Alyssa Morgan - Gladiator Heart

Her soft little moans and cries of pleasure excited him and he bucked his hips faster, thrusting powerfully into her body again and again until she clung to him, grasping at his shoulders and crying out as she reached a shuddering climax. Tristan came hard and long, the muscles in his body trembling as the most intense, unbelievable pleasure exploded from him. Giving a hoarse, strangled shout, he released himself deep inside her.

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.