Her eyes widened. “They’ll look for you, won’t they?”
He nodded, steeling his resolve. “So I’ll disappear for a while. As long as it takes for him to forget about me.” Knowing Gaius, that could be anywhere from a few days to a month or longer, depending on his moods.
“Where will you go?”
“It’s safer for you not to know.” He had a few ideas on that front, but he wouldn’t share them. He pressed her hand to his lips. “But I promise I’ll come back. And we can build a life together that will make both of us truly happy.”
The flickering lamplight caught on tears welling in her eyes. “Ouch,” she said with a sniffling laugh as one spilled down her cheek. “Crying makes my head hurt even more.”
He cradled her face in his hands and wiped away the tears with his thumbs. “And I hope it doesn’t need to be said, but every single sestertius that enters my possession is yours until your freedom is secured. And probably after that, too,” he added with a smile.
“I love you,” she whispered. “Philé emé.”
Kallias didn’t even bother to correct her usage of the feminine form. Her terrible Greek was endearing. He leaned close to kiss away another tear that had fallen. “I love you too, Lea.”
Nyx glanced over their display with disgust, then hopped off the bed and padded over to the closed door, pausing and looking back at Lea expectantly.
Kallias sensed what the creature wanted, so he rose and opened the door wide enough for the cat to slip through.
“How long do we have?” Lea asked unsteadily as Kallias closed the door.
“I expect my absence will be noticed by morning. I should leave before dawn.” That left them precious few hours to spend together before they’d be parted for an indefinite length of time. The prospect pained him, but he could bear it if it meant a lifetime of freedom to love her. “But you need to rest. I won’t keep you up all night in your condition. I’d like to give you some of the poppy now.”
“I’m not going to sleep away our last night together!”
“We’ll have a lifetime of nights together.” The vision of a future with her was murky and indistinct, but for the first time, it felt like a real possibility, something he could actually hope for. “For now, it’s more important that you rest.”
“Fine,” she muttered. “But don’t give me too much.”
Kallias uncorked the small vial and measured out a few tiny drops into a spoon, which he handed to Lea. She swallowed, grimacing at the bitter taste, then lay back against the pillows with a sigh. She patted the small space on the bed next to her.
Now that Nyx had departed, Kallias dared to slide into the bed beside her, his arms around her. How had she become so important to him in such a short time? Somehow, she’d captured his heart as easily as she’d knocked him down that day at the palace.
He knew one thing for sure: he never would have found the courage to escape if it weren’t for her. Her bravery had inspired him to take a leap, abandon his too-cautious plans, reach out to seize the future he truly wanted.
He only prayed it would be enough.
31
WhenLeawoke,itwas still dark. She felt groggy, but her headache had diminished to a manageable ache. Kallias’s arms cradled her, holding her close to him. She reveled in the pleasure of his touch.
Then, unpleasant reality intruded as she remembered their last conversation. Kallias was going to leave for an undefined length of time. She wouldn’t know where he was or if he was safe. It could be weeks, months before they were reunited.
Her chest squeezed at the thought, but it was the only way to secure their future.
Nevertheless, that meant she had precious few hours to spend with him. Dawn would be here all too quickly, and then he’d be gone.
“Are you awake?” she breathed.
He traced a hand up her arm. “Yes. Does your head pain you? Do you want another drop of the poppy?”
“No.” She rolled over, still in his embrace. Her hands found his chest, warm and solid in the dark. He might not be as burly as a gladiator, but his quiet, careful strength was all she needed. “It’s you I want, Kallias.”
If this was to be their last night together, she wasn’t going to waste it.
Her lips found his. She meant the kiss to be slow, gentle, but the first brush of his warm mouth sparked a desperate hunger, a craving for something she knew would soon be taken away.
He kissed her back, a hand gently sliding into her hair on the unwounded side of her head. His other hand cupped her cheek, before his fingers trailed down her neck. The touch on the sensitive skin of her throat sent a cascade of shivers over her. It was so nice to feel a pleasurable sensation in her body, after a day when it seemed only capable of producing discomfort.
