The ludis is gleeful in celebration, but it isn't a party thrown by Quintus and Lucretia. They'd been away on business for the day and weren't expected back until the next. The slaves and gladiators conduct business as usual in their absence, slaves tending to chores while the gladiators trained. But the evening provides them the freedom to let loose. The guards are even slightly lax in The Master's absence by not enforcing curfew or restricting movement.
Cassia, Marina, and a few other slaves manage to scrounge enough coin together to buy a vessel of wine. The women are giddy as they take sips and gossip.
"I think being stuck here with those beastly men is torture." Antonia reasons.
"Why? They're no different than the guards. They're men we can't touch or fuck." Drusilla shrugs, dismissing Antonia's claim.
"Exactly! That's a worse fate than being a slave. A sexless life!" Antonia dramatically asserts.
"Being a personal servant doesn't look so bad now." Drusilla jokes, and the women erupt into laughter.
Marina shoves Cassia's arm. "She's touched a gladiator."
Cassia's eyes bulge out of her head, while the other women halt with their mouths agape.
"Marina!" Cassia screeches.
"You took care of that blonde one, Varro, right?" Her friend asks, and Cassia breathes a sigh of relief, realizing that she hadn't spoken a word of her interactions with Varro.
"It was nothing. I had almost forgotten." She calmly dismisses.
With the communal cup pressed to her lips, Antonia begs, "Please tell us they're as spectacular up close."
Cassia lets out a small laugh and admits, "Well, he wasn't terrible."
"Why can't I be summoned to take care of a gladiator?" Marina questions.
"Because we all know what you'd really do!" Drusilla winks, and the women once again burst with mirth.
Cassia stumbles as gets up from her spot. "Excuse me ladies but I need to visit the toilet." She hears a "Good luck!" as she traipses out the villa into the cool air. After finishing, she is startled to find Duro relieving himself over the edge. He turns slightly and sends her a cheeky smile.
"Fancy meeting you here."
"Well, this is a popular spot." She snickers.
Duro adjusts his loin cloth as he moves forward. "What have you been up to this evening, beautiful?"
Cassia smiles. "I've had some wine."
His eyebrows shoot up as he smiles back. "You've been drinking wine? Maybe I should join you in the quarters."
Cassia's stomach flips as he toys with a strand of hair and leans down. Looking him in the eye, she mutters, "The guards aren't being that generous."
"That's a shame." He murmurs while ghosting her lips, sending a small shiver through her body. Duro's tongue caresses her bottom lip before capturing her lips. He hungrily devours her mouth and she matches with equal fervor.
"Duro! Did you get lost?" Argon's voice cuts through the night air. Duro pulls back, gently brushing his thumb over Cassia's lips.
"Nah! I'm coming." He calls back to his brother, while his eyes remain on Cassia as he cradles her face.
"Hurry up! We're waiting on you!"
"Brotherly duty calls. An enticing game of dice waits." His eyes widen in mock excitement.
"Okay." She says, kissing the inside of his palm before he releases her.
"Until next time." He says with promise, offering a sly smile as he staggers away. Cassia bites her lip as she watches Duro retreat. She wistfully turns and Varro's figure startles her as he stands by the well. His jaw is tight as his eyes bore through her.
Cassia can't help but suppress a small chuckle at his expression. Varro eventually breaks his stare and shakes his head, striding towards the quarters.
"Varro!" She calls his name without thinking of the ramifications.
He pauses and rolls his shoulders before facing her. Cassia waits in the center of the courtyard, the moonbeams illuminating her skin. Varro had been attempting to ignore the gut punch of seeing her kiss Duro. An apparent glutton for punishment, he strides to meet her in the middle.
"Cassia." He curtly replies.
Varro watches a smirk slowly spread across her face. "How's your evening?"
He can't help but roll his eyes.
"I'm sorry you had to see that." She blurts.
A cold laugh escapes Varro. "Really?" He asks in a condescending tone.
"Yes."
Looking at the horizon, Varro grits his teeth in an attempt to mice his words. "Why apologize for something you clearly enjoyed?" He probed.
Cassia grips Varro's hand and leads him to the edge where they previously star gazed together. He reluctantly sits down next to her.
"Because I know how it feels." Cassia's words deliver another blow to Varro's gut.
Varro smacks his lips in annoyance at the situation.
"Well, it seems you've gotten retribution and if you excuse me, I'm leaving." Cassia tugs on Varro's arm urging him to sit.
"That wasn't my intention."
Narrowing his eyes at her, he grits,. "You've had libations."
"And you haven't?" Cassia counters.
"Cassia, you've spent days avoiding me after vocalizing several times you wanted nothing to do with me."
She nervously looks down at her hands, then glances at his face. "And you believed me?" She queries.
Varro watches Cassia scoot closer, wanting nothing more than to touch her. But he restrains himself, instead opting to let her lead.
Cassia leans on his shoulder and trails fingers up his arm. Inhaling his masculine scent, she presses her lips to his bicep. It's all Varro needed, leading her by an arm into his lap. He trails kisses up her jaw and down her neck. Knowing they were sitting on a ledge, Cassia carefully moves to straddle his waist. The potentially dangerous situation paired with Varro's touch only heightened her desire. Cassia grinds her hips into his, causing him to bite down on her neck, and she moans into his ear.
"We can't do this here." Varro growls against her skin.
Cassia ignores his plea by passionately kissing him. He forgets trying to relocate them when her tongue caresses his. When Cassia rolls her hips, Varro snaps back to reality. She shallows his growl as he breaks away.
"I mean it." He holds onto her waist as she climbs down. Cassia shivers at the lost contact. Varro grabs her hand and leads her behind the outdoor storage. Once he knows they are out of sight, Varro pulls Cassia into his arms and continues kissing her. He spins them and pins her to the wall, rubbing his body against hers. She bites back a moan when Varro's hands slide down to firmly grab her butt, and she instinctively jumps up and wraps her legs around his torso. Varro repeatedly licks and sucks on her neck, driving her wild. Unable to speak, she gently pulls on his hair while bucking against him.
"I need you." Varro growls.
Cassia bites Varro's lip as she reaches between them freeing his erection, stroking his length before guiding it to her wet core and teasing it along her opening.
She yanks at his hair again while Varro pleads, "End this torture."
Cassia presses her face into Varro's neck as she grants his wish, guiding him into her. Varro let's out an audible sigh once he's filled her to the hilt.
She scrapes her teeth along Varro's shoulder as he begins thrusting, each moan from Cassia encouraging him to go deeper and harder. Cassia rocks her hips and digs her heels into Varro's ass to counter his movements.
"Look at me." He pleads. Cassia lifts her head and Varro's places a kiss on her forehead as he quickens the pace. She digs her nails into his back as he continuously hits Cassia's sweet spot.
"Varro…" Cassia softly cries, and Varro's cock twitches inside of her. Cassia places her forehead to his as her walls tighten, and he slows the pace to prolong the euphoric wave.
Varro releases a hiss as he withdraws and gently puts Cassia down. Straightening out her dress, Varro wraps her in an embrace, scattering kisses along her face before kissing her lips.
Keeping an arm wrapped around her, Varro weaves fingers into her hair and tugs her head back to search her eyes.
Cassia eventually breaks the silence, "I wish I could stay in your arms."
A small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. "Me too."
Cassia sets the vessels down at the well. She dampens a rag and wipes it over her face. It is easily the hottest day of the year. Lucretia demanded fresh cool water be readily available in all rooms. Cassia felt it was an extravagant waste, but she knowingly bit her tongue at the demand.
It's meal time for the gladiators, and Varro and Spartacus sit near the door, both spotting Cassia at the well.
"Yeah, she's definitely over you." Spartacus nods and smirks at the fresh love mark on Cassia's neck.
Varro knowingly continues to chew before swallowing. "I'm glad I could entertain you."
"You make it easy." Spartacus takes a drink.
Duro stands and walks out to the well where Cassia is filling vessels of water.
Her heart races when he cups her chin, tilting her head. "So, kissing you wasn't my drunken imagination?" He releases her and gently strokes the love bite with his thumb.
"No." She half-heartedly answers.
"Did I hurt you?" The concern is evident on Duro's face.
Cassia shakes her head no. "Quite the opposite." She reassures him.