For a Roman's Heart (10 page)

She trembled from inside, a great shaking that had nothing do with trepidation and everything to do with acknowledging that something deep and different pulsed between her and this man. “Please…”

“Please stop touching you? Or please don’t stop?”

“This is improper.”

“It is.”

Before she could move, he shifted closer. He tilted her face toward him, drawing her mouth upwards, leaning down. She hovered on the verge of discovering her first kiss, and the passion stirring like a whirlwind inside her reached for him. Just this once she’d like to know a man’s lips on hers.

Not just any man.

Only this man.

A pounding on the door made them both jump, and he stepped back.

Chapter Five

“
Odi et amo: auare id faciam, fortasse requiris. Nescio,

sed fieri sentio et excrucior.
”

(I hate and I love: why I do so you may well ask. I do not know,

but I feel it happen and am in agony.)

Catullus

Latin Poet, c. 84–54 BC

Terentius stalked across the room, his gaze etched with clear anger at the interruption. Adrenia wasn’t sure if she felt sorry or elated. Terentius threw the door wide open, and Victor stood there, big body blocking the light.

Victor saluted, then he saw her. “I beg your pardon. I didn’t know you had company.”

Terentius sighed and let him in. “What do you want?”

“There is trouble near the square. A large riot. A cohort is ordered to put down the uprising.”

“Damn it.” Terentius growled his words. “Arrange outside. I’ll be right there.”

Victor left, and Terentius turned toward Adrenia. “I’m not leaving without this.”

Before she could blink, his hands speared into her short hair. He held her steady, and his mouth came down on hers. A quick, hard press of lips to lips. He drew back.

That is all?
She wanted to ask. It was too little…too…fast.

His gaze held that angry edge, but from what she wasn’t certain. A wild anxiety burst inside her. A vision of what could happen flickered in her mind’s eye, fast and horrible. A knife came up, digging into his side before he could block the blow.

“Please, please take care,” she rasped the words. “I had a vision. Watch for the big, hairy man with the beard and long black hair. Watch his knife.”

His frown deepened into utter confusion. “You have visions.”

Goddess, he would hate her. Never wish to see her again. Perhaps it was for the best. She swallowed hard to clear the lump in her throat. “Yes.”

He did something she didn’t expect. His powerful arm came around her waist, and this time he slid slowly into another kiss. This one touched one corner of her mouth lightly, then the center of her mouth, then the other corner. Great shivers of excitement assaulted her so massively she didn’t know how to respond. Her body didn’t care. It burned and tingled and demanded in places she didn’t even know she possessed until now. His body pressed along hers, every solid, amazing inch. Her fingers spread over his pectoral muscles and savored his battle-hardened sinew. She grasped his forearms, and his muscles rippled. When his hips undulated against hers, the hardness of his erection pressed into her stomach. A warm wetness ached between her legs. She yearned to press closer, to know a more intimate embrace. She gasped into his mouth, and with a groan he jerked back and stared at her. He
did
want her in the way a man wanted a woman.

Adrenia yearned to discover more wicked feelings in his arms. Yet she feared what it could do to her, what it meant. All the things she didn’t understand and yet knew in the most secret regions of her mind. She realized, with awe, that Terentius shook with a fine trembling. This soldier wasn’t steady, wasn’t as invulnerable as she might have imagined before this moment.

It terrified her. Tears rose to her eyes, but she shoved them back and took a gulping breath.

He leaned in to kiss her ear, then whispered, “There is more. Much more I want…much more that you want. But we’ll have to do with this for now. As for your visions, I don’t believe in them.” His arms released her, and the incredible passion on his face left and filled once more with a soldier’s bearing. “I must go. You should stay here until I return.”

“I
cannot.
Pella waits for me, and my parents will wonder where I’ve gone if I don’t return soon.”

“Very well. But you must leave town immediately and return home. If there is unrest, it could spread.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I wish I could take you home myself. I wish you could stay here. Tomorrow I will visit you to make sure all is well.”

He opened the door and summoned a soldier. When the man stepped into the room, the soldier didn’t spare her a glance.

“Crassus, take this woman outside to the front gate where her friend waits. Then you will escort them home. You
will not
fail to take them both home safely, do you hear me?”

The man saluted. “As you will it, sir.” The soldier left.

Though she knew he didn’t believe in visions, she said, “Terentius, beware of the man I mentioned. Remember what I said about his knife.”

He nodded. “Go now.”

She left with the other soldier, but before Terentius closed the door, she gave him one last, lingering look. Would it be the last time she ever saw him?

Damn her.

Adrenia intruded on Terentius’s thoughts as the cohort of soldiers, fifty strong, moved toward Durovigutum by foot and horseback. As centurion, Terentius led the grouping. Victor road alongside as they headed toward conflict.

All thoughts of Adrenia’s pale beauty must be shoved aside. Returning to the battle mood he’d trained for since sixteen, he shifted to warrior. They could hear a disturbance somewhere near the forum, but Terentius understood the soldiers must make a quiet approach. The auxiliary men also understood. In order for the cohort to win this clash, absolute cohesion was imperative. Terentius tried to keep his mind on the work ahead, but his blood pumped rather than calmed. He ran his visit with Adrenia through his head. When the soldier had reported that she wanted to see him, his heart had leapt with anticipation.

His resolve to forget Adrenia failed. Seeing her today had blown his control into small pieces. His jaw clenched. Goddess, what her parents had done to Adrenia. He wanted to charge to her defense, to whip her parents within an inch of their lives for cutting her beautiful black hair into spiky, unattractive clumps. Yet the spiked hair gave her a gamin appearance, a delicate and defenseless look that appealed to his masculinity. Seeing her, strange haircut or not, inflamed his desires. He wanted to tell her all of this, explain his feelings and thoughts.

That had never happened to him with a woman before. Not one.

Knowing her parents treated her so abominably and that she’d suffered an illness without a
medicus
present also stung him. Moreover, he realized he’d been too gruff with her when she’d shown up at his door.

He wanted her, no doubt about it. His lust raged almost out of control. He’d practically lost it when he’d kissed her, almost tried to seduce her. The way she’d trembled in his arms, he could have accomplished that goal. Taste, caress, conquer. If it had been any other place or time, he might have taken her.

Now was not the time to think about Adrenia. He must concentrate on the task at hand.

He led his men forward with resolute intention. They’d put down rebellion without a problem. The square, with its small forum, mimicked a smaller-scale Rome. In the middle of the square a gaggle of men numbering around one hundred had taken over. Looters fled from the shops, running in every direction as shopkeepers chased them or yelled from doorways.

Terentius knew the auxiliary forces with him could turn either way. The centurion from this cohort resented Terentius’s command even though Terentius told him he’d give him full reign over his own men. In his many experiences with auxiliaries, he’d discovered they weren’t as different from legionnaires as many thought. Terentius determined this outing would result in success. Just before the skirmish started, Terentius looked toward a set of buildings and saw a man standing inside an alleyway. From this distance he couldn’t say for certain, but it looked like Sulla.

Terentius’s insides clenched. His horse trembled under him and moved its feet, as if it could feel his tension.

Victor came up beside Terentius. “What is it?”

“See that man—” Terentius cut himself off. “Damn it.”

“What is it?” Victor asked.

“I thought I saw Sulla.”

“We’ll be seeing the bastard around every corner, no doubt.”

“Huh.” Terentius grunted his derision. “Even if that was him, we can’t go after him now.”

After a short pause, Victor asked, “What are these peasants upset about anyway?”

“Everything,” Terentius said. “And nothing. There are rumors off and on that the shopkeepers are being urged to overcharge by the governor and those extra monies are passed on to the governor.

Victor snorted. “How likely is that?”

“Somewhat likely. But it doesn’t change a whit what we’re here to do.”

Victor nodded. “Not a whit.”

Though Terentius wanted to check and see if the man he’d spot in alley could be Sulla, Terentius couldn’t afford to break ranks. He shoved back the resentment and returned his mind to present business.

The auxiliary centurion lined up at the left side. Over the heads of the auxiliaries, who walked rather than rode horses, Terentius looked at the auxiliary centurion and nodded. The man returned the nod, and Terentius used his whistle to alert the men. The auxiliary centurion called out orders, and they marched forward into the mess. Precision march, shields in position,
lancea
held at the ready, the soldiers approached. Victor kept his spot behind Terentius, ready to take command should Terentius fall. The rioting gaggle saw the soldiers forming and broke apart. Oriton sent his men into a charge.

Terentius’s group broke to the right as they ran down twenty men that took a stand. As a unified whole, Terentius and his group charged into the much smaller gathering. As he surged into the crowd, confidence flooded him in battle lust. His heart pounded, body poised for action, breath accelerating as muscles bunched and coiled. The fray was on as soldiers attacked the hapless rioters and looters. Terentius growled, his call a warrior’s demand for subservience. He would be obeyed. He’d win, or those opposed would die. Weapons clashed, shields held back ineffectual blows from men who didn’t stand a chance against trained soldiers. Swords clanged, voices shouted. Somewhere a woman wailed in abject misery. Straining, Terentius pushed back two men with one wide sweep of his sword. Another man rushed to attack from the right side. Terentius defended with his shield and sword. One thrust cleaved the man’s throat. Another movement drove back a second attacker, and the man fled. Though not outnumbered, most of the opponents started to scatter as they realized the cohort had full advantage.

Blood splattered across Terentius’s shield as he slashed downward at a huge man determined to break through the line. Terentius’s horse flinched and bucked as a blade gashed across its front. Terentius kept his seat as the horse shied.

Time seemed to slow. Terentius took note of the man who’d attacked, his shaggy dark hair, his beard, his wicked long knife. Adrenia’s warning echoed through Terentius.

Terentius leapt from his horse, shield and weapon in hand, and came at his attacker. As the man’s knife arched upward and tried to slice past Terentius’s shield, Terentius blocked. Metal collided with an ear-splitting toll. With a roar echoing from his throat, Terentius attacked. His sword sank through the man’s unprotected chest, slicing between flesh, ribs and sinew. The man dropped dead.

Terentius backed away, his concentration full on taking down anyone who opposed him. Already the rogues retreated, and it took little time for the soldiers to subdue the ragtag troop of adversaries. Terentius and the auxiliary centurion withdrew most of the men as order was restored. Several others were assigned to patrols to police the area for the rest of the day. Terentius checked his horse and discovered the wound didn’t prove as severe as he’d feared. Victor wiped blood off his face and arms.

Terentius gazed at Victor with a sardonic smile. “Tell me that isn’t your blood? Do you need medical attention?”

Victor’s pleased grin widened. “None of it is mine. You should see the other man.”

“I did see the other man. Good job.” Terentius mounted his horse. “Come on. We need to check out the area and see if there’s any sign of Sulla.”

Terentius let Oriton know what he planned, and Victor and Terentius set off for the alleyways.

“You’re sure that it was him?” Victor asked, urging his horse to wind through the bodies of troublemakers lying in the road.

Terentius hefted his shield higher. “No. But I want to make sure.”

They spent several hours wandering through town and around the outskirts but didn’t find a trace of Sulla. As they returned to Ermine Street, Terentius felt an irrational urge to head to the Villa Cordus.