Lara could help but be enraptured by the king's beautiful face. Her breath hitched as she tried to recollect where she had seen him earlier. This was the first time her memory faltered her. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe she was just imagining.

As for Marcus, he stayed as close to her as he could for as long as possible. His eyes traveled to her forehead, her thick eyelashes that cast shadows onto her cheeks, her cheekbones, the velvety skin on them that he wanted to touch, her straight nose that was curved up a little and then her chin. It was as if the gods had abandoned everything they...