Page 41 of Lucian

“Jesus, can’t you see?” Jordyn asked.

“I see you. What do you see?”

She tossed him a look someone might give to a misbehaving child. “Lucian.”

“Sweetheart, we just had a discussion about my sex life, my lack of relationships, and the confusing mess we’re in. I’ve seen you without clothes. I’m standing behind you while you’re wearing practically nothing at all right now. So yes, when I say that I see you, that is exactly what I see, Jordyn. Something beautiful, which was what I thought of you the very first time I met you.”

“And the cuts, bruising, and swelling, right? Do you find those beautiful, too?”

Lucian felt his spine straighten. “They don’t bother me.”

“That’s not what I asked, Lucian.”

“I know, but the fact still remains, they don’t bother me. They’ll heal. They already are.”

“But …” Jordyn trailed off, glancing back to the mirror and chewing on the inside of her cheek. “It looks awful. I look awful. I’m not a vain girl, I never was. And right now, all I can think is how terrible he made me look. Was that what he wanted to do, ruin me? It doesn’t seem to matter some of them are fading and the infection is staying away … it still looks bad. That’s all I can see. This isn’t beautiful.”

“He didn’t ruin you,” Lucian said, surprised at the sharp tone he took on. Even Jordyn seemed shocked at his sudden change in demeanor. “God, don’t let that fucking—”

Lucian clenched his teeth, forcing himself to stop talking and think for a moment. Jordyn’s eyes had dropped from holding his in the mirror to staring at her feet. He couldn’t have that. Not this strong, beautiful woman who seemed to have him tangled up in a million ways he’d never experienced before.

Moving close enough to press his chest to her back, Lucian reached around to carefully clasp Jordyn’s jaw in his grip. Tilting her face upwards until she was once again staring into the mirror, he met her gaze once more. The water behind her eyes hurt more than he understood.

“Not ruined,” he repeated thickly, his mouth so close to her cheek he could taste her skin. “Look and see.”

“Lucian, stop, please.”

Lucian refused to. Instead, he held a little tighter, and kept her head up. “Look in the mirror, sweetheart. He might have bruised you, and abused you, but he sure as hell didn’t ruin you. Because you’re right … the wounds are healing, the marks are fading. Every day, you’re not as tired or weak. I know you worry, but you’re not afraid like you were, either. That isn’t a ruined woman. And you know what I see?”

Jordyn swallowed audibly, her gaze flicking to meet his. “What’s that?”

“A female that drives me insane, but you probably don’t even realize it. Skin the color of cream, and eyes like the sky. My hand molds perfectly into the curve of your waist and you fit against my chest beautifully. You smell like peaches. Your laugh is kind of musical. I watch you all the time, wondering if you’re going to change somehow, and you don’t.

“I keep thinking about wrapping my hands in your curls, just to see if they’d feel as soft as what they look. I kissed you only twice and it’s run on constant repeat in my head ever since.” Lucian lessened his grip on her jaw, trailing two fingers along her cheek, enjoying seeing her smile grow more demure under the touch. “You sleep so well, and curl into the blankets like they’ll keep everything bad in the world away. You don’t even understand the thing that might be the worst for you is just feet away, completely infatuated with you, but he doesn’t know why.”

“How could you be the worst thing when all you’ve done is help me?”

“I already told you. I’m not a good man.”

“I don’t want a good man, Lucian,” Jordyn whispered.

“You should. A good man who will give you everything you want, keep you safe, and adore you the way you deserve. You should want that.”

“Funny, isn’t that what you’ve been doing?”

Yes.

No.

Lucian didn’t know what he was doing anymore.

Jordyn’s hand raised, curling around Lucian’s neck before trailing up into the hair at his nape. Gently, she tugged on the strands, gaining his full attention again. Hell, it really hadn’t left. Unfortunately, he was mindful of his body’s reaction to her close proximity and lack of clothing. His erection was making itself known and she was still pressed so tightly to him, the sweet curve of her ass fitted against his groin.

When Lucian tried to back away to regain some control and give Jordyn space, her grip in his hair tightened, refusing to let him go.

“Jordyn,” Lucian started to say, unsure of what she wanted.

“I can feel you, you know.”