Stepping down, he blew out her flame and walked out of the room that had been hers alone and into the one he had learned to share with Tabitha.
Tabitha came awake to find herself alone in her old bed. She closed her eyes and wished herself back to childhood. Back to the days when all of her sisters had shared this house with her. Back to the time when their worst fear was not having a date for the prom.
But time was ever fleeting.
And there was no way back.
Sighing, she rolled over and realized that Valerius wasn't with her. She felt the absence of him immediately.
She got up and pulled on a bathrobe her mother must have left in the room for her. As she walked past the dresser, she paused, then stepped back to see a ring on top of it.
Her heart pounded as she recognized Valerius's signet ring on top of a folded-up note.
Picking it up, she read the handful of words.
Thank you, my lady Tabitha. For everything.
Val
Tabitha frowned. Was it a kiss-off? Oh, yeah, that was just what she needed right now.
Why not?
She was almost angry until she read it again and realized that he hadn't signed it "Valerius."
He'd used her nickname for him.
A nickname he hated.
Her throat tight, she tucked the note into her pocket and kissed the ring he'd left her. She slid it onto her thumb and went to bathe.
Valerius was dreaming of Tabitha. She was laughing in his ear as she lay beneath him.
It seemed so real, he could almost swear he felt her hand on his back...
No, now it was buried in his hair.
And then she moved it away and ran it over his hip, down his thigh until she cupped him in her palm.
Growling in pleasure, Valerius opened his eyes to realize it wasn't a dream.
Tabitha lay on her side next to him. "Hi, baby," she whispered.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, unable to believe she was real.
She held her hand up to show him his ring. "How could I be anywhere else given the curtness of your note?"
"My note wasn't curt."
She scoffed at him. "I almost thought you were telling me to hit the road."
"Why would you think that? I left you my ring."
"Consolation gift?"
He rolled his eyes at her misbegotten reasoning. "No, that ring means that the wearer is worth his or her weight in gold. See?" He held it up so that she could see the regal crest.
A slow smile spread across her face. "I'm worth my weight in gold?"