Ancient Ties (7 page)

Augusta, apparently much more sanguine about the whole situation, responded with a shrug and an arch of her eyebrow,

“The Gods.”

“Hmm,” Janney’s lips compressed in a line. These gods seemed to be very important and powerful. Of course, she had read about them, but now she was getting a firsthand look at their significance in the lives of these people. At the villa, Augusta had shown Janney the altar to Vesta, the Goddess of Home and Hearth. She was finally beginning to understand that they weren’t just interesting, colorful stories. The gods were very real, almost alive, to these Romans.

“I wish I had something to offer the gods.”

Augusta handed her some coins from the purse strapped to her waist. “Here, Janney dear, I hope your prayers are answered.”

Meeting Augusta’s warm and motherly gaze, she took the offered coins. “I hardly know at this point what to pray for.”

As they finally reached the front of the line, she looked at the floating, spectral statues and thought she should pray that fate, or the gods, or her own God, knew how this adventure was all supposed to turn out. Because she sure didn’t have a clue.

Janney tossed the coins and heard their plop into the water.

The mad whirl in her brain halted for a few seconds and merged

into the image of a man. Marek—strong arms tight around her, he’d held her safe from the fear and panic. She’d laid her hand on his chest over his thumping heart. It had sped up as things got hot and heavy between them last night. He had been as affected as she’d been by their kisses. For those few moments, she hadn’t been alone. She was secure in his arms. Warm and safe.

Oh, God, I’m in trouble. He’s anything but safe.

“Come, dear.” Augusta led Janney away from the sacred spring and into the massive compound of the baths.

Dressed in Roman garb, Janney fit right in with the incredible throng of bathers, slaves, and entertainers. Servants bustled around with trays of wine, cheeses, and fruits. Men, and even some women, crouched in corners throwing something that looked like dice. Augusta noticing Janney’s interest explained that they were gambling with sheep anklebones. They passed into the women’s undressing room, where she and Augusta were divested of their long tunics and stolas. Now came the awkward part. They were to remain nude.

Automatically sucking in her tummy, Janney tried to keep her shoulders up and look comfortable at the same time. She’d never felt at ease naked, even in front of other women at the gym. Cold fingers of unease crawled through her stomach. Did men and women bathe together or separately?

Please, God, let it be separate
. She finally threw a pleading look in Augusta’s direction and asked the question.

“Men and women bathe together here. You needn’t be shy.

It’s the normal custom.” Janney’s discomfort was so obvious that Augusta assured her that she could wear a shift. Augusta indicated to a servant to give her a thin, white gown. “Many years ago, the Emperor Hadrian decreed that men and women are not to bathe in the nude, but many still do here on the fringes of the empire. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

Clutching the fine cloth around her, Janney followed Augusta deeper into the maze of hallways and bathing chambers.

“We’ll bathe in the tepidarium first for a while, then have our massages. This is out of the order we usually do things but…”

Janney interrupted Augusta. “I want to do it right, in the correct order. I want to experience it all.”

Augusta raised her eyebrows and smiled. “Are you sure?

Because normally we start with the frigidarium.”

“Uh, sure,” Janney laughed. “That’ll wake me up.” They made short work of the cold pool, both women shivering as they entered the comforting confines of the warmer tepidarium.

“When you’re ready, we’ll meet Gaius and Marek in the Great Bath,” Augusta announced. “Everyone bathes there. Don’t worry, my dear, you’ll feel relaxed enough by then.”

Janney’s stomach definitely dropped at that. “I’m not so sure.”

Marek.
She hadn’t thought of him in, oh, the past few minutes. She waved her hand in front of her face fanning herself.

She tried to focus on the architectural details instead of thoughts of a naked Marek. In the surrounding decorative frescoes, vivid paintings depicted men and women in athletic poses, and languid and relaxed poses. Almost every one of the figures was naked—

proudly, unselfconsciously, fully frontal nude.

Although Janney had been confused and slightly tipsy from the strong wine the night before, she could hardly forget Marek’s body, his firm chest and thighs. He’d wanted her last night; there’d been plenty of evidence of that. However, today, here in the baths, seeing each other naked, almost naked, would be far too intimate. They barely knew each other.

Ha!
Barely is right.
After this, they’d be much better acquainted.

Don’t think about Marek naked as the day he was born. Relax.

Sure! Easiest thing in the world.

Janney gulped. She couldn’t forget that she was in a different century, far away from home. About as far as a person could get.

The tepidarium had been wonderful, the water temperature just right, steam rising gently, opening her pores, relaxing her body, sheltering her in the womblike water.

Then the servant massaging fragrant oils into her tranquilized body, crooning an odd tune, further mesmerized her almost into unconsciousness. The woman’s strong fingers reached muscles that Janney hadn’t realized were so tight. At first, she bit back her pleasured moans, embarrassed at their salacious sound.

Oh boy, I really need this.

As she let herself succumb to the talented masseuse, titillating thoughts of Marek seeped into her mind. His broad hand on her bare back, hot and calloused, sliding around to her breast; balancing it in his palm. Then, for an instant, his fingers, with an agonizingly sweet pressure, tweaked her nipple. Any longer, any harder, and she would have died from the pleasure.

Janney squirmed and bit her lower lip to stifle the moan gathering in her lungs. The woman’s able fingers moved in a circling fashion on one thigh just below her bottom cheek.

Dwelling on Marek at this point would be too dangerous.

Suddenly, she wasn’t relaxed any longer. Her insides shook and every sensual pulse ached. His lips on hers, parting them, performing a massage of his own. Janney squeezed her eyes tightly shut, as a long sensual
mmm
escaped her lips.

She was grateful, and at the same time sorry, when the massage was over. The whole bathing experience was a sensuous heaven. No wonder the Romans loved it so much.

Arm in arm, Augusta and a shaky-kneed Janney entered the Great Bath. Janney was determined to keep her fluttering insides and lusty thoughts under control. Hardly anyone was clothed, but she felt more secure in the light gown. She told herself that there was no need to feel conspicuous.

Emulating Augusta’s dignified style, Janney, with the help of a servant’s guiding hand, lowered herself into the water until she was covered breast high. Taking a deep breath, she gazed around her. No one paid her any special attention. Good. Maybe

she would enjoy this after all. Augusta spoke to friends and introduced Janney as a friend visiting from the west of Britannia, the cover story they had decided on to explain away any questions.

Taking another deep relaxing breath, Janney smiled, her mind drifting away from the people.

Oh, Lord, I am in the ancient Great Bath surrounded by real
Roman columns and walls and paving stones. Not to mention, real live
Romans.

Tipping her head back, she grinned joyously and reveled in the moment. The space was dim, a huge difference from its Twenty-first Century look. In modern times, the Great Bath had been open to the sky. Now it was covered by a high dome, which let in no light. Between the steamy water and the smoky oil lamps, the space was dark and dreamy.

My God, people would give big money to have this experience.

It was a Disneyland for archeologists or history buffs. She sank into a dreamy peace, drowsy and relaxed. She let the water caress her, the waves from the flowing hot spring swirled gently against her skin.

Janney listened lazily to Augusta’s conversation with another woman. She hadn’t slept well the night before, and all this heat and pampering caught up to her. She kept a polite smile plastered on her face until Marek’s name was mentioned. That perked her up. The woman was interested in how Marek was recovering.

Recovering from what?

She could tell that Augusta was being polite but cagey and didn’t want to give out much information.

It occurred to Janney that she really didn’t know much about him either, other than he was a great kisser, of course. He was a soldier, she knew that much, and he was on leave. Janney tried to put the story together from the questions the woman asked. From the bits and pieces dropped, she and Marek had dated or had a relationship—whatever it would have been called in ancient times. It sounded as if the woman wanted him back.

Janney shivered in the warm water. She didn’t think she cared for the picture of Marek and this woman making love.

She had no right to be jealous, but still, she was. No, this was way too intense. Jealousy over a man she’d just met, a man not even from her own time? Why would she care? It wasn’t as if he cared for her. To him, she was probably just another female.

Ultimately, even Ed had found someone more exciting and attractive. Janney believed that all she meant to Marek was a challenge. The strongest physical reaction she’d ever had to a man, and he had to be a warrior. The pain of her father’s death in war when she was twelve had never left her. How could she have any kind of meaningful relationship with a soldier?

Who said anything about meaningful?

Shivering, she thought of Marek’s lips and hands. He was skilled in seduction. Go for the target—whatever it takes. Win at all costs. She tried to ignore the rush of pleasure at the thought, and the tensing of her body. She didn’t need to look down to see that her nipples had tightened achingly, the soft lapping of the water only exciting them more. Hoping to distract herself, Janney raised her gaze to the outskirts of the pool. She heard a deep, gravelly bark of laughter. Janney lazily turned her head. Two men entered, talking and laughing. One had his arm around the other’s shoulders. Her breath stopped. Her heart fluttered. They were naked. Through narrowed eyes, she beheld him.

Holy cow!

Marek. A naked Marek! Buck-naked.

Oh, Lord, he is beautiful!

Tall, proud, and confident, he stood while Gaius talked.

Easy, unselfconscious, he responded, and they both laughed again.

Jolted back to reality by the water, cold now, against her newly heated skin, she was covered with goose bumps. Taking a surreptitious glance around, she wasn’t entirely surprised to note that just about every woman under the age of death watched Marek. Joining those women, she swung her gaze back

to him. He strode toward the pool, the muscles in his thighs flexing gracefully. He seemed to be moving in slow motion. His chest—so broad and firm. She’d hardly been able to keep her hands off him last night. Now, she craved to run her fingers over the ridges and valleys of that chest and down over his abdomen.

His hands, relaxed at his sides, drew her eyes downward to his flat belly. She bit her lower lip. Hard. Ed kept himself trim, so she shouldn’t turn flaming hot from looking at Marek’s tight stomach, but it just led her eyes to the really interesting parts.

And, oh God, the man was interesting there.

Even at rest, his penis was huge. Janney’s lips quirked.

She’d been in his lap the night before, and he’d been erect, stiff against her hip. He looked almost as large now, and he wasn’t even hard.

God!

His penis looked funny. Well, not funny exactly. She didn’t think that on him anything could ever be considered funny. It just looked different—the head shrouded, hooded.

He doesn’t look like Ed. No way, no how. Ed would have given
anything to have a penis that size.

Janney stifled a wild giggle.
Stop that, you bad girl.

Uncircumcised. He’s uncircumcised. Of course, that’s it.

Distracted by her discovery, Janney finally feared that she might be the only person still gawking at him and flicked a glance in Augusta’s direction. Embarrassed to discover the woman watching her, Janney smiled briefly, sheepishly, and looked away.
Why don’t you just shout out your interest?

Marek and Gaius finally stepped down into the water. Her legs refused to move. She couldn’t turn away. No longer relaxed and sleepy, she felt cold and exposed, wanting to cover herself with her arms but afraid to make any movement whatsoever except to close her eyes.

Oh, please, God, don’t let him see me.

Lord, did that prayer fail. Opening her eyes again, she found him within three feet of her. Every muscle and nerve in

her body jolted, tightened, and flowed with yearning all in turn.

Still biting down on her lower lip, she breathed shakily in through her nose. Their eyes locked, his widened, then softened.

He smiled lazily, small white lines crinkling at the corners of his eyes.

Oh God, am I in trouble!

Marek had seen her when he first entered the Great Bath and thoroughly enjoyed her open staring. He was used to being naked around both men and women at the baths. Knowing that he was in fit condition, he was not at all selfconscious about Janney’s inspection. In fact, it excited him. The excitement had begun in earnest last night but just when he was gaining ground, she’d called a halt. As much as he’d wanted her, he wouldn’t have forced her. However, he wasn’t through with her by any means.