48. Chapter Forty-Eight

Chapter Forty-Eight

M arcus Fabius Varro

My hands hold Invictus above me, my body frozen in the final pose of my routine. Laura’s words hit me like a physical blow, sending a jolt through my system. Did I hear her correctly?

I lower my weapon slowly, my gaze never leaving hers. The look on her face is unmistakable—desire, raw and unfiltered. It’s an expression I’ve seen countless times before, on the faces of those who sought to use me for their pleasure. But this… this is different.

There’s heat in Laura’s gaze, yes, but also vulnerability. Affection. Trust. It’s a heady combination, one that makes my heart race as my cock thickens in my loincloth.

“Laura,” I manage, my voice rougher than I intended. “Are you sure?”

She takes a step closer, her chin lifted in determination. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

The truth of her comment slams through me, lighting up every part of my body. I swallow hard, fighting the immediate urge to close the distance between us and claim her lips with mine. It would be so easy to give in, to lose myself in the warmth of her body, the softness of her skin. But…

Am I ready for this?

The question catches me off guard. In the past, my own readiness was never a consideration. I was a tool, a means to an end. My wants, my needs, were irrelevant.

But now, standing here with Laura looking at me like I’m the answer to every question she’s ever had, I realize I have a choice. For the first time in my life, I can say no.

Taking a deep breath, I force myself to ponder it. The last few months flash through my mind—the nightmares, the memories so realistic it’s as though I’m reliving them, the slow, painful process of healing. I revel in my awareness that I’m asking myself for my own consent. Such progress!

Laura must sense my hesitation because she takes a step back, her expression softening. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with,” she says gently. “I just… I needed you to know how I feel.”

Her words wash over me, soothing and reassuring. This is Laura. My friend, the woman who’s seen me at my worst and still looks at me as though I’m something precious.

I realize with a start that I trust her. Completely, without reservation. And more than that, I want her. Not just physically, but in every way possible.

“I’m ready.” I’m surprised by the sure steadiness in my voice. “But Laura, are you sure you want this? Want… me? With all my history and scars?” Though I gesture to the scars on my chest, we both know the mess my life has made of my brain is even more disturbing.

She closes the remaining distance between us, her hand cupping my cheek. The touch jolts straight to my cock, which pulses in response .

“I want all of you , Varro,” she whispers. “Every scar, every memory, every piece of who you are. I lo…” She interrupts herself, biting her lip. “You’re everything to me.”

The almost-confession hangs in the air between us, filling me with a warmth I’ve never experienced before. I lean into her touch, marveling at how right it feels.

“Then show me,” I murmur, my voice low and husky. “Show me, tell me how you want me to use my… other sword.”

Laura’s eyes darken with desire, a slow smile spreading across her face.

“I’m not your Domina, Varro. You be in charge. Trust me, I’ll let you know if I don’t like what you’re doing, though if you knew all the filthy thoughts that have been pounding in my brain for the last months, you’d know there’s very little you could do that would make me ask you to stop.”

As she leans in to kiss me, her lips mere inches from mine, I know with absolute certainty that this is right.

Sinking me to the bottom of the sea to wait for two thousand years wasn’t a cruel punishment by the Gods. It was a gift. This is where I’m meant to be.