Skaia (36 page)

But Thaddeus was done. “I think you’re prepared now, he said, removing his hand. “Go to the bedroom and lean over the bed.”

Skaia obeyed, laying his arms across the covers. “No, no,” Thaddeus corrected him. “Open your ass again. As wide as you can,” he said, dragging a bench closer so he could sit and watch as the boy tried to pull his buttocks apart. “Further, Skaia. I want to see your pucker clearly.”

Thaddeus stroked himself in long, unhurried motions as he watched Skaia strain to keep himself open. Then he approached, positioning himself against the boy‘s exposed hole, and pushed in hard. Skaia gave an agonized cry, and released his buttocks.

“
No! Pull yourself open wide. And don’t cry out, or I will be forced to gag you.” Thaddeus drew his cock out, and saw that Skaia’s small opening did not close completely. He pushed his fingers in again, a little more gently and massaged the still tight muscles. “You are really quite lovely this way.” Skaia sobbed at his comment, but quickly stopped himself, remembering the threat of the gag.

The fingers were removed, and Thaddeus pushed his cock back inside. Then he started to move. Fast and hard and brutal. Skaia heard his master’s breathing become harsh, and he bit at the blanket not to cry aloud at the pain. Thaddeus seemed to pump into him forever. But finally he slammed hard two more times, and then was still, the pulsations of his cock his only movement as he forced his seed deep into Skaia’s body.

After Thaddeus was done, he fell forward on Skaia’s back and rested there, nibbling at the boy’s neck until his breathing slowed. When he stood again, and his cock left the boy’s abused ass, Thaddeus told Skaia again to hold himself open, while he went and fetched the towel he had brought from the bath.

Thaddeus cleaned himself, and then sat to watch the fluids flow from Skaia’s opening and drip down his legs. “You were exquisite. Did you enjoy it?”

“
No.” Angry and broken at the same time.

Thaddeus almost laughed. “No, what?”

“
No, Master.”
Oh, Belenus, I hate myself almost as much as I hate what he did.

Chuckling softly, Thaddeus walked across to Skaia, and he pushed the towel between the boy’s legs. “You can let go and clean yourself now.”

Skaia released his aching buttocks and wiped away as much of the man’s leavings as he could with his cramping hands. Turning, he faced Thaddeus with tears falling down his face. “Why? Were you punishing me for asking about Glaucus?”

“
Come to me, and sit in my lap.”

“
No,” Skaia refused bluntly. “I don’t want to.”

“
I don’t recall asking what you wanted. Come here.” Skaia took a step to leave the room, but Thaddeus reached out, took his arm and twisted his body to sit across his legs. Once the boy had stopped fighting, Thaddeus lowered his head to claim Skaia’s lips. The slave resisted again, turning his head away, and Thaddeus ordered him to submit. “Respond to me. I know what you’re capable of.”

Skaia wanted to bite him, to rip his tongue out.
But then I definitely wouldn’t live to see Glaucus again…
He opened his mouth and let Thaddeus in. Surprisingly, the master’s lips became softer, his tongue entering slowly, caressing the interior of Skaia’s mouth. Tentatively, Skaia extended his own tongue to meet Thaddeus’.

As the kissing continued… and continued, Skaia gradually relaxed and felt the beginnings of his own arousal.
No, no,
his mind screamed in denial
. Not now. Not ever again.
He struggled not to react, even trying to push Thaddeus away. But Thaddeus’ arm around his back tightened, refusing to let him move, as his other hand slipped between Skaia’s legs, caressing his swelling length.

Skaia most definitely did not want this. But his body was young and he had followed Thaddeus’ order not to pleasure himself. There was no way now that he could resist the urgent feelings building so quickly. His slender cock grew longer and hard.

Thaddeus continued his kisses, and when he brought Skaia to climax, the boy let out a cry he could not stop, and bucked his hips several times. Thaddeus just held him and watched in fascination as Skaia’s seed shot upward to land on his belly. Two more times, each less forceful, and then the spent semen just dribbled over his own fingers.

Wrapping the towel over his hand, Thaddeus wiped Skaia’s groin, but did not speak until Skaia’s breathing was almost normal and the boy had opened his eyes. “Feeling better now?”

“
Yes, Master,” Skaia answered automatically. Always the right answer to any question. Even if it was a lie…

“
Good.” Thaddeus stroked Skaia’s back for several moments, and then pushed the slave from his lap. “Go clean yourself, and bring another cloth for me.”

Skaia thought his whole body burned with shame, but he did as he was told, and when he returned, he knelt between Thaddeus’ legs and wiped his fingers clean.

Taking Skaia’s head in both hands, stroking the boy’s hair gently with his thumbs, Thaddeus kissed his mouth one more time. “Go to bed now; I’ll join you in a moment.”

He watched Skaia walk away, still admiring the rounded form of his buttocks, his lean lightly muscled legs.
When will I tire of him?
he wondered.
Definitely not tonight.
Putting out all but one of the small lamps, Thaddeus climbed into bed, pulling the slave to him and holding tightly.

Skaia tensed at his touch, but forced himself to relax. In time, he felt Thaddeus loosen his grip, and he could breathe again.

He thought of Glaucus, and how often he had hoped his young master would call him to his bed. But there was only the once. And that had been disastrous. Even with Thaddeus’ arms around him, and the man’s body pressing close to him, Skaia smiled as he thought of Glaucus. Of how his young master had gone to the brothels, to learn how to make love to him.

Skaia remembered laughing with Glaucus about the whores he had met there. Glaucus had been so sure they enjoyed his techniques. And he was so eager to please Skaia the same way.
And I was just as eager to be pleased.
But the whores in the brothel had been doing their job. Perhaps like the boy Thaddeus had used today… Pretending pleasure.
Except mine is not pretence.
Thaddeus could manipulate him in ways he had not thought possible. Had the first time really been just a few days ago? Skaia had enjoyed the sex then, to his surprise and delight and disgust. Even now, he could not pretend it had not been pleasurable.

But tonight… tonight had been awful. Humiliating and degrading. Even his orgasm… He felt the bile rise in his throat and tried to slip from the bed.

Thaddeus held his arm. “Where are you going?”

“
I feel sick, Master. I need to get to the chamber pot.
Quickly.
Please, sir.”

Thaddeus released him, and watched him walk behind the screen. He heard the sounds as the boy vomited. He waited, but when Skaia did not return, he took the small lamp and went to find him.

Skaia lay on the floor, one side of his face pressed to the cool surface of the tiles. Kneeling beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder, Thaddeus asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

“
I’m sorry. I’ll be fine, sir,” Skaia answered, as he forced himself to his knees.

Thaddeus felt the young slave’s forehead. Not hot. He helped Skaia to stand and walked him toward the bed, sitting him on the bench, the one he’d used earlier. “Did your orgasm make you sick?”

“
No, sir.”
That was only part of it.

“
Then what?”

“
I don’t know.”

Thaddeus frowned. “Skaia, answer me.”

The boy’s eyes looked down. He feared he would cry again and shame himself even more. He summoned his anger and his hurt. “You humiliated me,” he said evenly. “Making me do those things. You make me ashamed that I want to live.”
And Glaucus will never forgive me for it.
He felt a sob build in his throat and swallowed it down. “I don’t understand how that eunuch stable boy can bear it. I… I…” He stopped, not willing to reveal any more.

Thaddeus sat on the side of the bed looking across at him. “I understand, Skaia. I just…”
I wanted to see what you would look like.
“Do you want to sleep on your pallet?” he asked, hoping the offer would pacify the slave.

Skaia dipped his head even lower. “Master, I would like to go back to the cellar. Please.”

Thaddeus was truly surprised. He did understand how he had hurt Skaia, but he could not comprehend how this young man could want to sleep in a small closed room, with half a dozen other men.
Not that it mattered
. “That is not a possibility, Skaia,” he said firmly. “You belong to me. You can choose between my bed, and your pallet. Those are your only choices.”

“
I would like to want to be in your bed sir.”
I really wish I did; that I could please you.
“But I don’t.”

“
Would you like to be in Glaucus’ bed?”

Skaia hesitated. Thaddeus was being almost reasonable now and he was terrified of making him angry. But, finally, he spoke very quietly. “Yes, sir. I mean… if he wanted me.”

Thaddeus tensed. “Do you love my son?”

Skaia looked up, met his eyes, and shook his head. “I’m not sure I know what that means, sir. Glaucus does not love me. I realize that now. I only know that I… want to be with him.”

“
But not with me?”

Skaia felt his panic rise higher. “You frighten me.”

Thaddeus nodded, understanding. He knew very well he had terrorized the boy. On purpose. “Go back to bed.”

“
I should empty the pot first. Before your room smells, Master.”

Thaddeus considered for only a moment. Already the odor was drifting toward the bed. “Do it—but come back here immediately.” Thaddeus thought he’d never seen Skaia move so quickly before. He found himself dismayed to see the boy’s fingerprints still evident on his buttocks from where he’d held them open so forcefully. But then Skaia pulled on his tunic, picked up the pot, and left the room.

Slowly moving to sit on the vacated bench, Thaddeus remembered what he’d done. He could not deny the exquisite thrill of controlling the slave so completely—of forcing him to do exactly what he wanted. Knowing Skaia hated every moment of it. Even his orgasm afterward…

But it disturbed him, too, to think that Skaia would be completely broken—and become like the young eunuch.
Oh gods… I’ve become attached to him.
The very idea was unsettling and absurd. But Thaddeus could hardly refute it now.

He heaved a heavy sigh. It had been an astounding few days. His mini-rebellion against Caesar. His friends’ suggestion to place Skaia in a brothel. The eunuch at the inn. His father’s reference to Thane.

Skaia is not Thane,
he told himself again.
But I own him like I owned Thane.
And he had never been deliberately hurtful—or even careless—with anything he owned.

Differences, differences. Skaia’s looks were stunning. Thane had been more like… like Gotus. Not ugly—but not someone to brag about bedding. Gentle, thoughtful. Thaddeus had only become more than simply fond of Thane after Pornecia died. Thane had comforted him in his grief. It had led to sex. And sex had led to everything else.

Thaddeus pushed those thoughts away, refusing to mourn for Thane again.