Page 98 of Taming the Eagle

Justin smiled down at her. Eyes shining, Kahina then hurried off, her sandals whispering on stone.

And when they were alone, Justin turned to Fenella.

His gaze raked over her; it was a dominant, male, look that turned her breathless. That look made her want to launch herself at him and tear off his clothes. The evening before, they’d barely gotten inside the cubiculum when they’d attacked each other. They hadn’t made it to the bed either; Justin had taken her, hard, against the door.

As if sensing the direction of Fenella’s thoughts, Justin favored her with a slow, sensual smile. “I like that stola,” he said, pushing off the doorframe. “Very pretty.”

“You chose well then.”

“I did.” He moved toward her.

An instant later, Fenella closed the remaining distance between them, giving in to the urge to throw herself into his arms. Hands splayed across the breastplate of his lorica, she raised her face to his, her lips parting hungrily as he slid his hands through her hair and claimed her mouth.

When they broke apart from the kiss, they were both breathless.

“You did it,” Fenella whispered, gazing up at him. She reached up then, her fingers tracing the strong line of his jaw.

Justin’s mouth quirked. “Hadrian’s not an easy man to convince, but eventually, he came around.”

“What did you say to him?”

“The truth … it’s the only thing that works in the end,” he replied, his voice turning husky. He raised his hand to where hers cupped his cheek. “I told him what you mean to me. It was a gamble, but I discovered that our emperor is a man who understands love.”

Fenella’s breathing constricted. Gods, he was reckless. How she adored that about him. There were so many things she loved about him—and she’d gasped out each one the night before as he’d taken her against the door.

“You are quite a man, Justin Aquila,” she murmured. “When will you make me your wife?”

He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Impatient?”

She nodded.

His smile widened. “Well then, how about tomorrow?”

EPILOGUE. HOMECOMING

Vindolanda fort, the Wall,

The Caledonia-Britannia border

Four years later …

“OVA!” A CHILD’S delighted voice cut through the crowd.

Glancing down, Fenella saw that her son, Leo, who’d been clinging to her skirt just a moment earlier, was now barreling toward a man selling eggs. They were in the busy market in the vicus, just outside Vindolanda’s west gate.

The vendor watched the child’s approach, eyes flying wide in panic.

Chubby hands outstretched, Leo made a grab for the eggs, giving a wail when Fenella scooped him up.

“No, love,” she told him sternly, carrying his wriggling form back to where Kahina waited. “They’re not yours.”

At three winters of age, Leo didn’t like being thwarted.

The boy started to wail then, causing shoppers in the crowded marketplace to turn and favor Fenella with baleful looks. Ignoring them, she gripped Leo tightly, while his temper cooled.

“Jupiter, the boy has a pair of lungs on him,” Kahina muttered, next to Fenella. “It feels as if someone’s just stabbed me through the ears.”

Fenella cast her friend an apologetic look. “Hush now, Leo,” she murmured, still struggling with her bawling son.