"Perfect," he murmured.
His hands lingered at my waist, fingers pressing subtly against my lower back. The innocent gesture carried an electric undercurrent of possession that sent heat rushing through me. His eyes darkened as he registered my response, pupils expanding rapidly.
"We should head back," he said. "Before I decide to find out exactly how private the alcoves in this marketplace really are."
I swallowed hard, suddenly very aware of every place our bodies connected. "That would certainly make an impression on your first day as director."
"I'm more interested in the impression I plan to make on you tomorrow," he replied, his thumb brushing against my bottom lip in a gesture that appeared casual but felt intensely intimate. "In my new office."
The promise in his voice made my skin tighten with anticipation.Three weeks ago, I'd have been appalled at the impropriety of the suggestion. Now, the thought of Luka claiming that space—claimingmein that space—sent a rush of desire straight through me.
Ana returned with a small package of her own, which she presented to Luka. "It's not much, but..." She handed him a leather cord with a small silver charm shaped like a leaf. "To replace the one you lost. Mother's necklace had two charms originally: the feather she gave me, and the leaf she gave you. I had this one made."
Luka stared at it, momentarily speechless. His fingers closed around it tightly before he slipped it over his head, the silver leaf resting against his chest.
"Thank you," he said simply, but the words carried the weight of twenty-six years of separation.
As we walked back toward our quarters, plants and packages in hand, I found myself marveling at how drastically my life had changed. Three weeks ago, I'd been Dr. Vincent Matthews, respected trauma therapist with a carefully constructed life. Now I walked beside the director of assassins, my heart so full of love for him I could barely breathe with it.
"What are you thinking about?" Luka asked.
"How sometimes the path we think we're on isn't the one we're meant to follow," I replied. "And how finding the right path can look a lot like getting completely lost first."
He nodded. "When I took your contract, I thought I knew exactly who I was and what I was doing."
"And now?"
"Now I'm the most powerful asset in the North American branch." His shoulders tensed subtly, a muscle working in his jaw. The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken implications.
"It changes things," he finally said, eyes fixed on something distant. "Before, I could only get you killed. Now I can get you compromised."
The layers in that simple statement spoke volumes about his fears. Not just for my physical safety, but for my integrity, my principles.
"I've crossed every ethical line already," I said quietly.
His gaze snapped to mine, suddenly intense. "Not like this. Before, we were fugitives together. Equal in our desperation. Now I hold the power to order death. To make decisions that violate everything you believe in." His fingers tightened around mine. "And one day, youmight wake up and realize you don't recognize yourself anymore. Or me."
There it was, his deepest fear wrapped in practicalities. Not that I'd leave him for someone safer, but that I'd stay and watch him become Prometheus.
"Listen to me." I stepped closer, close enough to feel his breath. "I didn't fall for some idealized version of you. I fell for the man who named my plants while planning to kill me. Who fights his conditioning every day. Who chose to protect rather than destroy."
Something vulnerable flickered across his face. "You make it sound simple."
"It's anything but simple." I brushed my thumb across his cheekbone. "We'll figure it out together."
His expression softened. "You really mean that."
"I do," I assured him. "We'll figure out the new dynamics day by day. Together."
We arrived at our quarters, Ana bidding us goodnight at the elevator before retiring to her new suite just down the hall from ours.
"Tomorrow's going to be complicated," he said, staring out at the Acropolis. "First day as director. Prometheus's office."
I moved to stand behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist. "Take time to make the space yours first."
He leaned back against me slightly. "I was thinking about having them clear everything out. New furniture. New everything."
"Reclaiming the space," I agreed. "That's a powerful first step."
