Gladiators Read online

  Gladiators

  By Lacey Carter Andersen

  Copyright 2017

  Published by Lacey Carter Andersen

  This work of fiction is intended for mature audience only. All characters are over the age of eighteen. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either a product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  ASIN B075HTYG82

  This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited without the express written permission of the author.

  Dedication

  To every reader who likes a hot man who adores his strong-willed woman.

  ~ Lacey Carter Andersen

  Chapter One

  The crowd in the stands above her head cheered and pounded their feet, screaming and shouting. Driven by a thirst for blood and death.

  I hate this place. It remaindered Lana of everything that was wrong with Rome. Slaves fighting to the death to pay off their master’s debts, or simply because they were fierce warriors, who could earn their masters’ money, felt wrong on every level.

  And yet, she had come again.

  The long blue skirts of her silky gown settled around her as she froze. Why did I come back?

  Behind her, Bethamena, her Thracian servant spoke, her voice soft, “what is it?”

  Turning, she glanced at the dark haired woman with her innocent eyes, and her two silent guards. If only I had a friend to confide in.

  Nothing good came of crossing the lines of servitude and friendship. Her father had compromised quite significantly with employing only free men and women rather than slaves. But, he’d been stern in his orders that she display herself in a fashion fitting of a magistrate’s daughter. Especially when it came to their staff.

  And so, I will keep my confusing thoughts to myself. As always.

  “Are you alright?” Bethamena asked, drawing closer.

  She shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

  Just my uncertainty.

  Continuing to walk, she frowned to herself. Manius Luscinus, the wealthiest senator of Capua had invited her to coliseum for the second time. It had surprised her. Being new to Capua, she had already made an enemy of many of the wealthy citizens with her outspoken views on slavery and the coliseum. Her father would’ve been disappointed but not surprised.

  Senator Luscinus seeks your favor.

  The thought disturbed her. At twenty years of age, rumors had begun to circulate that she had no intention of ever marrying. Rumors I spread myself. And yet, the men of this new town still did not realize how truly dedicated she was to her life of freedom. She would never become the wife to some arrogant, pompous man who would rule her like a slave. As long as her father stayed busy with the emperor, she had a freedom she could only have as his daughter.

  And so, I must shut this senator down, as I have the other men. I must not leave a single doubt in his mind of my feelings. The last thing I want is for him to send word to my father of his interest…

  They turned a corner in the circular hall under the coliseum and came to stairs guarded by two slaves. She strode up the steps, lifting her skirts as her sandals lightly padded the white stone. As she came out into the viewing box, all eyes turned to her.

  The senator and his handful of wealthy, carefully chosen guests, regarded her with more curiosity than a friendly spirit. Still, she smiled in greeting.

  I certainly don’t need more enemies.

  Senator Luscinus rose from his chair overlooking the arena. He pressed his goblet into the hands of a scantily dressed slave, the red wine splashing over her chest. But he didn’t notice, his thin lips were curled into a smile that made her stiffen.

  “Lana.” He greeted her, taking her hand in his clammy ones and pressing a wet kiss to the back of her hand. “How good of you to join us once more.”

  Two of his friends exchanged a look behind his back. Surely they have told him how quickly I shot down their interests.

  “Senator Luscinus, it was kind of you to invite me.”

  When he stood straighter, he continued to clench her hand between his. His smile never slipping from his pale, thin face. The golden circlet on his head gleamed against his greasy black hair.

  “I hope you’ll sit by my side.”

  Unable to politely refuse him, she answered coolly, “of course.”

  He seated her between himself and his sister. A spot deserving of a magistrate’s daughter. Helvia, his sister, sipped her drink, leaning back in her seat in a messy, drunken way. Her dark eyes, the same color as her brother, narrowed as she stared back at Lana.

  Helvia leaned forward and snagged one of Lana’s blonde curls. “The same color as gold,” she slurred out.

  Behind her, Helvia’s closest friend, a miserable woman named Justina smirked. “I’m surprised to see you here. Don’t you have men to seduce?”

  Helvia released her hair and swatted at her friend. “Your jealousy’s transparent.”

  Then, they both laughed, but the sound lacked merriment. It was the laughter of two cackling, jealous drunks.

  Lana fought the urge to wince. “It’s good to see you both.”

  Around them, the crowd erupted into sound. Standing, Lana looked out over the massive coliseum, with its dozen or more rows of seats filled to the maximum. What’s caused their excitement?

  Glancing down into the arena, at the sandy ground darkened in too many spots by blood, she saw that one of the big gates had opened. A second later, Senator Luscinus’ gladiators strode out.

  Her breath caught. This is why you came.

  The twelve men were large, muscular, and barely covered by their small clothes and their leather armor. They radiated a maleness that no Roman man could possibly emulate as they walked slowly out, weapons in hand. Their movements were smooth, like wild animals rather than men. Every muscle gleamed beneath the afternoon sun’s light.

  Her gaze was glued to them as they stopped in the center of the arena and faced their box. As she scanned over them, they stared right back at her. A sizzle of awareness crackled through her body, and she felt her nipples harden.

  Whoa. She had only been with one man in her life, and never once had she responded to him like this.

  This is wrong. These are men being forced to fight against their will.

  And yet, the last time she had been to the arena she had returned home afterwards aroused beyond thought. Dipping into one of the warm pools in her new mansion, she had pleasured herself until she’d climaxed harder than she ever had in her life. All while thinking of Adonis, the champion of the arena.

  And then each of the others, for far too many nights.

  When she realized she’d been leaning over the railing, she straightened, suddenly aware that Senator Luscinus and his sister were standing beside her. Luscinus began to speak, but she drowned him out. Adonis was staring at her. From such a distance, she wasn’t sure the color of his eyes or even his expression, but she swore she could feel his arousal like a perfume on the air.

  Tugging her gaze free, she looked over Tobias, Solon, Palaemon, Bion, Orestes, Macedon, Kosmas, Cadmus, Hesperos, Elias, and Damon. Each man was fierce in battle. Deadly. Champions in their own right. And sexy beyond belief.

  Whatever Luscinus said, the crowd began to cheer wildly once more. Everyone but Adonis left the arena and another warrior, one whose name she didn’t recognize, entered. It was one of the other senator’s gladiators. A big, scarred man who carried a spear.

  She watched their battle, her stomach turning. Tuning out the senator and his drunken friends, she did
n’t touch her wine. Her entire focus was on the battle at hand.

  When Adonis sliced the throat of his rival, sending the giant man collapsing onto his face in the sand, she released a breath she didn’t know she was holding. While everyone cheered around her, she couldn’t even fake her enthusiasm. A man’s life had just been claimed. For nothing other than their sport.

  This is wrong.

  The rest of the battles went by slowly and painfully. She gave thanks that all twelve warriors won their fights, but she took no pleasure from the deaths of their opponents.

  When it ended, her legs shook as she climbed to her feet.

  But she couldn’t escape yet, the wealthy citizens around her stood in the way of her exit, excitedly discussing the day’s fights. More torches were lit as the evening darkened and the night grew chilly.

  “And what says you, beautiful Lana? How did you enjoy the arena?” Senator Luscinus’ eyes were glazed with drunkenness as his focus landed on her.

  She held herself perfectly still. “It’s no secret that I don’t enjoy the coliseum, but I thank you for including me. It’s getting late though—“

  “If you didn’t come for the entertainment,” he interrupted, crowding her space. “Then you must have come for the companionship. No doubt a beautiful woman, such as yourself, has realized that perhaps you’ve finally met a man worthy of you.”

  Crush his hope before it can sprout more leaves.

  “Which man?” she asked. “I have yet to meet one.”

  Around her, men and women laughed, their drinks sloshing in their hands.

  Luscinus’ neck turned red. “I spoke of myself. Surely the youngest senator in Capua is worthy of a twenty-year-old unwed woman.”

  More hoots of laughter followed his not-so-subtle insult.

  She stood up straighter. “My desire to join Capua society should not be confused with an interest for anything more than friendship.”

  “Friendship?” He spoke the word with venom. “You should be so lucky to have gained my interest.”

  Her head hurt. She was hungry. And tired. And sick of the bad company, especially this man.

  “Make no mistake,” she said, her voice clear. “Friendship is all I’ll ever have to offer you.”

  Squeezing through the thong of laughing bodies, she moved to the stairs.

  Luscinus’ words made her pause. “You will regret this night for the remainder of your days.”

  Looking over her shoulder, she smirked. “I was not the one humiliated.”

  Striding down the stairs, her bravo quickly faded. Perhaps angering him was a mistake.

  But then, what could a senator possibly do to the daughter of a magistrate? The truth was her position alone made her completely untouchable.

  Chapter Two

  When Lana reached the bottom of the stairs, Helvia was waiting.

  “Come with me. There’s something you just must see!”

  She frowned, glancing at where her servant and guards waited. “It’s late.”

  “It’ll only take a moment,” the other woman begged.

  Lana opened her mouth to deny her.

  “It’s about the gladiators.”

  The gladiators? “If it will only take a moment.”

  Helvia squealed, grasping her hand and hauling her deeper into the coliseum. She laughed and talked along the way, nonsense things that made Lana regret her decision to come.

  When they stopped at a door, a guard opened it, and Helvia led her down a dark hallway with flickering torches. She glanced back to see that the door had closed, leaving behind her servant and guards. This better be quick, or they’ll start to worry.

  At another door, a guard used a key and opened it.

  “Helvia, perhaps we can do this another time…”

  But the woman just tugged her forward.

  As she came fully into the room, she glanced up tiredly, and her eyes widened. Chained along the wall were all twelve of Luscinus’ gladiators, and they were all naked.

  She froze in place, too shocked to speak. Her gaze snapped to her toes, rather than looking at the faces of the men she had fantasized about for far too long—chained and naked before her gaze.

  Behind her, the door closed with a squeal.

  Justina came forward, grasping her shoulders. “I can’t believe she got you to come!”

  Her gaze swung to the red-haired woman with her flat, wide face, and her tiny hazel eyes.

  “What’s going on here?”

  Justina grinned. “It’s a little game of ours. Watch.”

  The woman stumbled over to Cadmus and paused in front of him. The blond-haired gladiator didn’t acknowledge her. He kept his dark eyes trained forward, looking somehow noble, even with his wrists and ankles chained against the wall.

  A second later, Justina tumbled to her knees, wrapped her hand around his thick cock and put it in her mouth, sucking audibly.

  Lana stared in complete disbelief.

  Justina pulled back, her mouth popping free. “I did it!”

  “Did what?” Lana asked, looking to Helvia.

  Helvia grinned. “She made him aroused.”

  Aroused? She looked back at him and his now swollen erection. “You’re here to play with these men?”

  Helvia clapped her hands together. “She gets it!”

  Anger slowly overwhelmed her shock. “These are men! Not animals. How—how can you do this?”

  Justina huffed, climbing off of her knees, her orange dress dirtied by the floor. “I told you she wouldn’t enjoy this.”

  “I don’t care if she enjoys it,” Helvia said, rolling her eyes. “I want to win our bet.”

  “Bet?” This is about a bet? Lana whirled around. “I’m leaving!”

  Helvia grabbed her and spun her back around. “Not until I win my bet.”

  Lana’s teeth clenched together. “What bet?”

  “We’re trying to make all of them aroused at once.”

  Dear gods, I refuse to believe anyone could be this dumb and selfish.

  Justina moved down the row and grasped Macedon and Kosmas, stroking them slowly. “We can get a few of them hard at once, but not all of them.” Then, her gaze swung to someone down the row. “And some of them won’t get hard no matter what we do.”

  Lana couldn’t help herself, she followed Justina’s gaze. Adonis looked back at her, his bright green eyes locked on her own. Attraction made her heart race. He was as beautiful as she thought he was, with chiseled good looks, but he also radiated an unexpected gentleness.

  Justina crossed in front of Lana, breaking her gaze with Adonis, and the spell. The woman pointed at Adonis’ cock, which was long, thick, and erect. “What the—he’s turned on?”

  Lana’s cheeks heated, and she glanced away.

  “We’ve stroked him. Sucked him. Even stripped for him. And nothing! What got him so—?“

  “Her,” Helvia interrupted. “I told you. All the men seem to lose their minds around Lana.”

  “No— no it wasn’t. I didn’t do anything.” Lana knew she sounded like a fool, but she’d never felt so flustered or so embarrassed in her life.

  Helvia grabbed her arm. “Please, Lana, help me win my bet. I know you can get them all turned on at once.”

  This can’t be happening. What’s wrong with these fools?

  Oh right, they’re drunk out of their minds.

  Lana shrugged away from her touch, her lip curling. “No. I think this whole thing is awful. The way you’re treating them—“

  “Yes, I know, the woman who hates slaves hates this too,” Helvia said, rolling her eyes. “But just help me anyway,” she whined.

  “I’m leaving.”

  “You can’t go!” Helvia shouted, yanking Lana toward the men.

  She dragged her four steps before Lana dug her heels in. “I. Am. Not. Doing. This.”

  Things have gone too far.

  But before she could escape, Helvia grabbed the knot of her gown at the back of her neck an
d yanked.

  Everything seemed to happen too quickly and yet too slowly. Her silky blue dress slid down her body and fell into a pool at her feet. Lana looked down at her naked body, on full display before the twelve gladiators.

  Gasping, she knelt down and tried to grab her dress.

  Helvia put her foot on it, trapping it against the dirt.

  Slowly, so slowly it was like a nightmare, Lana looked up. On her knees, just feet in front of the men, she stared. Every one of them was gazing at her, lust in their eyes.

  “Gods! You did it!” Helvia shouted. “They’re all aroused!”

  Unable to help herself, her gaze dropped to their ridiculously large erections. Every one of them was aroused. Swollen and even larger than she would have thought possible.

  Heal uncurled in her belly, and she felt herself growing wet.

  Shocked by her reaction, she turned and shoved Helvia back, grabbing her dress and pulling it back up. Tying it tightly at her neck, she whirled away from the gladiators and hurried to the door. Slamming on it with her fist, a moment later the guard opened the door.

  Ignoring the laughter of the two women, she looked back one last time.

  Adonis and the other men continued to stare. But to her surprise, their gazes were more than just filled with lust. They worshipped her.

  The hairs on her body stood on end. She craved them. Their touch. Their presence. And somehow, for the first time, she was glad the two other women were there. Because had she been by herself, she might have ran her hands down their muscular bodies. Trailed her fingers over the hard planes. Teased them until she closed her hand around their manhoods.

  She shuddered and turned away from them.

  I’ll never come back here again. And if I never see them again, that would be best.

  Because she loved her freedom. The last thing she wanted was to know what it was like to give into her carnal cravings. She was sure if she ever experienced men like these gladiators, she could never be happy alone again.

  Starting down the dark hallway, she turned the corner lost in thought. When the hall continued to turn, she froze, frowning. Had she gone the wrong way?