Gladiator Heart (8 page)

He held himself suspended above her, his arms trembling, feeling like they’d give out at any moment. He collapsed back on the bed, out of breath. “What have you done to me, little Roman?”

He pulled Valeria to him and held her tightly. It was strange how right she felt in his arms. She nestled into the crook of his arm and rested her head on his chest.

“Are all men as enthusiastic as you?”

Tristan frowned. He’d always had a healthy appetite when it came to women, but nothing like this want, this desire, this need for Valeria. As soon as he finished taking her, his body started the slow build all over again, like it couldn’t stand to remain separated from her. He’d spent the entire night easing his lust between her legs and didn’t feel he’d ever be satisfied.

“Not all men,” he teased. “I’m different, remember?”

Valeria traced her finger in little circles over his chest. “It could be you’ve simply been without a woman for so long you had to get your fill before tossing me in with the other prisoners.”

Tristan cringed with guilt. Both he and Valeria knew their night together could go no further. There was no future for them, a Pict and a Roman. They found themselves in an unusual situation, and given they were attracted to each other, they were simply making the best of their time. That’s what he’d told her as he made love to her all night, and she’d agreed between her cries of pleasure.

“I think we should get up and eat something,” he said, “or I just might keep you in bed all day.”

He picked up her tunic from the ground and handed it off to her, then he pulled on his breeches and his boots. He should shackle her if he was going to leave his tent. She’d tried escaping once, and just because she’d spent the night in his bed, it didn’t mean she wouldn’t try again. Nothing had changed since last night. Tristan would still trade her like the rest of the prisoners if he couldn’t first ransom her to Rome.

Valeria was dressed now, lying back on the furs and watching him, her blue eyes lazy and calm. There was the hint of a smile on her lips.

Maybe one more time…

No!
He had things to take care of, things he had to do. He’d been in this tent with her for too long. He stood and grabbed her by the ankle so he could pull her to the edge of the bed.

“What are you doing?” She sat up in a rush, trying to kick her leg out of his hold.

“I can’t have you escaping again.” He locked the shackle around her ankle, and then finished dressing in his tunic and a warm fur.

“I wasn’t even thinking of it,” she insisted, tugging at her chains.

Tristan picked up his sword from the ground next to the bed and strapped it around his waist. “I don’t want to have to worry about you while I’m not here to watch you.”

“Please don’t do this to me, Tristan.” She turned sad eyes up to him.

He steeled his will and headed to the door. “I’ll bring you something to eat,” he said, then left the tent.

The morning was bright and clear and the camp was already a busy flurry of activity with men cooking over fires while others cleaned and readied their weapons. The scouting party he’d sent out had still not returned and he had to consider the fact they might have met up with the Romans and weren’t coming back.

As he moved through the camp looking for Angus, he could feel the restlessness coming from the men. Their battle was far from over and they didn’t want to be caught unawares.

“Beautiful morning, isn’t it?” Angus fell into step beside him, a wide grin on his face.

“I hadn’t noticed,” Tristan grumbled.

Valeria’s beauty rivaled any winter morning and he wanted nothing more than to return to his tent and pass the day with her. She was a distraction he didn’t need. The lives of these men were in his hands and he had a responsibility to do right by them. He couldn’t let Valeria get in the way of his duty.

“I thought I’d find you in a better mood after spending the night enjoying your prize,” Angus said. “Did she put up much of a fight?”

Tristan stopped walking to glare at his friend. “Any word from the scouts?”

“None.” Angus shook his head. “They should return soon.”

“If they don’t, we’ve got trouble.” Tristan considered what his next move should be. There was a good chance the Romans would be coming after them to retaliate for the attack on the wall. A very good chance.

“The men are content to wait and fight on their own ground.”

“No.” Tristan clenched his jaw. “We’ll wait one more day. If the scouts don’t return, we’ll break camp at first light.”

“What of the prisoners?” Angus rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, shifting his attention to their tent off in the distance.

“Ready them for travel. We’ll head to Gaul and trade them for supplies.”

“Then what?”

“We’ll go hunting for more Romans.”

Angus saluted him with his arm over his chest, and then went to spread word among the men of their plans. Tristan would have one more night to enjoy Valeria, and then he would send her off on the next leg of her journey in the north. The sooner he got rid of her, the sooner he could forget she ever existed.

How could he do this? Tristan still intended to keep her shackled. After the night they’d shared, Valeria expected better treatment from him, but he didn’t trust her. She couldn’t blame him really, since she hadn’t given up on her thoughts of escape, although it was only a distant nagging in her mind this morning.

She needed a better plan. Her last attempt had failed miserably and could not be repeated. Leaving Tristan wasn’t going to be so simple. He was stronger and smarter than her when it came to things like this, and if she did manage to escape, she’d never see him again. Would never feel his body heavy atop hers or hear his deep voice in her ear saying bold, wicked things to her.

A shiver of excitement warmed her as she lay curled up on her pile of furs on the ground. Never had she expected joining with a man would be so pleasurable, but then, she’d never met a man like Tristan. One look from him made her heart race, her stomach flutter and her head spin.

She rolled onto her side, propped her elbow up and rested her chin in her hand, trying to suppress her delighted smile. The delicious aching in her limbs fondly reminded her that Tristan had left no part of her untouched. He’d tasted her with his tongue, pleasured her with his fingers and impaled her with his manhood. Over and over.

Gods help her, she wished he’d come back to his tent and do it all again. Was she wrong to feel this way? Anyone else looking at her situation could say he’d raped her, that he’d forced her, but deep down she knew the truth. She’d wanted him. She let him take her, and the way he’d pleasured her made it all too confusing.

Valeria didn’t want to think about it. She didn’t want to think that he might trade her for supplies or weapons. Letting Tristan go wouldn’t be easy for her to do now, and she was afraid he’d cast her off without feeling a thing.

Did she really mean that little to him?

She spent what felt like the longest day of her life shackled to the bed in Tristan’s tent. He came back once with food and water and released her so she could eat and wash. He watched her intently the whole time with a dark, unreadable expression. She sensed he was feeling just as confused by what had happened as she was.

She left her tunic on while she bathed, no longer feeling comfortable being naked in front of him. Finding traces of blood on the insides of her thighs was mildly embarrassing, but she turned her back to Tristan and washed the last evidence of her virginity away. She could worry about the trouble that would bring her later.

They spoke little to each other, and as soon as she’d finished with the food, he shackled her and left his tent.

With nothing else to do, Valeria finally slept. This time in her dreams she saw her escape.

She left Tristan sleeping in his bed and found the tent where the prisoners were being held. The guard posted outside had fallen asleep and she was able to free the men, and among them she discovered Rufus.

She thanked the Gods for such a blessing, yet still they laughed at her. When she asked why they mocked her, no answer came. Angry, she demanded they speak to her. Hadn’t she been loyal to them? Wasn’t she deserving of their compassion?

The most beautiful woman, with flowing black hair and sapphire-blue eyes, came forward, her long white robes floating around her. She smiled warmly at Valeria, like a mother might smile at her petulant child. “You know not of your future, my child, but one day you will have real need of our help. One day you will send us a prayer true from your heart, and that is the one we will answer.”

Valeria awoke with a surprised gasp, covered in sweat, and stared unblinking at the ceiling of the tent. She’d always had vivid dreams from the time she was a small girl. Usually they meant nothing, and sometimes they left her distracted or confused for a short time, but this dream felt so real, the details so tangible that she believed the Gods had chosen to speak to her. Not that what they’d said made any sense. How could there be something more important to pray to them about than the preservation of her own life?

Going over the rest of her dream, the part where she’d found Rufus with the other prisoners might have been a sign. Maybe her protector wasn’t dead but only a short distance from her. Suddenly she felt a little homesick. She wanted one of those big, giant hugs Rufus was so good at giving. The ones that could chase away everything bad and make her feel safe.

Now she was ready to leave Tristan. She wanted to be with the other prisoners. Her own people. She wanted to find Rufus and go home and never come to the north again.

Tears welled in her eyes and she swiped at them with the back of her hand. Crying would get her nowhere. Rufus would tell her to stay strong and to always be ready. She tugged on the shackle secured to the pallet’s frame and pulled on the chain, but it was no use. The only way she was getting free was if Tristan let her go.

He chose that moment to sweep into the tent, surprising her. She gave him a guilty look as she sat back on her furs. There was no use trying to hide what she’d been doing when he came in.

“Do you tire of your chains?” His eyes burned with fury. “Here I thought you just might be starting to get comfortable.”

Valeria leapt to her feet. “I’ll never be comfortable chained like an animal!” She felt a sudden rush of courage and stood her ground. “I want to get out of here. I want you to put me with the other prisoners where I belong. I hate it here, and I hate you.” It was too late to take the words back, so she swallowed hard, lifted her chin, and boldly met his gaze.

A shadow of anger swept across his face as he stared back at her, not moving a single muscle. Then he threw off his fur and tore his tunic off over his head. He unfastened his sword and slammed it down on the table before pulling off his boots and tossing them into a corner.

He stalked up to her and gripped his arm firmly around her waist, pulling her up against him, raising her up on her toes and staring down at her. Her breath caught in her throat as she braced her hands against his bare chest and looked up into his stormy grey eyes. With his free hand he clasped the back of her head and held her in place so he could bring his mouth down over hers.

The delicate flutter in her stomach tickled, her heart raced wildly. This was the effect Tristan had on her. His kisses were so powerful and seductive. Her mind argued with her to resist, to turn away, but her body refused. Her feelings for him had nothing to do with reason and she threw her arms around his neck, balancing on the tips of her toes to return his fevered kisses. All her thoughts of being homesick dissolved as he held her in his arms.

He released her and crouched down to remove the shackle from her ankle. When he rose up, he turned her away from him and loosened her hair from her braid. “Do you really hate me so?”

Valeria leaned back against him as he ran his fingers through the length of her hair with gentle strokes.

“Yes.” She closed her eyes and let her body go loose, let the tension drain from her. “Are you only going to release me when you wish to take me to your bed?”

He wrapped his strong arms around her waist and hugged her back to his chest while he pressed light kisses along her neck. “I don’t have to worry about you escaping when you’re pinned beneath me, and I’m buried deep inside you.”

He pulled aside the neck of her tunic and trailed his lips over her shoulder. A delicious shiver went racing through her. She feared what might happen if she gave in to Tristan again, but she couldn’t resist the incredible pull he had on her. She spun around to face him, and this time she pressed her mouth to his, boldly kissing him with all the heat and passion he’d awakened in her.

Tristan claimed her mouth, taking over the hungry kiss, and when she parted her lips to open her mouth to him, he gently inserted his tongue to meet hers. A fury of desire consumed him as Valeria’s kiss turned desperate and enthusiastic, like she couldn’t get enough of him. He swallowed her breathless pants as she pressed the curves of her body suggestively against him, grinding her hips into his.

Her passionate touch stirred his strong desire and he buried his hands in her hair to tilt her head back so he could plunge his tongue deeper into her mouth and fully taste her. She moaned, showing her pleasure, encouraging him to explore further. Tristan moved his hands over her body, cupping and squeezing her full breasts through her tunic, wanting to put his mouth there. He slid his hands down her back and gripped her round backside, pulling her tight against him so she could feel the aching hardness in his breeches and know what she did to him.

He had little control over his lust with Valeria in his arms and he grabbed at her tunic and swiftly lifted it off over her head. The dim light from the lamp outlined the luscious curves of her body and glowed off her smooth skin. Unable to wait, he tumbled her back on the bed beneath him. He couldn’t remember a woman feeling better or more right under him than Valeria did. His impatience to have her had the fire in his loins raging out of control.