The Centurion's Woman

Chapter 29

CW - more of that NSFW in this chapter.

ALEX WOKE UP ravenous, and surprisingly content. She'd been hollow and exhausted after the crying stopped – absolute ugly crying, as horrible as expected – and then Ixillius had pulled her into his arms and everything had been okay. She remembered the feeling of having had bad dreams, but nothing that stuck in her head. Ixillius was curled around her like some kind of full-body straitjacket, though, and her hands ached and were stiff when she worked them loose from his arm, so there must've been some fight-night stuff going on. He gripped tighter when she moved, almost squeezing the air out of her.

        "She is mine!" he snarled at some unknown nightmare in his own dreams.

        "Whoa, back down, big man," she gasped in English. She tapped the back of his hand lightly to wake him up before he re-broke her rib. Or broke a few different ones. Man he was strong.

        "I am here, husband," she stated, switching to Latin.

        "Alexandria," he murmured.

        His head dipped to nuzzle at her neck and shoulder, his hold relaxing so that he was encircling her rather than crushing her. His hands traveled over her skin, pushing away her growling stomach with the promise of something way more fun than awkward table conversation.

        "I am here," she repeated.

        She brought her hand up to touch his cheek, breathing deeply to catch her breath now that she could. Damn, he smelled really good. Ixillius spun her in his arms and suddenly she was pinned beneath him. A small squeak was all she could say before he gripped her again, crushing their bodies together and silencing any more words with a hard kiss that held immediate promise. His hips ground their crotches together, the guttural sounds he was making a clear indication of his frustration that things hadn't—

        Alex gasped with the violence of his penetration. The sex was almost feral, each thrust slamming into her. She tried to smooth his hair and he caught her wrists, locking her hands above her head as surely as any chains. Her belly coiled tight as she realized his need for sex – for her. She felt the crunch against her teeth and tasted blood, but didn't feel the pain. That must've been his lip, she thought.

        She'd never had sex like this, startling and crushing and holy wow. Her body reacted with an orgasm that threatened to throw him off. He pinned her down tighter, almost seeming angry with her for interrupting his rhythm. Her next orgasm came suddenly, followed immediately with him coming. His fevered need cooled as he came, then he was pushing back from her, releasing her hands and shaking his head as he finally awoke from the dream.

        "Alexandria?" he asked, uncertain in the moments between awake and asleep.

        He touched his top lip and winced, his face surprised as he rose to his hands and knees and inadvertently separated their groins.

        "Are you well?" she asked, trying to figure out just how amused she should be, and if she was okay to be grinning at his confusion or not.

        "I was in a dream, we were fighting together at Poldi's village again, and..." his voice trailed off as he sat back on his heels, scrubbing his hands over his face as he cursed quietly. "Did I hurt you?" he asked. He paused as he reached to touch her leg as if he wasn't sure if doing so was all right. She bent her knee up into his palm.

        "I am surprised," she said, unable to keep all the amusement out of her voice. "But there is no hurt."

        He stretched out beside her and she cuddled back into his arms.