A Roman Socialite and Her Tamer (Nurse x Houdini)

"I never gave men what they wanted when I was single, what makes you think I would do that now!?" she exclaimed, furrowing her brows in shock. It didn't sound like he trusted her, not at all. It sounded like he thought she would sleep around the second he was out with the military. She looked down at the ground and blinked several times, trying not to get too upset about this.

"There's a thousand things I could do! I...I could go to the theatre, or shopping, or to parties. I could visit my parents, my sister, my brother. Go see my friends." she started rambling.

"Adonna, Adonna," he called out, unable to stop her from rambling through all the ideas for things to do. "Wait for a moment. I told you I trusted you. Don't you believe me?" He stopped in the middle of the street, and held her shoulders, determined to resolve this before they moved on. "I don't think there's anything wrong with visiting family or shopping once in a while. But don't you think it's inappropriate for you to go to a party or the theatre without your husband? Men will get the wrong ideas. Even if you don't give them what they want, your old tendencies to lead them along might come out. Even if you're not doing it on purpose." He sighed and reached around her, stroking the back of her head. "I'm deciding this because I care about you."

"But...but..." she stammered, looking up into his eyes desperately as he stroked the back of her head. His touching her calmed her down a little bit, but she was still extremely flustered by this. "But I'll be stuck inside all of the time....With Flavia!" she blurted out, her eyes wide and doe like. She was desperate for some kind of negotiation here. "I won't go to parties if you don't want me to," she offered hurriedly, "but I can't be inside all the time!"

(Egh, short)

Justus thought it best to strike a deal with Adonna than go off to the army and not know what party she was running off to while he was away. "So no parties? Ever?" he asked carefully, making sure she'd explicitly promise this to him. He realized that something was going to have to be done about Flavia, unless her beating this morning had taught her the needed lesson. He doubted that, however. She was a headstrong girl, and he'd have to watch her closely to see if anything had changed at all. "And what about your... choice of attire, Adonna?"

"Ever," she agreed, nodding her head. But then she frowned, "Unless I go with you. That's okay, right?" she sincerely hoped it was. Adonna loved parties. The atmosphere, the people, the food, the drink, the music. It was like lifeblood to her. She would gladly go with Justus if that was what he wanted. She paused when he mentioned the choice of attire. She took a deep breath and thought for a moment, letting the breath out slowly. "I...." she stopped again, looking away from him for a moment. She brought her eyes back to his slowly, "I will try to not be so...so...expensive looking."

"Of course I'll go to parties with you, Adonna," he said with a smile, leaning over and kissing her forehead, holding his mouth there for a while. "See, I'm not so hard to please, am I? No parties without me, but we'll go together, the same for theatre, and tone down the dress a little. That's all I ask," he finished with a smile, having sneaked theatre into their agreement as well. "So do you think we ought to get a present for Flavia while we're out?" he said with a big grin. "Maybe something from the apothecary for serious bruises?"

She frowned when he mentioned the theatre. She had said nothing about not going to the theatre. But she supposed she could live with that. She would just have to go visiting a lot. She smiled and kissed his lips gently after he'd pulled away from her forehead. She really was growing to like him. She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck loosely, "Not too hard to please," she smiled. But then he mentioned Flavia. She frowned again and shook her head, "No. She deserves that she got. She wouldn't have such serious bruises if she hadn't been so horrible."

"You're right, Adonna," he agreed, rubbing her cheeks between his hands, glad they'd reached an agreement of sorts. Leaning down, he sealed it by sharing in the kiss she offered him. "I'm glad you beat her as hard as you did. She did deserve it," he agreed with a grin.

Once they returned home, Justus and Adonna dined together and retired for the night without incident. They spent the next week and a half getting to know each other more, and it was nice for the most part. Justus had to remind her gently that she was in his house now from time to time, but she seemed to be getting nicely accustomed to life togther. Flavia did stir up a little trouble from time to time. In fact, Justus had to beat her on the bench again once for her constant insulting of Adonna. He never had to discipline her before he was married, and now it was twice in the same month. Justus and Flavia also had their passionate encounters during this time. They had sex almost every night, although missed a couple of nights. Adonna was becoming far more comfortable with her body in front of Justus, but they didn't really expand their boundaries much beyond what they'd already done.

There would be times when Justus would doubtless need to be away for months, or even a year at a time. But the mission he was about to lead was only expected to last three weeks. He only had to go to Neapolis and return a legion of soldiers to Rome, organizing them for a possible upcoming offensive. He'd come to trust Adonna, but it was his first time away. She knew Cornelius now, so he'd arranged for a young legionary to have some time away from his company, and follow Adonna when she left the house. He was to keep an accurate journal of what she did outside of their house for the three weeks. "I'll be back before you start to miss me much, Adonna," he told her with a smile as they stood at the doorway, leaning in and kissing each other goodbye for the first time. "But I assure you, I'll miss sleeping at your side."

Adonna had mixed feelings about Justus leaving on a mission. It was his job, he was an army general, and it was to be expected. In that regard she was proud of him, he was serving the Caesar and she could never be upset at him for doing that. But she'd realized that for the next three weeks she was going to sleep in an empty bed. She was going to eat her meals alone. She would go three weeks without any kind of an affectionate touch. No kisses on the forehead, holding hands, nudges under the table. Certainly no touching of any sacred places and no sex. This was going to be the first of many times she would have to go through this.

"I'll miss you too," she said sadly as she held on to him outside of their front door. She must have kissed him ten times before he finally pulled away from her to leave. After he left Adonna was dejected for two days. Flavia was wise enough to leave her alone during these two days, as anything Adonna might do to her would be healed before Justus came home and at this point he would believe Adonna far before he would believe Flavia. After the first week Adonna went to visit her parents. She stayed for the weekend but inevitably had to come home. She went shopping the next week, buying a new toga. It was fairly simple and she went out dressed as simply as Adonna could manage.

Flavia left her alone for the most part. Once she came into Adonna's dressing room while Adonna was half naked, but Adonna shooed her out and put a chair in front of the door. She also tried to come into the bathhouse once but Adonna was luckily immersed in the water and most of her body wasn't visible. By the end of the three weeks Adonna was absolutely desperate for Justus to be home. She stood outside the door all day long, hoping that he would be home that day and not be held late.

Justus had a successful, but tiring three weeks. Nothing happened too out of the ordinary, but he was constantly riding, sparring with other officers to get himself back into fighting shape, and holding meetings late into the night. The couple of rare nights free from work were spent drinking plenty of wine by the fire and telling stories. So it was a tired Justus who came home just before evening fell, three weeks to the day from when he'd left.

On the way back from the center of the city, Justus stopped at the same marketplace he'd frequented with Adonna, and bought a single red rose. He didn't owe her anything of course, and the military mentality would have scorned such a gesture, but Justus had missed his wife more than he'd thought he would, and wanted to bring some trinket to show it.

Once he got close, Justus saw Adonna standing near the open door. Dismounting his ride and leaving it in the street, he ran to Adonna, still in his uniform. Shouting out nothing in particular, he picked her up off the ground and pushed her delicately against the door frame, lavishing her with kiss after kiss. "I missed you so much, Adonna," he said, out of breath. "Every night. How have you been?"

Her heart soared when she saw Justus come into view of his horse. Her heart soared even more when he jumped off of it and came running to her. She opened her arms for him and let him catch her and pick her up, pressing her back against the door frame. She squealed her delight and returned every single one of his kisses, continuing to lavish love on him after he'd finished. She took deep breaths of his unique smell, though he smelled of a distant place and fighting, he still smelled just like him. She snuggled into him, her arms wrapped tightly around him.

She'd missed him horribly. More than she had thought she would. She had missed fighting with him even. Anything to have him back. She finally pulled her face away from him and smiled, "I've been alright. Alive, at least." she stroked his cheek gently and whispered, "I've been so lonely. The bed is big and cold without you. Food is meaningless."

Justus let Adonna snuggle into his body as they reconnected. They'd been apart now longer than they were together, he realized, but that didn't mean anything. The bond they'd developed during those two weeks was strong. "It can't have been that bad," he told her, rubbing her nose with his. Pulling the rose out of his little sack, he handed it to her as he set her down. "I'm starved," he admitted. "But I'm more starved for you. I can wait to eat. Come back in the bedroom with me, and help me get out of this uniform."

Her heart melted completely when he pulled out the rose and handed it to her. She gripped it and beamed at him, going up on her tiptoes to kiss him. "It was horrible," she promised as she grabbed his hand. She tugged him into the house and through the hallway towards the bedroom. The passed Flavia on the way, but Adonna ignored her completely, much the same way she'd been ignoring her for the passed three weeks. She opened the door to their bedroom and hurried inside, closing it behind them both. She grinned at Justus and advanced on him, beginning to pull his tunic up.

Justus grinned as Adonna got right to work on him. He'd barely given Flavia a passing glance in the hallway. Once they were along in the bedroom, he raised his arms and let Adonna pull the tunic off his chest, still a little moist with sweat from the warm ride. He kissed her back once it was over his head, remembering the delicious taste she offered. "I don't know if I'm in proper shape for anything interesting, Adonna," he confessed. "I haven't bathed in three days. We live like animals out there. Maybe I should bathe first," he offered. Leaning back over, he contradicted himself by giving her a long kiss on the lips, running his hands down her soft sides. He'd just missed her so badly, he couldn't resist touching her smooth body.

She pressed herself against him when his tunic was off, feeling his sweaty chest. Suddenly she had a naughty idea. She went up on her tiptoes as he kissed her again, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him even closer to her. She pulled away from the kiss and looked him straight in the eyes, her lust and devilishness evident in her own. "We could bathe together. A husband deserves to be cared for by his wife," she murmured, twisting his words from when he'd told her that she should let Flavia bathe her.

Justus smiled widely when Adonna suggested bathing together. That sounded absolutely divine. The last time they'd been together in the bathing room was that fateful day with Flavia. This was going to be much better, he thought. "That sounds nice," he said softly. "But I don't know if I can keep my hands off you until we get in there," he teased, already moving towards the door. Practically running hand in hand to the bathing room, he dragged her in and closed the door. He turned on the faucet, letting the cool water stream into the tub from the aqueduct. "Come here and let me undress you," he said deeply and seductively, a devilish look in his dark eyes.

She ran with Justus to the bathhouse like a silly girl with her new lover. She giggled when he slammed the door behind the two of them. She sauntered over to him when he told her to come to him and let him undress her. "Yes sir," she cooed, equally seductive as he had been. When she walked up to him she hooked her fingers into his under garment trousers, pulling at them a little bit, but not moving to actually undress him. She looked up at him and searched his eyes, eager to bathe with him. She was wearing a simple toga, all it needed was to be untied at the waist. She had a simple undergown on too, but that would be easier for him to rip off of her.

Adonna was seducing him as if she'd been planning it the whole time he was gone, which he knew wasn't true. She knew too well how to get him going. "You little tease," he said with a smile once she'd pulled at his trousers. "I'm going to have to strip you for that." With a big grin, he slowly pulled apart the knot on her toga, letting it fall to the ground.

Once it was off, he let his hands wander all over her body as he stood across from her, able to feel all her curves through the soft undergarment. He pressed around against her butt, her back, squeezed both breasts and even rubbed a little at her womanhood through the thin material. "Ahh, nice and heavenly, just like I remember." Suddenly, his eyes gleamed with increased desire, and he tore the thin little garment right off her, rendering Adonna's beautiful pale form naked. "Now it's your turn, dear," he said with a huge grin, twirling one of her nipples in his fingers.

She squealed when he ripped the undergarment off of her, watching the ripped fabric float to the ground. "You know," she said as she began to tug on his trousers. "If you keep ripping off my undergarments...I'm not going to have any left," she giggled then and pulled his trousers down all the way, releasing his hardening manhood with fervor. She murred softly when he twirled her nipple, biting her lip gently. She wanted to just jump on top of him and go to town, but she wanted to bathe him too. She wanted to take care of her husband who'd been away serving their country and their beloved Caesar.

Justus laughed when she chided him for ripping the garment. "My poor Adonna," he laughed. "You'll just have to not wear any, won't you?" he teased. "You'll just have to prance about the house in your naked glory." And then his trousers were down, revealing his love-starved, mostly-hard manhood. (It didn't take much after three weeks.) "Come in the tub," he said in his playful baritone. I don't want you to have to do all the washing. Reaching down, he grazed his fingertips along the mound above her womanhood, doing his best to tickle her soft patch of smooth skin

She murred as she stepped into the tub and he grazed his fingertips over her. She'd painstakingly shaved herself the night before in anticipation of him coming home. He'd never said so directly but she knew he preferred when he skin was completely smooth. So last night she'd shaved her entire body except her head (and eyebrows, of course) as well as oiling herself much the same way she'd been before their wedding. "You're so generous," she cooed at him as he offered to wash her some. "You should let me take care of you, justus...you've been away serving our country. You deserve to rest."

Justus grinned, taking in the sight of her freshly prepared body. He'd expected to see a little bush like Flavia had, but Adonna painstakingly had made her body smooth and pretty for him. "You're so perfect," he mumbled, rubbing a breast with each hand, realizing she'd oiled herself. "What was the big occassion? Did you assume anything would happen tonight?" he teased. Steeping into the tub with both feet, he stood before Adonna, and let her at his tired body. "You drive a hard bargain, Adonna. Why don't you start, and maybe I'll care for you afterwards," he suggested, leaning down and kissing her yet again, letting his mouth fall down her neck, taking a soft love bite out of it.

She laughed, "I was certainly hoping. Why, is it bad to want to look nice for my husband?" she teased, running her hands over his tired and stressed body. She massaged his lovely broad shoulders gently and pushed him down towards the tub softly, "Lay down in the tub. It's more than big enough," she smiled at him and tugged on his hands down, trying to get him down. Once he was down she knelt there with him. The water only came up to mid-stomach on him, but still. She dipped her hands in the water and washed it over his chest. She picked up a cloth and rubbed some soap on it, washing it over him.

Justus sighed as she rubbed him all over. Her hands felt amazing on his sore muscles. "Oh no, on the contrary, Adonna," he said with a big laugh. "I'd never let you get away without ravaging your body my first night back." He knelt down when she begged him to, facing Adonna as they both knelt in the little tub. Her full breasts floated wonderfully right at the surface of the water. "What did you do while I was gone, dear?" he asked in a completely relaxed tone. "Nothing I need to punish you for, I hope," he said, his voice light enough to show he was joking. "Except for the fun punishment I'm about to give to your perfect womanhood when we're done here."

She moved the cloth over his shoulders, to his neck, his upper back, and down his arms. Then she wetted it and rubbed it all up and down where the soap was. She soaped it again and dipped it under the water, rubbing it around his torso and legs. Then she dropped the cloth and just rubbed her own hands over his strong, taut, thighs and his lower torso. "I didn't do very much. I was bored. I went and visited my mother. I bought a new toga." she sighed dramatically and pouted at him, "They put on my favorite play...but I couldn't go see it because you weren't here."