collar, she
felt safe.
Ironically.
"Let me consider her price, Governor,"
he said finally. "I will give it some thought."
This, fortunately, seemed to placate
the other man and he turned his attention to the platter of fruit
and pastry.
Amanda looked at Marcus. If she wanted
to stay with him, she'd better please him. Instinct told her he
would be the kinder master of the two men.
For as long as she stayed in this
strange dream, of course.
Chapter Four
He was appalled by this turn of
events. While he had expected some interest from the governor, he
could not have predicted this much. Marcus could kick himself.
Should have hidden her away, not shown her off like that. But how
could he have known she would spark the dreary governor's erotic
fancies as much as she did his own? Gaius Damianus liked female
slaves and kept plenty, but he usually visited Marcus just to bore
him rigid with dull conversation. Had never looked twice at the
slaves the general kept. Never offered to trade any.
Before this.
Although he kept his expression bland,
inwardly Marcus cursed. That prideful side of his character—
something his madre had warned him about before— had bitten him in
the foot.
What was it about this particular
slave that caused two sensible, strong, practical men to behave
this way?
Abruptly realizing he'd been stroking
her leg, he stilled his hand. But try as he might, he couldn't
bring himself to remove it from her soft, smooth, warm
thigh.
She sat silent and subdued throughout
the remainder of the governor's visit and after the meal Marcus
took her to his bed.
"Sleep, Axa. I will not need you
further tonight." He padlocked her chain to the iron ring at the
foot of his bed, but she did not lie down demurely and close her
eyes. She stood looking at him boldly, questioningly. "What is it,
slave? Tonight I will allow you to ask me one more
question."
"Just one?" She folded her arms.
"Don't you think I might have more than one?"
"There is no reason for many
questions. I have explained your place here and who I am. You need
know nothing more."
"But I want to know more."
He sighed and turned to pour himself a
glass of wine from the jug by his bed. "Slaves, Axa, do not have
wants, other than the desire to please me. However," he took a
hearty gulp of wine, "you may ask your question, because then I
have some for you in return. Since you are not tired."
She blinked and relaxed her arms at
her sides. "Why did you risk making the governor angry?"
"Ah," he laughed softly, "that I
cannot answer. I wonder myself why I did that."
" Would you sell me to
him?"
He walked back to the bed and offered
her a drink from his cup. "That is two questions, Axa. I told
you—"
"But you didn't answer the
first!"
Marcus couldn't help but smile. He was
not going to answer her second either. Did he look like a
fool?
Frankly, he started to feel like one.
Mayhap he'd drunk too much wine.
He ran a finger slowly down the side
of her face. Her skin felt like the finest silk under the rough pad
of his fingertip. "I didn't say I'd answer, Axa. I said you may ask
me."
"That's. Not. Fair." She shook her
head at the wine, so he finished it. Then he put his hand under her
chin and raised her sulky lips to his mouth.
"Time to kiss your master," he
whispered. He needed it suddenly. He needed it as a drowning man
needed air.
"While I still belong to you?" she
asked archly. "Before you cast me aside for one of the other slave
girls."
That made him scowl. She slyly fished
for this assurance, and he would not fill her net, because if he
did it would go to her head and make her even more proud, which was
never a good thing in a slave. Besides, it was very unlike him to
feel this attachment to a female slave, let alone one he had only
just acquired. "I haven't even had you yet, woman, but don't try
your luck with me, or I'll send you to him now."
Here came one of those gusty sighs
again and the rolling of the green eyes. He almost knew to
felt safe.
Ironically.
"Let me consider her price, Governor,"
he said finally. "I will give it some thought."
This, fortunately, seemed to placate
the other man and he turned his attention to the platter of fruit
and pastry.
Amanda looked at Marcus. If she wanted
to stay with him, she'd better please him. Instinct told her he
would be the kinder master of the two men.
For as long as she stayed in this
strange dream, of course.
Chapter Four
He was appalled by this turn of
events. While he had expected some interest from the governor, he
could not have predicted this much. Marcus could kick himself.
Should have hidden her away, not shown her off like that. But how
could he have known she would spark the dreary governor's erotic
fancies as much as she did his own? Gaius Damianus liked female
slaves and kept plenty, but he usually visited Marcus just to bore
him rigid with dull conversation. Had never looked twice at the
slaves the general kept. Never offered to trade any.
Before this.
Although he kept his expression bland,
inwardly Marcus cursed. That prideful side of his character—
something his madre had warned him about before— had bitten him in
the foot.
What was it about this particular
slave that caused two sensible, strong, practical men to behave
this way?
Abruptly realizing he'd been stroking
her leg, he stilled his hand. But try as he might, he couldn't
bring himself to remove it from her soft, smooth, warm
thigh.
She sat silent and subdued throughout
the remainder of the governor's visit and after the meal Marcus
took her to his bed.
"Sleep, Axa. I will not need you
further tonight." He padlocked her chain to the iron ring at the
foot of his bed, but she did not lie down demurely and close her
eyes. She stood looking at him boldly, questioningly. "What is it,
slave? Tonight I will allow you to ask me one more
question."
"Just one?" She folded her arms.
"Don't you think I might have more than one?"
"There is no reason for many
questions. I have explained your place here and who I am. You need
know nothing more."
"But I want to know more."
He sighed and turned to pour himself a
glass of wine from the jug by his bed. "Slaves, Axa, do not have
wants, other than the desire to please me. However," he took a
hearty gulp of wine, "you may ask your question, because then I
have some for you in return. Since you are not tired."
She blinked and relaxed her arms at
her sides. "Why did you risk making the governor angry?"
"Ah," he laughed softly, "that I
cannot answer. I wonder myself why I did that."
" Would you sell me to
him?"
He walked back to the bed and offered
her a drink from his cup. "That is two questions, Axa. I told
you—"
"But you didn't answer the
first!"
Marcus couldn't help but smile. He was
not going to answer her second either. Did he look like a
fool?
Frankly, he started to feel like one.
Mayhap he'd drunk too much wine.
He ran a finger slowly down the side
of her face. Her skin felt like the finest silk under the rough pad
of his fingertip. "I didn't say I'd answer, Axa. I said you may ask
me."
"That's. Not. Fair." She shook her
head at the wine, so he finished it. Then he put his hand under her
chin and raised her sulky lips to his mouth.
"Time to kiss your master," he
whispered. He needed it suddenly. He needed it as a drowning man
needed air.
"While I still belong to you?" she
asked archly. "Before you cast me aside for one of the other slave
girls."
That made him scowl. She slyly fished
for this assurance, and he would not fill her net, because if he
did it would go to her head and make her even more proud, which was
never a good thing in a slave. Besides, it was very unlike him to
feel this attachment to a female slave, let alone one he had only
just acquired. "I haven't even had you yet, woman, but don't try
your luck with me, or I'll send you to him now."
Here came one of those gusty sighs
again and the rolling of the green eyes. He almost knew to
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