““I bet whatever you keep hidden in the pages of those books is absolutely beautiful, Aly .” He swallowed, diverting his gaze to the far wall before he dropped it to meet mine. A tender palm came to rest on the side of my face. He caressed his thumb over the apple of my cheek. “How could it not be? Look at you . . . you have to be the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen.” Pain reverberated in his words. Still they wrapped around me like the warmest embrace. My fingers ventured to his chest, twisting in his shirt. The strong throb of his pulse thundered under them. “Everything I love is in the pages of those books, Jared.””
