Rome: Marriage Pact

Chapter Eighteen: Rose Oil

(Song: I Am Hers, She Is Mine by Ramin Djawadi.)
I sigh, toying with the cap of the bottle of rose oil as I finish bathing in the washroom. Now back home, I find my fear of sex gone. I no longer wonder how to please Antony. Part of me wants to get dressed and finally lay with him, but another part of me hesitates.

Could I be rushing things, or has Antony been waiting patiently for this day since we tied the knot? Flustered and feeling impatient, I blow bubbles onto the water surface. I could see how tired Antony was when we got back home. He's probably already in bed by now, dozing off.

Once I am dried and dressed, I exit the washroom and enter our room. Antony is already passed out in bed, sleeping shirtless like usual. After the experience in the brothel, I'm beginning to see my husband in a new light. I lick my lips without realizing what I'm doing.

I reach over as if to wake him, then stop. Too giddy to sleep, I lay next to him. He stirs awake, but sleepiness glazes his eyes. He smiles lazily at me, pulling me close. I tense slightly, feeling myself getting excited.
Mentally praying Antony cannot feel my body betraying my emotions, I inhale sharply and bite back a moan.

Quickly, I cover my mouth, the noise stuck in my throat. Heart hammering, I dare myself to look up at Antony's face. His eyes are closed and breathing even. I sigh in relief, huffing the air out between my fingers.
****
I didn't even realize I had fallen asleep until Antony's lips grazed against mine. Subconsciously, part of me thinks I'm still in the brothel, so I almost whine and buck my hips up. My eyes fly open when I feel my crotch against his.

Mortified, I break the kiss and sink lower into the mattress, stammering out excuses, feeling my face go scarlet. "B-by Apollo, I'm so sorry! I—I just..." I can't even form a sentence correctly. Antony cackles above me, lust clear in his brown eyes. "By the gods, Gaius, I didn't realize you had it in you!"

I groan and turn away from him, wanting to sink under the covers and layers of animal furs. "Oh, don't be like that," Antony muses, laying next to me and massaging my tense shoulders. "All of this is normal."
"Am I supposed to feel this emotional and embarrassed?" I ask, turning my head to stare at him with wide eyes.

"As I said, normal," he laughs, hands moving lower to wrap around my waist. "Come, sit up, look at me." The mattress creaks as we sit up and look at one another. "I know all of this is still intimidating for you, part of me understands that," he admits, looking serious.

"But...?" I urge him, eyebrows raised, knowing how he speaks by now. "But nothing about this should be shameful, it's normal. You're bound to feel a bit different after your first time. Trust me, I speak from experience," he says this with honesty, looking into my eyes.

I sigh through my nose and glance away from him. The lust in his eyes is gone, now looking more worried for me. "I just," I swallow, "want to know how to please you as your husband," I state quietly.
He takes my hands and kisses my fingers. "I say you've done well so far," he grins.

Gently, he brushes some hair away from my face and I lean into his touch. "I want to lay with you," I sigh, "when the time is right." He nods and kisses my forehead. "Whenever you're ready, I will not rush you."
****
By midday, it feels like I'm about to burst into flames with how flustered I feel. Antony can probably tell since he sighs and holds his hand out.
"Come on," he says.
"Where?" I ask, wincing at the whine in my tone of voice.
"So we can have sex," Antony states flatly, but he smiles. "You've looked like an animal in heat since we woke up. Let me help you, Octavius."

I stand up and grab his hand without hesitation. "Just try to relax," he reminds me, standing in front of the bed. "You can probably hear how fast my heart is beating," I joke. He laughs softly and lowers his head, then his lips meet mine.