah.” Another lie. “Everyone’s been real welcomin’.” Is my nose growing yet? “There’s even a party tonight I was invited to.”

“Really?” She squeals.. “Baby, that’s wonderful! ”
€

I don’t have big dreams for my future. I liked the life I was living. I liked lazy Monday nights in the trailer waiting for Mama to come home with Hustlin’ Harry’s famous chicken wing platter. I was okay graduating with honors but deciding to not go to college. I was fine with the way everything was turning out. I was on board with the plan to continue the status quo. I didn’t need anything better than that.
€

He buries his face in the back of my neck and I feel his ragged angry breaths against my skin. “I’m going to fucking kill him.”
I gulp. I appreciate the sentiment but the time for action came and went. When he could do something, he didn’t. It exposed something I don’t think either of us realized.

That love isn’t enough.

“Querido.” He spins me and cradles my face in his hands. His eyes are hard but also open. So vulnerable, beautiful, but it doesn’t hit the way it used to. All I feel when I see it is… numb.

“It really is okay,” I say before he can continue. I place my forehead on his and try to smile through the pain. I don’t think I can hear his apology. I don’t think…
I don’t think I care.

Excerpt From
Nevermore: A Cruel Love Duet Part One
Addison Beck
This material may be protected by copyright.

[Kaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

Well now i’m just pissed off!!! That cliffhanger was CRUEL 😭 Santiago just loved Reign so much and coming home to find him gone just UGH. I have a feeling that his dad said something to Reign and that’s why he left… because he was so obsessively in love him too so like why would he leave unless he was forced to? I’m just sick. I will be STRAININGGGG my breath until part 2 😖

—

“Touching him was an error so great, I feel like an idiot. Because it’s almost like I’m in a trance. Like I’m zeroed in on the feel of his body pressing into mine. As if all I want is to keep touching the broken, pathetic boy until he breaks for me.”

“It tastes like saltwater and sweat but it also has a quality to it that drags me in. Something sweet and innocent. Something that tastes a lot like mine.”

“I want Reign. The ridiculous trash puppy dog that just showed up on my doorstep.”

“He takes all the coldness and turns it into warmth. He takes the darkness and makes it light. He’s seen me at my cruelest and he’s taken it in stride. Because he’s mine.”

“I’m… I’m yours, Santi,” I whisper against his lips, my trembling breaths fanning against his mouth. “Does that make you mine?” He stiffens but nods. “In every sense of the word, querido.”

“We lay together in peace, in harmony, in everything I needed. Because Reign might just be everything to me.”

“I shouldn’t love him this way. Like even a second apart is forever. Like I’d do anything for him. Like I’d give up whatever I could to see him happy. But I do. With my whole heart I love him.”

“I love this man. That’s not something I’ve ever given freely before. To me, that means something. It’s permanent. It’s forever. Our moment in the truck bed, shadowed by our land rig, proved it to me. He’s mine. No matter what age, what place, what circumstance. Forever.”

“I’d give you all of me. I’d hold myself under until I couldn’t any longer. I’d give you my very last breath.”

“Intense doesn’t scare me. That overwhelming sense of being possessed, of having someone love you that much, is consuming. It’s everything I never knew I wanted.”

“I don’t think there is a title that I could call him that would do justice to my feelings. The closest is to simply refer to him as my obsession because that’s what he is. My obsession. My entirety. My last strained breath.”

“Pulling him into my chest, I take in his warmth. The same warmth that managed to crack my steel heart. The kind of warmth I didn’t think I’d ever have. It saved me when I didn’t realize I needed rescuing. Reign really is my everything.”