Veronica COURTESAN (14 page)

Marco opens the door.
Oh no, he’s leaving.
Except, he spins on his heel and turns to watch, his gaze smouldering strong enough to burn me to ashes. His jaw hardens and the cords on his neck strain so tight they could snap. His fists are clenched against his sides, his expression rigid as he watches Ludovico take me from behind, and Andrew’s soft wet tongue lap at my
figa.
I’m aroused beyond my wildest dreams as I watch Marco watching us. I imagine how his pride would fuel his passion, how he would take me. How he would spill his essence into me. I send him the message with my eyes: This is who I am. The truly unique Veronica Franco. Love me, and not the idealised paragon of your poetry.

Ludovico’s arms tighten, my soft curves against his hard angles, and he deepens his penetration. My mound is against Andrew’s mouth, his tongue spearing into me, my throbbing
figa
pushed forwards from the rear. I wrap my lips around Andrew’s shaft, sucking hard. ‘Just a moment, Ludovico,’ he says. ‘A slight change in position is warranted, my friend.’

Ludovico withdraws while Andrew slides up the bed. ‘Come, Veronica, ride me.’ I straddle his erection, sucking him into my
figa,
kissing his chest, clamping my thighs around his hips. Meanwhile, Ludovico must be kneeling behind my arse, in between Andrew’s open legs, for I feel his prick nudge at my
culo
then push back in.
Oh, santo cielo!
The feeling of fullness in both my orifices is so, so delicious. I wish I could have Marco’s prick in my mouth now, but that’s not to be. Instead, I have to be content with the nightmare of the past two days being fucked from me by these two wonderful men.

Joy rocks through me, my back arching, my toes curling, my climax blinding me. Andrew’s prick inside me is pushing me beyond pleasure into exquisite, exquisite joy as his hot seed fills me. Ludovico’s thick shaft in my
culo
jerks and shudders his release. I look up and my eyes lock with Marco’s again. He nods.

Ludovico and Andrew fall away, satiated. ‘Pray, sit by the window,’ I say, getting up to go and wash. I soap their seed from me before stretching out on the sheets again.

Keeping his eyes fixed on mine, Marco undresses and approaches the bed. He reaches into the nightstand for our cords, takes one, and ties it around my wrists. I signal to the other two that they should remain where they are. They pour themselves another goblet of wine, then sit back and watch with their pricks in their hands.

Marco presses
his
prick against my lips, tilting me towards him with a hand at the back of my neck. I let out a moan as I wrap my mouth around him and draw him deep into my throat. Pulling away, I run my tongue along the underside of his shaft and lick at his balls. Marco’s prick twitches and grows. His fingers tighten in my hair. He pushes back into my mouth, in and out in a slow rhythm. I want him inside my
figa
, but I will not beg.

Ah, at last, he slides me up his body, and he kisses me. His tongue moves against mine; his breath becomes my breath. His hand is between my folds, massaging my pearl, re-waking my lust. He tweaks my nub, and I give a yelp. I lower my tied hands around his shaft and guide him into me.

Nothing feels like being filled by a man. And no two men are alike in this. ’Tis not just the length and breadth of his prick, but so many things. His weight upon me, the sweat and salt of his skin. His scent. His taste. I close my eyes to shut out everything but Marco, for truly he does have my heart. He thrusts into me, and my body squeezes tight around him, a tight knot of love.

Three hard thrusts and I’m shrieking my release, but he keeps on going, fucking, fucking, fucking me and I’m there again, joy cascading through me, ‘Marco!’ His essence fills me, pushing me into even greater spasms.

Marco rains warm kisses down my face and neck, then he unties my hands. I spoon myself around his back, and we lie there, spent. ‘You are without equal on this earth,’ he whispers.

Ludovico and Andrew come back to the bed. I feel Marco tense for a moment, and then relax. Ludovico is behind me, spooning around me so that I’m held in a warm embrace between him and Marco. Andrew has no choice but to lie across the bed at our heads. He kisses my damp brow. ‘Good night, sweet Veronica. Sleep well.’

I feel adored, protected, and vindicated. What a day it has been! I became a warrior and used the weapon of intelligence to slice through Rodolfo’s accusations and face up to the Inquisition. Down with the victimisation of women! ’Tis my fervent hope that, one day, there will be mutual respect and equality between the sexes.

I extricate myself from the tangle of limbs on the bed, and go to my desk. I pick up my quill, dip it into the bottle of ink, and write:

As if suddenly shaken awake from deep sleep, I gained courage from the danger I’d escaped, though a woman, born to trivial tasks; and, weapon in hand, I learned warrior’s skills, so that, by bearing arms, I learned that women by nature are no less able than men...

Siobhan Daiko is an author of romantic historical fiction and a new series of erotic novellas featuring famous courtesans – strong women who held their own in a man’s world. A lover of all things Italian, Siobhan lives in the Veneto region of northern Italy with her husband and two cats. After a life of romance and adventure in Hong Kong, Australia and the UK she now spends her time, when she isn’t writing, enjoying the dolce vita near Venice. You can find her on
Facebook
, Twitter @FCourtesans and email:
[email protected]

I would like to thank the following people:

Ann Bennett, my lovely beta reader and friend, for her comments on the first draft. Thanks for saying that nothing I write shocks you anymore, and for reading my chapters when you’re so busy. And all my other friends, both authors and readers. Thanks for your support and online chats.

John Hudspith, my fantastic editor, for his highly professional, prompt, and precise editing. Your excellent suggestions have helped make Veronica even more captivating. You’re simply the best.

Jane Dixon-Smith, my wonderful cover designer, for a truly sumptuous, arty and inviting design. You are amazing.

Shweta and Tracy, my fab PAs, for their help with introducing Veronica to the world. Thanks, and warm wishes for your future careers.

My husband, Victor, for his love, support, and for putting up with me spending hours at my laptop. Our son, Paul, and his girlfriend, Lili, for their help with technology.

Last, but not least, I thank you, dear reader, for downloading this e-book.

So fragrant and delightful do I become, when I am in bed with someone who, I feel, adores and appreciates me, that the joy I bring exceeds all pleasure, so the ties of love, however close they seemed before, are knotted tighter still.

Veronica Franco

Veronica Franco was a historical courtesan who was born in Venice in 1546. My novella is inspired by her life, but it’s a work of fiction not a biography, and should be read as such. When reading her poems and letters, though, I was struck by the force of her personality and I hope I have managed to bring the feisty Veronica to life on the page. I’ve taken the fictional Veronica’s poems from the historical Veronica’s
Terze Rime,
adapting them for the modern reader. Her lovers’ names are authentic, but the erotic scenes with them spring from my imagination.

The following books have helped with my research and inspiration:

Dunant, Sarah,
In the Company of the Courtesan,
London, 2013.

Fiorato, Marina,
The Venetian Contract
, London 2012

Kimm, Gabrielle,
The Courtesan’s Lover
, London 2011

Rosenthal, Margaret F.
The Honest Courtesan: Veronica Franco, Citizen and Writer in Sixteenth-Century Venice.
Chicago, 1992.

Jones, Ann Rosalind and Rosenthal, Margaret F.
Veronica Franco, Poems and Selected Letters,
Chicago, 1998

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my novella as much as I enjoyed writing it. Your feedback is important to me and I would love to know what you think of Veronica, Ludovico, Andrew and Marco. I’ll keep an eye out for reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, or you can drop me a line by email. Please follow
Fragrant Publishing
for updates. My second novella in the series,
Theodora
COURTESAN, will be published in November 2015.

Lady of Asolo

The Orchid Tree

Coming November 2015

I stand at the palace gates, the letter in my hands.

A letter of introduction to the Emperor’s nephew.

I’m here to seduce him.

I’m here to spy on him.

I’m here to be his COURTESAN.

I know how to bewitch a man; I can play that game. After all, I’m an actress, an erotic dancer, a temptress.

But I want more out of life. I want him. And not just in my bed…

Set in Constantinople 6
th
Century.

Contents

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12

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

AUTHOR’S NOTE

ALSO BY SIOBHAN DAIKO

THEODORA: Fragrant Courtesans Book Two