'My sleep was disturbed last night, Claudia. I feel a bit unwell,' she lied. 'I'm not up to going to the public baths today. I think I'll have a bath in Sabina's new plunge tub.'

She turned on her heel and nearly crashed into Aquilia's massive chest. She mumbled an apology and started to walk on, but he caught her arm.

'You're a very pretty lady,' he said with a thick accent. 'You Valens's woman?'

'I am nobody's woman,' Julia replied crossly, wrenching her arm free from his grasp and marched out of the gate without looking back.


Chapter Nine


Julia's anger dissipated as she lowered her body into the steaming hot water scented with white rose petals. She lay back against the rim of the tub and looked at the mosaics of dolphins that adorned the wall of the newly installed bath suite.

Her stepmother had spared no expense in the decoration, but the rooms were rarely used. Sabina preferred to keep the bathing suite as a showpiece.

Julia had scraped the arena's sand and dust off with oil and her strigil. If only she could scrape the memory of Valens's arms away so easily.

She would do this more often, she thought, allowing her body to float in the warm enveloping water. What was the point of a bathing suite that was for viewing only?

Her mind drifted back over the day's events. She trailed her hand along the water, trying to be realistic and unemotional. What had she expected—for Valens to sweep her into his arms and declare his undying love in front of that crowd?

The only thing that would have accomplished would have been a quick betrothal to Mettalius or somebody worse. It was far better she get over her obsession with this man and on with her real life. The only place anything with him would lead to was a quick trip to Sabina's tame soothsayer and betrothal to whomever Sabina felt would best benefit the family. She had to be practical. She must keep silent about what had passed between them, no matter how much her heart longed to shout it and demand explanations.

Julia drew a shuddering breath and reached for her towel. If she stayed in much longer, she'd turn into a prune with water leaking from her fingertips and no further on in her dilemma.

Her hand encountered a bare foot, rather than the cloth she expected. She drew it hastily back.

'Are you looking for this?' Valens's voice flowed over her.

She glanced up to see him holding her towel. The whiteness of his tunic contrasted with his skin, glowing golden in the lamplight. His broad shoulders blocked out the door, and she remembered all too clearly how they had felt against her hands this morning. She also remembered his angry words of a few hours ago.

'What are you doing here?' she squeaked, before sinking her body against the bottom of the tub, grateful for the rose petals and the flickering light.

'I could ask the same question of you.'

'I'm having a bath,' Julia retorted indignantly. 'Leave.'

'I was attempting to do the same. Your plunge bath looks inviting.' He dipped his hand in. 'Hot but not scalding, just the thing to soothe my aching muscles. I had a quick wash after practice, but wanted to ease my shoulder. I injured it three years ago and it can play up at times.'

Julia glared. How dare he act like this! He had no business

being here. She had told him that he was unwelcome. 'I was here first.'

'And your point is…?'

'Knock and wait your turn'

Valens lifted one eyebrow and stared at her with an amused expression on his face. Julia was acutely conscious that the white rose petals in the flickering light provided only the minimum of cover and that her discarded clothes lay in an untidy heap on the far side of the room.

'I did knock—you ignored me. I had assumed the bath suite was empty. It always has been before.'

'The instant you realised I was here, you should have left,' Julia retorted.

'If you had wanted privacy,' he said with a crinkle of his eyes, 'you should have bolted the door…like I did.'

Julia's heart stopped. He had bolted the door. They were here alone, and with only petal-strewn water between her naked body and his hooded gaze.

'If you had called out, I'd have come out as soon as I had finished…' she began and started to wonder how she could gracefully exit from the bath without revealing more than she absolutely had to.

'You were a pleasant surprise,' he said with a smile spreading over his face. I had wondered when we would next encounter each other.'

'There will be no encountering,' Julia said with grim determination. 'I had planned on ignoring you for the rest of my life. My towel, if you please.'

She held out her hand, but turned her face away from him. Her fingers closed gratefully around the cloth. If she held it up between her and Valens and then climbed out backwards, crouching down, she might be able to do it. She started to climb. Her right foot slipped and she nearly fell back in the water. Julia tightened her jaw and tried again.

'Julia, what is the matter? Are you injured? Is your ankle giving you problems?'

At the sound of his voice, Julia gave up trying to be dignified. She scrambled all the way out of the bath, stood dripping on to the fish mosaic, her back to Valens, and wrapped the towel firmly around her body. She reached for another from the pile and draped it over her shoulders. Then picked up a third towel and started vigorously to dry her hair.

If I ignore him, he might leave.

'You can tell me.' He put his warm hands on her shoulders. Julia felt the flame of desire leap and cursed her treacherous body. 'Is there anything I can do to help? Any little thing?'

'You made your feelings quite clear this afternoon,' she said through clenched teeth, trying to ignore the pleadings of her body that became louder with every breath she took.

'And which feelings would they be?' Valens asked. His hardness pressed into her backside as he pulled her against him, leaving her in no doubt as to his aroused state.

Julia shivered and stepped away from him, wrapping the towel tightly around her body. She refused to allow her heart to be used as a plaything. Love-making was not a game for her.

'At the Circus Maximus—' she began.

'I was rude and impossible,' Valens finished her sentence and captured her shoulders again, turning her towards him. His finger lifted her chin. 'Believe me, Julia, I know and I apologise, but it was for a good reason. I had no wish to put you in danger. Think of what would have happened if Roman tongues began to wag again. Your dog was not with you this time.'

She gazed into his dark eyes, eyes that promised much, eyes that smouldered. The ice of this afternoon had become a smouldering fire of passion. She felt her nipples harden at his look. She wanted to believe his words, but this afternoon still stung.

'And that's it? I am now supposed to fall into your arms?' she asked sarcastically. It would be too easy to fall and give her body up to that passionate promise.

'That was the general idea.'

A dimple played in the corner of his mouth, tempting her, calling to her, making her want to taste him. She forced her lips to press tight and clenched her fist more firmly around the towel that was wrapped about her body. She refused to drop into his lap like a ripe plum.

'Did you have this thought in your mind before you came here or did it just form?' She made her voice as cutting as possible.

His hands pushed the towel off her shoulders before he trailed his fingers down her arms. The flame in his eyes leapt further, nearly scorching her in its intensity.

'It could be enjoyable for both of us.'

Her body swayed towards his and her breasts touched his chest. His arms came round and held her closer. So close she could hear his heartbeat thumping in her ears.

'Soft words are not required.' Her breathing sounded as if she had run a long race. More than half of her hoped he'd swoop to capture her lips. It bothered her. After all the hurt he'd given her today, Venus help her, she still wanted him. The fact troubled her. 'I need to know why. I am not some plaything, Valens, to be used and discarded at will.'

He ran his hand through her hair, tangling it and sending a series of shivers down her spine.

'I know you are not, but you need to understand, Julia— there is more to my life than keeping you happy. I want to keep you and your reputation safe. I have enough to worry about in the arena, without fearing for you.'

Julia shook her head, attempting to clear it of buzzing. She stepped away from his encircling arms, ran a hand through the rapidly cooling water and watched the droplets fall off her fingers. Nobody worried about her in that way. They only cared for her as if she was a glass soldier in a game of latrun-culi.

'I hardly think anyone would get the wrong idea. I was not asking you to kiss me, Valens. I merely came up to say hello out of politeness's sake.'

'Julia,' he said thickly, 'there are those who seek to harm me through you, if they thought there was anything between us.'

'Who?'

'Aquilia for one,' was the immediate answer.

'He would never dare.' Then she remembered Aquilia's clammy hand on her sleeve and shivered.

'Underestimating him is a mistake I made once and have no wish to make again.' His voice held a note of determination.

'I thought you two had never met in combat,' she said in confusion. 'What sort of mistake did you make?'

Silence filled the chamber. Julia felt Valens's mood change. The passion in his eyes vanished and his face became colder, crueller. His being stilled and it was as if he had entered some private place in his mind, a place she could not follow.