Free Every Last Kiss, Final Copy, June 30, 2011 by Courtney Cole Page A

beauty.” He bowed his head to kiss my forehead, but that wasn’t enough for me.  I tilted my face and covered his soft lips with mine, hungrily wanting more of him. 
          He pulled away in surprise again.  We never exhibited such affection in the daylight and certainly not in public.  I was not Cleopatra.  As queen, she could defy convention and do as she pleased.  As her handmaiden, I could not.  When people were watching, I had to pretend to conform to the formalities of court, regardless of how Cleopatra and I behaved in private. 
          I glanced over my shoulder at the staid faces of the guards.  They were purposely staring in concentration out at the sea, pretending to scan the horizon for signs of attack, but in actuality they were simply avoiding the entire general area that Hasani and I were standing in. I appreciated their gesture.
          I pulled Hasani down by the neck and kissed him again, more urgently this time.  It had been two thousand years since I had felt his kiss.  I wasn’t going to let a stupid rule of etiquette keep me from him now.  Not when I only had a short time until everything fell to pieces.
          His large hands brushed across my back, rubbing small circles into my skin before sweeping against my hips, pulling me closer to him still. 
          “You’re going to be the death of me yet, Charmian!” he growled playfully into my neck. 
          But he didn’t stop moving his hands over my body and I laughed gently, enjoying the sound of his husky voice as it vibrated against my skin.  I tried to memorize the planes of his face, the sound of his voice, the feel of his hands.  This was going to have to be enough and I wanted to remember everything. 
          I finally pulled away, grasping his hand tightly within mine as we began strolling along the beach.  If it were a normal day, it would have been a perfect day for a walk.  The craggy rocks and weather beaten sand on the shore were beautiful, a perfect outline to the sparkling turquoise Mediterranean backdrop.  I unsuccessfully tried to match his long strides with my shorter legs and he laughed as he slowed down.
          “I’m sorry, Charmian. I forget sometimes that you are so small.”
          “I’m not nearly so small as Cleopatra,” I replied, smiling up at him.  
          “No, but she is exceptionally small.  You are just right my love…for everything.”  He grinned at me again; the playful, handsome grin that I loved and I sucked my breath in as he pulled me in to his side. 
          With every fiber of my being, I knew that I couldn’t bear to let him die.  There was no way on earth I could do it again.  I wasn’t that strong. I took no consolation in the fact that I would die, too… because it would be unbearable now that my memories had been cruelly unlocked.  I would remember his face for the rest of my life when I returned to Pasadena. 
          “Sweetling, it appears that we have the afternoon to ourselves.  What shall we do to entertain ourselves?”  Hasani asked, grinning his impossibly beautiful grin again. 
          He stroked the side of my face gently and bent again to kiss where he had touched.  After he pulled away, I could still feel where his lips had been, and I touched the spot gently.
          “My love, I see shadows of fear on your face.  Please do not worry.  All will be well,” Hasani said, as concern flitted across his features. 
          “The Roman bastards will come.  And we will fight.  And then it will be over.  You will see… we will continue on as we were.” He pulled both of my hands to his mouth, where he kissed every one of my fingertips and I closed my eyes, fighting back my fear as hot tears formed behind my eyelids.
          “I love you, Hasani,” I murmured softly, as I once again nestled next to his strong chest, trying to allow his strong voice to lull me into believing