When the moment had passed, and they’d cleaned themselves up, she settled into the crook of his arm, her heart filled with love, the happy rush of the afterglow still flowing through her. It was late afternoon outside, and the sounds of people coming and going began to reassert itself. There was a mellow character to the hum, or perhaps that was only her….
But then she realised. She half sat up, her face turning red.
‘Everyone must’ve heard us!’
He opened one eye and gave her a lazy, lop-sided smile.
‘Yes; but don’t worry. It’s not unusual to hear such things in camp.’
The crushing thought of him with other women returned to her then, and she buried her face in his shoulder, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
He asked gently, ‘Why are you hiding your face?’
She couldn’t reply; she didn’t want to lie to him, but she didn’t want to know if her fears were true.
He propped himself up on one elbow shifting so that she had to raise her head. He captured her chin, gently bringing them eye to eye.
‘If you’re thinking that I did that, set your mind at ease.’ She searched his face then, but saw that he was in earnest. ‘I mean it. I didn’t lay with any other woman. My love for you won’t allow it.’ He kissed her sweetly on the lips.
‘You swear?’
‘On any, and every, god in this world.’ He paused a moment before saying with a crooked smile, ‘I’d sooner throw myself in the Tiber.’
She smiled at that, and kissed him.
‘That being said, I did often find a quiet place…’ He began to kiss her neck, saying in between the light, suggestive kisses, ‘… where, with my memories of you, I serviced myself…’ He shifted a little, taking one of her nipples between his lips and tenderly teased it. ‘I imagined you, vividly…’ he said, releasing it once more, before shifting above her so he could trail kisses across her stomach. ‘Your sweet, green eyes, so full of love for me, your perfect body, your curves…’ He settled his face between her legs then, kissing her inner thighs, one then the other. ‘I thought of you taking me into yourself, of riding me….’ His tongue darted against her with quick strokes, making her gasp softly, before he paused, hovering above her womanhood teasingly, his eyes shining up at her. ‘Tell me, sweet Laelia — did you think of me, when you pleasured yourself?’
She let her eyes fall closed as she tangled her fingers gently in his hair.
‘Sometimes,’ she teased, and gasped as he nipped her inner thigh, making her giggle, before he drove laughter from her mind.
‘Tell me what you thought of,’ he asked, his voice full of heat, her back arching.
‘I thought of you,’ she said in a half-moan, ‘like this, between my legs, the warmth of your mouth on me, teasing me, withholding from me….’ He sucked at her gently then, sending hot waves of pleasure washing over her, making it impossible for her to say more.
He paused again as she drew close to the edge, and asked thickly, ‘And then?’
She groaned. ‘Then I’d think of you, slipping your fingers into me…’
He followed her instructions, touching the place he knew she liked to be touched, while sucking her at the same time.
With a cry, her back arched, she felt the world dissolve, awash with bliss.
He settled beside her, pulling her willingly into his arms, kissing her softly on her forehead, her eyelids, her cheeks, while she clung to him, a beatific smile curving her lips.
He chuckled. ‘Are you alright?’
She sighed, snuggling closer. With intensity, she said, ‘I’m more than alright.’
He chuckled, smoothing her hair before kissing her softly again. ‘You’re my beautiful Laelia, for always.’
‘Alright,’ she said sleepily, blissfully. ‘If you’ll always be my Lucius in return.’
‘It’s a deal.’
The following morning, just before dawn, as the sky began to lighten and Lucius could again see around the tent, he woke Laelia with soft kisses to her lips.
She opened her eyes reluctantly. ‘It’s not time to get up yet, is it?’
‘It is, my love. My tentmates will be back at dawn, and the sky grows pink, even now. I didn’t think you’d like to be seen in this state of undress; though I’d happily keep you like this forever, if I could.’
She smiled, but roused herself, climbing from the bed. He laid back, watching her regretfully. She knew he was looking, and with a renewed sense of power over him, she leant down to pick up her palla, and daring bent down as she stepped into it.
‘Could you help me with the pins?’ she asked, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, seeing that he was already growing hard again.
He came to help, gently inserting the brooches, one after the other, catching them closed. He picked up her belt, and helped her wrap it around herself, allowing his hands to linger on her hips.
He leant over and kissed her neck, then on the lips, pressing himself into her once more.
She broke the kiss, saying laughingly, ‘I have to go. It’s already dawn.’
He caught her hand just as she was about to step out into the morning. His face was taut with emotion, but he said ruefully, ‘It won’t be much longer before we can enter the city. I’ll ache for you constantly until then.’
She smiled softly up at him. ‘I’ll be waiting.’