There was a delicious ache throbbing from deep within her body. It was almost as though she could feel the blood as it pumped through her veins. The feeling was exquisite and Marie prayed that it would never end. She longed to feel such reminders of Logan’s presence within her body.
For the moment, there was the comforting weight of his head resting against her breast. The rest of his body was clutching protectively at her even as he slept. One of his arms was resting under her head while its companion was wrapped around her waist. Even his lower body was guarding hers as he slept with one leg curled over hers. In all her life, Marie had never felt so safe or protected.
“I would that I could keep you safe for all eternity,” Marie murmured as she ran a hand up and down his back, tracing the indents of muscles with her index finger. With her other hand, Marie gently smoothed a few stray tendrils of hair from his face. “We would forever be as safe as we are now.”
Marie felt Logan stir, moaning softly as he freed himself from Morpheus’ grasp. Marie kept up the soothing motions of her hands, wanting to keep Logan as relaxed as possible. He needed as much rest as he could get to prepare for the events of the coming day. Even though she hadn’t seen him in almost three days, she knew that the man Flavius had hired was working Logan extremely hard. If the bruises and countless minor lacerations on his body weren’t proof enough, his raw and scraped hands were.
The first night that he had touched her, Logan’s hands had been magnificent. They were tough and callused, true enough, but his hands themselves were a glorious tanned hue without a single blemish. Now, after numerous hours of practice, Logan’s palms had been rubbed raw by the unflexible metal and his knuckles were bruised and swollen. The full weight of every impact made with the specially designed weapons was borne by his tender knuckles.
“Sleep, my love,” Marie whispered, hugging Logan closer at the moment he seemed ready to wake. “You need your rest.”
“As my... as my goddess commands,” Logan mumbled, still mostly asleep.
Wanting him to stay asleep, Marie remained completely silent, stalling even the movements of her hands. For a few minutes, it seemed as though Logan was once again in a deep sleep. Then, to Marie’s complete surprise, Logan rolled over so that he was once again nestled between her thighs. Marie wasn’t sure whether he was awake or asleep. Logan’s eyes were closed and his breathing was still deep and even, but he had also pushed himself up on his elbows and was slowly easing himself back into her body. Marie couldn’t contain a gasp as Logan was once again fully sheathed within her.
Logan’s movements weren’t rushed as he languidly thrust his hips against hers. Marie felt as though she were dreaming herself as she felt her body climbing higher and higher to the same peak it had reached earlier. Cupping his face gently in her hands, Marie guided Logan’s lips towards her own. She kissed him softly, her lips as unobtrusive as his movements within her.
All too soon, Marie felt the shattering release and fell back against the cushions as though every bone in her body was suddenly missing. Seconds later, Marie felt a warm gush of fluid within her as Logan reached his own climax. He hovered above her, trembling, until Marie gently coaxed him down on top of her. Marie cradled him within her arms and within her body, keeping him safe for the moment.
“I plan on keeping this night in my mind tomorrow,” Logan mumbled against her throat a few minutes later. “I will keep this memory within easy reach so that I can remind myself of what I have waiting for me outside the arena and why I need to survive.”
“And you will survive,” Marie declared tenderly as she smoothed his damp hair away from his forehead. “This time tomorrow we shall be far away from Rome. We will both be free.”
Logan yawned and squeezed Marie tighter. “We are free now.”
“Yes we are,” Marie quietly agreed. She didn’t have the heart to remind him of the metal collar around his throat or of the thick chain that was attached to it. A chain that was currently an all too present object as part of it brushed against her shoulder. Instead, Marie pressed a kiss against his temple and hugged him tighter. “I want you to sleep now, Logan. Just sleep....”
A few minutes later, Logan’s breathing was once again deep and even as he succumbed once again to Morpheus’ call. Marie wasn’t long to follow him. Enveloped in Logan’s arms, Marie relaxed completely and soon joined him in sleep. Into probably the best sleep she had ever had.
“.... Mistress, please....”
Marie moaned slightly at the sound of the voice interrupting her perfect sleep.
“Mistress, it’s only a few hours till sunrise.”
Marie whimpered, squeezing Logan tightly. She didn’t want to wake up. She wanted to sleep. With Logan. Forever.
“Mistress, you need to get home before your father wakes up,” Jubilation pleaded, gently shaking her shoulder.
“No....” Marie moaned, burying her face against Logan’s hair. “I want to stay here.”
“I am sorry, Mistress, but you can not,” Jubilation told her, the ensuing clattering sound indicating that she was moving the tray with the wine and fruits that Marie had entirely forgotten about.
Heaving a great sigh, Marie forced her eyes to open. The first thing Marie saw was Logan’s face as he slept peacefully within the circle of her arms. Elsewhere in the small room, Jubilation was gathering her costume together so that she would be able to wear it home.
“Logan.... Logan, I need you to wake up,” Marie called softly, gently shaking his shoulder. Marie wanted him so be awake when she left so that he wouldn’t awaken to an empty bed in the morning. “Logan, please....”
After a few minutes, Logan began to stir into wakefulness. He blinked owlishly a few times before raising himself up on his elbows. Logan grinned lazily at her and leaned over to capture her lips with his own. Marie moaned into his mouth and automatically slipped her fingers into his hair.
Apparently not having noticed Jubilation, Logan soon began trailing kisses down the side of her throat. Marie could only whimper as she attempted to pry Logan’s attention away from her throat.
“Logan.... Logan, I have to leave now,” Marie murmured as she eased Logan’s face back towards hers. She pressed a kiss to his forehead before meeting his eyes. “Logan, I have to go. It’s going to be dawn soon and I have to be home when my father awakens.”
Even though Logan was trying his best not to react, Marie could see the pain in his eyes. He let out a deep sigh and ran his fingers through her hair. “I managed to forget that our time is not our own.”
Marie smiled reassuringly and reached a hand out to smooth his hair away from his face. “I know, my love. Soon, though. That will all end tonight. After tonight no one will be able to tell us what to do.”
That got a smile out of Logan. “I like the sound of that. And I am going to hold you to it.”
“Then I will see you tonight after you beat Vittorio,” Marie murmured, kissing him lightly. “And you will. I won’t stand for anything less.”
Logan kissed her again. “How will I get out of the arena? I will not be allowed to just walk out.”
“A man named Reynaldo will bring you to the gates,” Marie told him hurriedly as she slid out from under him. “Trust him and no one else. He will also have a package waiting for you just before you go in to compete.”
Logan sat up as well, reaching for her and pulled her close so that she was straddling his lap. “How do you know he isn’t going to betray you? You can’t be sure. I won’t let you do anything that could get you hurt. Not even if it means my freedom.”
“Reynaldo is a good man,” Marie assured him, cupping his cheeks. “He wouldn’t betray me. You can trust him, Logan. I promise. There is no way I would do anything to jeopardize what is going to happen tonight. Not a thing.”
Logan ran his hands up and down her back, nodding his head slightly. “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to trust him, but I will do what he needs me to so long as it means I am with you when it is all over.”
“We will be,” Marie promised him, pulling him close for one final embrace. “But for now I have to go. I have to go and make sure that everything happens like it’s supposed to. And since you beating Vittorio is a very big part of what needs to happen, I want you to sleep and get as much rest as possible. Can you do that for me?”
Logan pressed a kiss against her shoulder and nodded his head. “Aye.... Aye, I can. And I will win. You can count on that.”
“I already was,” Marie said with a broad grin as she slipped out of his arms.
Momentarily forgetting Jubilation’s presence, Marie began searching for her costume only to have it thrust through the curtain covering the doorway. Marie quickly pulled it on along with her boots which Jubilation handed to her a few moments later. Once she had gotten dressed, though, Marie found it impossible to actually leave the room.
Leave Logan.
“Mistress, please. We have to leave,” Jubilation called softly from the garden.
“All... all right,” Marie murmured, sliding a hand along Logan’s cheek. She bit back a sob as he placed his hand over top of hers. “You had better be there when I come for you tonight,” Marie ordered, her voice catching towards the end.
Logan held her hand lightly in his own and pressed a tender kiss against her palm. “The gods themselves won’t be able to keep me away.”
With a jerky nod, Marie brushed the tears from her cheeks with her free hand. She sucked in her bottom lip, whimpering softly, as she finally worked up the determination to leave the room. Marie kept Logan’s hand in her as long as possible as she rose slowly to her feet.
“It will only be until tonight,” Marie declared, more for herself than Logan as their hands finally drifted apart and she stepped out into the garden.
Before the curtain fell back across the entrance, Marie caught sight of Logan’s face a final time. Her right hand flew to her mouth to muffle any sound as she watched Logan squeeze his eyes shut and saw the tear sliding down his cheek. He lifted his hands to cover his face and then the curtain fell down, hiding him from her view.
As Marie stood in the garden, sobbing silently, Jubilation came up behind her and wrapped a heavy cloak about her shoulders. “You will be together again tonight,” Jubilation assured her as she guided her from the garden and out into the crowded streets. Even at the late hour, people were still wandering the city in groups as they indulged in pleasures that were avoided the rest of the year. “The gods will not separate you so soon.”
Marie turned to face the other woman, unmindful of the tears that stained her cheeks. “I am just terrified that I will never be able to hold him again. I do not want that night to be our only night together. I want more than that single night.”
“And you shall, Mistress. You will have every night for the rest of your lives. This is but your first,” Jubilation said as she steered Marie through a crowd of drunken performers. “At this time tomorrow, your brave warrior will be safe within your arms. You will hold him close and feel his heartbeat as you lay your head upon his chest. All will be well, Mistress. I am sure of it.”
In that moment, Marie was sure of it as well. She could clearly envision to scene that Jubilation had described and vowed to see it happen. Banishing all evil thoughts from her mind, Marie held her head up as they walked along the narrow streets that would eventually lead them to the villa that would only be home for a few more hours.
Come nightfall, home would be wherever she and Logan were.