Mikolaus: Seduced by the Gladiators

by Margo Bond Collins

  Lurran women didn’t look at their men like that.

  “Ambassador Gray, allow me to introduce Mikolaus, one of Lurra’s finest resources, a Master Gladiator,” said Ambassador Urkiza.

  Mikolaus extended his hand in the ancient form of greeting. Before there was death and war, people performed this archaic hand ritual—supposedly it had something to do with showing both parties were unarmed.

  But I have two hands. And more knives hidden in his gladiatorial uniform than even Ambassador Urkiza knew.

  “Mr. Ambassador,” Mikolaus said. He shook the man’s hand. Then a tall, beautiful woman stepped in line.

  A woman of stature and elegance such as he had never seen before.

  He fought the urge to physically shake off the oddly poetic turn his mind had taken—and the longer he gazed at her, the more convinced he became that poetry was the only appropriate response to her presence.

  The skin of her face was pale and finely textured. Her eyes were the green of a morning forest, her hair the fire of sunset. Without warning, a vision of her open and ready flashed into his mind, prompting him to wonder about the soft territory at the top of her inner thighs, the gateway to her womanhood. He hardened with a sudden lurch of desire, and felt his roused flesh buck against his leather skirt.

  “Mikolaus, this is Ambassador Gray’s protégé, Hannah James.”

  Mikolaus heard Ambassador Urkiza’s voice as if it came from afar. The Earth-2 woman, Hannah, held his eyes with hers. Rarely could he learn so much from so little contact. He extended his hand, grateful he could even touch her. She was clearly the goddess among them.

  “Hello,” she said.

  Her voice was smooth, her touch warm, but he felt the heat of her flesh and the rapid beat of her heart against his fingers. He closed his second hand over hers, capturing her—and though she didn’t know it, completing the ancient gesture of trust by showing both hands free of weapons.

  “Hannah,” he said. The soft consonants were strange on his tongue. Strange in a good way. He smiled. “How long will you be with us?”

  Gently he pulled her in and sniffed, drawing her scent into his nose. His groin tightened as the scent of her, warm and almost floral, invaded his body and his hard-on clamored for attention. Once again, Mikolaus was grateful for the leather overskirt that prevented the room from seeing the extent of his attraction to her.

  “Mikolaus?” Ambassador Urkiza called. When he didn’t respond immediately, she cleared her throat, finally catching his gaze. The hint of a smile played around her mouth. “Mikolaus, Hannah and the ambassador are here to learn about Lurra and our ways. Perhaps you can show Hannah around Galicia.”

  Mikolaus still held Hannah’s hand in his. The texture of her skin held him tighter than any glue, and her evocative scent tantalized him. The heat in his groin rose as he answered the ambassador.

  “I am happy to show Hannah everything Lurra has to offer.”

  Chapter 3

  Hannah’s eyes grew wide as she considered all the possible implications of Mikolaus’s words.

  She hadn’t expected to be drawn in by Lurran male sensuality quite so quickly—if at all. When the she ship had landed on Lurra, they had known a reception awaited the E2 delegation. Hannah had dressed in her official delegation black suit, which looked exactly like all her other suits. Waiting to join the ambassador, she’d rubbed her hands together like a man going to work.

  “Now we’re talking,” she said. She shivered with excitement as she joined Ambassador Gray and the official procession. “Have you seen them?” she asked the ambassador. “What do they look like? Are they much different from us?”

  Ambassador Gray laughed, taking her hand and squeezing. “You remind me of those childhood birthday parties of yours—you were always so excited. And a bit impatient.” He looked closely at her. “You’ve become a fine young woman, Hannah. I think your parents would be proud of what you’re doing with your life.”

  He released her hand as they began to move out of the ship. “Lurrans look like us. Remember, our two races have the same ancestors. I believe you’ll find them very human.”

  Outside, the procession slowed, and Hannah glanced around eagerly. What little she could see of the city looked very different from the slick metal buildings of E2. The buildings here were built of brown stone and decorated with ornate carvings.

  And the sky arched above her in the most beautiful shades of purple, from soft violet to almost-black.

  The tall doors before them opened as trumpets announced their arrival. “Here we go,” Gray said to Hannah. “Stick close, okay?”

  “Oh,” Hannah whispered as they entered a vast room with a vaulted ceiling and walls covered with beautiful, yet primitive objects. Shields and weapons, paintings, and scrolls under glass covered three walls. A giant, colorful mosaic covered the fourth wall.

  She followed Gray and smiled at everyone, drinking in the spectacle. Light flashed off metal weapons everywhere she looked. All the men wore leather skirts, swords or knives—and little else. The women, only a few, were dressed in brilliant fabrics adorned with glittering stones and metal accents. They, too, sported knives.

  Very tribal, Hannah thought. The women were attractive, and the men …

  Virile.

  She couldn’t think of any other word for the masculine heat every last one of them seemed to exude.

  She whistled softly, fanning her face with her hand and feeling the warmth bloom in the room.

  That’s some serious testosterone in the air here.

  As she followed Gray deeper into the room, she fought to keep her mouth from dropping open.

  The men were all gorgeous and each looked sculpted. Strong chins, chiseled jaws, and bulging biceps abounded.

  God. No wonder every Lurran woman wants three of them.

  She rather wondered at the limit.

  “Ambassador Gray,” Hannah heard. She turned her attention to the woman greeting her boss.

  Elizabete Urkiza. Not what I expected.

  The Lurran ambassador wore a cobalt blue tunic trimmed with white metal accents and a cream-colored undergarment. A black cloak, pushed back over her shoulders, was clasped at her neck with a white metal pin. Her silver hair, worn long and loose, was jet black underneath, and sported a cobalt blue streak on the right side.

  Less visibly, but equally obviously, Urkiza wore her authority with ease and grace. She might have been newly appointed as ambassador, but this woman was used to being in charge.

  As the Lurran ambassador was deep in conversation with Ambassador Gray, Hannah moved closer to view the mosaic on the wall. “Death,” she murmured, examining the scenes depicted in detail. “All the women dying.”

  Great battle scenes followed, and she glanced at the weapons on the walls.

  Not barbaric―desperate.

  Maintaining a positive growth population was a problem inherent to many of the outer planets. Any population dropping below one million would not recover.

  But to have almost all your women die off …

  Lurrans gave power to their women.

  “Lucky,” Hannah murmured. The alternative, given the circumstances, was almost certainly slavery. That the Lurrans had chosen to create a society that elevated women said something positive about their ancestors’ determination to maintain a civilized civilization.

  Working her way back to her boss’s side, Hannah came up behind him as Ambassador Urkiza made another introduction.

  “Ambassador Gray, allow me tointroduce Mikolaus, one of Lurra’s finest resources—a Master Gladiator,” said Urkiza.

  When Ambassador Gray shook the gladiator’s hand, Hannah took another step closer. She didn’t want to interrupt, but she didn’t want to miss out on this moment, either. Every male in the room looked like a warrior, but her book had made specific mention of the fierce gladiatorial contests that had morphed from pitched battles to gain women’s favor to popular entertainment.

  The winners were the
stars of Lurra.

  What does a real gladiator look like?

  “Mr. Ambassador.” The gladiator’s words elicited a shiver down Hannah’s back. The timbre of his voice, the sheer strength conveyed from his vocal cords alone made Hannah’s stomach clench with … expectation?

  She had to see what kind of man had such a voice.

  As she stepped around Ambassador Gray, every motion seemed drawn out, like trying to wave a hand during a wormhole jump. And when Hannah finally saw the voice’s owner, she froze.

  This is what the ancient gods were like.

  The expression in his piercing dark eyes made her nipples tighten. She saw shoulders to hold onto through a sexual tempest, hips that would drive deeply, legs she could wrap hers around … and lips made for―

  “Mikolaus, this is Ambassador Gray’s protégé, Hannah James.”

  Hannah heard her introduction by Ambassador Urkiza and started. A dull heat burned in her cheeks as she worked to push the heated images back down. She dragged her eyes from Mikolaus’ sensual mouth when he extended his hand to her.

  Her thoughts ran together.

  Oh, my god he’s going to touch me, and I’m going to do something in front of these people to embarrass Ambassador Gray but please let me touch this man.

  “Hello,” Hannah managed to say as his palm came into contact with hers, sending a spark of heat flashing up her arm. Her heart accelerated as his second hand joined in the handshake.

  “Hannah,” he said. When his lips parted to say her name, a tingle deep in Hannah’s belly snaked out to her already puckered nipples. His eyes squinted briefly when he said her name, as if it seemed oddto him. Hannah held her breath—she didn’t want her name to be strange to him. But suddenly, to her great relief, he smiled.

  “How long will you be with us?” he asked. Gently he pulled her towards him. She drifted slightly from her stance, easing her body into his personal space. His scent wafted toward her as she glanced over him.

  His bare chest and shoulders were exposed by a leather cape pushed back over his shoulders. A scabbard at his waist held a sword. A leather girdle matching the cape wrapped his hips, with a fabric skirt descending to mid-thigh and a leather overskirt.

  Hannah had never seen so much bare flesh in public. On E2 everyone dressed in the same simple jumpsuit—either black or gray. There was no fashion, no individuality, no personal statement in clothing. And certainly, no bare flesh. She drew her fingertips into her palms to resist the urge to reach out and touch the deeply sculpted chest before her.

  Suddenly she realized she had not answered his question. Before something intelligent could come to mind, she was saved by Ambassador Urkiza.

  “Mikolaus?” Ambassador Urkiza said.

  The Ambassador’s voice registered to Hannah, but she had her eyes locked on the gladiator. He was staring at her face, making her feel warm under her dull E2 clothing.

  Ambassador Urkiza cleared her throat. “Mikolaus, Hannah and the ambassador are here to learn about Lurra and our ways. Perhaps you can show Hannah around Galicia.”

  In their clasped hands, Mikolaus’ fingers twitched against Hannah’s. When he said, “I am happy to show Hannah everything Lurra has to offer,” she wondered if that included the bulging tent she noticed in his skirt, beneath the leather strips of the overskirt.

  “I look forward to learning about Lurra,” she said coyly.

  Including that tent.

  Chapter 4

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” called Ambassador Urkiza. “If I may have your attention.”

  As the crowd drew in, Mikolaus let go of Hannah’s hand. His intense look at that moment of release gave her goose bumps. With a subtle bow in her direction, he stepped behind her, opening up her view of the ambassador. Something about the gesture seemed both natural and practiced, almost courtly.

  Ambassador Urkiza announced, “Tonight, we have a State dinner for our guests, followed by special entertainment.”

  A murmur passed through the crowd, and Hannah noticed many Lurrans looking at Mikolaus. She was completely aware of his partial nudity behind her. Having so much accessible flesh in public proximity kept fueling her erotic thoughts. Visions of flesh sliding against flesh, her breasts filling his hands as her thighs parted for his entry—

  Hannah shivered. Get a grip, she chided.

  Fortunately, Ambassador Urkiza was speaking, drawing Hannah’s mind from the rampant sexual visions she couldn’t seem to suppress on her own.

  “Each E2 member has an assigned companion as liaison,” Urkiza said. “At this time, I’d like all Lurran liaisons to show your guests to their accommodations.”

  Hannah turned slowly to look at Mikolaus, bracing herself for the impact of his hyper-masculinity. The top of her head came to his chin, giving her a view of his well-muscled neck. She couldn’t look away.

  She cleared her throat. “So, it looks like you are my liaison.” She dragged her gaze to his face.

  His smile surprised her.

  “Do I amuse you?” she asked. His smile lightened the serious set of his face, taking him from gorgeous, but stern and forbidding, to warm and intriguing.

  What is it about me that makes him smile?

  “You do far more than amuse me.” He turned, and she followed as he led her out of the reception area. “We’ve never seen women like you.”

  She gave him a quick glance. “Well, we’ve never seen men like you.”

  He returned her look. “What do your men look like?”

  Hannah thought of Ronald, and shook her head. How do I explain that?

  “For one thing, we don’t have the history of battle that Lurra has,” she said. “Our men don’t carry weapons openly—or often.”

  They took a staircase that wound gracefully up to a second floor. An intricately carved balustrade was smooth beneath Hannah’s hand, reminding her of the hard muscle of his chest. “Our men aren’t trained to use combat weapons like those. Mostly, they don’t have the physique you have, either.” She shot him a quick glance, trying not to gawk.

  He stopped to look at her. His browed wrinkled, and his voice was incredulous. “What, then, do your men look like?”

  “You saw the men in Ambassador Gray’s entourage.” Not that he was a great example—he was taller and more muscular than many of the men Hannah knew. Come to think of it, Gray’s secretary Matthew clearly spent a significant amount of time in the gym, as well.

  Mikolaus’s wave dismissed her example. “He is old. And his assistants are men of words, not action.”

  Oh, dear. What would he think if Hannah told him the men on the ambassador’s team were some of the better specimens of E2 masculinity?

  Hannah squashed a snicker. “What would you look like if you spent all your time inside with machines?”

  His frown deepened as he stared intently into her face. Abruptly, he pulled back and smiled before continuing down the hall. “We must be quite a surprise to you, then.”

  He stopped before a red door in a long hallway. Several doors dotted the hall, each a different color. “This is level 2, and your room is L2 Carmine.”

  “Where can I find you if I need you?” Hannah asked. She looked up and down the hallway, wondering how long it would take her to get lost.

  “I have a home in Galicia with my triad brothers, but for the length of your stay, I am in the next room.”

  Hannah checked his face and saw this announcement came with a twitch at the corner of his mouth. “Would you prefer to be at home with your triad brothers? I would hate to keep you from something you’d rather be doing.”

  He turned the full force of his gaze on her. He seemed to tower over her, a new experience for her—one she discovered she liked. His face came closer, and she thought, or wished, he would kiss her. His sensual, full bottom lip seemed to speak to her of kisses to remember…

  When he was so close that his clean, spicy scent was all she could smell, he whispered softly.

  “There is only on
e thing I’d rather be doing.”

  As his mouth passed by her ear, his lips teased her with the barest touch. Hannah’s knees went weak and she sagged against the door jamb.

  She’d never felt such connection in such a small touch. She swallowed, and licked her lips.

  Mikolaus pulled back and stepped away. “For now, I must prepare for this evening.” He opened her door. Forcing herself to stand upright again, she entered.

  “You have two hours to refresh yourself and dress for this evening,” he said. He looked her up and down as though she might need help with the last task.

  “This is all I have,” she said, looking at her suit. Her bag had been brought up and placed on the bed during the reception. In it was another suit, a duplicate of the one she wore, but in gray.

  Mikolaus briefly looked away, his hand passing once over his mouth. “Please,” he said. “Look in the closet. We hope, as a cultural attaché, you will consent to wear our clothing. Consider it a gift, and part of your leaning experience.” He bowed deeply and stepped away. “I will come for you in two hours.”

  She stared at the closed door for a long time after he left.

  Two hours.

  Two hours to consider her reaction to this strange, alluring man.

  Hannah finally glanced around her room. There was a bed, larger than she expected for a single person. Long enough for her whole body, and wide enough for three—or four—people.

  No, she reminded herself. Not orgies. Three separate marriages.

  She shook off the thought, returning to her original observations. Obviously, space wasn’t a problem here.

  With a happy sigh, she threw herself back and considered what she’d seen so far.

  In this enormous suite she had all to herself for the length of her stay, atop the luxurious bedcovers, she couldn’t help but wonder what might have happened had she asked Mikolaus to stay.

  Stop it, Hannah. You can’t fall into bed with the first Lurran man you meet.

  She needed a distraction.