Page 75 of House of Serpents and Slaves
I crawled back up her body, pressing soft kisses to her heated skin as I went. When I reached her lips, she pulled me into a deep, hungry kiss, tasting herself on my tongue. Her legs wrapped around me, pulling my hard cock against her soaking pussy and I groaned, rubbing myself against her.
“Marcus, please,” she begged.
I reached down, wrapping my hand round my cock so I could guide myself inside her. The feeling was indescribable - hot, tight, perfect. I had to pause halfway, overwhelmed by sensation and emotion. Livia's eyes were locked on mine, filled with trust and desire.
"You feel amazing," I murmured, pressing my forehead to hers.
She lifted her hips, taking me deeper with a soft moan. I slid the rest of the way in, sheathed fully inside her. We stayed like that for a long moment, joined as closely as two people could be, breathing each other in.
Then I began to move, drawing out slowly before pushing back in. Livia's legs wrapped around my waist, urging me deeper. I kept my pace slow and steady, wanting to savor every moment, every sensation.
Her hands roamed my back, tracing the scars there, mapping the muscles as they flexed with each thrust. I kissed along her jaw, down her neck, tasting the salt of her skin.
"Marcus," she gasped as I hit a particularly sensitive spot. "Oh gods, right there."
I angled my hips to hit that spot again and again, drinking in her little cries of pleasure. Her nails dug into my shoulders asher hips raised to meet mine. The friction was exquisite, sending waves of pleasure through my body with each stroke.
"Gods, Livia," I groaned. "You feel incredible."
I picked up the pace, driving into her harder and faster. The sound of our bodies coming together echoed off the arena walls, mingling with our gasps and cries of pleasure. Livia's back arched as I thrust deeper, her breasts pressing against my chest. I captured her lips in a searing kiss, swallowing her moans as I drove into her. My hand slid between us, finding that sensitive bundle of nerves and circling it with my thumb.
"Marcus!" she cried out, her voice echoing off the stone walls. "Oh gods, don't stop!"
I could feel her tightening around me, her inner walls fluttering as she neared her peak. I redoubled my efforts, determined to send her over the edge.
"Come for me, Livia," I growled against her ear. "Let me feel you."
With a keening cry, she shattered beneath me. Her body went as taut as a bowstring, then trembled violently as waves of pleasure crashed over her. The feeling of her pulsing around me was exquisite, pushing me closer to my own release. I drove into her faster, chasing my own pleasure.
"Livia," I groaned, burying my face in her neck. "My Livia..."
With a final thrust, I tumbled over the edge, pleasure crashing over me in waves as I spilled myself deep inside her. We clung to each other, trembling and gasping as the aftershocks rolled through us.
As our breathing slowly returned to normal, I lifted my head to look at her. Her eyes were soft, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. I brushed a strand of sweat-dampened hair from her forehead.
"Are you alright?" I asked softly.
She nodded, pulling me down for a tender kiss. "More than alright," she murmured against my lips.
I rolled to the side, gathering her against my chest. She curled into me with a contented sigh, her head tucked under my chin. I ran my fingers through her hair, marveling at its softness.
"That was..." she trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words.
"Perfect," I finished for her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. And it had been - more than perfect. Every touch, every kiss, every shared breath had felt like coming home to a place I hadn't known I was searching for.
Joy bubbled up in my chest, pure and overwhelming. I'd never felt anything like this before, never known it was possible to feel so much for another person. The tournament seemed like a mere formality now - of course we would win. How could we not, with this much to fight for? And then I'd take her away from this place, somewhere we could be together properly, somewhere I could wake up to her smile every morning and fall asleep with her in my arms every night.
I pulled her closer, breathing in the scent of her hair, committing every detail of this moment to memory. The weight of her against me, the sound of her steady breathing, the way her fingers had stilled on my chest as sleep began to claim her. This was just the beginning, I thought, my heart so full it felt like it might burst. We had our whole lives ahead of us, countless nights like this one stretching out before us like the stars overhead.
For the first time in years - maybe the first time in my life - I felt completely, perfectly happy. A real, free life stretched out before me and the whole world lay in my arms.
23
Ihadn't meant to eavesdrop. I was just heading to the equipment room to check on a broken sword strap when I heard Marcus' voice drifting from Drusus' office. Something in his tone made me pause in the shadows of the corridor.
"Tarshi's back in training," Marcus was saying. "The wounds are healing well enough. He can still barely move after a full session, but he's pushing through the pain. He'll be ready for the tournament."
"The Talfen? He'd better be," Drusus' voice was sharp. "That flogging was meant to motivate him, not break him. ThoughI must say, watching the skin split beneath the whip certainly motivated the others, didn't it?" He laughed, a sound devoid of any real humor. "Nothing like a public punishment to remind them all of their place."
