← Contemporary

Bared to You

by Sylvia Day

Bared to You is an erotic contemporary romance by Sylvia Day and the first novel in her Crossfire series. It follows Eva Tramell, a twenty-four-year-old survivor of childhood sexual abuse who has just moved to New York City… more

First published 2012 · 338 pages · English

29 quotes ★ 4.12 (554,942) Contemporary

Quotes from the Book

I’ve always seen you, angel. From the moment you found me, I’ve seen nothing but you.
Oh, Eva." He rubbed his cheek against my damp face. "I must've wished for you so hard and so often you had no choice but to come true.
Are you sleeping with anyone?” The question was asked so casually it took a second to process what he’d said. I inhaled sharply. “Why is that any business of yours?” He looked at me and I saw what I’d seen the first time we’d met—tremendous power and steely control. Both of which had me taking an involuntary step back. Again. At least I didn’t fall this time; I was making progress. “Because I want to fuck you, Eva. I need to know what’s standing in my way, if anything.
I want there to be happily-ever-afters for the fucked-up crowd. Show me the way, Eva honey. Make me believe.
He was the kind of guy that made a woman want to rip his shirt open and watch the buttons scatter along with her inhibitions.
I loved the way he kissed me, as if he had to, as if he'd go crazy if he didn't and had nearly waited too long.
B.O.B. and I have a longtime understanding - when we're done with each other, we know exactly which one of us has been used, and it isn't me. Good night Gideon.
You forget who submits, Eva,” he said gruffly. “I’ve given up control for you. I’ve bent and adjusted for you. I’ll do anything to keep you and make you happy. But I can’t be tamed or topped. Don’t mistake indulgence for weakness.
It's probably best for me to work off some energy before I get you naked. I'm sure you'd like to be able to walk tomorrow.
Romance isn't in my repertoire, Eva. But a thousand ways to make you come are. Let me show you.
I love you, Gideon.” “God.” He looked at me with something that resembled disgust. Whether it was directed at me or himself, I didn’t know. “How can you say that?” “Because it’s the truth.” “You just see this”—he gestured at himself with a wave of his hand. “You’re not seeing the fucked-up, broken mess inside.” I inhaled sharply. “You can say that to me? When you know I’m fucked up and broken, too?
It's not the right word, Eva," he pressed on stubbornly, his lips at my ear. "That's why I haven't said it. It's not the right word for you and what I feel for you." "Shut up. If you care about me at all, you'll just shut up and go away." "I've been loved before--by Corinne, by other women...But what the hell do they know about me? What the hell are they in love with when they don't know how fucked up I am? If that's love, it's nothing compared to what I feel for you.
I can't go long without you either, Eva. You're an addiction...my obsession...
You definitely have the voice for phone sex, but I've got to go. I have a date with my vibrator." "Oh, Eva." Cross spoke my name in a decadent purr. "You're determined to drive me to my knees, aren't you? What will it take to talk you into a threesome with B.O.B.
keep looking at me like that," he warned, leaning casually into the counter and sipping his coffee. "see what happens." "i'm going to lose my job over you." "i'd give you another one." i snorted. "as what? your sex slave?" "what a provocative suggestion. let's discuss.
I spend a quarter of every day inside you. When you set limits outside of that I can't help but see them as arbitrary.
That’s what scares me, Gideon. You don’t know what you’re worth.” “Actually, I do. Twelve bill—” “Shut up.
I'm an animal with you," he murmured. "I want to mark you. I want to possess you so completely there's no separation between us.
Sex that's planned like a business transaction is a turnoff for me..... Listen to yourself. Why even call it a fuck? Why not be clear and call it a seminal emission in a pre-approved orifice?" (Eva to Gideon)
Chicks before dicks, and all that.
I must’ve wished for you so hard and so often you had no choice but to come true.
Don't. Tell me when, then. And before you say never, take a good look at me and tell me if you see a man who's easily deterred.
You know how it is - some hot guys don't make your hormones go crazy, while some unattractive guys have massive sex appeal. This guy had it all.
Cracking his knuckles, Cary dramatically prepared to open his fortune cookie. “Let’s see. Will I be rich? Famous? About to meet Mr. or Ms. Tall, Dark, and Tasty? Traveling to distant lands? What’d you guys get?” “Mine’s lame,” I said. “In the end all things will be known. Duh. I didn’t need a fortune to figure that out.” Gideon opened his and read, “Prosperity will knock on your door soon.” I snorted. Cary shot me a look. “I know, right? You snatched someone else’s cookie, Cross.” “He better not be anywhere near someone else’s cookie,” I said dryly. Reaching over, Gideon plucked half of mine out of my fingers. “Don’t worry, angel. Your cookie is the only one I want.” He popped it in his mouth with a wink. “Gag,” Cary muttered. “Get a room.” He cracked his fortune with a flourish, and then scowled. “What the fuck?” I leaned forward. “What’s it say?” “Confucius say,” Gideon ad-libbed, “man with hand in pocket feel cocky all day.” Cary threw half his cookie at Gideon, who caught it deftly and grinned. “Give me that.” I snatched the fortune out from between Cary’s fingers and read it. Then laughed. “Fuck you, Eva.” “Well?” Gideon prodded. “Pick another cookie.” Gideon smiled. “Pwned by a fortune.” Cary threw the other half of his cookie.
Gideon: We've established some talking points: we have an intense sexual attraction and neither of us wants to date. So what do you want – exactly? Seduction, Eva? Do you want to be seduced? Eva: Sex that’s planned like a business transaction is a turnoff for me. Gideon: Establishing parameters in a merger makes it less likely that there’ll be exaggerated expectations and disappointment. Eva: Why even call it a fuck? Why not be clear and call it seminal emission in a pre-approved orifice?
I'm losing my mind without you.” His lips were gliding down my neck, his tongue stroking over my racing pulse. He sucked on my skin and pleasure radiated through me. “I can’t think. I can’t work or sleep. My body aches for you. I can make you want me again. Let me try.
I can let you in, Eva. I’m trying. But your first response when I screw up is to run away. You do it every time and I can’t stand feeling like any moment I’m going to do or say something wrong and you’re going to bolt.
Why? Why would you do that?” "You have your way of dealing with jealousy and I have mine.
..then he pushed the call button again and asked, "Are you sleeping with anyone?" "Why is that any business of yours?" "Because I want to fuck you, Eva. I need to know what's standing in my way, if anything.

Did you know?

  • Bared to You was initially self-published by Sylvia Day on April 3, 2012, before Berkley Books re-published it on June 12, 2012.
  • Berkley's re-release had an initial print run of 500,000 copies.
  • It is the first book in Day's five-book Crossfire series.
  • The novel was nominated for the 2012 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance.
  • In 2012 the Crossfire series sold five million English-language copies.
  • Amazon ranked Bared to You #4 on its list of top 10 best-selling books of 2012 overall.

About Sylvia Day

Sylvia Day is a #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling American author, born in Los Angeles in 1973, known for her romance fiction. She is best known for the Crossfire series and has also written under the pen names S.J. Day and Livia Dare.

More about the author →

About the book

Bared to You is an erotic contemporary romance by Sylvia Day and the first novel in her Crossfire series. It follows Eva Tramell, a twenty-four-year-old survivor of childhood sexual abuse who has just moved to New York City to start a new job and share an apartment with her close friend Cary Taylor. There she is drawn to Gideon Cross, a magnetic young billionaire who carries his own history of abuse, and the two must find a way to heal each other while attempting to build a healthy romantic relationship.

The book explores intense attraction alongside the difficult work of overcoming trauma, examining desire, control, jealousy, and emotional damage as its central pair repeatedly clash and reconcile. Written in Eva's first-person voice, the novel centers on how two wounded people navigate intimacy and trust when both are shaped by painful pasts.

Originally self-published by Day in April 2012 and quickly re-released by Berkley Books with a large print run, Bared to You became one of the defining titles of the post-Fifty Shades wave of adult romance. It was a major commercial success, spending many weeks on national bestseller lists and anchoring a five-book series that has been translated into dozens of languages.

Key characters

  • Eva TramellNarrator; a 24-year-old woman and survivor of childhood abuse starting a new life in New York
  • Gideon CrossYoung billionaire and Eva's love interest, who shares a traumatic past
  • Cary TaylorEva's close friend and roommate

Book details

First published
2012
Length
338 pages
Reading time
6 hours
Goodreads rating
4.12 (555k ratings)

Series & reading order

  1. 1 Bared to You
  2. 2 Reflected in You
  3. 3 Entwined with You
  4. 4 Captivated by You
  5. 5 One with You

If you liked this, read…

  1. 1
    Fifty Shades of GreyAnother blockbuster erotic romance centered on an intense relationship with a damaged billionaire
  2. 2
    Reflected in YouThe direct sequel continuing Eva and Gideon's story in the Crossfire series
  3. 3
    Beautiful DisasterA New Adult romance about two wounded people whose volatile attraction dominates the story

Keep reading