She’d dreamed of herself and Ferox, of what might have happened if she hadn’t retreated from their kiss yesterday. Her eyes fluttered shut, unable to resist the pull of her lustful thoughts.
She imagined allowing her hand to wander down his strong, broad chest until it found that stiff, tempting arousal. She would have let her fingers explore, stroking him until he lost any restraint he might have had.
Her breath caught, and she tugged up the fabric of the loose tunic she wore to bed. Her fingers slid between her legs, slipping in the dampness that had already gathered. The muscles of her stomach and legs tensed as she stroked herself, trying to imagine what Ferox’s big hands would feel like on her. Nothing like her own delicate touch, surely. Though in that moment at the end of their kiss when he’d fixed the shoulder of her dress, his touch had been surprisingly gentle, feather-light on her skin.
She pictured his hands becoming rough, urgent as he pushed their clothing out of the way. And then she’d hook her leg around his, opening herself to him. He’d sink into her, filling her deep, taking her breath away with the sweet ache of it.
In her bed, her thighs fell open, and she pressed one finger into herself, then another. Her other hand circled at the apex of her sex, driving her pleasure higher and higher.
Her back would press hard against the brick wall, shifting up and down as he took his pleasure. She’d cling to him, relying on his strength to keep her upright. She’d anchor one hand on his shoulder and slide the other down to where their bodies joined, finding her own pleasure just as she was doing now. It would be quick, rough; an alley was not the place for a lingering, tender coupling.
She bit her lip to stifle a moan. Need coiled tight inside her, and her fingers moved faster.
She imagined Ferox’s movements becoming rougher, uncontrolled, the way his breath would turn ragged as he got closer. His stoic exterior would finally crack, and he’d groan in her ear as he lost himself inside her.
Her climax burst over her, and her body bowed and shuddered against her thin mattress. She wrang as much pleasure as she could from the release. Then, breathing hard, she relaxed back onto the bed. Sweat dampened her forehead and limbs, and residual sparks of pleasure pulsed in her sex.
Velia opened her eyes, forcing herself back to reality. From outside her room, she could hear the noises of others waking, chatting with each other as they headed to the dining hall. With a reluctant sigh, she heaved herself into a sitting position. Much as she might wish to, she couldn’t spend all day in bed, lost to her fantasies. She had a job to do…and a very inconvenient attraction to ignore.
8
OnceVeliagatheredherself,she dressed and left her room. She headed to the dining area where breakfast—barley porridge with honey and dried fruit—was currently being served. A collection of gladiators dotted the space, some seated at the narrow tables, others eating while leaning against the wall. She gave them a quick scan, but Ferox was not among them.
Achilles, however, was—but he wasn’t eating. He was glaring at Lea, who sat perched atop a table, her feet resting on the bench beneath it. She dangled the tail of her long, dark braid before Nyx, the ludus’s unpleasant cat, who swatted at it from where he sprawled on the table beside her.
Achilles cradled a bloodied hand to his chest. “That cat is a fuckingmenace!” he hissed. “This is the second time he’s scratched me!”
Lea twirled the end of her braid in front of Nyx. “Most people only make that mistake once,” she said coolly.
When Velia first arrived at the ludus, she’d wondered why Nyx was named after the Greek word for night, as he wasn’t a black cat. Soon, she’d learned the name reflected the creature’s black as night personality. Lea was the only person the cat tolerated. Anyone else who got too close earned either a hiss or a swat.Velia had at first thought the cat simply preferred females, but she herself had never been able to get within an arm’s length of the beast without incurring his wrath.
Achilles’s fair skin reddened. “I’m going to break its fucking neck.”
Lea glanced up. “You lay a finger on that cat and you’ll soon find you have a few less fingers.”
Achilles took a step closer. “Is that a threat?”
A sardonic smile curved Lea’s lips. “Oh good, you do understand some things.” She hopped down from the table, coming to stand before him. She was of average height for a woman, which made her taller than Velia but shorter than most of the men. Even so, Velia didn’t miss the tiny backward step Achilles took at her proximity.
Lea crossed her arms. “Why don’t we settle this like gladiators?” She jerked her head toward the door to the training ground. “If I win, you never so much as look at that cat again. If you win, you can do as you like with him. Provided you can catch him, that is.”
Velia’s stomach tightened with anxiety. “Stop this!” She jogged over and hastily inserted herself between them, half-expecting to be incinerated where she stood based on the way they were glaring at each other.
Lea wouldn’t issue such a challenge unless she were fully certain of victory. Though Lea only fought in the arena against other women, Velia had seen her spar often enough against the men that she knew not to underestimate her. Besides, Lea had years of experience and training as a gladiator. Achilles had a week. Veliacouldn’t afford him being injured in a foolish brawl. It would destroy any hope of victory in his first official match.
She shoved a hand against Achilles’s chest, forcing him to take a step back. “Everyone knows not to interfere with Nyx. Now you know that too. Andyou—” Velia spun around, facing Lea. “Surely you have better things to do than pick fights with a novice.”
Behind her, Achilles spoke. “I wouldn’t have fought agirl, anyway.”
“You had no problem punching Velia the day you got here,” Lea retorted.
“She made me!”
Velia raised a hand. “No one is fighting anyone!”
Jason appeared at Lea’s shoulder, and Velia relaxed a bit. Jason had always been one of the more reasonable ones, able to calm arguments and broker peace.
“Let him alone,” Jason said quietly to Lea. “Velia is right. There’s no honor in besting a novice with barely a week of training.”
