QUOTE : Gods.” Baird wiped at his eyes and smiled at her. “I want to thank you, Olivia.” She grinned. “What for? Feeding you cow squeezings?” “No.” He was suddenly serious. “I was in a pretty bad place before I met you—before we met outside our dreams, I mean. It was dark and cold and the pain…” He shook his head. “I don’t even want to talk about the pain. Let’s just say it was bad. Really bad. So bad that sometimes I wondered if I was going to have anything left once I finally met you and claimed you. Anything to offer you but agony and hurt and horror. But you…” He reached across the table and took her hand gently in his. “You haven’t even been in my life an entire day and already you’ve given me back the laughter I thought I’d lost forever. I’m grateful to you for that. More grateful than I can say.” Liv looked down at the big hand holding hers. “I don’t hate you, you know. I just…this isn’t what I want for the rest of my life.” She looked up at him. “I wish you could understand that and just pick someone else.” “You still don’t get it, do you, Olivia?” He stroked her palm with the broad pad of his thumb, making Liv’s pulse jump erratically. “There’s no one else in the universe for me. No one but you. I know you don’t see that now, but you will.” Liv frowned and tried to pull her hand away. “How can you be so sure I’ll come around? Aren’t you risking an awful lot on the assumption that you can seduce me?” “I’m willing to risk anything and everything to have you,” Baird said seriously.