Adron drank in the smell and taste of her skin as he nibbled the bare flesh of her hip. The taste of her was addictive, and her smell...

He could breathe in the sweet floral scent forever.

Her soft hands caressed his hair and neck in a way that made him burn. He'd never thought to have another night like this.

A night with no demons. No memories.

She engulfed him and he gladly surrendered himself to her.

She was his angel of mercy, delivering him from his sins. Delivering him from his loneliness and solitude. He would treasure this peaceful moment for the rest of his life. It would warm him and keep him company when his body returned to being hateful.

His heart tender for her, he spread her legs and placed his body between them.

Livia bit her lip, expecting him to enter her. He didn't. Instead, he kissed a small path down her thigh while he buried his hand at the center of her body.

She hissed from the pleasure of his touch. It was sweet, pure bliss.

And he took his time circling her with his fingers, delving, stroking, caressing.

"That's it," he breathed against her leg as she rubbed herself against his hand. "Don't be embarra.s.sed."

She should be and yet she wasn't.

At least not until he took her into his mouth.

Blind ecstasy ripped her asunder. "Adron?" she asked, her voice husky and strange. "Are you supposed to do that?"

He gave her one long, deep lick. "Does it feel good?"

"Oh, yes."

"Then I'm supposed to be doing it." Without another word, he returned his mouth to her.

Livia writhed in his arms as his tongue tormented her. And when he slid his finger inside her, she thought she would perish from the pleasure.

Krista had told her to expect pain, but there was nothing painful in his touch. Nothing but heaven.

She threw her head back as he swirled his finger inside her, around and around, matching the rhythm of his tongue. a.s.saulted by fierce, fiery sensations, Livia felt her body quiver and jerk as if it had a mind of its own.

Her ecstasy mounted until she could stand no more and then just as she was ready to beg him to stop, her body ripped apart.

Livia screamed out as her release came hard and fast.

Still he toyed with her. His finger and tongue pleasured her until the sensitive flesh couldn't bear his touch any longer.

"Please," she cried. "Please, have mercy on me."

Adron laughed at her tone, and was amazed at the sound. He couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed.

He pulled back, but kept his finger inside her for a moment longer.

He could feel her maidenhead still intact. His body burned, demanding he take her. But he couldn't do that. They hadn't done any real damage to her yet.

Once he broke that barrier, there would be no going back. No second chances.

It would be like when he decided to...

He flinched at the memory. His life had been completely ruined by one impulsive act. He wouldn't let her ruin hers the same way.

She was kind and gentle. A pure heart in a world of corrupt ones.

He wouldn't spoil that.

Closing his eyes, he was mystified by what he felt for her. At the fact that he was able to pull himself back and reign in his treacherous body.

It had been years since he'd done anything n.o.ble. Years since he'd wanted to do anything n.o.ble.

He reached down for the blanket and covered her with it.

Livia paused as he spooned up to her back and held her close. She reveled in the feel of his arms around her, but he didn't seem to be making any move to...

"Adron?"

"Yes?"

"We're not through, are we?"

He rubbed his cheek against her shoulder. "I gave you your pleasure, Livia. What more do you want?"

She turned to look at him, but in the darkness all she could see was the vaguest of outlines of his face. "But you didn't... You know."

"I know."

"Why?"

"Livia, don't you think you should wait until you find someone you care about?"

"I care about you."

Adron snorted. "You don't even know me."

She turned in his arms and reached up to place her hand against his cheek. "You're right, I don't know you. And yet I've already shared my body with you. I want you to finish."

He pulled away from her. "Liviaa""

"Adron. If you don't, then I will be forced into marriage with a man older than my father. I don't want him to touch me the way you have.

Please help me."

Her words tore through him. An image of Lia flashed through his mind.

He'd been forced by Andarion custom to marry her. And she had shown him a whole new meaning to the word h.e.l.l.

Livia skimmed her hand over his chest, down across his stomach. His gut contracting fiercely at her touch, Adron felt her nails brushing at the hairs between his legs until she held him in her hand.

His groin tightened and swelled even more. In that instant, he knew he was lost.

And when she kissed him, his entire world came undone.

Livia was unprepared for his reaction. He growled low in his throat and rolled her over, pinning her against the mattress.

He was wild and untamed as he kissed her lips, then buried his face against her neck where he licked and teased her flesh, burning her all over.

He reached down between them, stroking her until she lost all reason, all sanity.

Then, he spread her legs wider. She felt the tip of his manhood against her core.

In a sweet gesture, he took her hand in his and held it above her head. He kissed her lightly on the lips, then slid himself deep inside her.

As he filled her, she bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out at the unexpected pain that intruded on her pleasure. He was so large that her body ached at the foreign feel of him.

But at least it was done.

She was a virgin no more.

Adron held himself perfectly still, waiting for her body to adjust to his. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her, but by the fierce grip she had on his hand, he knew what she was hiding.

He also knew better than anyone that a person couldn't feel pleasure and pain at the same time.

And he refused to hurt her tonight.

Reluctantly, he let go of her hand and raised himself up on his arms to look down at her. He was used to the darkness. So much so that he saw her eyes tightly shut.

"Don't be afraid," he whispered, then he skimmed his hand down her body until he touched her between her legs.

Livia sighed as his hand stroked her nub. The pain receded behind a wave of building delight.

"That's it," he said. Then, he slowly started to rock his hips against hers.

Livia arched her back as the pain was washed away by his hot touch.

He felt so good inside her and every stroke seemed to reach deeper as she clung to his broad, muscular shoulders. She'd never imagined it could feel so wonderful.

Adron watched her face as she surrendered herself to him. He ground his teeth at the incredible feel of her. She was so wet and hot beneath and around him. He had forgotten the pleasure to be had in a woman's arms.

Had forgotten the incredible feel of someone just holding him in the darkness.

He lowered himself and took her into his arms where he cradled her head in his hands. Her breath fell against his bare shoulder, burning him.

She turned her head to kiss his neck as she ran her hands over his back.

He growled, scalded by the bliss of it.

Livia wrapped her legs around his lean waist. He held her so tenderly that it touched her deep inside her heart. Krista had told her he would use her without any feelings for her whatsoever.

But it didn't feel like that.

Not the way he held onto her like he was afraid of letting her go.

He returned to her lips and she moaned at the taste of his tongue. He stroked her faster. Deeper. Harder.

Livia held him close as her pleasure started building again. Oh goodness, what was it about him that she would feel like this?

And this time when her release came, he joined her.

He growled low in his throat as he delivered one last, deep stroke, and shuddered in her arms.

Adron collapsed on top of her.

Completely spent, he laid there, holding her as he waited to drift back down from heaven and into his body.

So much for meaningless s.e.x. There had been absolutely nothing meaningless about what they had just shared.

And what terrified him most was the fact that he didn't want her to leave.

He didn't want to return to the vacant emptiness of his life. He'd been alone for so long. Had lived without anyone other than servants and family.

But she had changed that.

He didn't want to go back.

"That was amazing," she breathed against his ear. "Can we do it again?"

He laughed, and was shocked to feel his body already stirring. "Yes, we can."

In fact, he wasn't going to stop until she again begged him for mercy.

Chapter 2.

Adron came awake slowly to the most incredible feeling he'd ever known.

Livia by his side.