A Man's Sword (3 page)

Gabriel did, then reached over to open a small drawer in the table by the couch. He tossed a bottle of something at Marius, who caught it. “Use this,” Gabriel ordered.

Though the language on the bottle was unfamiliar, it contained letters he recognized. And when he opened the bottle and poured some in his palm, he instantly knew its purpose. The liquid glided finer than any oil or unguent ever had, and he reached down and coated his cock with the slippery liquid. Then, presented with Gabriel’s perfect ass, Marius reached forward and applied the liquid around the puckered dusky hole that beckoned to him.

“Yes,” Gabriel hissed, pressing his ass against the thumb on his sphincter.

The tip slipped inside the hot passage, quickly disappearing, only to pull back again. Marius added a second finger. Though his balls tightened and his seed threatened to spill, he knew he had to take care. When Gabriel worked his hole against Marius’s fingers, low sounds of pleasure spilling from him, Marius knew he was ready.

He pressed the head of his cock against Gabriel’s opening. Grabbing Gabriel’s hips, Marius worked as slowly as his own desire would allow to fully sheathe himself. After a long moment, Gabriel’s heat surrounded him, clamping down on his cock.

He pulled back until he rested just inside and then thrust forward again. The slickness, the heat, surrounded him and drove his focus down to the increasing pressure inside and around his cock. Leaning forward, he pressed his chest to Gabriel’s smooth, muscled back. He reached around and, with his still slick hand, stroked Gabriel’s cock.

It didn’t take long to bring either of them off. Gabriel gave a low moan, his cock hardening even more. It twitched; then he thrust forward into Marius’s hand as he spilled himself all over the couch. Feeling Gabriel come beneath him, his ass clamping down onto Marius’s cock, was enough to take Marius over the edge. He pounded forward once more, his balls swinging against Gabriel’s, and came.

Spent, he leaned against Gabriel and sucked air into his lungs. Slowly, he uncurled his fingers from around Gabriel’s cock, and he realized they were wet and sticky on this leather couch. He pulled back, his cock sliding free with a soft noise.

“Shower,” Gabriel muttered, sitting back on his heels. He winced but gave no other indication that he ached.

“Again?” Marius asked, though he wasn’t upset to be enjoying the wondrous shower once more.

Gabriel nodded. “For you, again.”

C
LEAN
and dressed again, this time in an old college T-shirt and his jeans, Gabriel gave Marius a tour of his home. They’d talked little in the shower, though they’d done a lot more. Having Marius brought out Gabriel’s lust, and he’d allowed Marius to take him again beneath the spray. Thank God for his tankless hot-water heater.

He winced, hoping Marius wouldn’t notice. The gladiator looked no worse for wear, and in fact, made several comments about the Roman weapons on display. Gabriel tried to explain about his time, because Marius’s knowledge seemed too in-depth to have come from a book. He had to accept that he had a real live gladiator in his house.

“So you simply asked Janus to find you a doorway?” Gabriel shook his head. He sat on the couch downstairs in the basement, not wanting yet to introduce Marius to television, or, heaven forbid, any number of movies about Rome and gladiators. What would he think of
Spartacus
? Or
Rome?
Or even—Gabriel shuddered—
Gladiator
?

“I did. And he has.” Marius spoke so casually, so at ease with his circumstances.

It befuddled Gabriel to think that a man could be so understanding about such an extraordinary event. If he’d been dropped into Marius’s time, Gabriel doubted he’d have handled it so well. Then again, maybe Marius was still in shock over the technology and the way things had changed. Maybe, when he had grown used to this, the importance would sink in. Or maybe he’d simply pray to Janus to send him home and the god would.

An immediate and acute sense of loss stabbed Gabriel’s heart. No, surely no god would be so cruel, though in this thought he disregarded all the teachings of a vengeful Christian god and the tricks that other pagan deities played on their worshipers.
If my father could disown me in God’s name, then I don’t think I truly know what any deity wants.
He pushed aside the painful thought, lest more follow.

“I could help you in your business,” Marius offered. “I may only know weapons from my time, but I think a good sword is a good sword no matter the time.” Marius stood and crossed to the display. “Take this one, for example.” He lifted a French rapier and looked along its length. “This is a bit slender for my uses, but it is good metal and has been wrought with care. If you did not rely on brute strength, this would be a good sword.”

“It was.” Gabriel thought for a moment. Offering more than a man wanted had gotten him in trouble before, but Gabriel was driven to be as bold as the man standing in his basement. “I do not know if you would like what I do, and I do not want to tie you to my work. But I do make more than enough that you’re welcome to stay here until you’re established in this world.” Thoughts of documents and social security numbers came and fled. “We have documents and laws about working and earning an income. There’s paperwork that you do not have. So I don’t know what opportunities are open, but we can find out.” Gabriel wondered if the Italian government would do anything, then almost laughed aloud at his folly.

“And if I decide I want to stay?” Marius replaced the sword and sat back down on the couch. “I have known you for less than a day and fucked you only twice. I do not know if we work well together. I do know that I like what I’ve seen.”

Gabriel couldn’t hide his grin. “I wouldn’t mind.” His smile grew.

Marius leaned forward and cupped Gabriel’s chin. “I’m a gladiator. I always get my way.” He drew Gabriel’s lips to his and kissed him. The touch of his lips proved to be surprisingly gentle; Gabriel expected Marius to mark him, to claim him for his own. Instead, he tasted and the kiss softened, then deepened as Gabriel opened for him.

Marius dipped his tongue inside, eliciting a moan from Gabriel. Tasting him like this, kissing him, was like finding a moment locked in time. He could do this forever. At last, he pulled away, breathing heavily.

“Well, then, if you’re a gladiator, tell me the truth. Was that really your sword?”

Marius nodded. “I doubt another could have been marked like it. I remember in which arena and which foe brought the battle scars to my weapon. They are dead, victims of the crowd, while I am here.”

Gabriel could almost hear the roar of the bloodthirsty crowd. “You know what they say about a man and his sword. They are not easily parted.” He tried to lighten the mood.

Marius smiled. “I have never been parted from my battle weapon.” He glanced at the sword hanging on the wall.

“It appears not.” Gabriel followed Marius’s gaze to the weapon. He debated his next words carefully. “And I have no intention of getting rid of that sword.”

Marius reached forward and grabbed the hem of Gabriel’s shirt in his fist. He used the fabric to pull Gabriel toward him until they both sprawled half on, half off the couch. “Good. Because a gladiator protects what’s his.” He pressed a hard, hungry kiss on Gabriel’s lips, leaving no room to wonder if that possessive statement included him too. Apparently it did, because when the need for air broke the kiss, Gabriel found his shirt pressed up around his armpits and Marius panting for breath. “As the one who found the sword, I guess that makes you mine too. And I intend to take my time with you.” Marius released Gabriel’s shirt and more deftly unbuttoned the top button on the fly of his jeans. One by one, he undid the rest of the buttons until Gabriel’s cock was free. He slid down Gabriel’s body. A quick swipe with his tongue; then he took Gabriel’s cock into his mouth.

Gabriel moaned. His gladiator was talented with more than one kind of sword. And then his eyes rolled back in his head as Marius took him deep.

Gabriel grinned, then grabbed Marius around the shoulders and rolled them both fully onto the floor. The gladiator straddled him, his cock fully erect behind the fly of his jeans. Gabriel rolled his hips, bringing their erections sliding together beneath layers of denim. “Apparently Janus knew I’d always dreamed of having a gladiator in my bed.”

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About the Author

A long time ago in a galaxy far away… oh wait, that’s a different saga.
W.M. K
IRKLAND
began writing over twenty years ago, and all the stories, no matter the genre, featured handsome princes. Today, W.M. combines a love of history and fantastical settings with strong men and bonds which cannot be broken. Although these men keep W.M. at the computer most of the day, there’s still time for enjoying the outdoors, great movies, and a good time.

Visit W.M.’s website:
http://www.wmkirkland.com
.

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