In Other Worlds by Sherrilyn Kenyon Page A

above his head.
    She sat beside him, watching him shave with a frown on her face. “Wouldn’t that be easier with a mirror?”
    â€œProbably.”
    â€œThen why don’t you use one?”
    He paused and looked away from her as his gut knotted. “I don’t like looking in mirrors, and I damn sure don’t want to do it first thing every morning.” It was bad enough to catch sight of his mangled face accidentally. The last thing he wanted to do was look at it on purpose.
    She took the razor from his hand, and to his shock, she shaved the mutilated side of his face. “You are incredibly handsome.”
    Adron stared at her doubtfully. “When I was younger, I was really vain about it. Zarina used to tease me that I looked at my reflection so much that one day the bogeyman was going to come and steal my face.” He dropped his gaze to the floor. “I guess she was right. He did.”
    Livia rinsed the soap from his face. “I think you’re gorgeous.”
    â€œI think you’re insane.”
    She shook her head as she started shaving his other cheek. “You know, there is a bright side to all you suffered.”
    â€œAnd that is?”
    She hesitated as if gathering her thoughts. “Tell me truthfully, Adron. If Kyr hadn’t scarred you, would you have taken me home that night at the Golden Crona? Would you have even looked twice at me?”
    Adron opened his mouth to deny it, but he couldn’t. She was right. She was beautiful to him now, a vital part of his life. But she wasn’t the kind of woman he’d chased after when he was single. Like Zarina had said, he’d been a vain asshole. Though Livia was pretty and sweet, she wasn’t one of the tall, sleek knockouts he’d been with. The kind of women who knew how to tease and torment a guy with their looks and body.
    The truth was, as pretty as she was, he would never have looked twice at her before Kyr had crippled him.
    That thought cut him all the way to his soul. How could he have been so stupid as to not look any deeper than the surface?
    And she deserved someone much better than him.
    â€œI wish I could be whole for you . . . I wish I could hold you and dance with you, take you in my arms and make love to you the way I want to.”
    â€œAnd I’m just grateful I have you at all. It’s not your body or face that I love, Adron. It’s your heart, your soul, and your mind.”
    He trembled at her words, then pulled her to him and kissed her. She moved carefully into his lap.
    Adron nibbled her lips as he felt her sliding her hand over his shoulders, down his arms.
    She lifted her hips, then impaled herself on him. They moaned simultaneously.
    Bracing her hands on the edge of the tub, she rode him slow and easy, making him blind from the pleasure of her body surrounding his. And for the first time, he was grateful to Kyr. Grateful that the bastard had opened his eyes . . .
    Grateful he’d found Livia.
    God help him if anything should happen to her. She was the one thing he could never lose. The one thing that could truly destroy him.
    His throat tight, he watched her as she climaxed in his arms. The pleasure on her face tore through him. And as he felt her body tighten around him, he surrendered himself to his own release.
    Livia started to collapse against his chest, then barely caught herself before she hurt him. She smiled at him, but she saw the turmoil in his eyes, felt him go rigid over her action. It always hurt him when he realized the frailness of his body.
    She would give anything to remove that look from him forever.
    Would you give your life?
    That was the question that haunted her every day. And what scared her most was that the answer was starting to become yes. She’d much rather he have his happiness than she hers.
    â€œI love you,” she whispered.
    As usual, he said nothing as he shifted away from her.
    Livia sighed. She hadn’t meant to