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“With all of your heart.” Circe grunts, tugging forward, snatching the front of my shirt.

Our soles disconnect from stone.

Time stands perfectly still for one single frozen second of shock. I feel the warmth of her body pressed against mine. I feelthe stillness before the fall. I feel my fear uncoil, scatter to the winds.

And I close my eyes to wait for oblivion as we plummet over the edge.

20

CIRCE

The rush of the fall strikes like a gong.

I gasp at the surge.

Ero’s arms surround me, holding me close.

“Together,” he shouts over the roar of the wind.

My eyes snap open, locking with his opalescent stare. “Forever.”

Even if forever is only for a few more seconds. I feel the ground draw nearer.

“I love you, Circe.”

“I love you too!” My words cut off as he kisses me, the world pinwheeling around us.

We brace against each other. Turn in midair.

And both glance down a split second before we hit the water. The splash concusses in my ears, popping with sharp agony as it claps around my head. Speed and descent sent us all the way to the bottom of the deep end.

It was a gambit. A bit of a ruse.

Ero’s head swivels around at me underwater, his eyes wide. We push off the bottom at the same time, torpedoing for the surface. We emerge from the depths into a resplendent dawn.

Renewed. Baptized through fire and fear.

Together. Born again.

“What did you say right before we landed?” Ero gasps, bouncing along the bottom.

“What? I said I love you,” I huff through spatters of glistening pool water. I can barely hear past the ringing in my ears. Ero squints, watching my mouth.

“Say it again. I already forgot…” I watch his lips to make out his words.

“I love you,” I say more insistently, letting him wrap me in his muscular embrace. His shirt clings to his body, showing off that spartan chest, abs chiseled from ancient marble.

My God.

“One. Last. Time.” His lips brush mine.

“I love you, Ero.”

“Show me,” he mumbles as our foreheads unite, his face splitting into a grin.

A breathtaking, full-toothed …grin.

I’m on him in a flash, spraying warm water behind me. Maybe the pool’s heated. Or I’m just burning up.