If Only for Tonight

Author’s Note:  I know there’s mixed feelings about Cassius thus far, but there is just something about this soft man that just gets to me.  I can picture him completely falling for MC in the book, despite their different stations in the world.

This is a little something (that turned out much longer than I planned!) that I’ve had in mind for this couple.  A little bit angsty, a little bit romantic, and a whole lot of heat. I hope you enjoy!

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Lena had always warned Lucia that her sharp wit and sarcasm would end up getting her into trouble one of these days. Her inability to bite her tongue in the midst of a conflict had resulted in many lectures from her teacher on the importance of complacent pleasantries in the profession of a courtesan.  But what Lena had not considered was how Lucia’s clever way with words would provide quite an advantage amongst Rome’s elite in the appropriate situation.

Tonight Lucia and Lena’s other top courtesan, Xanthe, had the honor of entertaining Senator Cassius’s guests at the poetry reading he was hosting.  Lucia had been surprised to find how much she enjoyed the party, a vastly different evening from the previous events where there was little talk of anything outside of Caesar and war and politics.  It was a pleasant reprieve to discuss poetry and other intellectual topics this evening, as opposed to spending the entire night hiding her distaste of Roman society. Her genuine amusement must have resonated as she found herself being escorted from one group to another by her patron, her witty diatribes bringing laughter to all those she spoke to.  All the while she could feel Cassius’s gaze upon her, his eyes dancing with awe as he observed her discourses. At one point she paused to catch her breath as she laughed at another’s joke, her eyes immediately searching the crowd to find him … and there he was, studying her with a smug smile on his lips. She nodded towards him, lifting her glass in acknowledgement with a smirk as he did the same, his eyes trained upon her as if in a trance. The hunger in his stare was unmistakable, sending a shiver of desire straight through her from her head down to her toes.

As the night wore on, the guests began gradually departing for their other vices, be it sleep or a bed for other purposes before returning home to their wives.  Lucia had retired to the balcony, growing tired of the droning on of the remaining guests and unwilling to watch as Xanthe flirted shamelessly with an aging senator.  She gestured to Syphax who had kept a close eye on her this evening, and he nodded in understanding as she slipped out the door alone. With a deep exhale of relief she felt the tension of the busy evening slowly leaving her body, and she walked over to the railing to look out over the olive grove below the villa.  

She savored the quiet solitude of the empty balcony under the cool night sky, no one around to entertain at the moment as she waited for her patron to finish his hosting responsibilities.  

After a short time she heard the quiet footsteps behind her, causing her to glance back over her shoulder to find Cassius walking towards her with a glass of wine each hand.  His smile was warm and inviting as he placed a glass in her hand, allowing his fingertips to delicately graze the inside of her wrist. For a moment Lucia forgot herself, her heart and body responding to his brief touch as if they were hers to give freely at no cost.  But then she remembered her role, a courtesan whose affections should only be given for a generous price. That is all she would ever be to him, an amusement to help him pass the time in exchange for a few coins.

“Lucia.”  His tone was low yet clear as he raised a glass to greet her.  “You were breathtaking tonight. Did you enjoy yourself?” He brought the glass to his lips, licking them slightly before taking a sip of the deep red liquid.  

Lucia’s lips quirked at the sides as she beamed up at him, relishing the way his eyes danced in the moonlight while he studied her.  “I did, Senator. Even more so now to know you were watching.” The flirtatious response came out so easily, not a rehearsed effort like for the other Romans she entertained.

Her bold remark made him chuckle, a deep rumble resonating from within his chest.  His eyes searched hers with a fondness that made her heart flutter quickly in her chest.  “I fear I could not take my eyes away from you. I envied every other man who had the fortune to speak with you tonight, who got to make you smile.”  He lifted a hand to her face, trailing his thumb along her cheekbone gently. “I have looked forward to this moment to be alone with you all night.”

Lucia’s breath hitched at this words, his touch sending a chill down her spine.  She tried to formulate a witty response, but her mind remained blank as she stared up into his glistening hazel eyes.  She felt his body shift closer as he leaned forward, his warm breath tickling her lips as he spoke. “May I kiss you, Lucia?”  She simply nodded, allowing her arms to slide over his shoulders to cup his neck when he closed the distance.

He pressed his mouth against hers, her lips parting slightly as she released a quiet sigh of contentment.  Cassius trailed his tongue along her bottom lip and she opened wider, meeting him halfway as their tongues folded together.  He took his time with her, savoring her, as if this would be his last chance and must remember it always. Lucia felt his hands gripping the fabric at her waist, the kneading of his fingers against the flesh beneath her gown sending shocks of pleasure to her core.  Her breath quickened and she picked up the pace, tugging the curls at the nape of his neck as she pulled him closer, allowing her body to give in to what it truly craved.

Suddenly Cassius pulled away, panting as he pressed his forehead against hers, his hands still gripping her to steady himself.  “Lucia, when you kiss me like that, I can almost forget …” he paused, closing his eyes for a moment before finally glancing up at her with a look of remorse.

“Forget what, Cassius?”  Lucia asked softly, her eyes flitting between his.

Cassius smiled and groaned under his breath, grasping one of her hands in his own and bringing it to his lips.  He grazed his lips lightly over her knuckles as he met her stare, his eyes filled with a vulnerability that nearly broke her.  “You make me forget what we really are. That these desires aren’t real.”

Lucia lifted her hand to push a stray curl from his forehead, a gentle smile on her lips.  She wanted to tell him the truth … that she understood, that he made her feel something that both scared and exhilarated her at the same time.  But instead she told him the only truth she could. “I enjoy your company Cassius, and you enjoy mine. That is real enough for me.”

Cassius dipped his head and kissed her again, cupping her face in his palms.  He pulled away a moment later, his voice raw and needy. “Will you allow me to pretend for one night, Lucia?  That you are mine and mine alone?” He peered down into her eyes, his own dark and lust-blown, waiting for her response.

Lucia felt his gaze deep within her, sending a streak of desire down to center. She wanted him.  She wanted this. She wanted him to claim her as his own, even if only for tonight. “Yes. Please, Cassius.”  She begged, her normally confident voice sounding shaky as her emotions and passion took over her sense of control.  

Cassius’s face lit up with pure joy and relief for an instant and he leaned down to place a sweet kiss to her lips.  He quickly took her by the hand and escorted her into his villa, past the grand room where they had entertained this evening and through the corridors towards his chambers.  Lucia caught Syphax’s eyes as they passed by, giving him a reassuring nod on her way that she was indeed fine. He tilted his head in response, understanding very well after years guarding at Lena’s scholae how to conduct himself in situations of this nature.

Cassius led her into his private quarters, dismissing his servants before covering the doorways with the floor-length drapes.  Lucia leisurely paced through the rooms, admiring the rich fabrics and ornate artwork adorning the walls and furniture until she found herself standing directly in front of the grandest bed she had ever laid eyes on.  The sight made her stomach flutter with both excitement and nervous anticipation of what was about to happen. This was not the first time she would lie with a man, for Lena had allowed her many opportunities to practice the art of pleasuring the male sex during her more recent years of training.  She understood the techniques to satisfy a man’s physical needs, the sounds they yearned to hear to stroke their ego, the way to move her hips as she rode them to cause them to shudder with pleasure … but never in all her training had she experienced the yearning for a man as she did with Cassius.

She was startled back to the present when Cassius slid both his hands along her upper arms, his fingers tracing the bare skin of her shoulder as his lips found her neck.  She tilted her head as he pushed her dark curls to the side, giving him better access to the tender flesh while he continued to nip upwards toward her jaw. Lucia gave a soft gasp at the sensation of his warm mouth caressing her, the ache within her core growing stronger by the second. “Cassius …” She moaned, reaching her hand up to his head to lace her fingers through his hair and pull him closer.  She could feel his growing excitement pressed firmly against her backside, reminding her of her training … and her responsibility.

She turned to face him, marveling at his eyes focused so intently upon her.  She slowly unfastened the layers of deep green fabric from her shoulder, allowing it to slip down her chest and hips to fall in a heap around her feet.  Cassius swallowed hard at the sight of her standing bare before him, a low groan coming from deep within his throat. “Lucia …” his voice was a reverent whisper.  Lucia was not unfamiliar with the way men would look at her, their eyes glazed over with hunger as if she were some morsel to sate their appetite. But this, the way Cassius looked at her, was different.  The hunger was there, yes … but instead of a greedy gleam behind his stare there was a look of wonder and affection.

She took one step toward him, lightly running her hands across his chest towards the pendant holding his robe together.  Her eyes never left his as she slowly undid his clothing, his lips slightly parted and his breathing shallow while he watched her.  She unhooked the last of his clothing, pushing it over his broad shoulders to fall to the floor beneath him. She tried to keep her eyes focused on his, but she could not resist glancing down to admire him.  She had known he was trim and muscular due to his affinity for athletics, but to see all that had remained hidden beneath his robes nearly took her breath away. His chest was firm, his stomach rippled and sprinkled with coarse hair trailing down to a pair of muscular thighs.  However, it was the sight between his thighs made her mouth water, the smooth flesh of his sizable manhood engorged with his excitement. Her eyes flitted back to his, noticing the slight smirk at the edge of his mouth before she dropped to her knees before him.

She took him in her hand, lightly running her fingers down his shaft in a tickling manner, the sound of his short exhales above her music to her ears.  She glanced up to find him watching her, his eyes wide with arousal, before wrapping her fingers around his base and taking him in her mouth. He gave a quick jolt at the sensation, placing his hands in her hair as she started massaging his member with her tongue and hands.  She moved up and down, swirling her tongue and running it along the thick vein underneath his shaft, a smile upon her lips at the deep rumbling groan echoing in his throat. The sound of his pleasure only furthered her own desire, and she felt the heat pooling between her legs.  

“Lucia.”  Cassius growled suddenly, nudging her backwards to release him as he tried to catch his breath.  “Lucia, I fear that I will finish before we have even started if you keep that up. It was my hope to take my time with you tonight.”  He pulled her to her feet before him, trailing a finger down her neck to her chest and then to circle her nipple. “To make this a night that neither of us shall forget.”  His words and his touch sent a thrill through her body as he bent down to capture her lips between his, tugging her bottom lip gently with his teeth when he pulled away. “Lay down.”  His voice was commanding yet gentle.

Lucia complied in silence, her insides quivering in anticipation while she settled into the lush covers atop the bed.  Cassius watched her intently, waiting patiently at the foot of the bed until she was comfortable. “You are beautiful, Lucia.  The most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on.” He knelt down on the bed, sliding his hands up her calves and over her thighs, his eyes never leaving hers.  “You deserve to be worshipped like the goddess you are.” One hand slipped between her legs, tracing the skin along the inside until he reached her center. Lucia shivered when he dipped his fingers between her folds, his motions fluid and teasing against her damp arousal.  He ran his digits along her wet heat, gliding two into her as his thumb found her nub. He teased her for a moment, a cocky grin lifting the edges of his mouth as he watched her breathing grow quicker. And before she knew what was happening he dropped to position himself between her legs, enveloping her pearl within his mouth as he continued to curl his fingers inside her.  

Lucia’s head fell back and she gasped at the pleasure he stirred inside her, her hands gripping the blankets beneath her as his tongue and fingers teased her.  Her hips moved against him involuntarily, her body seeking the release it craved so deeply. “Cassius …” she begged him, moaning his name aloud. The sound of his name from her lips invigorated him, encouraged him to continue this sweet torture as she writhed beneath him.  Lucia breath came out in short pants, her pleasure building unlike anything she had ever felt before, threatening to boil over. And then suddenly she felt her insides bursting, her vision overshadowed with a blinding white light as the sensations radiated from her center all the way to her toes.

She lay back amongst the covers, unsure how long her mind had been adrift when she found Cassius lying beside her.  He stroked her hair from her face, beaming down at her with a grin when she finally opened her eyes. She reached up to cup his cheek in her palm, guiding his lips to meet hers in delicate kiss.  It only took a moment to reignite the fire within her, the feel of his lips upon hers and his hard member pressed against her thigh. In one swift movement she pushed him back to sit upright and flung her leg over his to straddle him.

Cassius groaned at the sensation of her damp sex resting upon his lap, his hips nudging against her eagerly for entry.  His eyes bored into hers, their breath mingling with their faces only inches apart. Lucia reached between them and stroked him firmly, then positioned his tip at her entrance as he gripped her by the hips.  She eased down onto him inch by inch, gripping his shoulders for leverage as he filled her. He held her tight against him, allowing her time to adjust before she lifted up slowly. “Lucia …” He murmured her name and allowed her to take control, holding back his own impulses while she set a steady pace.  It didn’t take long for her pleasure to build again, her movements becoming more hurried as she searched for her fulfillment. Cassius’s fingers dug into the soft flesh of her waist as his hips met hers, his eyes set on hers as she unraveled atop him. “Look at me, I want to see you.” Lucia crumbled at his words, her body pulsing repeatedly as her climax crashed over her with a startled cry.  Cassius soon found his own release, the clenching of her around him sending him over the edge as he spilled himself inside of her.

Cassius set Lucia down gently on the bed, pulling her against his chest while he wrapped them both in the warm blankets.  He trailed a finger up and down her back, a calming motion that threatened to lull her to sleep along with the rhythmic beating of his heart.  For a moment she could almost believe the fantasy, but as their breathing steadied the reality slowly crept back in. She pressed a kiss to his bare chest and moved to get up, but a hand around her arm pull her back into bed.  “No … stay.” She looked down at Cassius, his features soft under the moonlight shining through the window. “You promised you would be mine, all mine, for tonight.”

A sad smile tugged at her lips as she traced a finger along the edges of his face.  “I would like nothing more.” She whispered, then bent down to place a light kiss to his lips.  He pulled her tightly against him and she rested her head upon his chest, the sound of his breathing calming her to sleep.  Whatever challenges and responsibilities awaited them in the morning, tonight her body and heart belonged to him.

END