by Tula Neal
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Phaze
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Copyright ©2008 by Tula Neal
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Published by Phaze Books
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This is an explicit and erotic novel
intended for the enjoyment
of adult readers. Please keep
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The Gladiator's Woman
a short erotic romance by
TULA NEAL
The Gladiator's Woman © 2007, 2008 by Tula Neal
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This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Cover art © 2007 Stella Price
Edited by Amanda Faith
eBook ISBN-13: 978-1-59426-854-0
eBook ISBN-10: 1-59426-854-1
First Edition—February, 2008
Printed in the United States of America
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Collina Flavia leaned on the balustrade that ran around the central courtyard of the gladiator school and watched silently as the men went through their paces under the fierce guidance of their trainers.
It was three days since the lanista-Brutus Aemilius had asked her to be the doctor for his ludus, and she'd been too busy moving in and purchasing supplies to pay much more than a glancing attention to the gladiators who might soon require her services. But the tall Aethiop with skin the color of night, a man of her mother's own race, had caught her eye. He wore nothing but a loincloth and she noted how his muscles rippled and bunched as he performed his maneuvers. After practice, a masseur would attend to the men. Collina found herself wishing it was her hands that would glide over the Aethiop's oiled skin, loosening his tired muscles until he was as pliable as dough. Then, if he had no objection, she would massage him elsewhere bringing on the hardness she'd banished from the rest of his body. She'd find out if what they said about tall men with long hands was true. With luck, he'd feel obliged to return massage for massage. The thought sent a finger of fire snaking upwards from between her legs.
In front of her, the Aethiop executed a particularly complex maneuver and then sank to his knees, chest heaving, exhausted. Catching sight of her for the first time, he raised his wooden sword in a mock salute, grinning as if he knew what she'd been thinking. Collina Flavia nodded primly at him and hurried away. They had not spoken two words since she'd moved to the ludus-she didn't even know his name. Still, she couldn't get the gladiator out of her mind as she sat in her treatment room that afternoon, pounding her newly purchased supplies into powders and salves and measuring them into their individual bottles. She must at least find out his name, she decided. Maybe even strike up a conversation. How difficult could that be?
In her mind's eye she saw again his naked, finely-built torso, the muscles twisting in his arms and back, the look of concentration on his face as he put himself through his moves. He'd looked like some onyx statue carved by a master and brought to life by the breath of Jupiter. She had to meet him.
Her opportunity to talk to the Aethiop came earlier than she'd hoped. That same night, he came to sit beside her at one of the long kitchen tables where the gladiators and those who worked with them ate.
"I never saw you watch us train before,” he said, bringing a heaping spoon of meat stew to his mouth.
Collina paused before answering. She wanted to make sure her voice didn't shake.
"I've been busy getting the treatment room to my liking,” she said, congratulating herself on the smoothness of her delivery.
"Ah, yes. I think if Tiberius hadn't conveniently died, Brutus would have fired him. He wasn't all that good. I hope you're better."
Collina decided not to take offence. “I hope so, too,” she said lightly.
"She's certainly easier on the eye,” interrupted the squat, blond gladiator sitting opposite her.
The Aethiop looked her over, his heavy-lidded eyes sweeping from the top of her head to what he could see of her legs, while Collina did her best not to look as uncomfortable as she felt.
"Much easier,” he agreed, chuckling.
"It came out in an edict from the Senate. Didn't you hear?” Collina asked, straight-faced.
The gladiators shook their heads.
"Oh, yes.” Collina nodded vigorously. “The law now requires doctors to be, as you said, ‘easy on the eyes.’ It's supposed to assure patients’ recovery."
The blond gladiator was open-mouthed, disbelieving. The Aethiop laughed, though-did she imagine the hint of sadness lingering in his eyes?
"You're joking, right?” he asked.
Collina grinned.
"Good one.” He smiled appreciatively. “Had you going, didn't it, Marius?"
The blond gladiator shrugged sheepishly, turning away to talk to the man beside him.
"You are called Collina, is that right?” the Aethiop asked, dropping his voice.
"Yes. And you?"
"Scipio. Would you pass me the jug of mead?"
Their fingers touched as she handed it to him and Collina's eyes flew to his. The contact had jolted her, but he didn't seem to notice.
They talked under cover of the noise rising from the other men in the room. He told her that his father sold him as a child to an Arabian spice trader who, years later, traded him to a Roman grain merchant. The merchant gave him to Brutus more than three months ago in payment of a debt.
"You're a tiro?” He'd looked so good out in the courtyard, she wouldn't have known. Not until he was in the arena. Her heart lurched at the thought of his being bested by a veteran.
"Brutus didn't let me fight in the last games, but he thinks I'm ready now,” he said with pride.
"Ah,” Collina said, not knowing what else to say. If, dear gods, he wasn't ready, his first fight could very well be his last.
"Do you worry for me?"
"I worry for anyone who puts himself in the way of death,” she answered. She had never been a big fan of the games. The sight of animals and men, lying on the sand, broken and bleeding, tore at her heart. She knew this sensitivity was an aberration, a weakness even. Few felt as she did but she couldn't help it.
"I will not die in the arena. A priestess told me so. She told me I w
ill live to see my children's hair turn gray."
Collina's heart sank. “You have children?"
"None that I know of as yet. I want my children to have a free man for their father."
"A laudable aim, my friend,” said the blond gladiator, breaking in. “I, myself, have six.” He grinned triumphantly.
"Surely you find it difficult to support so many,” Collina said.
"Not so.” His grin spread and his eyes twinkled. “I take care to plough only other men's fields.” Laughing now, he lifted his goblet of mead as if making a celebratory toast. The gladiators around him, Scipio included, clinked their glasses against his, enjoying the joke.
"And you, Scipio, do you do the same?” Collina asked, emboldened by her curiosity. Women, particularly well born women, buzzed around gladiators like bees over flowering jasmines. Had he given his heart to any?
"No,” he said, still chuckling. “I reserve my seed for my own field."
It was an answer, but it still left her in the dark. Collina remained silent, wondering how she could discover what she really wanted to know about him.
"Do you have no more questions for me?"
"A few, but I'll ask them another time."
"Then come with me for a walk. I am not yet ready to lie abed."
Collina rose slowly to her feet, careful not to let him see how much his invitation pleased her.
"I'll come, too,” said another gladiator, lurching to his feet.
"The good healer is company enough for me, Gaius. We did settle this already.” Scipio gave the gladiator a gentle push so that he fell back onto his seat. The man's face darkened, but then he shrugged and poured himself another drink.
"Scipio wants her all to himself,” Marcus said. He winked at Collina. “Don't stay out too late,” another called out. “Bring her back as you found her,” yet another quipped.
Scipio took it all in good part, merely waving his hand to his brother gladiators, but Collina could feel her cheeks burning as they exited the room. Outside, she took a couple deep breaths of the cool evening air.
"What made you decide to become a healer?” Scipio asked as they turned down a nearby alley.
"When my father became ill, my mother had to look after our shop, so I took care of him. I liked doing it. I felt useful."
"Did he recover?"
"He did for a while, but then the illness took him again and he was too weak to fight it off. I was thirteen when he first fell ill. Nineteen when he died."
"I am very sorry. It is a hard thing to lose a parent so young."
Collina nodded. Her father's death had hit her hard. The physicians who'd attended him had said it was a miracle he'd held on so long. They'd said there was nothing more she could have done, but their kindness hadn't eased her pain.
"Your mother. She still lives?"
"Yes. Thank the gods."
"Make way,” a man cried behind them. “Make way."
Scipio grabbed Collina's arm and pulled her back against the wall as four litter-bearers passed hurriedly by.
"This alley is too small for litters,” he snapped. “They didn't step on you, did they?"
"No,” Collina said. Her heart was racing. He had still not let go of her arm. “I'm fine."
"Good. I don't know what I'd say to the others if harm came your way while you were with me.” He smiled. “Maybe I should keep holding on to you. For your protection, of course."
Collina nodded. “That would be good of you.” Inside, she was singing.
"My offer doesn't spring from goodness alone,” he said.
Collina glanced at him.
"Surely, you know that."
"What?"
He shook his head and gave her a small smile. “Wait until we get to the little square by Drusus, the wine-seller. We can talk better there."
He wouldn't say another word until they were finally in the square and in the shadow of the great marble fountain there. Scipio took a seat on the rim and held both her hands in his as he looked into her face.
"You must have thought my invitation rather sudden,” he said, his eyes searching hers in the dim light. “But I noticed you from the day you were hired and Brutus was showing you around."
"You did?” To think she hadn't even noticed.
"I could tell you were overwhelmed with your new duties and the strangeness of the ludus, so I didn't approach you."
She must have looked astonished because he grinned.
"I wasn't the only one who took notice of you, you know. Gaius and Septimus did as well, but I fought them for you and won."
"You fought...?
"Yesterday. Before practice. Gaius almost bested me, but I laid him on the floor in the end."
Collina wavered between fury at being fought over like a bone and pleasure that he was willing to come to blows over her.
"So what do you think, healer? Would you like us to see if we are suited?"
She resisted the urge to throw herself into his arms. “You are free? You have no woman?"
"A year ago I allowed the daughter of a senator to love me, but she never won my heart. No woman has a claim on me. If...” For the first time he looked uncertain, nervous. He rubbed her hands with his thumbs. “If you will not have me because I am a slave, I will abide by your decision. Maybe when I've earned my freedom, in three years or so, I will come to you again."
"And what if I am taken then?"
"Still will I try because I think you will be worth the effort."
"You hardly know me,” she protested.
"That's true, but all that I have already seen I like so strongly, it will out-balance any fresh fault I may find."
"Your words are like honey."
"I want you to find me sweet. Look.” He gripped her hands. “I'm not a poet. I don't have a way with words.” She would have argued the point with him, but he didn't stop. “I saw you and I liked you. I don't know where it may lead, but I've never felt like this before. Say you'll at least consider me."
"I won't say that.” His face fell and she realized how he'd taken her response. “No. I mean I don't have to consider anything. I already know. I haven't stopped thinking about you since I saw you this morning."
His arms went around her then. “You're not just saying it so as not to wound my feelings?"
"No,” she whispered, her lips against his. “I swear I'm not."
He caught her more tightly to him. As they kissed, her mouth opened beneath his and his tongue slid between her teeth to find hers. A shiver of hot animal excitement swept through her and she whimpered. Scipio's strong musky scent, earth and green leaves and also faintly somehow of freshly-baked bread, intoxicated her, stirring her senses. His tongue flicked lightly over the contours of her ear and she buried her face in his neck, breathing deeply, wanting to sink into him. He cupped her buttocks and squeezed, massaging her flesh with his thumbs. Collina leaned into him, moving her hips in an unspoken invitation. The feel of his hard cock pressed against her lower belly showed the strength of her effect on him.
"I want you,” he groaned, pressing hard kisses all over her face.
Collina slipped her hand between them to caress his erection, thick and hard through the thin material of his summer tunic.
A matron walking past grunted loudly in disapproval recalling Collina to where they were. Over Scipio's shoulder, she saw a small group of young men approaching.
"Come,” she whispered. Still holding him by his cock, she led him to a shadowy alley where weeds grew between the cobbles and sprouted from cracks in the walls. The body of a prominent butcher had been found there months before, dismembered and gutted. Now people avoided the place like the plague saying it was haunted. Its reputation didn't faze Collina. She led him past the archway, into the darkness until they could no longer see the fountain, only a small corner of the square.
When she was satisfied that they could only be seen with difficulty, she stopped and pulled the gladiator to her, need and desire singing throug
h her veins like twin flames.
"Here?” His shock was in his voice.
"Yes. Right here. Please.” Collina pulled up her dress, exposing herself to him. “I want you.” She grabbed his hand and guided it to her wet and aching pussy. At the touch of his callused fingers on her tender parts, she groaned.
"Not so hard,” she whispered as he increased the pressure of his circling index finger. His touch became feather-light and she moaned again, seeking his mouth with hers, curling her leg around his thigh to give him the space he needed. His other hand fumbled at the neckline of her tunic, pulling at it until he'd exposed her breast. With a low, urgent moan he covered her nipple with his tongue, sucking and licking at her until she couldn't stand not having him inside of her for one more minute.
She hiked up his tunic and guided him to her slick opening. He was inside her in one quick thrust, filling her up with his thickness and length.
"Hold me,” he demanded. “Hold me tight."
And Collina did—her arms sliding around his neck, her legs gripping him about the hips so that he carried her weight, her pussy clenching his cock with each upward strike.
"Do you ... am I ... hurting you?” he grunted.
"No. Harder. Do it harder.” She wanted to feel his cock driving against her womb, his balls slapping against her pussy, their co-mingled wetness gurting between them.
Scipio did as he was bid, slamming himself into her, as she dug her nails into his back, thinking she could scream with pleasure. Intent on his pleasure, he lifted and lowered her unto him to meet his thrusts and she pressed herself against him as well she could, rubbing her clit on him, humming with joy. She had not had sex since she'd broken up with her last lover, had abstained, determined to choose more wisely the next time. Now here she was having sex with a man she barely knew in a place where they could be seen. The thought of being caught added to her pleasure. She almost wished someone would walk by and see them.
And then she forgot to think as Scipio's lovemaking caught her up in wave after wave of rapture, erasing all coherent thought and reducing her to pure melting joy.
