FIRE AND ICE Read online

  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 noble. Years since he'd wanted to do anything noble.

  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. "Livia-"

  "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 hell.

  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 sex. 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.

  She lay nestled in his arms, facing away from him. He wasn't sure what time they had finally fallen asleep. All he knew was that he'd never experienced such peace. Such warmth.

  And there was no pain. Neither physical nor mental.

  Reveling in the moment, he buried his face in her hair and inhaled the fresh, sweet scent of her.

  His body stirred immediately.

  How?

  After the night they had shared, he should be sated for days to come and yet there he was craving her in a way that was almost inhuman. He didn't understand it.

  He pulled away to kiss her shoulder, then he froze as he saw her skin in the faint morning light.

  Frowning, he ran his hand over her bare shoulder and the scars that marred her back.

  She'd been beaten. Severely by the looks of it. Was she a runaway slave?

  She sighed contentedly and snuggled against him. Adron forgot the scars as her buttocks collided with his erection.

  He tightened his arms around her while he nudged her legs apart with his thigh. God help him, but he wanted more of her.

  Livia came awake to the sensation of Adron behind her, filling her again. "Oh my goodness," she breathed as he thrusted himself deep and hard into her body.

  Biting her lip, she hissed in pleasure.

  "Don't you ever get tired?" she asked with a hint of laughter in her voice.

  "Not of you, I don't."

  She smiled at that. No one had ever made her feel so treasured. And she had to admit, a woman could get used to waking up like this.

  Closing her eyes to savor his long, luscious strokes, she surrendered herself to him. She came an instant before he did.

  Livia rolled over to see a gentle smile on his face as he stared at her.

  "Thank you," he said. "For everything." She ret
urned his smile. "Thank you." She placed her lips against his.

  Adron's senses swirled as he cupped her head in his hand. He was definitely going to keep her in his bed for the rest of the day.

  "Adron, you're not going to believe-" His father's voice broke off the instant his bedroom door swung open.

  Gaping at them lying entwined, his father froze. Then, all hell was unleashed.

  Livia dove beneath the covers at the same time a fetid curse rang out.

  Adron looked from her cowering under the covers to the six men surrounding his father. Two of them wore royal Vistan robes, marking them as an Emperor and his heir. The other four wore the dark gray uniform of Imperial Bodyguards.

  "I told you it was true!" the elder Vistan snarled. His dark brown eyes were filled with hatred as he tilted his head to look up at Adron's father. At six foot six, and a former League Assassin, his father, wasn't the kind of man you addressed in anything except the most reverent of tones.

  Not unless you wanted to die, anyway.

  "The informant was correct when he said your son left with her."

  Adron arched a brow at the contemptuous sneer on the man's face. And it was then he realized the Vistan Emperor had hair the same color and hue as the woman cowering in his bed. And as he scanned the younger Vistan, he saw further confirmation of who Livia really was.

  Shit!

  "You whore!" the younger man said as he threw the covers back and grabbed Livia.

  Adron removed his hand from her arm and shoved him back. "She didn't do anything wrong."

  Oblivious to his nudity, Adron left the bed. "You touch her and I'll tear your heart out."

  Rage descended on her brother's face, but Adron saw the fear in the man's eyes as he took in Adron's height, build and vicious scars.

  Her father, however, wasn't so easily intimidated. "Take her," he said to his guards.

  Livia hung her head as she wrapped the sheet around herself. The guards lifted her from the bed and took her to stand before her father.

  Adron ached at the frightened look on her face.

  Her father raked her with a scathing glare. "Modesty isn't becoming of a whore who spreads her legs for a man she meets in a filthy bar."

  Before Adron knew what he was doing, her father yanked the sheet from her body.

  "Take her outside and beat her."

  "Damn you to hell," Adron growled as he grabbed the first guard and shoved him away from Livia.

  He pulled her behind him and retrieved the sheet from the floor, then wrapped it around both of them. Livia stood so close to his back that he could feel her trembling.

  And it made him even angrier.

  If her father wanted a fight, he was ready to give him one. No one would hurt her for what she'd done. Not unless they wanted a taste of him first.

  "Boy," her father snarled. "This is no concern of yours. You've done enough damage."

  Her father took a step forward.

  "Whatever concerns my wife, concerns me."

  Livia froze as soon as the words left Adron's lips. Last night, she'd had no idea that he was the Andarion heir. But Emperor Nykyrian Quiakides she knew. They had been introduced a few days ago when she and her family had arrived.

  Indeed, it was business with Adron's father that had them on Kirovar to begin with. Now that the two men were together, she saw the similarities between father and son. Nykyrian had the same white-blonde hair, the same firm, sculpted jaw. They also shared an identical height and build.

  "Is this true?" her father demanded angrily. "Are you his wife?"

  Livia swallowed. If she said yes, Andarion law would recognize them as married.

  "Adron," his father said sternly. "Do you understand what you're doing."

  Adron turned to face her. He tilted her chin until she looked up into his icy blue eyes. "It's entirely up to you."

  Aghast at his offer, she stared at him. She'd never known a man so honorable. He could have left her to her father's wrath and yet here he was offering her sanctuary.

  "Are you sure about this?" she whispered.

  "No," he said with a hint of a smile. "But then, I've never been sure about much of anything in my life."

  She looked to her father's angry face, and her brother's. If she went home, they would have her beaten until she passed out. But if she stayed....

  She had no idea what that would be like.

  The known or the unknown.

  "Take her," her father ordered.

  Adron put himself between them.

  "Nykyrian, tell your son to step aside. He is interfering with royal Vistan business."

  For the first time, Livia noticed the deep, angry scars bisecting Adron's body. His back was completely covered by them. It looked as if someone had once carved him into pieces.

  Then, her gaze fell to the dragon and dagger tattoo on his left shoulder that marked him as a League Assassin.

  She trembled. She knew absolutely nothing about him.

  Nothing except for the kindness of his touch. Nothing except for the way he had made her feel when he kissed her. The way he made her feel wanted. Safe.

  And in that instant, she made up her mind.

  "What happens to me is the business of my husband," she said quietly.

  Her father's face turned to stone. "Then your ties to our house are severed." He glanced at her brother. "Come, Prinam."

  Her brother's features softened a degree before he caught himself. Without a word, he followed her father from the room.

  Nykyrian stepped forward with an amused light in his green eyes. "Some things must run in our blood."

  Adron frowned. "I beg your pardon?"

  "Ask your mother one day how we ended up married." He looked to Livia. "In the meantime, welcome to our family, Highness."

  Adron's frown deepened as he regarded his father suspiciously. "You're being awfully understanding about all this. Should I be afraid?"

  Nykyrian laughed. "Probably. I hope this means you'll rejoin the world again. We've missed you."

  A tick started in Adron's jaw.

  His father's face was kind and not the least bit judgmental as he smiled at Livia. "You know, you'll have to bring her to the palace to meet the rest of your wayward siblings."

  "And Mom?"

  He nodded.

  Something strange flickered across Adron's features. Something Livia couldn't define, but it looked as if Adron wanted to avoid his mother. "When?"

  "Tonight."

  "Will Jayce be there?" Adron asked.

  "He is your brother."

  Hatred flared in Adron's eyes. "He's your son. He ceased to be my brother the day he refused to uphold the League's Code."

  Nykyrian sighed, then looked to Livia. "I hope you know what you've gotten yourself into."

  The bad thing was, she didn't.

  Nykyrian left them.

  Now that they were alone, the reality of what she'd done came crashing down on her.

  She was married. To a stranger.

  "Well, isn't this interesting," Adron said, turning to face her. "I don't know about you, but when I went to The Golden Crona last night, I never intended to find a spouse."

  She laughed. "Since I was there to avoid one, I can honestly say that never crossed my mind either."

  He cupped her face in his hands, and smiled a warm, dimpled smile at her. And when he kissed her, she quivered at the tenderness of his lips.

  "God, you taste so good," he said as he nibbled the corner of her mouth. "I could kiss you forever."

  Desire stabbed her at his words. "You're not so bad yourself," she said.

  He laughed, then scooped her up in his arms.

  Livia gasped at the unexpected feel of his strong arms surrounding her. But as he reached the bed, he staggered.

  Agony contorted his face as he let go of her and fell to his knees.

  "Adron?" she asked, kneeling beside him.

  She could tell by his face that he hurt too much to speak. "Here,"
she said, "lie on the floor."