“No.” Her grin widened. “I think you like it.”
The straining erection just in front of her was probably a significant hint how much he liked it. “I do like it,” he admitted. Especially now that he knew she liked to cede control in bed, he loved knowing she could flatten him any time she wanted, but instead might choose to kneel for him.
“But I suppose I could start going to the gymnasium,” he added.
“No,” she murmured. “I like you just as you are.”
The flare of warmth that rose within him at her words was possibly the only thing powerful enough to distract him from his painful arousal. The distraction lasted only a moment, however, as she leaned forward to wrap her hand around his cock.
He shuddered at her touch.
“Is this how you want me?” she whispered. “Lie back and let me do all the work?”
An extremely tempting prospect, but he’d save that for later exploration. “No,” he managed as her fingers played over him in a dizzying rhythm. “I want to taste you.”
Eagerness sparked in her gaze, and she climbed off him. They switched positions, Lea coming to lie on the bed with Kallias above her. He grasped her thighs, bringing them apart. Her center was swollen and pink, moisture shining at her entrance. He drew in a slow inhale, savoring her fragrance.
He released his grip on one thigh to trail his fingers over her. She twitched beneath him.
“You’re soaked, Lea. Why is that?”
She turned her face to the side, as she had earlier when she was embarrassed. “I-I don’t know.”
He chuckled. “I thought you were smarter than that, gladiator,” he said, repeating the jibe she’d thrown at him earlier.
“You said yourself I was very brave and very stupid,” she shot back.
He stroked her, his thumb finding the spot at the apex of her sex where he knew she must long to be touched. Her muscles tensed as he circled it, and her mouth fell open in a soundless gasp.
“Is it from kneeling for me?”
She nodded, eyes still closed.
He teased a finger at her entrance. “What about when I pulled your hair? Is it from that, too?”
“Yes,” she breathed, and the syllable turned into a moan as he eased his finger into her. Her slick warmth surrounded him, and he had to suppress a groan of his own.
Kallias couldn’t wait any longer. He lowered his head to swipe his tongue over her. Her taste exploded in his mouth, a sweet tang more heady than unmixed wine.
She jerked, her thighs closing around his head. He lapped at her entrance, then moved up to take her pearl into his mouth. She moaned, the sound high and desperate. Her strong hand gripped his hair, and though he wasn’t the one who liked pain, her urgency thrilled him.
His restraint splintered. His hand slid down, eager fingers closing over his erection. He hissed against her at that first quick stroke, but forced himself to maintain focus on her.
Her hips bucked, and he could feel the muscles of her thighs growing taut. If he were in a different mood, this might be when he’d pull back, slow down, work to draw out her pleasure for as long as possible, render her desperate and begging. But he didn’t have the discipline for that today. All he wanted was to see her come, as fast and hard as possible.
He worked her with his mouth, his hand keeping up a slow rhythm on his cock. She writhed beneath him, and he clasped his free hand over her hip to hold her in place. He felt the moment her climax overtook her: she shuddered, and a gasping cry burst from her mouth. Finally, he allowed his hand to tighten, his pace to increase, and in a matter of moments, he followed her over the edge.
17
Leastretchedoutonher bed, every muscle sated and relaxed. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so content. Even the ever-present throbbing in her arm had faded, as if the intense pleasure had chased it away.
Earlier, her mind had felt like Nyx at his most irritable, spiky and hissing and agitated. Now, her consciousness seemed more akin to a languid, purring pile of fluff.
Kallias was already out of bed, packing his things to leave. He’d sheepishly apologized for ruining her bed linens, spent a few pleasant moments wrapping her in his arms and nuzzling her neck, but then he’d risen, needing to get back to the palace before his absence was noted. She wanted to ask him if he’d ever considered looking for different employment, perhaps with an employer who didn’t fly into a rage when one woman beat him in a fight, but it didn’t seem like the right time to question him like that.
Kallias lifted his satchel, then paused. “Oh—I forgot. I have something for you.” He withdrew an object wrapped in fabric and tossed it over to her. It landed lightly on the bed next to her.
She frowned at him. “Anothergift?”
