The Centurion's Woman

Chapter 30

CW - the NSFW continues.

THE MORNING ARRIVED cold and dark. Alex woke up to Ixillius and Brasus quietly talking, Brasus having woken first and given them a few minutes more sleep. She flexed through her regular morning routine to get her blood moving and shake off the stiffness that always settled in during the night, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of Ixillius against her back as she stretched. He seemed to like the feeling as well, as his voice trailed off distractedly mid-sentence and his hands started wandering.

        "Leave off him, little witch," Brasus reprimanded her playfully. "We don't have time to waste this morning."

        Alex rolled to her back and opened her mouth to reply with a smart-ass comment and got a face full of leather and wool.

        "Your aunt sent those for you for riding," Brasus said.

        Alex held up what had just been thrown at her and couldn't help the smile that broke out on her face. A sleeved shirt and pair of pants that looked close to her size, both made of soft leather, the pants with similar bindings to what the men wore from mid-hip to waist to hold them up; and Verus's under tunic, washed and the rips repaired. Alex pulled on the tunic with a grin and then smiled fully at the pants.

        "I'll let her know you like those." Brasus shook his head in wonder that anyone could enjoy wearing such ridiculous things, and then dropped the hide cover and walked away.

        "You actually like those?" Ixillius asked, his voice as incredulous as the look on Brasus's face.

        "I do," Alex nodded. She turned them to check the cut and quickly figured out the front and back. Her inspection was cut short as Ixillius slipped a hand between her legs and nuzzled at her neck and shoulder.

        "You look better naked," he murmured, starting to strip off the tunic she'd just pulled on.

        "Brasus says—" she started, interrupted by his mouth locking onto hers. He grabbed the pants and tried to pull them away, growling slightly when she fought him for them.

        "You don't need those yet," he argued, after he released her mouth to nip at her ear.

        "But I like them very much," Alex replied, chuckling, "and Brasus says we have no time to waste if we want to eat breakfast."

        "Breakfast can wait a few minutes." Ixillius pulled harder at the pants and pressed close, his erection hard against her hip

        "Do not pull!" she chastised, whispering as she smacked his hand off the pants. "You will make a rip."

        He grumbled as she sat up to resume her inspection. She managed to re-identify the front from the back as his hands slid up the outside of her thighs.

        "That is not fair," she stated, throwing the pants to the end of the bed.

        As his hands had been traveling up her legs, his kisses had started at her belly-button and were dropping down. He chuckled and pushed her back, teasing at her with his tongue until she forgot why she'd cared about the pants at all.

                                                                ***

        Alex hated leaving. She wanted to get back to the Legion, Ixillius could see that clearly, but she wanted to stay longer before going. She was strange to see in this kind of family interaction. He'd only known her as, well, as Alex; a strange woman at her best and something terrifying at her worst. With Lothar, though, she was suddenly the girl that Quintus said her father called 'Dria'. The changes seemed so small, but they were huge. She was just... affectionate. The hardness wasn't gone from her, that sharp edge was just less there.