GladiatorsAtonement (4 page)

“Come.” She held out her hand and they ambled up the
stairwell together. They entered the chamber and Eratos spied his earlier
message, still scrawled upon the wall. “What do you propose to do this time?”

He smiled and pulled out a scroll. “I had this written
especially for him. Secrets I overheard in my time as a slave. It warns him
this is a copy.”

Helena arched any eyebrow. “I take it these are secrets he
does not want to be let out on the world.”

“Aye,” Eratos said gruffly. He placed the scroll on
Thelonius’ ample pallet. Right in the middle of the pristine sheets where he
could see it, and know that someone was in his home.

“Perhaps he will just blame me,” Helena said.

Eratos shook his head. “Unless you know the ancient language
of my people.”

“I do not.” She touched the scroll. “Are you saying
Thelonius does?”

Eratos nodded. “When he first purchased me, he spoke the
words of my people. He made it quite clear…” He trailed off as the words came
back to haunt him. The things Thelonius said he was going to do to him. His
stomach knotted painfully and a bead of sweat broke out across his brow as the
horrifying images crossed his mind.

“Eratos,” Helena whispered gently in his ear, “come, he
cannot harm you any longer.”

“What?” Still dazed, he looked down at her. Her kind and
gentle touch reassured him he was safe. Thelonius could no longer harm him.

“Come with me.” She took his hand and led him out of the
bedchamber.

“Where are we going?”

“To a place that always helps me clear my mind.” Helena led
him from the villa and through the garden. She parted some branches of the
olive grove that led to a little iron gate. Pulling a key from the pocket of
her stola, she unlocked it and led Eratos inside.

It was a small garden, but overhead were grapevines that
were laden with fruit and had interwoven together to form a roof. Pockets of
sunlight filtered through, and in the center was a small fountain. The patina
on the statue was moss colored and the water no longer flowed. The place had
been forgotten, hidden for some time.

“How does Thelonius not know about this place?”

Helena shrugged her shoulders. “He does not like the garden.
I stumbled across this place when he was away. After you left, I found it. It
was refuge. The olive trees run around the perimeter of the wall of my garden,
one can move invisibly through them and hide here.” She handed him the key. “I
know it is not comfortable, but it gives you a place to stay.”

Eratos took her hand. “It is beautiful,
anam cara
. It
is comfortable, and I have stayed in places not as pleasant as this.”

“I’m sure. I heard the great fire destroyed most of Rome,
how you escaped that is beyond me.”

“I hid in the catacombs with my half-brother and his Roman
wife. She was an intuitive little thing, loyal to Taranis.”

Helena paled. “The catacombs? Well, I will bring you straw
bedding, I will not have you sleeping on the stone ground.”

“Aye, so this is much more pleasant.” He took a step forward,
placing his hands on her hips, pulling her tight against him. “Will you come
and visit me here?”

“Yes, of course.” She ran her hands over his chest. “I used
to fantasize about you. I used to dream we were together here.”

He let out a feral growl as he ran his hands up to cup her
breasts. “We can be.”

She laughed. “As soon as I get the bedding here, then I
intend on living out those fantasies.”

Eratos scooped her up in his arms. “I want you again,
anam
cara
.” He captured her lips with his. “I need you.”

“Yes,” she whispered breathlessly.

They left the secret garden, keeping to the shadows so no
one would see them. He quickly made his way back to her bedchamber and Helena
breathed an inward sigh of relief that they were not caught. His lips captured
hers once more as he hungrily devoured her.

Eratos carried her to her bedchamber. He was about to drop
her back on her pallet, but she broke free of the kiss.

“Not here, my warrior. I have somewhere else in mind.”

Intrigued, he set her down. Helena took his hand and led him
to the back of the house. He could hear water trickling. Helena opened a door
and it was a large open-air Roman bath. His body trembled in anticipation. He
could do with a bath. His skin was prickly from the heat of the day.

They quickly stripped out of their clothes. Helena stepped
forward. “What do you think?”

“I think,
anam cara
, this will do just fine.” He
kissed her tenderly.

Helena ran her hands over his skin, touching each mark, each
nick from every lash he received from Thelonius. Reaching up, he grabbed her
wrist, stopping her from her tender exploration. Their eyes locked. The only
sound was the gurgle of the fountain in the center of the pool.

“You are so different from others,” he mused out loud as he
brushed away an errant strand of hair from her face.

“I know.” She opened her mouth, as if to tell him more, but
she did not.

“Do not be afraid to tell me anything.”

“I trust you with my life, Eratos.”

Having her body so close to his just fired his blood, made
him want her even more. Her nipples hardened as he cupped her breasts.

“No more talk.” He began to lay kisses against her neck, her
pulse began to quicken under his lips. “I need to be buried inside you.”

“Aye,” she whispered, her arms wrapping around him once
more.

“How much do you want it,
anam cara
?”

She let out a low moan, her hips rolling as she tried to
slide closer to him. Eratos chuckled as he began to nibble her neck, reveling
in the fiery passion that he was unleashing from her. His little Roman was so
responsive.

“Do you want me?” he asked again, his voicing hitching
slightly.

“I do, Eratos. You know that I do.” When she spoke his name
it sent a shiver of delight down his spine. Never had his name sounded so sweet
on a Roman’s tongue before.

He wanted to take his time, but she was irresistible. Her
breasts high and firm, begging to be kissed and sucked. His eyes drifted down
to the curls at the juncture of her thighs. Gods, how he wanted to taste her
there again, bury his face in her. She did not cover her body in shame—instead
she pressed her naked body up against him, returning his kisses fervently. He
ran his hands down her back to cup her backside in his hands, kneading the
cheeks as their tongues intertwined. She intoxicated him so.

Eratos led her to the pool. They went down the steps and
sank into the tepid water. He pulled her close. Helena wrapped her legs around
his waist, pulling him tight against her. A shiver of excitement rippled
through him as her delicate fingers touched him, swirling around his nipples,
over his chest and down his rock-hard abs.

He groaned as her hands came dangerously close to his cock.
“
Anam cara
, do you know how much I want you?”

“How much?” she teased, nipping at his neck.

Eratos groaned. Helena reached out and guided his hand to
the curls at juncture of her thighs. “Touch me.”

He swallowed hard. Her brazenness inflamed his desire
immensely. His fingers parted her folds. He began to stroke her and she moaned
against his shoulders, dragging her teeth against his skin.

She ran her fingers down his hard stomach and then lightly
along his shaft. He gasped as she touched him there, her hand encircling him,
stroking him up and down.

“Don’t,” he said, grabbing her wrist. “I want this to last,
and if you keep touching me like that, it won’t.”

He kissed her hard, his tongue pushing past her lips and
entwining with her own. He let his fingers run through her hair as she ground
her hips against his cock.

He ran his fingers from her chin down her neck to her
nipple. He cupped her breasts and brought his lips down to suckle her and
nibble.

Helena let out another guttural moan and tossed her head
back and forth. She began to rock her hips as he rubbed her slit.

“Look at me,” he demanded hoarsely.

She opened her eyes, which sparkled in the moonlight.

“What do you want, Helena?”

“You, only you.”

He sucked in a deep breath. “By the gods.”

“Come inside me,” she said, opening her legs wide. He let
out a low, guttural growl and pushed the head of his cock against her core,
entering her swiftly, burying himself to the hilt. She was so tight, so warm,
so wet. He leaned against the edge of the pool as he moved in and out of her
slick heat. She angled her hips to take him deeper, harder. His cock rubbed
against her swollen clitoris.

“Oh yes,” she murmured, arching her back to take him deeper.

He waited until her hips began to grind, then he knew she
was ready and eager for more. He began to move in and out of her slowly and it
was so hard not to go faster. Sweat broke across his brow as he strained to
keep himself from coming. When she began to undulate faster and ride his shaft
up and down, searching for her release, was when he allowed himself to let go.
He began to ride her hard and fast and she moaned in pleasure. He rubbed the
pad of his thumb against her clit and brought her to the same pleasurable
release as he came.

Her fingers dug into his back as the muscles of her sheath
clamped down on him and he emptied his seed inside her. Eratos collapsed
against her and then slid out of her as Helena’s feet rested on the bottom of
the pool. He sank down in the water, allowing it to envelop him and wash away
the world. When he surfaced, he picked up Helena and they lay against the
cushions in the sunlight. He just listened to her breathe heavily as they let
the dry, hot breeze fan their spent bodies.

Chapter Four

Eratos was resting on the straw bed that Helena had set up
for him in the secret alcove in the garden she had shown him. The sun was
setting, and he watched the sky through the vines turn from pink to red, and
the first twinkles of stars peek from the twilight. He even picked a bunch of
grapes—they were plump, juicy and sweet.

Just like Helena.

He had spent all day mating with her and yet his cock still
hardened thinking about her. Why a man not interested in women would marry such
a fine specimen baffled him. Why would Thelonius be so greedy when he had no
interest in the fairer sex?

He also wondered why Helena hated Thelonius so. Was it
because Thelonius left her untouched? Somehow Eratos doubted that. So what
drove Helena’s burning hatred for his former master? What had Thelonius done to
her?

It made him burn with fire thinking Helena had been hurt by
Thelonius. He was ill that she was forced to watch his tortures, like he got
some perverse desire out of it. A fortnight seemed a long time away to end the
life of such a foul creature as Thelonius, but a promise was a promise and he
would not break his word to Helena.

A warrior never broke his word.

The sky darkened as the sun finally set, but the moon was
full and brilliant. The inky black sky was alight with millions of stars. He
began to relax until he heard someone rustling in the olive grove that
concealed him. Scooting up, he pulled out his dagger, ready to strike if it was
not Helena.

Eratos let out a sigh of relief when he recognized her face
on the outside of the wrought iron gate.

“
Anam cara
, what are you doing here?”

“A runner came, Thelonius will not be returning tonight. It
seems he has found amusement in the baths.”

Eratos let her inside, locking the gate behind her. “Would
you not rather spend the night in your own chamber?”

She shook her head. “Remember, I have come to make good on
the promise to you—of visiting you here.” Taking his hand, she led him to his
bed and pushed him down. Her hair tickled his bare chest as she pulled off his
tunic. His cock already hard just from her presence.

“You seem to be trying to distract me, little one.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you.” He chuckled as he kneaded her breast. “Why would
you want to do that, I wonder?”

“Since you caught me so unawares earlier perhaps I would
like to see you pleasure yourself.”

Eratos sucked in a deep breath and closed his eyes. “I would
rather pleasure myself inside you.”

Helena pushed him away and made him lie down against the
hay. Slinging one leg over his waist, she straddled his thighs. “Touch
yourself, for me.”

He groaned but reached down and palmed his cock.

“You are making me wet with need for you.” Eratos groaned as
she took his free hand and placed it between her legs so he could feel her
wetness for himself.

Leaning down, she began to kiss around his abdomen, circling
her tongue around his bellybutton. Eratos stilled, knowing exactly what she was
going to do next. She kissed down to his shaft, running her tongue along the
hard length of him.

“
Anam cara.
” He moaned, his fingers running through
her hair as she dragged her tongue up and down his shaft before sliding his
cock into her mouth. A hiss of approval slipped through his teeth.

He cried out and bucked his hips forward gently. She gripped
the base of his shaft and slid her mouth up and off. Eratos growled in protest,
but only for a moment as she circled her tongue around the head of his cock,
applying pressure to the sensitive underside.

“Helena, I must have you now.”

Helena chuckled and positioned herself over his loins, still
wet from her mouth. “How much do you want me?”

Eratos growled again. “Do you even have to ask?”

The flush of pleasure traveled across her face and down her
neck like a warm caress. He reveled in the fact she desired him so, wanted him.
Eratos’ hands slipped around her waist down to her bottom, cupping her cheeks.
He lifted her up and positioned himself. Helena straddled him, the hard head of
his cock rubbed up and down the slit of her pussy. Arching her hips forward, he
entered her swiftly, burying his shaft deep inside her slick heat.