The Centurion's Woman

Chapter 22

        "Heri, hodie, cras," she held his gaze and started her hands working quickly to unfasten the armor he was still wearing. "Verus cras. Ixillius iam iam."

                                                                 ***

        Ixillius pulled his hands off of her and tore at the fastenings of his armor, tossing aside the heavy plates and leather. Verus tomorrow. Ixillius right now. She'd said it urgently. He bodily pushed her back across the room, kissing her deeply every possible moment when undressing didn't come between them. She pulled at his clothes, unfastening his toga and freeing him of his tunic.

        There was no blush on her this time as he finished stripping her body naked and laid her on the bed, dropping his knife back at the top of the mattress. The knotted bruise staining her torso slowed his advance, reminding him of the broken rib, and he fell to his knees at the edge of the bed so he could claim her body in the same manner that she'd enjoyed the day before. Her orgasm came quickly, as it had earlier in the day for his hand. And, as with earlier, his own heat cooled with the sudden knowledge of her need being greater than his own.

        He marveled at her, matching his body's rhythm to hers. Her body responded to his every touch, making her gasp or moan, softly calling his name as her orgasm came again. He wanted to see what he could make her do, if she would cry out for him again as she had yesterday. His name stood boldly on her neck, the plate flashing nearly golden from the nearest lamp's fire. Her body peaked for him again and he nearly lost his own control in her pleasure, faltering out of her rhythm.

        Her hands quickly untangled from the blanket below her and stretched up to him, her legs tightening around his hips.

        "Right now," she entreated, breathless. "Ixillius, right now!"

        His body reacted on its own, leaving her rhythm and stroking deeply on his own pace, holding her hips solidly in place as he reaped his own pleasure from her. She cried out wordlessly and in her own language as he pressed her body further, her hands twining into the blanket and her back arching up in spite of the broken rib. Her orgasm left her again crying his name, helpless but to collapse, gasping, as it finished. He spilled his seed deep inside her, her body shuddering under his hands with each final thrust.

        When he could, he separated their bodies and scooped her into his arms to lay her fully on the bed. She kissed him sensually, her satisfaction with the sex apparent as she massaged her own stomach and continued to gently writhe against him and sigh.

                                                                 ***

        Alex felt her internal fires cooling pleasantly as Ixillius slipped into the bed beside her, not breaking the kiss. He chuckled into her mouth as her hands left off stroking her own stomach and started exploring his. Wow, she could get used to this.

        The sleep that had eluded her the entire evening after she'd eaten hit her like a ton of bricks. He chuckled again at her sudden exhaustion and arranged her so she was nestled comfortably in his arms. A small thing that had been nagging at her while she was pacing stirred back up in her thoughts, holding sleep off. From whatever deep memories she had, the words close enough to be able to ask floated up in her mind.

        "Ixillius?"

        "Hmm?" he replied, gently rubbing her back.

        "Quintus dicere 'Domina Traversi'?" she asked him.

        She didn't know what it meant when Quintus had said it through the door. Something about the way he used it, she thought it was aimed at her, but 'Traversi' was Ixillius's last name. Ixillius chuckled and kissed the top of her head, the hand that had been rubbing her back sliding up to her neck and taking off the collar. He rolled it so she could see his name.