Page 31 of Thawed Gladiator: Varro

Her awareness dawns as her mouth pops open to a little O.

“I’ve been taken as well as been forced to take others in front of an audience since I was twelve. I don’t understand embarrassment.”

“Oh. Sorry. I… thought you were being extremely rude. Disrespectful.”

“No. For me, this is normal behavior. But although I don’t understand your emotions, Laura, I honor them. I will not do it in front of you again if that is your wish.”

“You’re a good man, Varro.”

This astounds me. I thought she was angry.

“We’re from two different worlds, but we’re both trying.” She heaves out a relieved sigh. “This is going to work.” She’s nodding, as though the more weight she gives her statement, the more likely it is to be true.

Her wide smile is like a ray of sunshine on a dark winter’s day, making me realize this relationship is unlike any other I’ve had. Even Decimus, my protector and lover of five years in my firstludus, never talked with me like this, never shared or spoke of feelings, never wanted much more than the solace of being filled and a body to touch during lonely nights.

I like the connection Laura and I are forging.

Then it strikes me. She just said, “This is going to work,” but what, I wonder, is “this”?

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Laura

Our little misunderstanding is now in our rearview mirror as we prepare to go to the cottage, which I calculate is about half a mile away. The solar-powered UTV in the main tent has a front bench seat and a flat back area for hauling things. It also has a winch. It should help get all our worldly goods to the cottage when it’s habitable. In the meantime, it will be invaluable in gathering supplies for the thatched roof. I can’t wait for Varro to see it in action. I imagine it will blow his mind.

As I load the toolbox and other supplies, Varro is poking around Tony’s mech area.

“What are you looking for?”

“I’ll need something to use as a scythe to thresh the long, dried grasses.”

As I watch, he actually dares to put his mitts on one of the metal fenders as though he would yank it off!

“A, this girl’s name is Jenny.” I pat her hood as though she’s a long, lost friend. “You do not use her for spare parts.” I slant him a mock-disgusted look. His playful, who-me expression tells meall I need to know that our earlier misunderstanding is behind us. “And B, I have just the thing.”

I trot to our room and move the mattress off the frame. It’s where I stashed not only the original sword we found a mile from where we eventually located theFortuna, but where I put the dozen coins I managed to snag in the confusion on the fateful day we found the gold—and I was abandoned.

Varro follows me to our room, where I pull off my mattress and unearth the sword.

When he gasps, then murmurs, “Invictus,” I have a pretty good idea who this bad boy originally belonged to, but I watch as he takes it from me as though it were the holy grail.

“This wasgivento me by a… patron.” The way he ground out the wordgivenmakes me think of exactly the type of things he had to do to earn the “gift.” “Where…?”

“We found it about a mile from here. It’s when I knew for certain we were close to finding theFortuna.”

He’s turning the sword over in his hands with such awe and affection it’s as though he doesn’t notice what terrible shape the thing is in. The blade, though probably once shiny, is dull and covered in barnacles.

“I hate to use her when she’s in such poor shape, but I will. At night, I’ll restore her. She saved my life more than once.”

He has what I’d almost call a besotted look on his face. It only serves to remind me of how my feelings for this man are growing every day. The day we met, I never dreamed I’d see the softer side of this scarred ancient gladiator.

Soon, we approach Jenny. Varro’s clutching Invictus, which is now almost an extension of his arm.

He’s standing beside me as I sit in the driver’s seat and start up the engine. Being electric, it’s not loud, but it still grunts and hums, vibrating the ground under our feet. Varro lets out a curse,drops his sword, reaches in, grabs me around the waist, pulls me out of the machine, and tucks me under his arm like a handbag.

“You’ve angered it!” he says, rapidly backing away from Jenny.

“I haven’t…” I struggle to get my words out while I twist so my face isn’t in his ass. “You can put me down now that you have saved me from the Chimera.”

---