Tangled Web

by McHugh, Crista

  “Not so much trouble.” He rubbed the back of his neck. This conversation was becoming far more awkward than he intended. Usually, he found his visits with his mother relaxing, but her line of questioning had him ready to bolt for his chariot and race back to the palace.

  “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” She took a sip of wine, concealing the twitching corners of her mouth. “Your father had quite an impressive harem when I married him.”

  “Yes, and you made him get rid of it when you moved into the palace.”

  Her musical laughter helped ease some of the tension. “No, he voluntarily got rid of them. He told me the only woman he needed was me.”

  “He loved you, and you were a Deizian. No one would question his choice of a companion.”

  “Ah, so that is what troubles you. You’ve fallen for someone you deem unsuitable?”

  He jumped to his feet and paced the length of the veranda. Her question bothered him more than he first realized. Initially, he wanted to keep Azurha at a distance because he didn’t trust her. Now, he feared she was becoming closer to him than was both proper and safe. “If I wasn’t emperor, this wouldn’t even be an issue.”

  “Why do you think she’s unsuitable?” His mother cocked her head to the side and waited for his reply.

  “I’m expected to produce an heir with pure bloodlines.”

  “Too late for that. Remember, my grandfather was an Elymanian. My blood is tainted, as is yours.”

  He jerked to a stop. “You’re right. My bloodline isn’t pure Deizian.”

  “There aren’t many who can claim a pure bloodline these days. Does that help ease some of your worry?”

  “No, not really. I know I should be finding a new wife. A Deizian wife, at that, not dallying around with a courtesan. If she was an Elymanian, that would be one thing. An Alpirion is an entirely different matter.”

  “Your courtesan is an Alpirion?”

  His cheeks burned. “Yes, Mother.”

  “What about her intrigues you so?”

  “She’s strong, resourceful, intelligent—everything I would want in an Empress. But she is also a former slave, and I’d be signing away my throne if I demonstrated that I preferred her company over the scores of manipulative Deizians I’ve had the misfortune of meeting.”

  “She must have made quite an impression on you. Are you sure you haven’t just fallen for her feminine wiles?”

  “I keep asking myself that. How could I feel something for someone I barely know? For all I know, Pontus gave her to me so I’d be distracted in the bedroom while he tries to steal the throne out from under me.” He paused and wondered if he should share what his true fear was with his mother. “Besides, there’s no such thing as love at first sight.”

  “Isn’t there?” She raised one elegant brow in challenge.

  He sighed. “Not everyone is as lucky as you and Father.”

  A few seconds passed in silence, giving him time to consider his situation. The way his body responded to Azurha definitely made him believe in lust at first sight. He thought his desire would quickly fade once he satisfied it, but last night bore witness to his crumbling self control. What good were philosophy and high ideals when he couldn’t resist his baser nature?

  “This will not be an easy knot for you to untangle, so take your time doing it. Rash decisions often result in regret, especially for a man in your position.”

  Titus grinned. “When did you turn sage?”

  “I’m your mother. I should be a fountain of wisdom for you.” Her face softened. “You really like her, don’t you?”

  “More than any other woman I’ve met. And that makes her dangerous.”

  “While you’re coming to a decision on what is the best course for you, remember that most women like gifts and other small tokens of affection.” She played with her earring so the diamonds sparkled in the sunlight, and he laughed.

  “You mean most women like jewelry.”

  She shrugged. “In general, but something tells me your Alpirion courtesan has unusual taste.”

  By the time he left his mother’s villa, he was already cataloguing the Imperial treasury to find something that would complement Azurha’s exotic beauty. Perhaps a bribe would unlock the doors to her secrets.

  …

  Azurha stretched like a cat, enjoying the sensation of the smooth, sun-warmed tiles of the courtyard against her bare skin. The privacy of the harem allowed the perfect opportunity to take a nap in the midday sun without being disturbed. The winter had been long and harsh, and the warming season came late to the empire. Days like today made her dream of the blue sand deserts to the south where her people had come from.

  As she stared at the cloudless sky, she came to terms with her decision last night. She couldn’t kill Titus. That much she knew. But she couldn’t stay with him, either. She’d broken the Assassin’s Creed, and her life was forfeit. The safest thing for her to do would be to disappear like Cassius. Now, if only she could figure out a way to do that so she wouldn’t spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder.

  The lock clicked on the main door to the harem, and Azurha shot up. The slaves weren’t due here for several hours. She reached for her clothes and searched the courtyard for potential weapons. In a pinch, her dress would serve, but she preferred not letting a potential attacker get that close to her.

  Titus emerged from the shadows of the colonnade and stared at her with his mouth open. “Do you normally lay naked here in the courtyard?”

  She gave him her best seductive grin and revealed some more skin. “Care to join me?”

  He licked his lips. “It’s tempting. If I didn’t have a meeting in half an hour, I would.”

  “Who says you need more time than that?” She stood and approached him, trailing her dress behind her and leaving nothing uncovered.

  His Adam’s apple bobbed. “By the gods, Azurha, you make it hard for me say no.”

  “I’ll settle for just making you hard.” She grazed the erection forming under his tunic and leaned in to whisper in his ear, “What brings you to my cage in the middle of the day?”

  He caught her hand and frowned. “Why do you call this a cage?”

  She sighed. The moment was ruined, and she didn’t have the energy right now to orchestrate a complex seduction. “I’m confined to the harem, unable to come and go as I please. What else would I call it?”

  “If you’re unhappy here—”

  She silenced him with a kiss. Only nine of the fourteen days she had to complete her assignment remained, and she refused to spend them with Titus worrying about her living conditions. She’d survived far worse than this.

  She pulled away, leaving a dreamy smile on his lips. Her heart wrenched at the sight of it. If she had been born as someone else, she could have openly loved him. Or perhaps, she could have lived her life never knowing him. But the cruel fate of the gods had placed her in the middle, letting her know full and well what she could never have.

  “I doubt you came here to watch me take a nap in the sun.” She pulled her dress over her head and retreated to the cool sanctuary of the harem.

  “Actually, I came to see where you stayed when you’re weren’t with me.” He surveyed the painted frescos on the walls, his eyes widening a bit at the erotic content of some of the scenes. “I’ve never been inside the harem. My father closed it down before I was born.”

  “As I could tell by the layer of dust when I arrived. Your staff has done a remarkable job turning it into a mini-palace for me.”

  The corner of his mouth twitched. “First, it’s a cage, and now, it’s a palace?”

  “It’s nicer than some of the places of I’ve lived in. I have my own bath.” The last sentence hung heavy with suggestion, and much to her delight, his gaze flickered in that direction. No doubt, he was remembering taking her in the tepidarium. Her sex clenched from the memory of it. Perhaps it wasn’t too early to take a dip in the pool.

  His voice shook
. “What else do you have here?”

  The gods save him, he was trying so hard to resist her.

  “Rooms for at least a dozen concubines.” She pointed to the rows of open doors that formed a “U” around the courtyard. “An area to lounge, eat, or entertain. And a room I believe was set aside for when one of your forebears came to visit.”

  “Oh?” He followed her through the main chamber to the room near the front door to the harem. Veins of bronze laced the columns inside, and the frescos on the walls were enough to make even her blush, despite the exquisite artistry. But his attention focused on the various novelties available. He picked up a pair of cuffs with a chain between them. “Why is this here?”

  Memories of her old master rose like bile from her stomach. “Some men enjoy restraining their women while they fuck them.”

  He dropped the cuffs at the sound of the acid in her voice. Moving on to the collection of dildos in a drawer, he picked one up and examined it. “And these?”

  Azurha couldn’t contain her laughter. For an emperor, he seemed awfully naïve of what happened behind closed doors in his realm. Had he never been to one of the lavish orgies his nobles were so fond of throwing?

  She snuck up behind him and stroked the crack between his buttocks. “You usually insert them in here.” He gasped, and she removed her finger. “But they can go anywhere you would stick your cock. My mouth. My cunt. Anywhere you’d like.”

  The marble dildo in his hand slipped out of his grasp and shattered when it hit the floor. Titus sucked in a breath through his teeth. “Has a man ever done that to you?”

  His chest rose and fell like he was running, and the thin rim of blue around his large pupils told her how much he struggled to contain his desires. Her sex grew damp from watching him. By the gods, she wanted him inside her again. She’d even welcome a dildo, so long as he controlled the penetration and whispered naughty things to her while he made her come.

  “No, I’ve never experienced one before.” She removed her dress and bent over the bed in the center of the room, giving him ample view of her slick sex. “But you’re welcome to try.”

  As the seconds ticked by, she wondered what insanity had seized control of her. When she had been a slave, being forced to have sex was the most humiliating experience she’d endured. Yet her trust for Titus now extended to offering her body completely to him. She’d enjoy it, just as she had last night.

  The familiar scent of rich sandalwood announced his approach. His fingers meandered down her spine. His voice sounded hoarse when he asked, “Azurha, what are you doing?”

  “Hoping you won’t wait too long to fuck me.”

  Both of his hands now caressed her back, growing rougher as they moved closer to her buttocks. He dipped his finger into her sheath, sending a shiver of delight through her body. “Eager?”

  If he hadn’t been the emperor, she would have probably thrown him to the bed and mounted him, riding him until she relieved the growing tension inside her womb.

  He continued to stroke her inner walls until she whimpered. What kind of cruel torture was this? She wiggled her ass back and forth, discovering the hard erection he kept inches away from her. Why was he holding back? She bit her lip hard enough so the coppery taste of blood trickled into her mouth. Anything to keep from begging him to fuck her.

  “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are with your body on display like this?” His breath warmed her skin, and he pressed his lips against the back of her neck. The head of his cock teased her. “How could I resist you when you want me so badly?”

  “But do you want me?” She held her breath while she waited for his answer.

  “More.” He slid into her with agonizing slowness until his balls pressed against her buttocks. He circled his finger around her other hole. She imagined him contemplating how he’d stretch the puckered edges to accommodate him. “But I’m not ready to take you here yet. In time, if I feel I need something more than this.”

  He punctuated with the last few words by withdrawing a few inches and ramming into her with such force, her toes curled in pleasure. He was right. They didn’t need to explore different fetishes until they fell into a boring routine. The intense fire of their coupling satisfied her for now.

  Azurha bunched the sheets in her hands and angled her hips to allow him to go deeper. A growl formed in the back of her throat. There was something so raw, so primitive about the rough way he hit the sensitive areas inside her, sending jolts of delight that bordered on pain through her body. And yet, she wanted more, wanted him to go harder, deeper. To make her scream his name just before he sent her over the edge.

  Her lungs struggled to gulp in air, but she still didn’t want him to stop. As if he knew what she was thinking, his thrusts became faster and more furious. His hands squeezed her buttocks, and she stood on the brink. She wanted to say something to encourage him, but her tongue stumbled as she tried to form the words. A series of explosions rocked her body, and she surrendered to the powerful orgasm that seized control of her.

  “I could spend all day like this, buried deep inside you, hearing your cries of joy and knowing I caused them.” The words seemed to drain him, and with a final grunt, he spilled into her.

  After his own orgasm tapered, he collapsed on top of her. The sound of their heavy breathing filled the room, and the scent of their musk mingled with the perfumed oils they wore. Sweat trickled between her breasts. She closed her eyes and savored the sensation of having him this close to her.

  Titus covered her hands with his own and tucked them next to her sides. “I love how you give yourself so freely to me, Azurha,” he pressed his lips between her shoulder blades, “and still desire me for all my shortcomings.” He stilled. “Have I gone too far?”

  She pushed herself off the bed and turned around to face him. Any other man in his position wouldn’t have cared enough about someone like her to ask if he’d gone too far. They just took what they wanted and walked away, just like her old master. Titus put the rest of them to shame. She traced the lines of worry on his face. “I’ll let you know if you do.”

  He tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her gently. “I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to be anything like that monster who owned you.”

  She weaved her fingers through his hair and held him motionless so she could search his face. What she saw deepened the ache in her chest. They weren’t an emperor and a concubine. Those titles meant nothing at the moment. They were just a man and a woman caught up in their storm of emotions. But the storm was in danger of changing from lust into something deeper.

  “You’re not. I wouldn’t let you touch me if you were.”

  A soft chuckle lit up his face, and he helped her up from the bed. “You amaze me sometimes.”

  She gave him a restrained smile. He only knew one side of her. If he knew the reason she was here with him, he’d readily hand her over to his executioner.

  A click signaled the release of the locks to the harem, and Titus jerked his tunic down. He stood between her and the door, shielding her from any prying eyes. The simple act stirred something deep inside her chest. He’d never leave her naked and exposed for all the world to view. At least, not for now. If he ever learned the truth, would he betray her trust in him?

  “Lady Azurha, is Emperor Sergius here?” Varro asked from the doorway of the harem.

  “I’ll be out in a moment.” Titus picked her dress up off the floor and gave it to her. “I’ll be counting the minutes until I can be with you again.” He kissed her fingers and followed Varro out of the room.

  Azurha sank onto the bed. She’d crossed the line, and that placed them both in danger. Now another assassin would take them both out.

  10

  Titus fought to catch his breath as he followed Varro back to the throne room. Why couldn’t he resist Azurha when she tempted him that way? He honestly had come to see where she stayed all day, not to take her in the quick, desperate way he had. The moment he saw
her lying naked in the sun, his cock stiffened, and when she bent over the bed, displaying the slick, pink folds he’d come to crave, he became blinded with lust.

  Even now, he could smell her on him. The scent of her arousal mixed with the jasmine perfume she favored awakened the fresh memories of sliding into her over and over again, each thrust more exquisitely delectable than the last.

  “I apologize for interrupting you with Lady Azurha, but Governor Pacilus was growing rather, um, impatient.”

  Any embarrassment Titus may have felt over nearly getting caught once again with Azurha quickly faded when he learned the reason the steward sought him out. “You can tell me what you really think, Varro. Governor Pacilus was probably making an ass of himself, right?”

  Varro cleared his throat. “You didn’t hear it from me, Emperor Sergius.” He held the door open to the throne room and raised both brows as if to say he didn’t envy him.

  Hostilius Pacilus jumped to his feet as soon as Titus entered, giving a quick bow when he stood a few feet away. “Your Imperial Majesty, thank you for seeing me.”

  Titus caught a glimpse of Varro rolling his eyes before leaving them alone. Hostilius probably came in demanding to be seen and harassing the staff until he got his way. “What brings you here on such a fine day?”

  “I’ve come to deliver my coronation gift.” The gleam in his icy blue eyes set every nerve in Titus’s body on edge. “I hear you’ve started your own harem, and I wanted to make a contribution to it.”

  Nausea rolled in the pit of his stomach. Please don’t let this be the start of a very unpleasant trend. He’d been reluctant to accept Azurha, but what would he do with the poor girl Hostilius brought him? Deep inside, he feared he might develop such an insatiable appetite for women, he might forget about all his plans for the empire.

  Relief flooded him when he felt nothing for the woman Hostilius presented to him. Blond hair gleamed from underneath the thin veil she wore, and a pair of cold blue eyes stared at him. A Deizian.

  “I give you my daughter, Claudia.”