Tangled Web (6 page)

His thoughts turned to the one Alpirion waiting for him in his chambers. What kind of magic would he have to summon to gain her trust, to get her to surrender herself to him without letting the terrors of her past dictate her actions?

The door opened, and Azurha rose from the cushions in the middle of the room. His breath caught. Yes, she was every bit as alluring as he imagined she would be in that dress. The sheer linen hugged her breasts, doing little to conceal her dark areolas before flaring out over her sensuous hips. The only thing that kept her from matching the paintings was the way her hair had been pinned up in an Elymanian style instead of cascading down her back.

A smile touched her full lips when she met his gaze. If she only felt half the desire he did, he may forget his hesitations and fully enjoy his gift as she was intended to be enjoyed.

A low whistle sounded behind him, and Azurha flinched. She snatched her palla and stared at Marcus, her face hardening.

“No need to conceal your face, Azurha,” Titus said as he approached her. “Marcus is my closest friend.”

Something flashed in her eyes as they flickered between the two men. Fear? Anger? Her fingers bunched up the palla and pulled it to her chest. The rigid set of her shoulders told him she didn’t welcome the company. “Will he be joining us tonight, Your Imperial Majesty?” she asked in a flat voice.

Titus balked at her question. If he was hoping to gain her trust, he’d run into another obstacle to overcome.

“No, I was just leaving,” Marcus answered for him. A wicked grin stretched his lips, and Titus knew he’d hear more about this later. “We’ll figure out what to do with the barrier in the morning. In the meantime, enjoy your evening.”

…

When Azurha saw the man enter the room behind Titus, her heart jumped into her throat. The idea of being forced to pleasure his friend revived the feelings of pain and humiliation she suffered at the hands of her master. Would they tie her to columns while they tortured her? Tie her to the bed? She had grabbed her palla, prepared to snap their necks before allowing that.

Her pulse began to slow when the door closed behind the other man, leaving her and Titus alone. Her knees wobbled, and she sank into the cushions before she collapsed. Seven years had passed since the morning she gained her freedom, but the days leading up to it still haunted her.

“Is something wrong, Azurha?”

The rich timbre of his voice pulled her back to reality. All she needed to do was give him the goblet and make sure he drank the poison. When she lifted her eyes, the concern on his face tied her stomach in knots. “I thought you wanted to share me with your friend.”

He laughed at first, but when she didn’t join him, his expression sobered. “By the gods, you’re serious.”

She closed her eyes and turned away from him. How naïve was he? Did he not know what his nobles did outside the palace?

“How can that be possible?”

Both brows rose at his genuine puzzlement. He’d spent too much time studying his philosophy instead of visiting the brothels, it seemed. “It’s possible for one woman to pleasure up to three men at once, if she’s required to.”

He growled in response. “I would never allow that.”

“You are very different from some men, then.”

When he approached her with a look that said he wasn’t finished with this discussion, she backed away. “Were you forced to do things like that?”

She stared at the gold bracelets that concealed the scars on her wrists. “I was a slave, Titus. We cannot refuse our master’s whims.”

To his credit, he looked slightly nauseated. He sat next her with his hands in his lap. The warmth of his skin radiated through the linen to her thigh, and the scent of the sandalwood rose from him. Silence stretched between them, far wider than their physical distance.

His shock both surprised her and tugged at her heart. No, she couldn’t let her emotions get in the way tonight. She reached for the poisoned goblet. “I’m sure you don’t want to hear about my life as a slave. Would you like some wine?”

“Not yet,” he replied as he caught her wrist. “Are you telling me the truth?”

“Why would I lie about something like that?”

Disgust filled his eyes, and her own stung.
Yes, that’s right. Think of me as a common whore. Used goods. Sullied to the point where you never want to touch me again. It will make killing you that much easier
.

Instead of shoving her to the floor and ordering her out of his presence, he flipped her hand over and delicately traced the lines on her palm. Then he covered her hand and threaded his fingers through hers. “I know you said you were bound to no one,” he said quietly, “but as long as you reside in my palace, I will never share you with another man.”

When he possessively squeezed her hand, a gasp broke free from her. Her mouth went dry. Could he possibly mean what he said? She swallowed and found her voice. “I am your concubine. No man is supposed to look at me without your permission.”

“And I guard my treasures jealously.” He brought her hand to his lips and gently kissed it.

A jolt of fire shot up her arm. How could he unnerve her so quickly from such a simple gesture? Deep inside, she found the answer. He was the first person who actually seemed to give a damn about her. Not even Cassius had treated her like this. She had been a weapon he could train, not a treasure.

With his free hand, Titus stroked her cheek. “What you tell me only strengthens my resolve to free the slaves. No person should be forced to do things like that.”

He released her hand and reached for the goblet. Time seemed to stand still. Her pulse thudded in her ears. Common sense told her to sit back and let him drink the poison, but a new, raw emotion overpowered it. Fear raced down her spine, stiffening it vertebrae by vertebrae. If she didn’t kill him, she was as good as dead.

If she did, she’d forever wonder if she’d made a mistake.

As the goblet neared his lips, she lurched forward. Wine splattered over both of them, staining the white linen of their clothes a deep red, and the goblet landed on the tile floor with a clang. A shudder of relief ripped through her as the last of the poisoned wine dripped into the cracks. She’d stopped him.

Then she faced him, and her breath froze. His mouth hung open. Wine dripped from his jaw and his toga. If he had been her master, she would have received at least a slap to the face for her actions. She closed her eyes and braced for her punishment.

His warm, calloused hand covered hers. “You’re shaking.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to be so clumsy.”

“Open your eyes.” Lines creased his forehead when she did. “Why are you so terrified?”

Because I almost poisoned you
. She licked her lips, unsure what to say. Her chest rose and fell with quick, shallow breaths.

His frown returned, and his fingers tightened around her hands. Did he know what she’d almost done? “Answer me.”

“I—” Her voice broke. She couldn’t tell him the truth—she’d be executed immediately. A rivulet of wine trickled between her breasts. “I’ve ruined your clothes and my new dress,” she finally managed to blurt out.

“And that frightens you?” His mood lightened, and some of the blood returned to her cheeks.

“Yes. Whatever punishment you have for me—”

“Punishment?” He threw his head back and laughed. “Do you really think me so uncivilized that I would strike you for a simple accident?” His hand curled around her neck and pulled her closer to him so his lips grazed her forehead. “They are clothes. They can be washed or replaced.”

The knots in her shoulders began to unwork themselves. He didn’t suspect her.

He tucked a stray curl behind her ear while his grin grew more devious. “Of course, this gives us the perfect opportunity to lick the wine from each other’s skin.”

He lowered his head to her breasts, but she pushed him away. Even a small amount of the poison could make him ill. “Wine tastes sweet on the lips, but bitter off the skin.” She jumped to her feet and glanced around the chambers. By the gods, she must sound like a mad woman. “You have your own bath here, don’t you?”

“Yes,” he drawled as he stood.

The last of her unease slipped from her muscles. She had a new plan, one that would involve both of them getting naked and removing the last traces of poison from their bodies. Maybe he’d forget about her odd behavior tonight and stop asking so many questions about her past.

Her nipples peaked under the wet linen as she imagined his mouth on them. She unfastened the lone shoulder strap and let the ruined dress puddle around her ankles, forcing herself to smile. “Perhaps we should clean each other up?”

9

Titus stood frozen as he watched Azurha sashay to the tepidarium pool. The only thing on his body that dared moved was his cock, which had no trouble responding to her invitation. The luscious curve of her bare ass beckoned him to follow, and before he knew what he was doing, he had pulled his tunic over his head and was pursuing her.

Her behavior tonight troubled him. She’d gone from frightened to bitter and back in a matter of seconds, and the only unifying factor to it was her prior treatment as a slave. He meant it when he said he wouldn’t share her with anyone. A possessiveness like he’d never felt before for anything—not even the Imperial throne—seized him when she’d talked about having to pleasure someone else. She was
his
.

All logic left his mind as she sank into the water. Her wet skin glistened in the torchlight like polished bronze. She swam out into the middle of the pool and turned around. Her breasts bobbed in the water like two tempting globes, and his fingers ached to caress them. “Are you coming in?”

The way his cock was leading him, “coming in” took on an entirely different meaning. He wanted to come, to come inside that tight sheath he had no doubt would fit him better than his ceremonial armor. The urge to throw restraint to the wind nearly consumed him. Only the thoughts of reviving her fear and his mistrust of Pontus held him back. He stepped into the tepidarium and approached her slowly, keeping more than an arm’s length between them.

“Would you like me to bathe you?” She gave him a sexy grin, but even in the shadows that flickered across her face, he saw it didn’t reach past her eyes.

His jaw tightened. She was a concubine, a woman who’d been trained to pleasure men, whether she enjoyed it or not. “Azurha, you don’t have to seduce me.”

The black centers of her eyes expanded so only a thin rim of teal remained. She swam closer to him and tentatively ran her thumb over the head of his erection. “No, I can see that. You’re already aroused.”

He bit back the moan that formed in his throat. A voice whispered in the back of his mind to handle Pontus’ gift with caution, but with each stroke of her finger, the throbbing desire spread through his body. He reached up and cupped her breasts in his hands. The soft flesh molded easily to his touch, and her pert nipples called to him like ripe berries. He wanted to taste their sweetness.

She arched her back and pulled him to her chest. A sigh escaped her lips as he took one of the tight buds into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it before sucking it deeper. Breasts like hers should come with a warning. One taste, and he was hooked. He rolled the other nipple between his thumb and forefinger, not wanting it to feel neglected. The thought of some other man fondling her this way snuck into his mind, and he gently nipped at her flesh. He’d mark her as his before the night was through.

Her fingers threaded through his hair, and her leg hooked around his. She purred his name in contentment. All very convincing signs that she enjoyed his attention, restrained as it was.

“What do you want?” he whispered, his voice hoarse with raw lust. He already knew what he wanted, but he wouldn’t force himself on her. He refused to become the monster her former master had been.

She guided his hand between her legs and pressed his fingers into her inviting sex. Could she truly be aroused by him? As if she sensed his doubts, she nibbled on his earlobe and murmured, “Please, Titus, I need you inside me soon, or I’ll go crazy.”

The primitive beast inside him broke free at the sound of her plea. He lifted her hips and slid his cock into her, smothering her moan with his lips. Her walls tightened around him while her tongue filled his mouth, fanning the flames of his desire. By the gods, she was even better than he imagined. He should have been content to savor the moment, to relish in the glory of finally being inside her. But it wasn’t enough.

He pushed her back to the edge of the tepidarium, pinning her between his body and the tiled walls, and began thrusting inside her. Her legs wrapped around his waist. Her fingers dug into his shoulders. Her cries rose an octave higher as he rammed deeper and harder into her, until his balls slapped against her buttocks.

Over and over again, she whispered his name. A smile formed on his lips, even as he left open mouthed kisses along her neck and jaw. His hips pumped with renewed vigor. She was his. His alone. And he wanted to make sure no man would ever make her cry out in pleasure as she did now.

His sac drew closer to his cock. He wouldn’t last much longer, but he would savor every second, every stroke she’d allow him.

“Gods in the heavens, Titus.” Her voice sounded strangled as she said the words, and she clung tighter to him. He’d taken her to the brink. Why did she fight it? A growl rolled from his chest, and he crushed his lips against hers, devouring her mouth. The taste of desire mingled with the sweetness of fruit and wine and…

Her body jerked against his, and his whispered name hung in the air for a second. Then she shattered around him. The rhythmic clenching of her sex pushed him over the edge. He shouted her name at the same time his seed spilled into her body. Each burst of come from his cock sent waves of pleasure shooting from his groin to the head. Fortified wine paled in comparison to the drunken ecstasy he felt now. He leaned against her, his body dying a little with each pulse of his orgasm until a thick fog consumed his mind.

He had no idea how much time had passed with her softness pressed against him. The first thing he noticed when the haze cleared was her feather-light touches over his face and along the nape of his neck. How could she be gentle with him when he’d fucked her in such a primal way?

Then the smell of jasmine tickled his nose. He bent his head and inhaled the scent of her hair. Unlike the fragile white blossoms that created her perfume, she’d withstood his assault and still made his breath catch in wonder at her beauty. Yes, Azurha was stronger than she appeared. Just learning the details of what she’d endured over the years inspired his respect. Knowing that she could put it all behind her and surrender to his touch caused an odd emotion to fill his chest.

When he finally met her gaze, she smiled at him. “Feeling better?”

“Yes.” His cock still remained buried deep inside her warm recesses, and he had no intention of moving any time soon.

“I am, too.” She brushed a lock of his hair off his forehead. Heat glittered in her eyes, and she planted a trail of soft kisses from the top of face to the corner of his mouth. “I’m glad I spilled the wine now.”

Her wide-eyed terror from earlier flashed in front of him, and he closed his eyes to push it from his mind. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

Her legs squeezed his waist, followed by a tighter squeeze around his cock. “Do I act like I’m hurt?”

She was biting her rosy, plump lip when he opened his eyes. If he didn’t know any better, he would think she was already beginning to entice him to a second round. “I know I was a little rough with you.”

Her laughter echoed off the marble walls like tinkling bells. “There’s a difference between passion and cruelty, Titus. If you heard me screaming, it was only because every time you entered me, you hit a place that nearly took my breath away.”

“So no pain?”

“No pain, only pleasure.” As if to emphasize her point, she rocked her pelvis and sent a cascade of tiny sparks down his shaft.

This time, he couldn’t hold back the moan. His cock stiffened. In a few minutes, he’d be more than ready to take her again. He massaged her firm buttocks and pressed her tightly against him. “Do you think we’re clean enough now?”

“Are you planning on getting dirty again?”

The low hum in her voice awakened his lust. He was almost fully erect now. “The night is still young.”

“Then perhaps we should get out of the pool and go elsewhere.”

She started to unwrap her legs, but he gripped her thighs and stopped her. He wanted to carry her to bed like this, with him still fully implanted inside, with the two of them joined in the most intimate of poses. A flush stole into her cheeks, as if she understood what he wanted, and she teased his mouth, her tongue flickering along the seam until he allowed her inside.

Her kiss lasted until he carried her out of the pool and laid her on his bed. By then, he could no longer bear to stay still. He began to move slowly, drawing out each exquisite stroke, taking the time to taste her skin and smell the musk that rose from her sex. He’d taken her in greed and jealousy before. Now, he sought only pleasure in her arms.

…

The warm body next to him shifted. He tightened his arm around her waist. Dawn had barely broken, and he didn’t want to release Azurha yet. He’d lingered in a state of half-arousal for the last hour, watching the rise and fall of her chest and coiling her obsidian curls around his fingers. Even in sleep, she captured his attention.

“Eager to leave my bed?” he murmured and pressed his lips to the back of her neck.

Her body relaxed against him, and she sighed. “In case you forgot, we never ate dinner last night.”

“I had a different appetite to satisfy.” Even now, he wasn’t sure if he had. By the gods, he needed to gain better control of himself when it came to her. Did two years without sex do this to a man, or was it all Azurha?

Her stomach rumbled under his hand, and he regretfully released her. “I suppose an early breakfast would be acceptable.”

“Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty.” She hopped up from the bed with a teasing grin and walked into the main chambers. Her hair reminded him of a tangled black vine as it swished around her hips, drawing attention to her bare curves. He already wanted to pull her back into bed and start the morning in the same way he had ended the previous night.

“Aren’t you going to put some clothes on?” he asked and grabbed his robe.

“My dress was ruined last night,” she replied from the main chambers. “Unless, of course, you have an objection to me eating naked.”

She had already stretched out across the silk cushions, looking more tempting than the feast that had been laid out the night before. “No, I have no objection watching you eat naked.”

Her lips curled into a smile, and she crooked her finger. “Would you like me to feed you again?”

Fire flowed through his veins. If she was a Deizian, he would have sworn she had him under some sort of spell. He leaned back next to her. “I don’t know. Would honey be involved?”

“If you wish for it to be.” She dipped her finger into the honey pot and smeared it on her lips.

“You are a vixen.” He leaned over and kissed her, licking every sweet, succulent drop from her mouth. The kiss deepened, and the next thing he knew, he was kneeling over her, ready to enter her all over again. “I’d never get anything done for the empire if you were at my side all day.”

Her playfulness vanished, and she pressed her hand against his chest. “You’re the emperor, and I’d be a naughty concubine if I turned you into my sexual slave. The entire empire would fall into ruin.”

He laughed at the idea of their role reversal, but the idea of being bringing ruin to the land quenched some of his desire. His thoughts drifted to the barrier. How much of it had weakened or even fallen overnight?

She dipped a piece of bread into herbed olive oil and offered it to him. The mild aroma of roasted garlic hit his nose before he tasted the citrus flavor of the oil. She dipped another piece and tried it. “And to think, we almost wasted this.”

He said nothing for a few minutes and allowed her to feed him the various delicacies that had been laid out for them the night before. His desire eased in sync with the hunger in his stomach as the morning’s agenda filled his mind. He’d almost forgotten about the luscious woman behind him until her long brown leg snaked across his thigh.

“Care to tell me what has you so tense?” She poked a finger into the knots that had formed in his shoulders and began slowly massaging them.

He leaned back against her with a sigh. “I was just thinking about all the things I need to do today.”

“Such as?” Her fingers continued to work their magic as they eased down his shoulder to his upper arms. A tingle raced along his skin. If she continued to touch him like this, he might just forget about his worries.

“Nothing you should worry about.”

Her hands froze for a second before she began working on his neck. “I overheard your friend mention something about the barrier.”

By the gods, she wasn’t going to give up, was she? A brisk retort stood poised on the tip of his tongue, but for some reason, he didn’t tell her to mind her own business. Perhaps he could discover if she knew anything about it. “The barrier seems to be weakening along the northern border.”

Her breath caught, and her fingers tensed. “How long has this been going on?”

“Since a few days after my father’s death.”

She resumed rubbing the tiny circles into his skin after a few seconds. “But it hasn’t fallen?”

He shook his head. “I’m able to summon enough magic to reinforce it, but every day, it gets more difficult to do so.”

When she said nothing, he turned around to see her reaction. She bit her bottom lip, and her eyes stared at something in the distance. A crease appeared between her brows. He almost laughed. She seemed more intent on helping him find a solution than most of his advisors. He stroked her leg, and she jumped.

“Do you have any more of your clever ideas?” he asked in a teasing voice.

“A few.” She smiled, although it seemed forced to him. “Since I’m not a Deizian, I don’t pretend to understand how your magic works. I can just listen and see if I can help you find the problem and fix it.”

“And does anything grab your attention?”

“I think it odd that it started failing a few days into your reign.”

His jaw tightened, and he jumped to his feet. She didn’t need to remind him of the same doubts that had been expressed by members of the nobility. “Are you saying I’m the reason why?”

“No, no, no.” She stood and cupped his face in her hands. “I’m just saying I know several people want to see you fail, and this could be one of their attempts to cause you problems.”