`` i like you , '' he said `` you like me `` color crept up his cheeks `` you 're pretty , and you 're brave as anyone i ever saw and i like you `` she felt her mouth creep up at the edges and fought the smile then gave in to it , looking up at him , and rose onto her toes to plant a kiss on the roughness of his cheek he glanced down at her , his gaze , for just a moment , showing that heated hunger that she had felt in his kiss `` sometime , i think i 'm going to get you alone when there is n't some kind of life threatening situation to interrupt me `` amara 's tongue promptly stuck to the roof of her mouth , which had as abruptly gone dry she tried to gather up enough of her suddenly scattered wits to respond , but the sound of heavy boots on the stairs came first , and a key rattled in the door the door opened , and pluvus pentius faced them with a vacuous expression or rather , that was amara 's first impression the truthfinder 's head lolled forward on his neck , and a moment later he let out a distinct snore the door opened farther , and amara saw two men on either side of the snoozing truthfinder , supporting his limp weight one she recognized , the grizzled old healer from earlier in the day the other wore a centurion 's breastplate and helmet , a round-faced man of middle years with dark , squinting eyes `` bernard , '' said harger cheerfully .