Free Passions of New Pompeii by Aubrey Ross Page B

“Mine.” The word escaped
with his breath.
    “Yes.”
    He hadn’t expected her to respond and her
acquiescence thrilled him. “Mine.” His tone was louder, more
forceful.
    “I am yours.” She smiled and tightened her
core around him. “And you are mine.”
    The unexpected exchange was too much. He
thrust his entire length into her and released his seed, shuddering
violently with each blissful spasm.
    He rested his forehead against hers and
closed his eyes, unwilling to separate their bodies. “I am sorry.
You should not be taken like this. I was rough and it was wrong
to—”
    “You didn’t do this to me, Theos. I
encouraged you every step of the way.”
    They both groaned as he lifted her off his
cock and set her on her feet. “Even so. I am not a very good
protector.”
    She chuckled and adjusted the fall of her
tunic. “You’ll do better next time.”
    He righted his clothes and led her from the
alley, pausing to make sure no one noticed their emergence. The
street was empty. The houses close together and unremarkable.
“Which way?”
    She shot him a playful smile. “I want to try
every way possible.”
    They continued down the street in
companionable silence, awareness flowing between them. Knowing she
wanted him as badly as he wanted her intoxicated and unnerved him. I am yours…and you are mine. Her words echoed through his
mind, keeping his desire smoldering.
    He was a slave! He had no claim to himself
much less anyone else. She found him amusing. If he allowed himself
to feel anything but lust for this woman, he was the worst kind of
fool, one who deluded himself.
    She turned down a side street and led him to
a house slightly offset from the others. It wasn’t as large as the
palatial villas perched on the hillsides, but it was inviting
nonetheless. The front door opened after a light beam passed over
her body. Her brother had a similar device separating the villa
from the ludus . Theos had always attributed the phenomenon
to Venus. Was it possible these wonders were nothing more than
“technology”?
    “Are you coming?” She tossed the question
over her shoulder as she moved farther into the interior of the
house.
    Trepidation stalled his steps and made his
heart pound. He didn’t sense danger or doom, more an overwhelming
impression that everything was about to change.
    She noticed his hesitation and turned around.
“Are you all right? There’s no one here but me, I promise.”
    He didn’t find her assurance comforting. His
world had been steadily unraveling ever since he was summoned to
her bed. She challenged his fundamental beliefs and promised
freedom, a concept he had all but abandoned in his youth. “I am
fine.” He made the assertion as much for himself as for her.
Straightening his shoulders, he took a deep breath and stepped into
her world.

Chapter Six

    The door closed behind Theos and Elaina
smiled. They were alone, truly alone for the first time. There was
no possibility of interruption and no overeager guards to
interfere. His stance was tense, his gaze watchful as he moved
farther into the room. They were still on his side of the barrier,
but they were one step closer to her world.
    She’d only glanced around and tossed her bag
on the bed when she’d checked in hours before. Though much smaller
than her brother’s villa, this house was every bit as lavish.
Sculpted marble and intricate mosaics, colorful wall murals and a
sunken tub. Running water and a high, curtained bed, the house
boasted all of the expected amenities.
    “If this is not about pleasure,” Theos
prompted, “why have you brought me here?”
    “Have you heard of the House of
Morpheus?”
    He shrugged, his gaze moving around the room
before returning to her face. “There are temples all over the city.
What is your interest in this one?”
    “It’s not a temple. I’m not even sure it’s a
physical place.”
    “Then how do you hope to find it?” He glanced
toward the covered window, obviously