Sold and Seduced

by Michelle Styles

  She gave another moan. Her hands plucked at her under-tunic. It clung, and she felt his hands slowly lifting it, until she stood before him. The warm air bathed her body.

  He said nothing, but reached for the oil. He dropped a trickle on to her breast. The cool liquid slid down, pooling in her belly button. He carefully smoothed the oil over her body, avoiding the dark triangle between her legs. Then he used the strigil to wipe her body clean, with long lingering strokes. The longing grew deep in her belly. She wanted more than this.

  ‘Your turn.’

  She took the oil from him and dribbled it on to his chest. She made her fingers follow the same pattern his had. The oil flowed over his skin, turning it to a deep gold. She reached behind her and her fingers closed around the strigil. Gently she ran it over his chest, feeling the power beneath the muscles. She smoothed the oil over his arms and back, concentrating on each movement and all the while heat from his body warmed her, inflamed her senses.

  ‘I believe I am finished,’ she said, hardly recognising her own voice. ‘You are completely clean.’

  ‘You haven’t done everything.’

  She glanced down and saw his arousal. Her hand reached out and touched it. Hard, but silky soft.

  His hand closed over hers, held her there. Its pulsating warmth sent flames of fire along her arm. Then he put a finger to her lips and gently eased her down on to the warm floor.

  He bent his head and traced a line with his lips to her dark curls. She gasped as his tongue penetrated her innermost place. Her body jerked upwards.

  ‘Shall I continue?’ he murmured, lifting his head. She could see the golden light of his eyes.

  Her only answer was an inarticulate moan in the back of her throat.

  ‘I shall take that as a yes.’

  His tongue returned to her, making lazy trails. Teasing and tormenting. The longing grew within her. His mouth closed around her, sucking slightly, and her world exploded into stars.

  Her hands caught his hair, sinking deep in his curls.

  ‘Please,’ she begged, wanting to feel all of him, to feel that way she had before. ‘Please, I want you. I want you inside me now.’

  He lifted his head and a very masculine smile touched his lips. He parted her thighs and the tip of him touched her where his tongue had been. Her body expanded and enveloped the full length of him. Then he began to move. Slowly at first, but with increasing speed as her hips echoed his rhythm. Her breath came in short sharp gasps until she felt the wonderful shuddering release.

  In the aftermath of the storm that engulfed them both, Lydia lay in Aro’s arms. Her legs intertwined with his, her head resting on the broad expanse of his chest, listening to the now steady thump of his heart. She knew her heart matched his and gloried in it.

  ‘Less than seven days, my dryad,’ his voice rumbled in her ear. ‘Perhaps the next time you will take me at my word.’

  Lydia frowned. She struggled to sit up, but his arms held her firmly against his chest.

  ‘Not this time. You are not storming off in some pretend-outrage. You will admit to losing the wager. You will remain my wife as we married.’ He buried his face in her hair. ‘I for my part promise to look after you and cherish you.’

  ‘You did not play fair,’ she mumbled against his chest, knowing he spoke the truth. She had participated fully in their lovemaking. She had wanted him. Later she would think about what she had lost. In his arms, the question of who was her guardian seemed somehow less important. She knew she was no longer the woman she had been. She did not want to go back to looking after her father and Sulpicia. She wanted to live her own life.

  ‘I merely offered to help you, to serve as your tire-woman. It was you who begged for me to continue.’

  Lydia sat up, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her chin against them, considering the flickering oil lamps.

  ‘You knew what would happen.’

  His fingers lifted her chin so that she gazed into his deep eyes. The gold was now mere flecks in a sea of hazel. ‘Not knew, hoped. There is a difference.’

  ‘What did you hope to gain by this demonstration?’

  His eyes searched her face. Then he gave a little shrug. ‘That I keep my promises, however preposterous they may sound.’

  ‘There are other ways to demonstrate that.’

  ‘But few more enjoyable.’ He dropped a kiss on her forehead and then his eyes grew serious and he kissed her lips. Lydia savoured the taste of his mouth.

  ‘I will agree with it being pleasurable.’

  ‘We can stay here, but the floor is cooling and I don’t want you to catch a chill,’ he growled in her ear.

  Lydia leant backwards and this time his arms fell away. Despite the warmth in the bath suite, Lydia shivered and wished she hadn’t moved. In here everything seemed so simple and straightforward. She reached for her breast band and under-tunic, dressed as rapidly as she could despite her hands fumbling with the sleeves of her gown.

  ‘I told you—you need help with your toilet.’ Aro stood up and fastened the sleeves properly, doing so with a practised ease.

  ‘Are you making an offer for the place?’ she said with a laugh. ‘Tuccia might have something to say about that.’

  ‘Tuccia can look after you when I have to be elsewhere.’

  At the mention of Tuccia’s name, Lydia remembered the amphora she had seen in her grandfather’s apartment.

  ‘You gave her grandfather liquamen as a reward for his bravery.’

  ‘I recently purchased a consignment and I know Rufus loves his fish sauce. He did much to save the warehouse from the fire. It seemed a fitting reward.’

  Lydia swallowed hard and tried to concentrate on doing up her belt. She had to solve this mystery. Not that it made any difference, but she wanted to know. ‘Who sold you the liquamen?’

  ‘One of the traders in the Forum sold it to me. He lets me know when something reasonably priced comes in.’

  ‘Are you sure about it?’ Lydia felt the belt slip from her hands.

  ‘Does it matter? The bill of sale will be somewhere in my office. Was it a superior fish sauce?’ He smiled and his eyes lit up. ‘I sent most of it off to Ostia, destined for Corinth, but perhaps Piso will know if an amphora remains. For me, all fish sauce tastes the same—like rotting fish.’

  Lydia felt her throat constrict. She could clearly see the markings. She remembered the day Publius had put them on, joking that they would never get lost this way.

  Aro ran his hand through his hair, making it stand up. ‘Why is it suddenly so important?’

  ‘It had my brother’s markings on it. Ofellius swore to Sulpicia that Publius received his cargo in Corinth.’

  ‘I can check the exact date for you. It will be in my office, but it was over a month ago.’

  ‘Then what is going on? Why did Ofellius lie to Sulpicia?’ A chill passed over Lydia. She felt as if she was playing a complicated game of latrunculi and someone kept changing the rules.

  ‘I have no answer for you.’ He bent and kissed her neck. ‘I can make a few discreet enquiries. It will take some time, but it would appear Ofellius is playing a very dangerous game.’

  ‘What should I do? Should I tell Sulpicia? She says my father has been doing business with Ofellius. Maybe, if you had a word…’

  ‘It would only make her worry. Trust me. Let me make some enquiries. In the meantime, rest easy, knowing that Publius has got his money.’

  He looked her deep in the eyes and Lydia knew she trusted him. After today, she did not want to have to think about facing Ofellius on her own.

  ‘Now, I was wondering,’ Aro said. ‘Which would you prefer—a hot meal or a soft bed?’

  ‘Both.’

  ‘I think that could be arranged.’

  Chapter Sixteen

  A ro stared out at the night-blackened city. Out there was someone who meant him and Lydia harm. His hands gripped the balustrade so tightly the whites of his knuckles showed. He ha
d nearly fulfilled his vow to his father and now this. Whoever it was had enticed Ofellius to go for Lydia. The most puzzling point was why did Ofellius and his henchmen allow her to go when Sulpicia appeared? There had to be a reason. Lydia had been clever and resourceful, but he suspected there was more to it. If Ofellius had intended to kidnap her, he would have succeeded.

  It also bothered him that in attempting to kidnap her they had revealed his weakest point. Elevation to the Senate or indeed victory in any election would mean nothing without Lydia by his side. He gave a wry smile. He hoped he never had to choose between his duty to his father and his feelings for his wife.

  A movement in the shadows caused him to crouch, ready to spring. The figure stepped out into the silver moonlight.

  ‘Have you found the remedy? Because from what I know about such things, you are surely not going to find it out here. On your own.’

  ‘We have reached an accord.’ Aro stretched. ‘You should find yourself a good woman, Piso. It will save you chasing after barmaids.’

  ‘When I find her, I’ll let you know.’

  ‘Did you find out anything from our friend?’

  ‘Our friend fell from a boat two days ago. An unfortunate accident, according to Flora’s sources. A fitting end for an unsavoury man. I thought you should have done it long ago. I’m convinced he was playing a double game.’

  ‘What else does Flora know, then?’

  ‘You may say what you like, but Flora does something.’ Piso kissed his fingers gestured upwards. ‘By Hermes, Poseidon and Apollo, the things that woman knows.’

  ‘Quick, man, who is employing Ofellius?’

  ‘You aren’t going to like this—Veratius Cornelius.’

  ‘Lydia’s father?’ Aro did not bother to hide his astonishment. ‘Veratius Cornelius?’

  ‘The one and the same. One of Ofellius’s men is very friendly with Flora’s girls. He was babbling on about it tonight. How it all got messed up because the goose got cold feet and appeared.’

  Aro felt as if his stomach had been double punched. Rufus had been right all along. He had said not to trust the Veratii. How was he going to explain this to Lydia? And how was he going to explain the need to ensure it did not happen again?

  He grasped Piso by both arms. ‘Are you sure? You need to be very sure. Pillow talk between a prostitute and her client will not stand up in a court of law.’

  ‘Flora has never been wrong before. What shall I do? Do you want me to arrange for a few of the boys to go and sort Veratius Cornelius out? He must have been the one responsible for the burning of the warehouse. Even Ofellius would not sink so low as to burn a warehouse with the goods still inside. Hates waste.’

  Aro’s blood ran cold as the full implications of what Piso’s news meant. Veratius Cornelius was prepared to sacrifice his own daughter to pursue a vendetta? Something had to be wrong, somewhere. If it was true, he did not deserve a daughter like Lydia. There was no telling what could have happened to her, if Ofellius had succeeded in his plans.

  ‘How could a man want to do that to his own daughter? Doesn’t he realise what Ofellius is capable of?’ Aro stared out into the blackness, trying to make sense of it.

  ‘Maybe it was why he got cold feet.’

  ‘That litter was not sent by Veratius. It carried Sulpicia, Lydia’s sister-in-law, on the way back from a religious ceremony.’

  Piso let out a loud whistle. He shook his head. ‘It is a mystery then.’

  ‘Before I tell her, I have to be certain.’ Aro hit his fists against each other. ‘There can be no mistake.’

  ‘Aro?’ Lydia’s voice floated on the evening air. ‘Who are you talking to?’

  ‘Piso. He came back to see how you are faring.’

  Lydia emerged from the house into the moonlight. Her hair tumbled about her face. She had thrown a shawl over her shoulders and under-tunic. Aro’s body responded instantly to her loveliness. His gut clenched. His wife. The woman he had sworn to protect. Who was in danger from her own father.

  ‘I will be off, then. Once I know more, I will report back,’ Piso said in an undertone as he gave Lydia a nod and then vanished into the night.

  ‘It seems late or is it early?’ Lydia came to stand by him, her warm body curving in towards him. ‘There are no streaks of grey in the sky. Surely Piso can’t have to work this early.’

  ‘Work starts early in the shipping business.’

  ‘Business is normally conducted during the day. Only thieves and loose women are up and about at this time.’

  ‘And merchants. The tide waits for no man, my nymph.’

  She put her hand over Aro’s. ‘Tell me the truth, Fabius Aro. Does this have to do with my fright this afternoon? There is bound to be an innocent explanation.’

  Aro studied her face, from the pale oval to the line of her brows, straight nose and rosebud mouth. He knew he could not lie to her, but neither could he tell her the truth. He drew her into his arms and rested his cheek against her hair.

  ‘It has something to do with this afternoon. I am trying to discover the reasons behind it and behind all the other attacks. The Ofellian and Lupan Houses have always been rivals, but we have never been bitter enemies, reduced to fighting each other in the streets. It is not good for business.’

  Lydia leant back against his arms, her eyes searching his face, seeking reassurance. Aro held his body still. He found he could not whisper false words of hope. She had to see things as they were.

  ‘You are talking about someone other than Ofellius.’ Lydia’s face was a pale oval in a sea of blackness. ‘You think there is someone else involved.’

  Aro knew he had reached a deciding point in his life. He could tell her the truth as Piso understood it and destroy any chance of a relationship with her, or he could wait. For the first time in his life, he hesitated, knowing how much he could lose. It frightened him that Lydia had come to mean so much to him in so short a span of time.

  ‘I have no proof, but I will do. I will put an end to these attacks, Lydia. You must trust me.’

  ‘I do trust you, Aro.’ Her hand touched his cheek, smoothing it. ‘The hour is late and soon you will be called from your bed. Come, spend some time with me.’

  ‘You must forgive me for not explaining sooner. I had planned to when I found you in the bath.’

  ‘I believe you had other things on your mind.’ She gave a throaty laugh.

  ‘May I always be distracted in such a way, my nymph.’ He kissed her hair and silently asked the gods for more time.

  ‘Don’t even think of it, Korina,’ Lydia said a few days later. ‘That bit of bread is not for you. Tuccia may have returned yesterday, but it does not mean you will get more treats. You will be as fat as a pig if you are not careful.’

  The greyhound buried her nose under her paws, looking mournful. Lydia gave a sigh and gave the last remains of her lunch to the dog.

  Because it was such a glorious day, Lydia had decided to have her lunch outside while she waited for Aro to return. Today he would have his position confirmed by the censor, a ceremony which women were forbidden to attend. She had invited her father to dine with them after the ceremony, but he had declined, giving worries about his health as an excuse. Lydia was disappointed, but Aro had told her not to worry, that their celebration could be all the more private.

  He had left slightly earlier than planned as there had been a disturbance in the night at the warehouse.

  A sudden tramping of feet and Gallus, her father’s porter, came into the garden, hotly pursued by Aro’s porter. Clodius looked hot and flustered.

  ‘I am sorry, my lady, but this infernal ruffian would not wait. He insisted on speaking with you.’

  ‘It is all right, Clodius, the man is known to me.’

  ‘Lydia Veratia, you must come at once. Your father requires your presence.’ Gallus drew himself up importantly.

  ‘The Lady Lydia Fabia may have other matters she has to attend to, as I explained to you before
.’

  Lydia did not miss the slight emphasis on the name. Both porters stood toe to toe like rival cockerels, trying to face each other down. Lydia wasn’t sure whether or not she wanted to laugh or cry. Which family she belonged to did not change what was inside her. She was still herself.

  ‘Gallus, what is wrong? Why does my father need me?’

  ‘It is the Lady Sulpicia. She has taken a turn. Veratius Cornelius requires you to come at once.’

  Lydia frowned. Sulpicia’s baby should not appear until next Kalends at the earliest. She tried to remember what the midwife had said when Sulpicia had first consulted her.

  ‘Has my father summoned the midwife?’

  ‘She will be there directly. She said sometimes babies decide to make their appearance early. The Lady Sulpicia is asking for you.’

  ‘If she is asking for me, I will go. I made a promise.’ Lydia stood up. Her mind raced. There were so many things that had to be done. She had no idea how long she’d be there, looking after Sulpicia. Aro would have to understand.

  ‘My lady, Fabius Aro specifically requested that you be here when he returned today. The cook is preparing a special meal, and the musicians are arriving. All is in readiness.’

  ‘He will understand. This is an emergency. Sulpicia would not have sent Gallus otherwise. Tuccia, you take care of Korina…no, I will take her with me. She can keep my father company.’ She stopped and looked at Gallus. ‘It is an emergency, isn’t it?’

  Gallus’s cheeks reddened. He drew a line in the dirt with his sandal. ‘Veratius Cornelius gave me to understand it was.’

  ‘There are no men to spare. You will have to wait until some men arrive from the warehouse. I can’t allow you to go out unprotected. Fabius Aro gave explicit orders.’

  ‘When did he give this order?’

  ‘This morning before he left. He said that you were not to venture out on your own today, and to have you wait for him.’

  ‘I will not be out on my own. Gallus is here. He can take me.’

  Clodius glanced over at the other porter. His expression showed that he did not have much confidence in the plan.