The Knife of Narcissus (omnibus) by Carolyne Chand

Author:Carolyne Chand [Chand, Carolyne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, Erotica, Gay, lgbt, queer, historical fiction, Historical, glbt, erotic romance, historical romance, slash, ancient rome, hfn, queer erotica, glbtq, queer fiction, lgbtq
Publisher: dik-dik books
Published: 2014-12-09T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XIII

“YOU’RE LATE.”

LUCIUS ANSWERED Pavo’s scolding, centurion-fierce bark with, “I had a matter with my wife.”

Pavo pursed his lips, then relented. “Set the law of your house now,” he advised. “Don’t give your woman too much rein to do as she pleases.”

“Our marriage is still young,” Lucius conceded.

“You’ll learn,” Pavo said, then sent him around the running track.

Harpax watched, shaking his head in disapproval. Lucius grinned at him as he swung around the track for the second time. He felt wide awake, the sun on his back pushed him forward, and the air was not too gritty so early in the day. He made a quick sprint through the third lap and trotted to a halt by the pitchers of water. Pavo gave him a gruff nod.

“No treat for me,” Lucius said, with a gesture of his head toward Harpax.

“I know nothing about that,” replied Pavo, feigning properly discreet ignorance. “But you don’t get another private massage from him unless you stay with the regimen.” The trainer looked him up and down. “If that’s still the sort of incentive that will keep you on target.”

Lucius shrugged, watching Harpax, bare to the waist, flex his monumental muscles. “Why not? Maybe in a month or two, I won’t still feel torn in half.”

“By our excellent exercise regimen, I’m sure you mean.” Pavo went off to yell at the other men.

Lucius trotted after him, full of ideas. He was even beginning to think it might be a good idea to have a look at Thalia. The family connection made her an obvious choice, though it would make sense to give her another year before she had to start producing offspring. Or two years. Maybe three. In the meantime he could hire her out to cousin Camillus to watch his daughter and learn something about minding children.

He liked having a plan to solve a problem.

• • •

“One of yours,” said Bassus, handing him a note the moment Lucius stepped into the office in the hazy late afternoon. Lucius passed it along to Arpalycus to read to him.

Arpalycus set his lips in a tight angry line and folded his arms. “That poet,” he announced.

“Poet?” echoed Lucius’s father, a mixture of intrigued and suspicious.

The slave huffed an irritated sigh but continued:

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