Читать книгу The Roman’s Revenge - Caroline Storer - Страница 11

“What is it? A fort?”

Metellus didn’t look away from the awesome sight before them, but shook his head at Livia’s questions. “I’m not sure,” he said slowly, “If it is a fort, it’s one I’ve never seen the likes of before. For a start it’s only got one wall,” he said nodding to the wooden structure – complete with parapet walls and a watchtower - which acted as some sort of barrier. It was about ten feet high and had a massive door in it. But as a defence it was worthless, because it was only one sided. The rest of the settlement was open, and he could see a myriad of huts and buildings behind it. He also saw people rushing about, shouting at each other. And if he was correct, they were shouting about them!

He knew they had been seen, as heads had popped up on the parapet wall with regular frequency only to disappear back down quickly. He could hear them shouting in Greek, which made his earlier comment about them being on one of the many small Greek islands probably correct.

Although his stomach had clenched when he had first seen the fort, he had also been relieved. Relieved, that at last there was the firm possibility of their survival now. A fort, or whatever it was, must have food and water. All he needed to do was convince whoever lived in there that they posed no danger to them, and the only way to do that was to go and speak with them.

Turning to Livia, he said, “I want you to stay here. Don’t leave this spot until I come back.” Then he took off the red cloak and handed it to Livia before unstrapping the sword and passing it over to her.

“Shouldn’t…shouldn’t you take the sword?” she whispered, “For protection…they might be hostile.”

Metellus shook his head. “I don’t want to inflame their anger by turning up dressed like a Roman soldier. It might send out the wrong message.”

Seeing her mouth open, in what he knew was going to be a protest, he lifted a finger and placed it on her lips, his eyes pleading, “No arguing, Livia. Please.”

Livia’s mouth snapped shut, and he saw the flare of surprise widen her expressive eyes. She said nothing as she stared up at him, and he nodded his head before turning away from her and walking towards the fort.

“Metellus!”

He turned his head to look back at her, his eyes questioning, as he watched in surprised fascination, colour stain her cheeks as if she had somehow regretted shouting after him. Then, before he could ask her what was wrong, she whispered, “Be careful.”

Livia felt her cheeks heat in embarrassment, as Metellus stared at her from unblinking eyes. In an instant she regretted her words, and she stiffened expecting him to say something derogatory.

Instead he said nothing, but he did give a slight nod before he turned and carried on walking towards the fort. Livia dragged in a ragged breath, her stomach quivering as her gaze fixed on the broad expanse of his back as he walked away. Hades, the man made her say, and do things, she never thought capable of.

And all because he had kissed her. Her life in Rome had been so ordered. So boring. She had kept a tight rein on her emotions for years, and did so because it acted as a shield against the struggle of her life. A life dictated by the orders and whims of her father, and her brother, ever since she had been born.

And now? Now it seemed different, as if her struggle for survival, and the feelings she had for Metellus were compelling her to fight for what she wanted. Freedom. Freedom to be the person she really was. And being shipwrecked on this island had finally given her what she had wanted. Here, she was her own person. Able to think, and do, what she pleased, as if she were a bird that had been released from its gilded cage.

But could one kiss really mean anything? It had for her, of that there was no doubt. But as for Metellus, she knew he’d regretted it – it was why he’d kept his distance ever since.

Sighing, she shook her fanciful musings away and concentrated on the present.

As she watched Metellus approach the door to the fort, she couldn’t help but wonder who would choose to live on such an island and why. The three days they’d spent travelling had revealed nothing spectacular about the island at all. Just endless sand, trees, and now rocks.

Her thoughts were cut short when she saw Metellus stop abruptly as he approached the gate. It was obvious he had been ordered to stop by whoever had spoken out of the small spy-hole which had been opened in the wooden door. She tilted her head, trying to make out the words being exchanged between Metellus, and the unseen person behind the door.

She realised she was too far away to hear anything, but then she saw Metellus nod, before he turned his head and looked towards some hills located to the rear of the fort. Livia looked over to the hills as well, squinting against the bright sunlight reflecting off the rocks, trying to make out what he was looking at. But she couldn’t see anything, only the vast expanse of barren rock.

For several more minutes she watched as Metellus communicated with the unseen person, nodding every now and again, until he eventually turned and walked back towards her, his face grim. Livia’s stomach dropped when she saw the dark expression on his face. It didn’t bode well for them, if the look on his face was anything to go by, and she had to quell the anxiety which assailed her when he approached her once more. “Will they give us shelter in the fort?”

“No-”

“But why?” She exclaimed interrupting him, her voice rising with hysteria, unable to grasp the fact they might die here, right in front of them. She felt tears well up in her eyes at the injustice of it all, “We are no threat to them.”

Metellus sighed, rubbing a hand across the back of his neck, the deep lines of fatigue etched on his face making him appear older. “Aye, you are right. We are not a threat. But they are.”

Livia frowned in confusion, but before she could ask what he meant, Metellus continued, his voice calm, collected, “It is a leper colony, Livia. They have set up the colony as a way of trying to live a normal life amongst themselves, and away from a society which shuns them as unclean. One of the lepers is the son of a rich Greek merchant, and he has paid for this colony to be built.”

Livia gasped, her eyes snapping back to the fort, as a feeling of compassion came over her. “There are many inside?” She whispered, after a long silence had fallen between them.

Metellus nodded. “Yes, a virtual community. All ages apparently.” Like hers, his voice was soft, as he answered her question, as if he too, couldn’t quite believe what they were seeing.

“Oh those poor people – to be trapped here for all eternity.”

After a few moments of silence she once again turned back to face Metellus. He was staring down at her with a brooding expression in his eyes, and she froze, unable to look away. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw his head lower towards her and her belly clenched with a sudden longing. She wanted him to kiss her, wanted to feel the coolness of his lips against hers once more. And, as if he could read her mind, she saw his grey eyes blaze into life like molten metal as they burned into hers. The air around them felt charged, like it did before a lightning storm and Livia knew he wanted her. Desired her as much as she desired him.

But he also hated her, she knew that the instant he stopped moving closer to her, a hairsbreadth from touching her lips. She watched as he fought the internal battle he waged with himself, and she had to fight the urge to lift her hand and pull him closer so he had no choice but to kiss her.

But she didn’t. Because she knew that she, and her family were his enemy, and that was enough to stop him in his tracts. And when she saw the blaze of desire leave his eyes she knew she had lost him. His head jerked back as if she’d slapped him, before he broke eye contact with her and bent down and retrieve one of the sacks holding their supplies.

“They have been kind to us, though,” he said, his voice firm, in control once more as he looked back to the leper colony avoiding eye contact with her. “We are promised shelter, food and water. There is a cave in the hills behind the fort. It is for the crew of the ship that comes with their supplies. It is kept well stocked in case the ship cannot set sail for some reason. There is a well nearby, and the elder of the colony will provide us with some food. We are to come back later this evening for our supplies.”

Livia took in all he was saying, but her brain registered the most important fact, and she asked, her voice full of hope, “A ship? When will it arrive? Will we be able to leave on it?”

“Umm. You are very astute Livia Drusus,” Metellus said, a small smile pulling at his lips. “There will indeed be a ship arriving, in about three weeks’ time, or even earlier by all accounts. All we need to do is tolerate each other until then, and with luck on our side we will be rescued soon. The leader of the colony will speak to the captain when the ship arrives, telling him we are shipwreck survivors. We need to stay away from the colony so the captain will have no cause to refuse us safe passage.”

Three weeks! How on earth was she going to survive being in such close proximity to Metellus for three whole weeks? He, she noticed with a twist of her full mouth, was preparing a fire in a stone fire pit outside the cave entrance without a care in the world, and didn’t seem too bothered by the fact they were going to be in each other’s company for such a long time.

She, on the other hand, was a mass of seething emotions. She couldn’t seem to forget his kiss, the touch of his fingers on her skin, or the way he seemed to look at her as if he could reach inside her very being and touch her innermost emotions. And if that wasn’t bad enough, she didn’t seem to be able to control herself when it came to touching, or wanting him either.

She squeezed her eyes shut. Could she control her desire for him, until the ship arrived? She hoped so, for her own sanity, and she offered a silent prayer to Cupid, the god of desire, that she would be able to. Now was not the time to remember his kisses. She needed to be strong, to focus on their survival, and what the future might bring for her, now she wasn’t going to Alexandria. So with a renewed sense of determination, she turned away from Metellus and entered the small cave, to start unpacking their supplies.

As she entered the cave, she gave a small gasp of relief. Metellus was right. The cave had been furnished with all the basics needed for a short stay. There were several wooden cots for sleeping, complete with straw mattresses. With the cloaks they had used for blankets, Livia was sure the sleeping arrangements would be more than adequate, and a lot better than what they had been putting up with in recent days. There was even a small table and some chairs, as well as several pots for cooking. The well, Livia had noticed earlier, was only a short walk away, and she had to control her eagerness to wash away the accumulated grime of the past seven days.

She looked down at the dirty silk of her tattered gown, and smiled ruefully. Her friend, Portia, would faint at the sight of it she was sure, not to mention the state of her hair and broken nails! Portia had never, as far as Livia knew, ever set foot out of her villa without every curl on her head perfectly coiffured, and every gown clean and wrinkle free. She had often admonished Livia on her carefree attitude to her toilet, but Livia was unconcerned about spending hours getting ready to go to the baths, or the Forum, just so they could impress the men they passed on the way.

But, as she lifted a hand to her scalp, and felt the sand and salt encrusted in her hair, she wondered how Portia would have coped these past days without her much coveted creature comforts. Livia’s smiled deepened, as she conceded to herself, that right now even she would part with her last sesterce to be able to wash her hair!

“Is this all for us?”

“It would appear so. They said they would leave supplies for us – and here they are,” Metellus said, picking up one of the wooden crates which had been stacked some distance away from the gate.

Livia looked up at the wooden barricade, and although she couldn’t see anyone she was sure they were watching them. “Thank you all so much. You are most kind,” she said, shouting up the hillside towards the closed gate. She hoped they could hear her; as she wanted to thank them personally for their kindness.

When she looked away from the fort she saw Metellus looking at her with an odd expression on his face, “What is wrong?” she asked.

Metellus shook his head, “Nothing,” he said breaking eye contact with her, before walking back to the cave with two large wooden crates loaded in his arms.

As he made his way up the steep hill, Livia watched his broad back in front of her. His refusal to answer her, made her angry. It was obvious he was surprised she had shouted out her thanks to the lepers; but she was grateful. She wasn’t the spoiled daughter of a rich Senator as he seemed to think; she did have some compassion for the poor people stuck here on this island for their whole lives; and she was grateful for all their kindness as it meant their survival.

Metellus entered the cave, a frown of annoyance on his brow. Every time he thought he had Livia Drusus summed up, she did something to confound him! This time was no different. This time it had been her shouting her thanks to the lepers.

Ah, yes. Livia Drusus was a contradiction he hadn’t expected. A woman who had gotten under his skin from the first moment he had seen her on board the ship. Metellus shook his head, determined to forget Livia for a few minutes. Concentrating on the task ahead of him, he lowered the crates he’d been carrying onto the floor. A quick look inside revealed bread, flour, olives, dates, fruit, and cheese; and there was enough to last at least a week, maybe even more. He had to concede, the lepers had been very generous indeed.

A slight noise behind him heralded Livia’s arrival, and he watched her from the corner of his eye as she lowered the box she carried onto the floor next to his. In silence she unpacked its contents, several wooden plates, some spoons and a terracotta jug of milk.

“Shall I prepare some food while you go and get the other two crates?” She asked a few moments later, breaking the silence between them.

Metellus’s eyebrows shot up in surprise once again. Again, she had shocked him with her offer of help, and he was just about to answer when she placed her hands on her hips in a gesture of defiance as he realised he had overstepped the mark and had been caught out.

“You once said not to judge a person by their looks. However, you seem to have done exactly that where I am concerned! I am not so ignorant of people, or situations, even if I am the daughter of a Senator.”

Metellus smiled inwardly at the anger bristling out of her. She reminded him of a small kitten he had once owned that used to spit and fight him. Lifting his hand in surrender he said, “Put your claws away, Livia. I apologise. Yes, some food would be nice. We will eat like the gods tonight.” He bowed, a slight movement from the hips, before he made his way to the cave entrance. But then he stopped, turned and walked back to where she stood. He lifted her chin, taking in the slight widening of her pupils, before his head lowered to hers.

“Do you forgive me?” he whispered, staring at her mouth in fascination. Full and soft he wanted to taste it. Now. The subtle scent of her was like a fever in his blood and it lured him in. He dropped his head, and found her mouth, his kiss a whisper across her lips, as he teased the fullness of hers, absorbing the warmth of her. He felt her shiver in his arms, and it was all the inducement he needed to deepen the kiss. He moulded his lips to hers, his tongue demanding entry to the sweetness of her mouth, and felt a moment of triumph when he heard her gasp, before she opened her mouth and allowed his tongue to plunder the softness within.

He tasted, teased, took what he wanted, what he needed from her, as his hand loosened its hold on her chin, to trail over the pulsing beat at the base of her throat, before it skimmed downwards over the sides of her ribcage, over the soft curves of her waist, until it splayed over her hips allowing him to pull her compliant body into his, so her softness met with the hardness of his arousal.

“Livia. Beautiful, beautiful, Livia,” he whispered against the fullness of her mouth once he had finished kissing her and began to trail his mouth downwards. They fit so well together as if they were made for each other-

Reality returned with the force of a tidal wave, and he stopped, as he tried to quell the myriad of sensations he was feeling for her. With obvious reluctance he pulled away from her, putting some much needed distance between them, aware of his chest rising and falling with exertion as if he’d run for miles. He had to supress the urge to pull her back into his arms, when he saw the twinge of disappointment flit across her face. Instead, he turned, and stalked out of the cave as if the fires of Hades were licking at his heels.

Jupiter’s blood! He’d done it again. Kissed her, touched her, when for the past day he had expressly told himself to keep his hands off her. She was too much of a temptation, and he wondered how on earth he was going to stay away from her for the duration of their enforced stay on the island. If the past few days were anything to go by, it was going to be an uphill struggle!

She seemed to inflame his senses every time he looked at her. He wanted to take her, to make her his. Slip his hands up beneath the length of her silk gown and caress the smooth skin of her thighs. Higher, until he brushed the dampness of her inner core, until he slipped his finger into the heat of her, and watch as she came apart in his arms.

He cursed. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. He’d never felt anything for the women he’d taken before. He only gave of himself physically. He was incapable of feeling anything more. He didn’t allow any woman to breach the defences he’d erected so many years ago. It was what he demanded of himself. Because to allow any other emotion, apart from revenge to dominate his feelings was anathema to him.

Until now. He felt anger and frustration build up inside him. His feelings for Livia frightened him. She was pushing him beyond his endurance. And he didn’t like it. At all.

So what was he going to do about it? For a moment he stopped walking as the question raged through him. If he was honest with himself he didn’t know. Staying away from her was going to be hard – considering their cramped living quarters.

But he would just have to, for the sake of his sanity. All he needed to do was remember whose daughter she was. And with that grim thought, he lifted a hand to the left hand side of his face, felt the thin, uneven, raised surface of the scar tissue, and carried on back to the fort to retrieve the last of their supplies.