He rose to his feet and came close to the bed. “Ana, I’d like for you to trust me.”
Even though his face was in shadow, she could feel him watching her. By the goddesses, she was tempted to tell him everything. But she wasn’t the only one at risk. How could she endanger her father? If the truth about her deception ever surfaced, she and her father would both be executed.
If only she and Leo were alone on an island. But they weren’t. They were surrounded by enemies. “I—I’m sorry.”
He sat on the edge of the bed and looked around. “Are we alone now?”
Was he still trying to get her to admit to seeing the dead? “I … believe we’re alone.”
“That’s good.” He placed a gloved hand on the coverlet where her foot was. “I have fought armies of elfin warriors.” His hand slid to her ankle, then her calf. “I have faced fire-breathing dragons.”
“That must have been terrifying.” Her heart raced as his hand skimmed up her thigh and over her hip.
“Do you know what terrifies me even more?” His hand moved past her waist, then paused just below her breasts.
She clenched the top edge of the coverlet in her fists. “It was a dragon that killed your father. What could terrify you more than that?”
“The possibility that I might hurt you.”
Her eyes burned. “I know you don’t mean to hurt me.”
“Do you?” His hand curved around her breast, and she gasped. Gently, he squeezed.
A tingling sensation stole over her, making her breasts feel heavy and her whole body ache to be touched. “Leo…” A whimper escaped as his gloved fingers teased at her nipple, causing it to harden into a tight bud.
“You have no idea how much I want you.” He leaned close enough that she could see the determined glint in his eyes. “At first, I thought it was only your body I wanted. But something about you has made me greedy as hell. I want everything. Your love. Your mind. Your secrets. Your soul.”
He released her, then returned to his blankets on the floor. “Good night, Ana.”
She pressed her hands against her hot cheeks as a tear escaped. By the goddesses, she did love him. She loved him so much her heart ached. But how could she tell him her secrets? How could she bare her soul to him?
He wanted more than she could ever give.
Chapter Twenty-seven
When Luciana woke the next day, she discovered her head was aching and her husband was missing. Once again, she’d overslept and he’d left without telling her good-bye. It was hard to be annoyed with him, though, when Gabriella admitted that he’d asked her to be very quiet and let her ladyship sleep, since she might not be feeling well.
On the way to the kitchens, she was surprised to find only Jensen accompanying her, but he explained that the suspected third assassin had left the fortress, so she was no longer in grave danger. If that was supposed to relieve her, it didn’t, for she knew the danger still existed. It had only shifted to Leo. She said a silent prayer, beseeching Luna and Lessa to keep her husband safe.
With Jensen standing guard at the kitchen door, she entered with a cheerful greeting. Christopher was sitting in a corner with a worried expression. She gave him a smile before turning to his mother. “I’m afraid I missed breakfast. Could you spare me something to eat?”
“Of course!” Yulissa grabbed a wooden plate and began heaping food on it. “You didn’t need to come here, my dear. We would have brought it to your room.”
“This is fine.” Luciana sat at the table. “I plan to work in the garden after I eat.”
Yulissa poured some apple cider into a cup. “We’re so sorry about Rowena poisoning the soup.” She handed her the cup with an apologetic look. “I hope you weren’t too sick.”
“I’m perfectly fine,” Luciana assured her. “And Father is, too.”
Yulissa and her workers murmured how relieved they were, then an awkward silence fell upon the room. Luciana ate while they busied themselves, but she could see them exchanging wary glances.
“Did my father handle the … situation?” Luciana asked.
The scullery maid dropped a platter, and another cook accidentally nicked her finger with a knife. Yulissa turned her back to check a pot over the fire.
Luciana set down her fork. “Where is Rowena?”
“The dungeons,” the scullery maid muttered.
“And where else would she be?” Yulissa asked with an exasperated tone. “She poisoned the soup for the high table.”
Silence fell over the room again. Luciana motioned for Christopher to come closer.
“Did I do a bad thing?” he whispered. “I thought it was right to warn you about the soup, but now Rowena is in big trouble.” He glanced at his mother and the workers. “They’re afraid she’ll hang.”
Luciana’s breath caught. Even though Rowena had clearly committed a serious offense, she’d only made two people slightly ill. Her father had been well enough to ride the next day. The general had marched off with the army this morning.
“I’ll see what I can do for her,” Luciana offered, and everyone turned toward her with hopeful looks.
“Bless you, my lady.” Yulissa’s eyes glimmered with tears. “You have a kind heart.”
* * *
“Oh, please forgive me!” Rowena cried. She’d fallen to her knees the minute Luciana and Jensen had entered the dungeons.