Mia laughed incredulously. “What, like gladiators in ancient Rome?”
“Where do you think the Romans got the idea?”
“What? Seriously?”
Korum shut off the water and opened the door, grabbing a towel from a nearby rack. “Absolutely. The same group of scientists I told you about earlier – the ones who had been the source of many of your Greek and Roman myths – they’re responsible for that as well. A couple of them missed that aspect of life on Krina, so they gradually introduced the tradition into Roman culture and then it took on a life of its own. We were quite surprised, actually, how long the games persisted and how popular they became.”
Mia could hardly believe her ears. “And you still have these games? In the modern era?”
“Sure,” he said, his eyes bright with golden undertones. “It’s a way for us to satisfy certain . . . urges . . . that would otherwise get in the way of a peaceful and prosperous society.”
Urges? She blinked, watching him warily as he finished drying himself off. So the Krinar did still have the violent tendencies she’d just finished reading about. No wonder there had been so many rumors about their brutality during the days of the Great Panic –
Before she could analyze that thought any further, he came up to her and lifted her up by the waist. Startled, Mia grabbed his shoulders as he slanted his mouth over hers, kissing her with tightly leashed aggression. Playing the sport had clearly excited him, and she could feel his cock hardening against her leg even through the thick fabric of her robe. Her own response was instantaneous, her loins clenching with desire and her nipples pinching into tight buds.
Sensing her arousal, he growled low in his throat and backed her up against the wall, his hands tearing at the tie holding her robe together. Bending his right knee, he set her astride it, causing her naked genitals to grind against his leg, and Mia moaned into his mouth, the pressure on her clitoris turning her on even more. His hands migrated lower, grabbing her thighs and opening them wide, and then he was inside her, impaling her with no further preliminaries.
&nb
sp; Mia cried out at the hard force of his entry; as aroused as she was, he was still too large for her to accommodate easily, and her delicate inner channel felt stretched to the point of pain. He paused for a second, letting her adjust, and then he slowly began thrusting, still holding her legs open, preventing her from controlling the sexual act in any way. The thick head of his cock nudged her G-spot with each stroke, and the wide-open position allowed his pelvis to press against her clitoris each time he bottomed inside her, causing the pressure to build further and further.
Finally, she climaxed with a scream, her entire body spasming in his arms. Unable to resist the rhythmic pulsations of her inner muscles around his penis, he came too, groaning harshly against her ear.
Panting, Mia hung in his grasp until he carefully lowered her to the ground, slowly withdrawing from her and handing her a tissue.
Her knees wobbled a little, and he held her up, staring down at her with a slightly perplexed look on his beautiful face. “Believe it or not, I didn’t really mean for this to happen,” Korum said, a self-deprecating smile curving his lips. “I honestly don’t know why I don’t seem to have any control around you. It’s like I have to get inside you every chance I get . . .”
Her pussy still throbbing with the remnants of her orgasm, Mia moistened her lips and shrugged slightly, absurdly flattered by his admission. “It’s okay . . . It’s not like I don’t enjoy it . . .”
“Oh really?” he teased, a big grin breaking out on his face. “You enjoy it? I would’ve never guessed –”
Mia frowned at him, cleaning herself up with the tissue. “You did promise me a trip to the beach, though,” she reminded him, wanting to change the topic. The strength of her own sexual response to him – of her feelings for him in general – still made her uncomfortable. Why couldn’t she have fallen for someone less complicated? Why did it have to be this hard, uncompromising man with his domineering nature? Even Arman would’ve been an easier person to have a relationship with; at least with someone like him, she would’ve felt a little more in control, instead of constantly feeling off-balance.
“We should still be able to make it,” Korum said, creating an outfit for himself with the aid of the nanomachines and putting it on. “I’ll make you breakfast and we’ll go.”
“Okay,” Mia said. “I’ll grab a quick shower and be right there.”
* * *
Seven minutes later, Mia entered the kitchen and saw that Korum was making something green in a regular human blender.
“What is that?” she asked him, curiously observing the strange concoction.
Korum smiled, his features lighting up at the sight of her. “Ah, I was hoping you’d be quick.” Taking two steps toward her, he dropped a light kiss on her forehead and then returned to his task. “This is a blend of mango, banana, spinach, and bowit – that’s a type of sweet nut from Krina. Are you hungry?”
“Always,” Mia admitted with a sheepish smile. The smoothie sounded very promising. “Do we have enough time to swim before the trial begins?”
“Absolutely,” he said, and then started up the blender. Mia put her hands over her ears at the noise, which thankfully lasted only about ten seconds. Once the room was quiet again, he added, “We have about two hours, so I should be able to show you some interesting places around here and then we could go for a quick swim.”
“That would be great,” Mia said, eager to get out and explore the area. “I was feeling pretty cooped up yesterday –”
“Of course,” he said, pouring the green shake into a tall, clear cup and handing it to her. “I don’t want you to feel that way. Try this – it should be quite good.”
Mia took a sip of the thick concoction, and her tastebuds nearly exploded with the sweet, rich taste. It was unlike anything she’d ever tasted before, with hints of chocolate, cream, and a completely indescribable something underneath the more familiar fruity flavors. “Wow.” She swallowed and licked her lips. “Whatever that bo-thing is, it’s absolutely amazing.”
Pleased at her reaction, Korum smiled. “Yes, it’s my favorite as well. It takes the bowit plant five years to reach full maturity, so this is the first time we’ve been able to harvest these nuts here, on Earth. They’re quite tasty and go with a lot of different dishes.”
“Can I take this with me?” Mia asked, wanting to get a head start on the day. “That way, I can just dress quickly and we could go . . .”