Crow leaned into Penelope’s palm when he felt her hand on his cheek and leaned in to meet her lips when she kissed him again. At her next words, he shook his head slightly. He didn’t think he had given up that much. Though his life as a thief had been important to him, she was much more so. The only things he had lost were his companions, whom he was going to leave at some point anyway, and some of the freedoms he’d had as a peasant. However, they were well worth it to be able to be with her and give her the life she deserved.

He rested his head against hers and closed his eyes when she wrapped her arms around him, enjoying their closeness while it lasted. Vaguely, he was aware that the thunder seemed to have died down. He could still hear rain pouring steadily, but there hadn’t been any roaring growls for quite a while. Even so, he didn’t want to leave yet. As soon as they stepped outside, they were going to lose the sanctuary of the supply closet and return to a world that didn’t want them to be together. He wanted to postpone that for as long as he could.

Unfortunately, it seemed like he wouldn’t get his wish. Crow frowned when Penelope suddenly said something about meeting with a Jonathan for supper—probably another knight she was trying to win over—and told him they should leave soon. “I guess so,” he sighed, glancing back at the door. In the darkness, it was hard to tell how much time had passed, but he had a feeling the day was nearing evening. If they stayed hidden for much longer, whoever was supposed to relieve the knight from her shift would notice her absence or Preston would go to his room and see that he was still missing.

Turning back to Penelope, Crow pressed one more kiss to her lips, savoring the moment since he didn’t know when they would be able to get away like this again. When he pulled back again, he lowered his arms from around her and made his way silently over to the door. For a moment, he stood still with his eyes closed, listening for the sound of footsteps or voices outside. Once he determined that the coast was clear, he gingerly removed the mop from where he’d lodged it before opening the door.

The light that fell on his face made the viceroy squint slightly as his eyes adjusted. He took a quick look around and, seeing no one, gestured for the knight to come out with him. “I should go back to my room,” he said, turning to her with a halfhearted smile. “Preston is going to come looking for me soon, and he’ll expect me to be there.” He wavered for a moment before touching one last fleeting kiss to her cheek.

“I love you,” he said softly, his smile turning a bit more genuine as he held her gaze. “Good luck with your meeting.”