by K. Bromberg
“To further line your pockets for treatments?” I interrupted with a snort. “No, I don’t think so.”
“I fear you would be forced to make another long journey, forced to return here when your wound becomes inflamed,” Cassianus said with conviction. “By the gods, you must stay with us another week at the very least.”
“No.”
“A few days, then,” he insisted. “Allow my skilled doctor to continue to treat you. You are far too important to the Emperor to allow you to leave without proper care at your disposal. Sergius says you need many medicines still, and they must be properly administered to ensure their affect.”
I sighed outwardly. Inside, I felt nothing but the smug sensation of having him fall into such words so easily. I couldn’t have scripted his role with any greater accuracy than he offered me on his own. It was exactly as I had planned.
“I’ll take that nursemaid slave,” I said with a dismissive flick of my hand, as if the thought had just occurred to me, “the one who has hung about here like one of Juno’s tits just waiting for me to come up with the desire to suckle. She’s done more for my care than your doctor. I’ll take her with me.”
“Aia?” Cassianus asked. “She belongs to me.”
“Yes, a Roman citizen sold into slavery to cover the debts of her father,” I sneered. “You apparently support the breaking of our laws. Perhaps I should make that known to your friends in the Senate.”
He blanched as his eyes widened. As soon as I saw his reaction, I knew he had already been aware of her circumstances. I felt my muscles tighten and considered destroying the man in front of me. Had I been uninjured, I would have done so.
“What is her worth?” I said as I turned to stare him in the eye. There would be no backing down from this, and I wanted to be sure he knew I was quite serious in my intentions. I intended to make Aia mine, and it would be so. He would either agree without argument, or he would discover just how much wrath I could bring upon him and his household.
She will be mine.
“She’s a hard-working slave,” he said as he rubbed at his chin. “She’s learned much during her time-”
“So train another,” I interrupted. Again, I waved my hand at him. “I’ll buy this one from you for five coins—easily three times her price.”
“It is not in my plan to sell her,” he said. He set his jaw as he stared into my eyes.
Forcing myself to my full height, I stepped closer to the man and looked down upon him.
“I suggest a change of plans is in your interest,” I informed him. “You undoubtedly know my reputation for getting what I want. I suggest you consider your next words very carefully, or you’ll discover just how determined a man you face.”
He darted his tongue across his dry lips, considered for a moment, and then nodded.
“Five denarii,” he capitulated, and I smiled as I handed him his coin.
She is mine.
Sergius and Aia returned from the far room, and the doctor walked to his employer’s side. Before he could speak, Cassianus turned to him.
“Faustus shall be leaving us,” Cassianus stated to the medicus. He glanced sideways at me before looking to the slave. “Aia, prepare yourself. You will be leaving with the Tribunus.”
“Dominus?” she questioned as she looked to him.
“No more,” he said with a shake of his head. “You belong to Faustus now and will address him accordingly.”
She looked quickly from Cassianus to me and nodded her head.
“Of course,” she replied. A hint of a smile graced her lips as she bowed slightly in my direction. “Dominus.”
Within the hour, we were on the same rickety cart and headed north.
“Your plans to return to battle concern me,” Antonius stated as the driver of the cart shook the reins and the horses leapt forward. “Both the medicus and Cassianus expressed worry over your condition. They say you are not yet fit.”
“My worth as Tribunus cannot be measured from a hospital bed,” I said. “I must be with the men.”
“And how shall your worth be measured if you go into battle already hindered?”
Antonius and I exchanged glances, and I took a long breath.
“I return to my tent only,” I reassured him. “I can lead for now without fighting.”
Antonius looked to the slave woman wrapped in a blanket as the cart pulled us north. Her eyes did not leave the ground, but I was sure he saw her slight smile. He looked back to me with raised brow.
“As you desire, Faustus,” he said.
“I do desire,” I replied softly. I reached over and placed my hand on Aia’s thigh, gripping it gently as she looked into my eyes and held me there.
*****
I pushed aside the entrance to the tent and made my way inside with Antonius right behind me. My side ached slightly though months had passed since I was first injured. I no longer walked with a limp, which was more important to me than any pain I still felt. Showing weakness to the men under my command would not serve me well.
A large table near the tent’s entrance displayed an exemplar of the battlefield beyond the camp. I reached for a handful of carved wooden horses and soldiers decorated with the colors of the Gaul’s flag and removed them from the map. Only a few still remained on the display, and they would fall soon.
“How many hauled back to camp?” I asked.
“Some three hundred,” Antonius said. “Many are decidedly unruly. They will not be easily contained for long.”
I considered for half a moment.
“Kill the prisoners,” I said, and Antonius nodded his agreement. “I have neither the time nor the desire to break them. What of those not captured?”
“The few remaining are in hasty retreat,” Antonius informed me.
Movement toward the back of my tent caught my eye as Aia rose from the place where she sat slicing fresh bread for our dinner. I watched her closely, her presence ever calming me as she began to light candles to combat the fading daylight.
“Aia—bring wine,” I ordered.
“Yes, Dominus.” Aia quickly retrieved a jug of wine and two cups from the far side of the tent and brought them to me. She laid them on the table and poured carefully, never spilling a drop. I watched her as she completed her task and retreated into the shadows, my eyes drawn to her belly for a moment before I looked back to the wine in front of me and brought the cup to my lips.
“Your slave appears…well rounded,” Antonius remarked with a low chuckle.
His words drew my eyes back to her form, and I surveyed her voluptuous ass and breasts before my eyes moved back to the slight swell of her stomach. Though still subtle, her condition would soon be well known to all who cared to observe.
“She does,” I agreed with a smile. Though it was not my intent, news of my child growing inside of Aia had been most welcome. She had been frightened to tell me at first, fearing my displeasure and possible command to rid herself of the bastard, but I would not give voice to such an order. I desired a child from her belly, and once she knew my position, she seemed quite pleased.
“An interesting conundrum,” he said.
“How so?”
Antonius looked at me.
“A child of a slave is still a slave,” he said, “unless you intend to give validity to their position?”
His tone was a question, but he knew as well as I that I could never do so. It was not a new thought to me but one I had been considering for some time now.
“Her station will not change,” I said quietly. “If the child is a son…”
I paused and sighed. I had no answer for my prefect, for my eyes could not see what the future held. I would be more inclined to acknowledge a son to continue my family line, but there were those in the Senate that would be displeased.
“I cannot predict where the gods will take us,” I finally said. “I shall endure what comes when the time is right. Dwelling will not change outcome.”
Antoniu
s nodded, completed his report of the battle, and started to take his leave.
“Antonius, pause a moment,” I said.
“Tribunus?”
“I beg a favor,” I stated as I looked at him pointedly.
He returned my gaze and nodded his head.
“Your will, Faustus.”
I glanced at Aia and swallowed a lump in my throat.
“Despite healed wound, I was nearly cut again,” I told him.
“I observed,” he said with a nod. “I was close at your side; I would not have allowed you to fall.”
I inclined my head in silent gratitude.
“Still, there is always risk, is there not?”
“There is.”
I looked back to Aia where she busied herself with the fresh bread, oblivious to my words. The smell made my mouth water.
“I have concern for my slave,” I admitted as I looked back to him, “and the child she carries if I were to fall. I want your word that you would ensure her safety and care.”
“Clarify your meaning,” Antonius said.
“I cannot will either her or the child my legacy,” I said. “If I die in battle, they will have no protection or funds to provide for them. She would become my father’s property.”
“You speak truth,” Antonius agreed.
“I would have you take her,” I said as I grasped his forearm, “and the child.”
Widening his eyes, he straightened his back and raised his eyebrows at me.
“You are my oldest friend,” I said. “I would trust no one else with their care.”
Antonius blinked a few times before resolve settled in his eyes.
“I will,” he said simply. “You are my commander and friend. I would treat them as my own family as long as they live.”
I gripped his arm slightly before releasing him.
“You have my gratitude,” I said. I nodded towards the large trunk near my sleeping area. “I have placed inside my trunk the necessary documents for the sale of her and her offspring to you, along with enough coin to provide for them. If I fall, retrieve this immediately—before my father learns of my death. Move Aia to your tent and speak nothing of her unless pressed. It would be better for others to assume she had been in your hands for some time.”
“Of course,” he said. We clasped arms once more before Antonius retired to his own tent.
As soon as the flap of the tent shielded us from those outside, Aia was quickly by my side and began to remove my armor. She laid it expertly aside before retrieving a bowl of water, warmed by the fire. I watched her in silence as she took a soft cloth, wet it, and began to wash me. She appraised my body with her eyes as she went about her work, and the deep devotion I saw in them brought a smile to my lips.
It had been like this since the day we arrived at camp. Aia adjusted quickly to her surroundings and took joy in caring for me as if she were my legal wife. The others did not notice her as anything more than a common slave in my eyes, which served us both well.
With the washing complete, she silently tore pieces of bread from the loaf and slipped them past my lips. It was a silent undertaking and one I found most enticing. Once fed, I retreated to the bed and pulled back the coverings.
“Come lie beside me,” I commanded. “I’ve been cold and desire your warmth.”
Aia obliged, dropped her dress to the floor, and then curled herself against my body as I wrapped my arms around her. I trailed my fingers over the flesh of her stomach and breasts as she reached up to touch the side of my face.
“I feared when you did not return last night,” she said.
Watching her eyes, I saw her deep concern for my well-being inside of them. The conversation with Antonius played through my mind. I hadn’t considered how much she may have indulged in similar thought and wondered if it was something that worried her greatly.
“Have no concern,” I said to her as I stroked her cheek. “I will not fall.”
She nodded, for she would not disagree with me. I toyed with thoughts of explaining to her what I had arranged, but I could not risk it. If she were to tell anyone else, even the child after it was born, it could jeopardize the legality of their sale, and I would not risk such a thing. My father knew nothing of my slave lover, and I would keep it that way.
Moving to distract her from brooding thought, I brought my lips to her neck and kissed her softly. She responded with tilted head to grant ease of access and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. I moved my mouth up her throat until I reached her ear.
“I desire the embrace of your thighs,” I said.
“Anything, Dominus.”
“Not here,” I whispered in her ear. She was always so careful when she addressed me, I wondered if she sometimes forgot my feelings for her.
“Faustus,” Aia corrected herself.
“No, not that name either.” My lips moved back down her throat and I nipped at her skin. “In this bed, I am always Lucius to you.”
“Lucius,” she echoed. She ran her hands up my sides and over my arms to my shoulders. She tightened her fingers against my skin as I continued moving down her throat with my mouth.
With practiced touch, I found the warmth between her legs with my fingers, and brought forth her moisture as her hips rocked against me. As soon as her breath turned to panting against my chest, I guided my cock to her entrance and delved into her body.
I moved slowly, not just to save my strength or for the sake of my exhausted body, but also to give her the full pleasure of my deep penetrations. Only she saw this other side of me—the gentler man who desired nothing more than her company and her warm sex—and only when we were alone inside the tent.
Moving my hips, I thrust deep inside of her, enjoying her muffled cries of pleasure against my shoulder. I continued back and forth until Aia arched her back. She pressed her head to the sheets as she gripped my forearms and cried out into the cool night air. I followed soon after, muffling a moan against the skin of her neck.
For many minutes, I held her tight against me. I listened to her breathing as it slowed and felt her light touch over my arms. She soothed me, and the memories of battle violence faded from my head as her touch consumed all thoughts.
“I want you to be mine,” I whispered in her ear as I trailed kisses up and down her throat. My hand graced over the swell of her stomach, and Aia laid her hand over the top of mine.
“I already belong to you,” she reminded me.
“Owning your body is not enough for me,” I replied. I moved my hand to the place right above her left breast. “I want your heart, for that is where your true worth lies.”
She looked at me, and her eyes shone with tears.
“It is yours, Lucius,” she said. Her voice broke slightly. “Since the day you first touched me, it has been yours.”
In my own heart, I knew I could never make it more than this—more than her in my bed as my slave and concubine—but I would do everything within my power to make her feel like more. With every touch, I would show her what she meant to me.
Her worth was mine.
~the end~
OTHER TITLES
BY
SHAY SAVAGE
THE EVAN ARDEN TRILOGY
OTHERWISE ALONE - EVAN ARDEN #1
OTHERWISE OCCUPIED - EVAN ARDEN #2
OTHERWISE UNHARMED - EVAN ARDEN #3
SURVIVING RAINE SERIES
SURVIVING RAINE - #1
BASTIAN’S STORM (COMING SUMMER, 2014) - #2
TRANSCENDENCE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Always looking for a storyline and characters who fall outside the norm, Shay Savage’s tales have a habit of evoking some extreme emotions from fans. She prides herself on plots that are unpredictable and loves to hear it when a story doesn’t take the path assumed by her readers. With a strong interest in psychology, Shay loves to delve into the dark recesses of her character’s brains–and there is definitely some darkness to be found! Though the journey is often bu
mpy, if you can hang on long enough you won’t regret the ride. You may not always like the characters or the things they do, but you'll certainly understand them.
Shay Savage lives in Ohio with her husband and two children. She’s an avid soccer fan, loves vacationing near the ocean, enjoys science fiction in all forms, and absolutely adores all of the encouragement she has received from those who have enjoyed her work.
Meatball Taster Publishing, LLC
These Men
Andrea Smith
4/1/2014
These Men
By Andrea Smith
ISBN-13: 978-0-578-11268-8 (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 978-0-578-12259-5 (E-Book)
Meatball Taster Publishing, LLC
Text copyright © 2014 by Andrea Smith. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under The U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior express, written consent of the author.
acknowledgements
Thank you to my Facebook Street Team - each and every one of you for your continued support and reminders that yes, I could write this story, because time and time again, I had my doubts!
To Ashlee Porte, who I can always count on to tell me like it is - love you!
To my comrades in The Erotica Consortium: C.D. Reiss, Shay Savage, K. Bromberg, JA Huss, KI Lynn, Ella James, and Alessandra Torre - you ladies are awesome and I totally love what you write! It was an honor and a pleasure to have my novella introduced as part of "Bend."
And a special shout-out to Author Kennedy Kelly, Janett Gomez, Nicole Duke and Kandace Milostan for beta feed-back! You ladies rock!
Cover Design: Louisa Maggio @ L.M. Creations
Editing: Janell Parque
Formatting: Tami Norman
playlist for "These Men"
"Sexual Thing" - Poison
"My Prerogative" - Bobby Brown
"I Want Your Sex" - George Michaels
"Money for Nothing" - Dire Straits