A Leap in Time by Engy Albasel Neville Page B

in my throat as I feared for our safety, vulnerable and without escort outside the city walls. Once the dust settled, we saw Marcus heading for us. He trotted around us and turned the horse to face me. His eyes were brimmed with the faintest color of red. I couldn’t tell if he had been crying or the dust was bothering his eyes.
    How will I ever live with myself for hurting this loving, beautiful man? He dismounted, grabbed my reins and pulled me down with one quick motion.
    “Please don’t leave. Running away won’t solve anything. I’m sorry, I know I behaved badly by leaving you and Catina in the forest.” His voice quivered slightly. “I have never been a man to believe in sorcery, but I know I love you. The thought of you leaving petrifies me beyond words. Whatever brought you to me is real. I know that you’re real and my feelings for you are real. Please, let’s figure this out.”
    I didn’t deserve this man. My heart felt like it was about to burst. I jumped into his arms and held on for dear life. I didn’t know what the next few minutes, or days or weeks would bring, but for now, I had Marcus and I wasn’t letting him go.
    His mouth crushed mine with the same intensity as earlier in the forest. He kissed my face, my tearstained cheeks and mouth.
    Had it not been for Catina’s voice jolting us back to reality, I would have been more than willing to make love to Marcus right here in the open field.
    We reluctantly parted, but stayed in each other’s arms.
    “Will you show me your enchanted tree?” He took my hand and led me along the creek for a while with occasional pauses for stolen kisses.
    “Marcus, I would love for you to come home with me. Not to stay, just to see where I live. I know this is a lot to accept and I can’t imagine any of this is easy to believe.”
    He cupped my face between his hands and kissed me so thoroughly my knees buckled. I wanted him with every pulsing fiber in my being. I was about to slide my hands under his toga when he grabbed my hands.
    “We need to be careful or we will find ourselves publicly flogged for indecent behavior.”
    I trailed kisses along his neck, his ears and nibbled on his earlobe with every intention of changing his mind. He released my hands to kiss me softly on the eyelids.
    “For all that is holy, Lexi, please. I don’t think I can resist you for much longer. I don’t want our first time to be like this.”
    As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I consented to being pulled along for a walk back toward my tree.
    “I will go with you to your homeland, Lexi. But I can’t promise I will want to stay. I need to know all about you. No more betrayal.”
    No more lies. No more secrets. The feeling of starting a fresh slate felt more than liberating—like a million pounds had been magically lifted from my shoulders. To say I was overjoyed and relieved would have been the biggest understatement in the world. Kate had been right about everything turning out fine.
    I chuckled at the thought of Marcus popping over to Los Angeles in his toga and sandals speaking Latin. Speaking Latin. Damn, how did I forget about that? I needed to teach him English like immediately. When he asked why I was laughing, I explained. Luckily, he found it amusing, too.
    We made plans to rest the night in Pompeii and leave tomorrow at dusk. The only person who would know our whereabouts would be Catina. Everyone else would think Marcus escorted me to a relative’s house by the sea at Campania.
    The next day, we said our good-byes to Catina with the promise of returning in a few days. If Marcus was freaking out on the inside, he didn’t show it. With the exception of the initial freak-out in the forest, he seemed to bounce right back.
    We stood hand-in-hand by my tree. As dusk started, the trunk became almost translucent. Marcus’s eyes went wide as saucers as his mind registered the enormity of what was about to happen.
    “You ready?”
    He nodded, staring at the