A Man’s Sword

Description

A Man’s Sword
erotic time travel romance short story

When Gabriel Woodweiss brought home an ancient sword to display as his latest antique treasure, he didn’t imagine that its original owner would show up in his basement to claim his property. One moment Marius was praying to his god to save him from servitude in the gladiator ring; the next he’s in a room where the only familiar object is his sword. The fact that a handsome man claims ownership of Marius’s beloved weapon—and knowledge of the strange and wonderful world in which he now finds himself—is proof to Marius’s mind that sometimes the gods do answer the faithful. Now Marius just has to convince Gabriel that keeping the sword is fair and just—as long as he keeps the man who comes with it.

Excerpt

Gabriel picked up the blade and caressed its unadorned hilt. Definitely of Roman origin, though he’d have to do a bit of research to pinpoint the exact area. Still, it was a heckuva find, especially in a Wyoming antique shop. He’d dropped in thinking they would still have that Civil War sword he’d seen in the window a few weeks ago. They didn’t—it’d been sold only a few days earlier—but this piece, newly acquired, had caught his eye. A bit of haggling and the promise of a lead if he found anything interesting—it helped to know the shop’s owner—and he was in possession of a Roman gladiator’s sword. It’d round out his collection nicely.

How many swords does a guy need? The sarcastic and catty question from his last boyfriend still echoed in Gabriel’s mind. He surveyed the wall in his basement displaying several choice pieces. A man had to have hardware.

Lovingly, Gabriel caressed the hilt once more, then curled his fingers around the grip. He immediately took up a guarded stance, blade held at the ready. “For Caesar!” He lifted the sword and shook it above his head, imagining himself in the center of an arena, the crowd cheering his name. Thumbs down or thumbs up—which would it be?

For Rome. No one gave a fuck about Caesar. The voice, slightly rough, caressed his ears and sent a shiver down his spine. Gabriel’s cock tightened. For a moment, a hot sweaty body pressed against his back, arms like steel bands around him, and the heavy, thick cock of a gladiator surged against his buttocks. Gabriel bit back a groan at the too vivid image and lowered the sword.

Though you’d do well in the arena.

That voice again. Gabriel turned, though he knew he was alone. “It’s been too long since I’ve gotten laid,” he muttered as he turned toward the display rack and placed the Roman blade on its shelf. He’d had to move his rare estoc, a sword used by horseman where Austria and Hungary bordered the Ottoman Empire in the late 1500s. He’d found it for under seven thousand, a steal at that price, and knew he’d have to find a new place to display it soon. Still, this gladiator’s weapon had called to him. Not so much as a collector of rare and fine swords, but as a man admiring the skill and brute strength of another.

The antique dealer had told him a friend brought it back from Italy. He’d love to have a friend like that, especially if he found artifacts like those and was willing to give them up to a dealer. With a grin, Gabriel headed upstairs to shower. He promised his sister he’d make an appearance at her dinner tonight. And find out which friend she wants to hook me up with next. I’m a little too old for college guys, though they sure are fun. His cock stirred. Yeah, maybe some young stud might be exactly what he needed to get his mind off a certain Roman gladiator’s sword… and the man who might have wielded it.