Free Ancient Ties by Jane Leopold Quinn Page A

but dead.”
    Venus fell back in her throne and turned her face away from Mars. Resting her chin on her hand, elbow on the arm of the throne, she looked off into the clouds as if she hadn’t a care in the world. Damned if she’d give her thunderous, ruthless husband the attention he craved.
    Mars snarled into the lovely, shell-like ear she presented to him, “Your dear Marek is in lust. Love is a waste of time for a warrior. I will not allow it.”
    Her teeth clenched, she said quietly and calmly, “You do not have any say in this matter. He is mine. You have agreed to it. Love rules Marek Benin now.”

    I don’t belong here. As beautiful and fascinating as it is, it’s not my world. Janney fumed as she stalked back into the haven of the undressing room. He made that abundantly clear. How dare he bare his teeth at me, his eyes all over me? He wanted to see my body. Well, he saw me. And, he laughed! What’s so funny? My body’s not perfect, I

     

     
    know that, but he didn’t have to humiliate me like that. My tummy’s not flat, and my thighs could be thinner, but they aren’t all that bad.
    She swiped away a couple of tears before they trickled down her cheeks.
     
    Bastard! Who the hell does he think he is? Just because he has the body of a Greek god. Crap. No, a Roman god. Why would he want me anyway when he can have what’s-her-name in the baths? A man like him, he’s probably had women all over the world. Probably most of them are here today. I’d just be one more notch on his sword belt! Arghh!
    Moments after Janney stomped out of the baths, Augusta bustled in, clucking and fussing over her. Janney tried to push the man out of her mind.
    The ass! It was as if the water had foamed around him, boiling hotter as he came near her.
    “Are you all right, dear? You left in such a hurry.” Augusta handed her a length of drying cloth.
    “Yes. I’m fine.” Janney spoke through clenched teeth, absently rubbing the cloth over her skin. At the end of their relationship, Ed had accused her of being asexual. He’d claimed they’d become more like brother and sister by that point. She’d been so flabbergasted and had no answer to that. He was probably right.
    Ha! I sure don’t feel very sisterly about Marek.
    Janney sniffled again, brushing her forefinger under her nose. At no time when she looked at or thought of him, did she think of him as a brother.
    “Did Marek say something to upset you?”
    “What?” Janney turned to Augusta. Her mind had started to wander from her anger.
    “You two were talking, and then, all of a sudden you left.
    Did he say something?”
    “Mmm.” Janney lowered herself to a wooden bench. Did he say something? Oh, it wasn’t what he’d said, was it? She squeezed her eyes shut trying to get the picture of him out of her mind.
     

     
    Gawd, he stood there at the side of the pool and looked like sex on the hoof. Hotter than any beefcake calendar guy I’ve ever seen. One hundred percent all man.
    Being in the baths with him, the heated water lapping gently against her skin, tickling, surging, she’d wanted more than anything on earth to press her soft parts against his hard male parts. Wanted to rub her nipples over his chest. To tease him.
    Watch his eyes widen with surprise; his lips open with desire.
    She’d wanted to feel his rock hard cock pressed into her stomach.
    Damn him. She craved to explore his body, to slide her fingers around him. Around every huge, long, thick, exciting inch of him.
    God, I want him bad.
    Then he’d held out his hand. She’d almost gone to him.
    Thank God, she didn’t. He was a bastard for laughing at her. He knew she was all alone here in this time, and she needed a friend.
    He’d hurt her feelings.
    Dammit. I hate him.
    I have to get out of here and back to my own time. Please, God, help me. Was God even listening?

    On the ride back to the villa, Janney refused to speak to him or even acknowledge his existence. In case no one understood