Passions of New Pompeii (10 page)

She started to object then nodded. “I won’t
make promises, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying. This isn’t
just about you and me.”

“It is right now.” A surge of possessive
passion brought his hand to the back of her head. He lightly
grasped her hair and tilted her head back. “Do you really want my
cock in your mouth?”

“Among other places,” she said with a
mischievous smile. She licked her lips, her gaze dropping from his
face to his groin. “May I touch you?”

“No. Just part your lips.” The only way to
control his raging desire was to control her. Understanding
unfurled within her eyes and she opened her mouth. The first brush
of her tongue against his heated flesh dragged a groan from the
back of his throat. Her warm lips closed around his tip and tension
rippled through his abdomen. She sucked him deeper, her lips
sliding smoothly against his shaft.

He felt wild and wicked. Slaves sucked their
masters’ cocks. Mistresses did not give pleasure to their slaves!
I’ll find a way to free you.
Her naïve declaration was
almost as sweet as the warmth of her mouth. He pulled back and
thrust faster, bumping the back of her mouth. She scooted to the
edge of the bench, her hands resting on his hips.

She stared up at him, eyes wide and luminous.
Longing twisted through him, every bit as demanding as the tension
in his balls. He wanted her, not just the lush softness of her
willing body. He wanted the right to pursue her, to win her as…as
what?

Her nails bit into his ass and her lips
tightened around his cock. She released him long enough to say,
“Don’t think about tomorrow. I’m here with you right now.”

He pushed back into her mouth as he smoothed
the hair back from her face. She was right. They had to live in the
moment. Take each pleasure as it came and savor it to the fullest.
He rocked his hips, focusing on the snug pressure of her lips and
the silken rasp of her tongue.

With his rhythm established, he closed his
eyes and shut out everything but the pleasure she was giving to
him. Her hands stroked over his ass, lightly scratching his flesh
with her nails then pulling his cheeks apart. Humid air teased his
anus, making him shiver and slide faster into her mouth. Her
fingers grew bolder, easing into his crack to circle the tightly
puckered opening.

“Do it,” he urged, easily anticipating her
next move.

Her finger burrowed inward, working past the
tight collar of muscle before she applied firm inward pressure. The
slight fullness drove his arousal higher. Restlessness coursed
through his body as he chased that elusive ending.

She slowly pulled her finger back then
matched his next thrust. He trembled with his need to spurt, and
yet he fought back the pleasure, unwilling to end the blissful
ascent. She pulled back until only the tip of his cock remained in
her mouth. Her lips sucked so hard he cried out and surrendered to
his need for release.

He thrust to the back of her mouth and
spilled his seed. Drawing on him with firm suction, she prolonged
each shuddering spasm. Her wicked finger dragged one final gasp
from his throat as she slowly pulled her finger free. Their gazes
locked and she released his cock as well, scooting back on the
bench with a triumphant smile.

“You look rather pleased with yourself.” His
senses were still humming, yet he felt content and warm.

“I was just enjoying your surrender for a
change.”

“I have never done that before,” he admitted
as he lifted her into his arms and headed for the stairs.

“You’ve never let a woman go down on you?”
She sounded doubtful, but her gaze turned soft and searching.

“I never trusted a woman enough to allow them
control. When they used their mouths to arouse me, I always
reasserted myself before I…came.” He stumbled a bit over the new
word, but it sounded more appropriate than the metaphorical
expressions common in his native tongue.

Her warm hand touched his face, drawing his
gaze back to hers. “Thank you. Watching you come was thrilling for
me.”

Tenderness squeezed his heart, the sensation
alien yet exciting. Despite his determination not to care for this
woman, she was sneaking beyond his defenses, sinking deeper with
each moment they spent together.

They dried each other with lingering touches
before she led him into the bedchamber. She wrapped one of the
drying cloths around her body, but Theos was comfortable with his
nudity. The room was large and lavishly decorated. A cool breeze
stirred the bed hangings and drew his attention to the bed. High
and wide, the mattress promised comforts he could hardly
imagine.

“When is the last time you slept in a bed?”
Her smile was playful, but the question brought the harshness of
his life into focus.

“I have never slept in a bed like this one.
Even before I became a gladiator, my life was…simple.”

“Tell me about your life before. I want to
know more about you.”

“We have no past and no future. We exist only
in this moment.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and
narrowed his gaze. “It’s not fair to use my words against me.”

“You have seen me in the arena.” He smiled.
“I never fight fair.”

“All right. You tell me something about your
past and I’ll tell you something about mine.”

“Find us some wine and I’ll consider it.”

“This is a VIP domicile. There are all sorts
of amenities. Warm up the bed. I’ll be right back.”

He watched the subtle movement of her ass as
she crossed the room, imagining all of the pleasures they would
share. After her brazen behavior in the bath, he was ready to
unleash the full scope of his desire.

“Warm up the bed?” he muttered under his
breath. He thought his understanding of Fedoros was adequate, but
many of the things she said still made no sense. He pulled back the
covers and stacked pillows against the wall, so they could recline
in comfort while they sipped their wine.

She returned a few minutes later carrying a
large tray. As well as wine, she had located a mound of fresh
fruit, a loaf of crusty bread and several kinds of cheese. “There
was a welcome basket in the kitchen.”

“A ‘welcome basket’?” Setting the tray on the
bed, she crawled onto the mattress and sat with her legs folded in
front of her. The position would have been infinitely more
interesting if her body hadn’t been draped in white linen.

“It is customary on Fedoros for a host to
leave a basket of edible treats for their honored guests.”

“Your brother is one of the founders. You
should be considered family, not a guest.”

“I hadn’t intended to involve Mikko when I
reserved this house.” She poured wine into the silver cups and held
one out for him.

“But you were harassed by the—”

“I needed a reason for you to accompany me,
so we made up that story.”

“We? You and
domina
?” The wine was
cool and sweet, so he drank more deeply.

“Yes. I know you don’t trust Laetif, but I
can’t imagine what she would gain by exposing Mikko to censure and
prosecution.”

“I did not say I do not trust her. I just
cautioned you to consider that she does nothing without a
self-serving reason.”

She paused for a sip of wine then reached for
a fat strawberry. “I was hoping you would have heard something, a
rumor or some bit of gossip.”

Following her example, he brought one of the
small fruits to his mouth. The fragrance made his mouth water and
anticipation tightened his stomach. He bit into the strawberry and
closed his eyes, savoring the sweet flavor as it rolled across his
tongue. “Ambrosia,” he whispered. “Surely this is food fit for the
gods.” Immediately sadness clouded her expression and she looked
away. “After I left you last night, I spoke with Max about the
energy barrier. He claims to have been beyond it and back, and yet
he lives.”

Her gaze returned to his face, but her
expression was still cautious. “Who is Max?”

“My
doctore
, my trainer. He was
already here when the founders evacuated Pompeii.”

“What else did he tell you?” Hope sparkled
through the caution, and Theos wanted to laugh. Did she realize how
easy it was to read her expressive eyes?

“He told me the gods were metaphors, not
literal beings. He has no doubt that there is a guiding force, a
benevolent maker, but the founders acted on their own when they
evacuated Pompeii.”

“And do you believe him?”

He set down his cup then took hers from her
and set it on the tray. Shifting the tray to one side, he grasped
her arms and pulled her forward until she straddled his lap.
“Unlike the beautiful temptress who is systematically dismantling
my life, I have known Max for years and have reason to trust
him.”

“You can trust me too.” An intoxicating
combination of emotions shaped her expression. Hope, joy and
tenderness wrapped around him like a fire-warmed cloak.

“I want to trust you. You have given me no
reason to mistrust you. But it will take time for me to accept what
I am feeling.”

For some reason this made her smile. “What
exactly are you feeling?”

“The need to be inside you again,” he evaded
as he leaned down to claim her mouth.

She turned her head and his lips found her
soft cheek. “We were going to talk first.”

“We are talking.” He kissed his way to her
ear and caught the tender lobe between his teeth. She yelped then
shivered, swaying slightly toward him.

“Laetif told me why you became a gladiator.
Why were you sold and moved to Pompeii?”

He released her earlobe with a sigh. “I was
young and foolish, unbelievably arrogant. When the wife of my Roman
master summoned me to her bed, I thought she was unable to resist
the lust I stirred within her. In truth she sampled each new
gladiator after their first win. I bragged about the pleasure I
gave her to the other gladiators and one of the guards reported the
conversation to my master.”

“So he sold you?”

“He threatened to cut off my tongue and my
balls, so I counted myself lucky when he sold me. From that day
forth, I refused to fuck anyone not of my choosing. I suffered
several beatings for my stubbornness, but I would not be
swayed.”

Her gaze dropped to his chest and she said,
“And yet you came to my bed.”

“Your brother stressed the importance of my
mission, but I knew he would not punish me if I walked away.”

That brought her head up. “My brother
encouraged you to seduce me?” She shook her head, tension gathering
in her shoulders. “Of course he did. That’s why he told you about
Vito. He wanted you to feel sorry for me and—”

“Last night might have been tainted with
ulterior motives, but I am here now because I want to be with you.”
He brushed his lips over hers then relaxed against the pillows.
“Now it is your turn. Tell me something about you.”

She slowly licked her lips, meeting his gaze
as she told him, “I have a five-year-old son. His name is Feztis
and he will ascend to the throne if Tarhee doesn’t produce an heir
before he dies.”

“Your son is a Fedoran prince?” As if being
sister to one of the founders was not impressive enough. Theos felt
the social gap between them widen and his confidence shuddered. She
had bedded royalty. How could she ever be content with someone like
him? “Do men pursue you in hopes of gaining control of your
son?”

“Continually. The emperor is very protective
of Fez. He realizes his enemies could do great harm through the
boy.”

“And through you.”

She shook her head. “I have no real power. My
son was taken from me shortly after his birth and I must have the
emperor’s permission to visit him.”

“That seems cruel from your perspective, but
it is not unusual. The boy is likely safer within the palace
compound.”

She shrugged as familiar pain echoed through
her being. “That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“I would not expect the practice to please
you.”

“Don’t get me wrong. Fez is in no way abused.
He is being raised by an army of servants and he has the best of
everything. The emperor is molding him into a successor just in
case Tarhee fails to fulfill his obligation to the royal line.”

“Even so, you would prefer to have access to
your son?”

She smiled and her shoulders relaxed. “I’m
allowed to tap into the security feeds and watch him, but it’s not
the same.”

“You are able to access images of your son
while he is far away?” She nibbled her bottom lip for a moment
before she nodded. “Max said that was how gladiator games were
introduced to Fedoros. He said Fedorans only observed they did not
interact until after the evacuation.”

“I’m so far over the line all ready I might
as well show you the rest.”

“Show me the rest of what?”

A slow, challenging smile parted her lips.
“Are you ready for your first look beyond the barrier?”

Elaina’s heart fluttered in her chest. She
was about to do something extremely naughty and her rebellious
streak loved every minute of it. Careful to keep the oversized
towel wrapped around her body, she crawled off the side of the bed
and held out her hand to Theos. His gaze narrowed, but he took her
hand.

She led him to the back wall of the bedroom
and pressed her palm against the scanner panel, which was cleverly
concealed by the intricate mural. “It’s against the law to bring
you in here.” She grinned. “You won’t tell anyone, will you?”

“Of course not.” He looked positively
affronted.

“I was being sarcastic.” She took his hand
and pulled him into the combooth. “We need to work on your sense of
humor.” She stepped up to the console and said, “Access code
A379R4, Elaina Xyell.” The wall monitor flickered to life and Theos
widened his stance, hands clenched and ready for a physical
confrontation.