heartfelt words tore through him. No woman had ever said that to him before.
Only her.
And for his life, he couldnât understand what about him she could possibly find lovable. Or even tolerable, never mind desirable.
The woman was insane.
But she touched him on a level that defied explanation. A level heâd never known before. Throwing his head back against the pillows, he growled as he released himself into her mouth.
Still, she didnât pull away. Not until he was completely weak and spent.
His breathing ragged, he stared at her in awe. âI canât believe you did that for me.â
âI told you, Adron, I love you. I would do anything to make you happy.â
âThen kiss me.â
She did.
Livia moaned as he ran his hand under her shirt and gently squeezed her breast. Bracing her arms on each side of him, she carefully straddled him while making sure not to put any pressure on his chest or abdomen. Theoâs warnings had been explicit, and she would never do anything to hurt him.
Adron cupped her head with one hand while he reached around behind her with the other one and released her bra.
âI love the way you feel in my arms,â he whispered against her lips. âI love the way you look when your cheeks are flushed and your eyes bright.â
He skimmed his hand down over her breasts, to her stomach, and then down to where she ached for him. âAnd I love the way you look when you come for me.â He gave her a tender smile. âYou make me feel like a man again, Livia. You make me whole.â
Shamelessly, she rubbed herself against him. And when she came, she cried out from it.
Adron smiled at her then, and held her close.
They spent the rest of the day lying naked in each otherâs arms, caressing and stroking, and just talking about absolutely nothing important.
It was the best day of Adronâs life, and he kept her up until the wee hours of the morning for fear of it ending.
That day was followed by three more days of bliss.
Adron was constantly amazed by the woman fate had miraculously thrown into his life. She was funny, intelligent, and so incredibly giving that it cut him up inside. It pained him to think of her spending the rest of her vivacious life strapped to him as he slowly decayed.
âHi.â
He looked up from the book he was reading to see her standing in the doorway. Her hair was still damp from her bath, and her eyes glowed mischievously.
âHi,â he said hesitantly. There was no telling what that look might mean. If heâd learned anything about her, it was to expect the unexpected.
She walked slowly toward the bed. âWould you like to go out for a bit today?â
Yes, he would. More than sheâd ever know. But he was in too much pain. Even holding the electronic reader in his hand, which weighed only a few ounces, was hard for him.
âI canât.â
âCâmon, Adron. You told me your therapist said you needed more exercise.â
âYeah, but not today. My legâs too stiff. Why donât you call Zarina?â
âBecause Iâd rather be with you.â
The woman was the biggest fool heâd ever known.
She sat down beside him on the bed. âHere.â She placed her hands on his knee.
Adron tensed as warmth from her hands seeped into his leg. After a few seconds, all pain was gone and his knee felt like it had before Kyr had torn him apart. âHow do you do that?â
âMy mother taught me. She comes from a long line of great healers.â She gently massaged his knee and leg, which made another part of him swell and ache. âI wish I could get you to her. Sheâd be able to heal you in an instant.â
âReally?â
She looked askance at him. âYou donât believe me?â
âLetâs just say I have a hefty dose of skepticism. I have three friends who are Trisani, and not even they were able to repair
The Science of Leonardo: Inside the Mind of the Great Genius of the Renaissance