Born of Rage (League: Nemesis Rising)

by Sherrilyn McQueen

  With her plan in ruins, she knew of only one way to thwart her father. She got up from her seat and sat next to the stranger.

  He scowled at her.

  Before he could say anything, Livia leaned forward and kissed him.

  Adron sat in stunned silence as she placed her tightly closed lips over his. It was the most chaste kiss a woman not related to him had ever given him.

  By the way she held his head in her hands, he could tell she thought this was the way a kiss should be given.

  But worse than the innocence he tasted—he hadn’t kissed a woman in over eight years, and the feel of those plump, full lips on his was more than his drunk mind could handle.

  And her smell . . .

  Gods, how he’d missed the sweet, intoxicating smell of a woman. The warmth of a body pressed up against him. The feeling of a gentle hand on his flesh . . .

  Closing his eyes, he let go of the bottle and cupped her face in his hands as he took control of the situation.

  Livia trembled as he opened her lips and slid his tongue into her mouth. She’d seen people kiss like this in plays and movies, but no one had ever dared such insolence with her before.

  She tasted the sweet, fragrant alcohol on his tongue, smelled the warm, clean scent of him as he ran his hands over her back and held her so gently that it made her shiver.

  Her body burned from his gentle kiss. He’s definitely the one. This was the man she would give her virginity to. A man with tormented blue eyes and a tender touch. A man who made her breathless and weak, and at the same time hot and strangely powerful.

  In his arms, she truly felt as if she had control of her life. Her body.

  And she liked it.

  Adron had never tasted anything better than her mouth. He felt her inexperience as she hesitantly met his tongue with hers. His body roared to life with a long-forgotten heat that demanded more than just her lips. The fact that she could arouse him through his pain . . .

  That in and of itself was a miracle.

  No, it was heaven and he’d lived in hell for so long that he’d forgotten the taste and feel of it.

  “Excuse me,” a man said as he stopped in front of them. “Have you seen this—”

  Adron broke away from the kiss only long enough to pass a lethal glower at the newcomer. “Go away or die.”

  Fear flickered across the man’s eyes. It was a look Adron was used to.

  Without another word, the man left them.

  Adron returned to her lips.

  Livia moaned as he deepened his kiss. The guards and her fear forgotten, she sighed in pleasure. Foreign emotions tore through her as he buried his lips against her neck and sent white-hot chills through her. His arms tightened around her waist as her breasts swelled.

  What was this deep-seated throbbing she felt?

  This unbearable ache?

  He made her light-headed and breathless. And she wanted him desperately.

  “Would you make love to me?”

  Adron pulled back in surprise. Had he been sober, he would have sent her away, but there was something about her that called out to him in a way he’d long forgotten.

  It’d been an eternity since he last slept with a woman. Years of bitter, aching loneliness and pain.

  And here she was offering herself to him.

  Send her away.

  But for once he didn’t. Instead, he found himself getting up from the booth and leading her through the crowd.

  Livia didn’t know where they were going, but she made sure none of the guards saw her as they left the bar. In the back of her mind, she was terrified. She didn’t know anything about this man.

  Not even his name.

  Never in her life had she done anything so compulsively foolish. And yet she instinctively knew he wouldn’t hurt her. There was pain in his icy blue eyes, but not cruelty.

  Even so, had she not been so desperate, she would never have done this. Not even for him.

  He kept a possessive arm draped over her shoulders. And he walked by leaning heavily on a silver-tipped cane.

  She wanted to ask him what had happened to his face and leg, but didn’t dare lest it cause him to reconsider, which would spell the end for her.

  He led her outside the club, to a transport.

  After they got in, it took them to a high-end apartment building that wasn’t all that far from her hotel. At least that would make it easier for her to get home once this was over with.

  Livia relaxed a tiny bit as they entered the grand lobby. Thank goodness she wouldn’t be taken in a dark, filthy backroom somewhere.

  That had been her fear.

  Krista had prepped her well on what to expect. Right down to an estimation of how long a man would take before he let her go.

  Taking a deep breath for courage, Livia figured she’d be back in her hotel room by midnight. There would be questioning, and eventually her father would learn the truth.

  God have mercy on her, then.

  But she’d made her decision, and once her mind was set on something, that was it. She would not be swayed.

  Without a word to each other, they took a lift to the top floor.

  Once it opened, he led her into an opulent apartment that was almost the size of her palace wing, which was huge. And as soon as he closed the door, he pulled her into his arms.

  This time his kiss was fierce. Demanding. And it stole her breath as he pressed her back against the wall.

  Her head swam at the powerful feel of his hands roaming over her.

  What are you doing? You can’t go through with this. You don’t even know him.

  Shut up, conscience. She had no time or patience for it. This had to be done.

  It was her life, and she was going to claim it. No one would tell her what to do with her body again. And she wouldn’t allow her first time to be with an old man who made her skin crawl.

  With that thought in mind, she started unbuttoning his shirt.

  Adron sucked his breath in sharply at the feel of her hand against his bare chest. Her touch seared him. He could only vaguely recall someone other than doctors, nurses, or therapists touching his flesh.

  To her credit, she didn’t cringe or comment about the multitude of scars that bisected his body. She didn’t even seem to notice them.

  That was why he hadn’t been with a woman since that long-ago night. He hadn’t wanted to explain the scars. To recount where they’d come from and relive the horror and agony of it.

  To have to face his lover in the early-morning light where they stood out against his skin like nauseating beacons. He was thoroughly repulsive, and he knew it. He didn’t need to see his own disgust mirrored in the eyes of someone who regretted touching him.

  Perhaps that was why he’d chosen a stranger tonight. He owed her no explanation. Owed her nothing at all.

  He never wanted to see pity or repugnance on another woman’s face when she looked at him. If he lived forever, he’d never forget the sight of his ex-wife when she saw him in the hospital right after he’d been wounded.

  My God, they turned you into a freak. You’re disgusting!

  But there was nothing in her pale green eyes except curiosity and hunger. She didn’t seem to judge him in any way, and that he needed more than anything.

  Livia bit her lip as she ran her hand over the taut muscles of his stomach and chest. She’d never seen a man’s bare chest before, at least nowhere other than in movies and reals.

  Fascinated by it, she ran her hands over the smooth, tawny skin that was stretched tight over hard, steely muscles. Like velvet over steel. The contrast amazed her, and she had a strange urge to place her mouth on his skin to taste it. Her cheeks warmed over that thought.

  How extremely inappropriate . . .

  “You feel so wonderful,” she breathed.

  Adron pulled back to look down at her. There was a peculiar note of awe in her voice, a gentle hesitancy in her t
ouch. And in that instant, a feeling of cold dread consumed him.

  He was drunk, but he wasn’t that drunk. “You’re a virgin.”

  Her face turned bright red.

  “Shit!” he snarled as he stepped away from her.

  His hard cock ached and his entire body burned. Leave it to him to find the only virgin he was sure had ever set foot inside The Golden Crona.

  Gripping his cane, he limped his way to the bar and poured another drink. But the watered-down alcohol did nothing for him except piss him off more.

  Suddenly, she was behind him, leaning up against his back as her slender arms surrounded his waist.

  He shook all over from the gesture, from the feel of her small breasts against his spine as she laid her head on his back. And in that moment, he was lost to her.

  Damn it to hell.

  She stood up on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. Her breath scorched him and sent chills skimming over his entire body. “I want you to make love to me.”

  “Are you insane?” He turned to look at her.

  She shook her head. “I want to give my virginity away. I don’t want it taken from me.”

  “Taken by whom?”

  She dropped her gaze. “Fine. If you don’t want me, I’ll go find someone who does.”

  A strange wave of jealousy stung him as he thought of someone else inside her.

  What do you care?

  And yet for some unknown, stupid reason, he did. He didn’t want someone else taking what she’d offered him. The thought of another man . . .

  It called out the assassin in him and made him want to kill anyone who even looked at her.

  He caught her hand as she moved away from him. “What’s your name?”

  “Livia.”

  “Livia,” he repeated. It suited her and those guileless sea-green eyes that stung him soul deep. “Why would you give yourself away so cheaply to something like me?”

  Livia paused as she saw the self-loathing in his icy eyes. He hated himself. It was so obvious, and she wondered why. “Because you seem nice.”

  He laughed bitterly at her answer. “I’m not nice. There’s nothing nice about me.”

  That wasn’t true. He had yet to be mean to her. He was hurting, she knew that. And it made him snappish.

  But it didn’t make him cruel.

  “I need to go,” she said quietly, regretting that he wouldn’t be the one after all. “There’s not much time before I have to return, and I have to take care of this by the morning.”

  “Why?”

  She bit her lip as she felt her face flush again. In the morning, she’d be inspected by Clypper’s doctors. If she didn’t find a man tonight, she was doomed and bound for the altar at ten A.M.

  “I just do.” She let her gaze wander over his lush body. He had broad shoulders and a lean, firmly muscled frame. His white hair contrasted sharply to the black he wore.

  He was gorgeous.

  But he didn’t want her. So be it . . .

  Adron saw the steely determination in her eyes. She was going to find herself another man to sleep with. He knew it.

  He should let her, and yet . . .

  Why not me? Don’t I deserve something after all I’ve been through?

  One tiny, fucking moment of happiness?

  Ever since he’d lost his agility, he’d avoided women. He’d been afraid of embarrassing himself with his stiff clumsiness and pain. But Livia would have no one to compare him to. She wouldn’t know if he completely sucked in bed.

  Adron gripped his cane. He remembered a time when he could have scooped her up in his arms and run with her to his room. A time when he could have made love to her flawlessly for hours and left her begging him to stay.

  But those days were lost to him forever, and he was trapped inside this broken body.

  One night . . .

  Was that really too much to ask?

  “My bedroom is this way.” He grabbed a bottle of light alcohol and headed down the hallway.

  Livia hesitated as she realized he was inviting her to join him after all.

  Excited and terrified, she followed him down the elegant marble hallway and into a room at the end of it. The master bedroom was every bit as large as her own. A king-sized bed was set against the far wall, looking out over the city below them where the lights twinkled like fallen stars.

  He set his bottle down on the nightstand, then moved to a chair by the bed. His features stern, he sat down slowly. Pain made his jaw rigid as he bent his leg and moved to take off his boots.

  She wanted to know what had happened to him but didn’t dare ask for fear of making him angry again.

  So, she went to him and took his foot in her hand.

  He looked up at her, his eyes startled as she pulled the boot free.

  “You know, I’ve never done anything like this before,” she whispered.

  “Seeing that you’re a virgin, I would think not.”

  Licking her suddenly dry lips, she removed his other boot.

  Adron could feel her nervousness, her uncertainty, and he wanted to soothe her. “I won’t hurt you, Livia. I promise.”

  She smiled a smile that wrenched his gut. How he wished he’d met her before that fateful night. Then he could have been the lover she deserved. He would have been able to take her all night. Slowly. Teasingly.

  He had no idea what he’d be like now. But he would try to pleasure her. Do his damnedest to make sure her first time was at least a decent memory.

  His groin tight, he pushed himself up and moved slowly to the bed. He sat on the edge and leaned his cane against the wall where he could get to it in the morning.

  Before he knew what she intended, she sat in his lap and kissed him.

  Adron inhaled the sweetness of her breath as he ran his hands over her back. He’d never expected a virgin to be so bold. And she was a quick learner. She deepened her kiss and teased his tongue with hers.

  Oh yeah, this could be fun.

  He unbuttoned her shirt to expose her lacy bra. She moaned as he ran his hand over the satin-covered breasts and squeezed them gently in his hands. Gah, how he’d missed the way a woman felt in his arms. He was all but drooling at the thought of tasting her breasts.

  Livia shook all over at the foreign throb between her legs. And when he released the catch behind her back and her bra fell open, she shivered.

  No man had ever seen her naked before, and it took all her courage not to run away.

  He stared at her bare breasts as he ran his hands over the taut peaks. He traced slow, simmering circles around her, sending chills all over her body.

  “You are so beautiful,” he breathed. Then he dipped his head down and took her breast into his mouth.

  Livia sucked her breath in sharply as his tongue swirled around her flesh, teasing, licking. Never had she felt anything like it. With every lick, her stomach fluttered.

  She leaned forward, cradling his head in her hands. Her body was on fire. He trailed his hands over her bare back, down her hips, and when he cupped her between her legs she groaned.

  He looked up at her, his eyes dazed and hungry as he breathed raggedly.

  He rolled her over, onto the mattress, and shut the curtains, then turned the lights off with a control he had on the nightstand. She heard him remove the rest of his clothes in the darkness, but she couldn’t see anything at all.

  Adron ached to see her naked, but he didn’t want any light whatsoever for her to see his damaged body. She might change her mind if she realized what an ugly monster he was.

  His cock hot and heavy for her, he unfastened the stiff, prickly brace on his left leg and let it fall to the floor. Next, he removed the one on his hand and arm.

  Then, slowly, carefully, he pulled her clothes from her.

  He ran his hand over her smooth, hot skin, delighting in her murmurs of pleasure. He’d never taken a virgin before, and the knowledge that he was he
r first lover added even more excitement to the moment.

  No man had ever touched her.

  No one, but him.

  Even with his wings broken and clipped, he soared at that knowledge.

  Livia moaned as he covered her with his long, hot body. She’d never felt anything like all that lean, hard strength spread out evenly against her bare flesh.

  He kissed her fiercely as he separated her thighs with his knee. Then he pressed his thigh against the center of her body, the hairs on his leg teasing her intimately.

  She ran her hand over his back, feeling the rugged terrain of scars, muscle, and skin.

  “My name is Adron,” he whispered a second before he traced the outline of her ear with his tongue.

  “Adron,” she repeated, testing the syllables. It was a strong name that suited him.

  He stroked her with his thigh, his tongue, and his hands. Arching her back, Livia welcomed his touch. It was so wickedly erotic to feel him all over and yet see nothing of him. It was like a vivid and yet surreal dream.

  Reaching up, she freed his hair and let it fall around his face, then buried her hands in the silken strands of it. He leaned down and placed his lips in the crook of her arm where he suckled her flesh.

  Adron swallowed as he pulled back, wanting desperately to see her face. Instead, he lifted his hand to trace the contours of it. He could feel the tiny cleft in her chin, imagine the small oval face overwhelmed by large green eyes that tugged at a heart he’d thought was dead.

  She was breathtaking. And for tonight, she was his.

  All his.

  Closing his eyes, he moved himself down her body, then cursed as a wave of fierce pain lanced up his leg and across his back.

  She tensed beneath him. “What’s wrong?”

  Adron couldn’t answer. The pain in his leg was so intense that it instantly quelled his desire.

  He rolled over onto his back and struggled to breathe.

  “Adron?”

  The concern in her voice ate at him. Gah, he was a pathetic waste of humanity.

  “My leg,” he said between clenched teeth. “I need the painkillers on my nightstand.”

  “Which leg?”

  “Damn it, get my medicine.”

  “Which leg!” she insisted.