To his credit, Varro kept any emotion from showing. “No, Lady Claudia. You heard me say that he sent for Lady Azurha, and nothing more.” He turned to Azurha, his expression begging to her to follow him before the Deizian concubine caused more trouble.
Azurha nodded and took the veil Izana held out for her. The swaths of gold contrasted nicely with the deep red of her dress, but lacked the transparency she normally preferred. With her peripheral vision obscured, her other senses heightened to warn her of an attack. An angered Deizian could still use magic as well as a calm one as long as she had a conduit, and there was plenty of bronze in the harem. Azurha had no desire to feel the force of Claudia’s wrath.
Once they were safely in the hallway, Varro exhaled. “That went better than I thought.”
“Better?” Azurha cocked an eye brow and waited for him to elaborate.
“Yes. There was no hair pulling.”
Her laughter echoed off the marble walls. “Did you really think I would stoop to such a thing, Varro?”
“Not you.” He waited a few steps before he added, “You shouldn’t appear so surprised that the emperor sent for you.”
“He probably wants to tell me in person that he’s grown tired of me and wishes to enjoy the company of someone from his own race.”
“You underestimate your value.” Varro pressed his hand against the golden plate outside of the Imperial chambers and held the door open for her.
…
Titus held the necklace up to the light, admiring the way the lamps reflected off the facets of the deep green emerald set in the center of the pendant. He’d searched the imperial vault for over an hour until he found something that would be suitable for Azurha. He wanted to find something that would imitate her unusually colored eyes, but so far, the only thing he’d ever seen that had come close was the sea.
He lowered the gift back into its box and closed the lid. He would wait until they were alone and relaxed before he gave it to her. Then, once she put it on, he would ask her to wear it when he made love to her. He could almost picture the heavy golden pendant nestled between her full breasts.
His cock hardened at the thought of her naked. He’d be doing well if he lasted ten minutes in her company without removing her clothes and tasting every inch of her delectable flesh.
He sank into a chair and threaded his fingers through his hair. What was happening to him? Ever since Pontus left her in his chambers, he hadn’t been able to keep her from his mind for more than a few hours. And the longer she stayed with him, the shorter that time grew. He already witnessed his growing addiction to her today when took her in the harem. Would he soon need her by midmorning?
Varro’s voice filtered through the door. Titus rose from his seat and smoothed his hair out. No need for anyone to witness his continued downward spiral into depravity.
Azurha stepped into his chambers and removed the yellow palla from her face and hair. Unlike the previous night, she didn’t wear her hair up in an Elymanian fashion. Her glossy black curls flowed around her shoulders and down her back, swaying around her hips with each step.
His mouth went dry. As much as he told himself he would wait until after dinner to touch her, he needed to run his fingers through the silky strands. He brushed a lock back from her face. The scent of jasmine danced around him. The blood rushed to his groin, and he bit back a groan. Resisting her was becoming futile.
She licked her lips and opened her mouth to speak, but his lips covered hers before she had a chance to get a word out. She tensed in his arms at first, then slowly relaxed into the kiss. His tongue swept into her mouth, eager to savor its sweet warmth. In response to each stroke, her reaction became bolder, more aggressive, until she had him backing toward the bed.
He broke the kiss long enough to catch his breath. “Azurha, I keep trying to tell myself to be patient, but when you—”
“I know.” She unwound his toga and pulled his tunic over his head. “Dinner can wait.”
He helped her out of her dress and tossed her onto the mattress. “I couldn’t agree more.” Right now, he only hungered for certain things—the sensation of her tight sex around his cock, her long legs around his waist, and her slender arms around his neck while he pounded into her over and over again. Food paled in comparison.
Unless, of course, he was licking it off her flesh.
Titus hovered over her, soaking in the radiance of her smile. He didn’t think it could be any brighter until he slid into her.
“Mmm.” She closed her eyes and threw her head back, exposing the arch of her graceful neck to him. “More.”
“Greedy, are we?” He placed a trail of nips and kisses from her collarbone to her jaw. “What if I want to take my time?”
She laughed and clenched the walls of her sex around him.
A ripple of pleasure shot up from tip of his cock straight to his head, and he had to fight from coming right then and there. He focused on the way her teal eyes sparkled with amusement, the mingling scents of jasmine and sandalwood and sex, the salty taste of her skin as he retreated away from her mouth. Anything to keep his mind on the exquisite heat and friction he experienced every time he reentered her.
“Titus, are you trying to drive me insane?”
He chuckled and caught the dark tip of her breast in his mouth. He sucked gently at first, causing her to moan. As he increased his pressure, her cries became louder. She rocked her hips, urging him to move faster.
But he resisted. He’d already had her fast and rough earlier today. Tonight was all about drawing out each sensation. He searched her face, studying her reaction to each stroke, each caress, and what he saw pleased him beyond words. Her moans and smiles encouraged him to go deeper and close the space between them. The glow that radiated from her eyes spoke of the genuine bliss she experienced with him, and he only hoped his face mirrored hers.
Her body stiffened under him, a sign he’d come to recognize as her approaching climax. A cry broke free from her lips. She dug her nails into his shoulders and buried her face against his neck. A series of spasms rocked her body and penetrated his defenses. He exploded inside her. The intensity of his orgasm blurred his vision, and the tingling warmth he’d experienced when she kissed him that morning flowed over him like the water of the tepidarium. Instead of feeling drained, he felt ready to take on the world, completely invincible.
Azurha’s lips trembled as she lifted her face, and he stilled them with a kiss. Her vulnerability awoke every protective urge inside him. If he had his way, she’d never leave the protective walls of the palace. He rolled over, taking her with him, and wrapped his arms around her as if he could shield her from everything evil in the world.
Titus held her until the cool evening breeze bathed their skin and turned her nipples into hard pebbles against his chest. “I suppose we should put our clothes back on and eat something before we fall asleep and wake up blue from the cold.”
She peered at him through heavy lids. “I don’t care, as long as I’m in your arms.”
His chest tightened.
“What’s wrong?” She cupped his face in her hands. Worry wrinkled the smooth contours of her face.
“I—” His tongue became heavy and clumsy. Would she think he was crazy if he told her what he felt? What if this was all an act?
“You don’t have to say it.” She turned her head to the side, and a chill formed between them that went deeper than the weather outside. “I don’t blame you for wanting her over me.”
“What are you talking about?” He sat up and lifted her chin so she faced him, but she jerked away and pulled the sheet around her shoulders.
“You have another concubine, a Deizian.” She blew a stray curl out of her face. “She’s very beautiful. You don’t have to make a show about letting me go. I understand. I’ll just return to the harem now so you can send for her.”
Her speech stunned him long enough for her to get to the edge of his bedroom before his laughter stopped her. “
You think I’d prefer Claudia over you?”
“Why not? She’s much more suitable for an emperor than a former slave.”
He buried his face in a pillow to muffle his laughter. When he finally gained control of himself, she stood in front of him with her arms crossed and a slightly perturbed expression on her face.
“You don’t have to mock me, Titus.”
“I’m not. I just think it funny you believe you’re inferior to her.” He grabbed her wrist and yanked her back into the bed to lie next to him. “She can rot in the harem, as far as I’m concerned. You’re the only woman I want.”
Her lips parted, surprise evident on her face. Did she really believe that she was that undesirable?
She swallowed and laced her fingers through his. “Do you really mean that, Titus? You could have any woman in the empire. Why me?”
“Maybe because I see something in you that most people don’t.”
“What?” Her eyes widened, and she held her breath.
He wished he could ease her fears, to reassure her that he wouldn’t discard her like a well-worn piece of clothing. But how could he verbalize all the emotions swirling inside him and not sound like a babbling fool? When words failed him once again, he turned to action. He stood, lifted her off his bed, and carried her to the main room where his gift waited for her.
…
I’ve pushed him too far now.
Azurha lay helplessly in his arms as Titus carried her out of his bed and toward the door. He laid her on the cushions and knelt beside her. “Azurha, I’m not the best with words, despite my fondness of them. I’ll never be the skilled orator my father was. But believe me when I say I’ve become very fond of you and will not dispose of you any time soon. Maybe never.”
“You say that now, but I know you have your obligations to the empire.” She grazed her fingers along his jaw, trying to commit its strong angle to her memory. “In some ways, you’re more of a slave than I ever was. Your life is not your own, and there’s no hope for freedom for you.”
His eyes narrowed, and he distanced himself from her reach. “I’m the emperor. My Will—”
“Your Will is supposedly unquestionable, but if you push your nobles too far, they will destroy you.” A stabbing pain hit her squarely in the chest, reminding her of why she was sitting in the middle of his private chambers. She had been sent to kill him, and when she failed, another assassin would be sent to finish the job. How long would that take?
“Do you think I fear them?” He stood and paced in front of her. “You’re right in that I’m a slave to my title, but instead of following in the footsteps of my ancestors and continuing their destructive cycle of conquest, I want to reform the empire, make it a better place for all the citizens. And if I anger a few nobles, so be it. I refuse to cower from their threats and not do what I think is right.”
“Titus, you know I support your ideas for the empire, but you have to be careful not to shock the Deizians all at once. Free the slaves, but don’t add insult to injury by preferring my company when you should be securing an heir.”
He jerked to a stop. “Are you saying you don’t wish to be with me? Is that what this is all about?”
“Not at all.” She rose from the cushions and approached him. “I’m trying to counsel you to pick your fights carefully and be sure to soothe any wounds that occur. That way, your nobles will be more likely to forgive you.”
“What makes you think you know so much about politics?”
As he stood there with his jaw set and his hands clenched in fists at his sides, Azurha caught a glimpse of the steeliness that lurked under the surface. Titus had a long, hard journey ahead of him if he wished to rule the empire as he had planned, but he possessed the strength and will to do so. Maybe she shouldn’t be so worried about him.
But he also let a skilled assassin into his bed, one whose hands were stained from too many political arguments that had turned deadly.
He watched her but didn’t move when she touched him. She splayed her fingers across his bare chest, enjoying the warmth that radiated from the hard muscles under his skin. He was so alive, and she dreaded the day she would discover his cold, still corpse. “I just want to keep you safe.”
His lips slowly curled up into a smile, and he cupped his hands around her elbows. “Shouldn’t I be the one protecting you?”
“I’m quite capable of taking care of myself, Titus. Besides, I’m a nobody.”
He rubbed his thumb along her bottom lip, sending a shiver down her back and making her grow wet for him all over again. “You’re somebody to me. Somebody very special.” He released her and picked a small wooden box off the table.
When he gave the box to her, she didn’t quite know how to react. A gift? For her? No one had ever done such a thing. Everything she owned she’d bought for herself, right down to the golden cuff bracelets that proclaimed her freedom. She opened the box and gasped. The value of the emerald alone rivaled anything she’d ever been paid for a job.
She held it up and admired the intricate swirls of gold that surrounded the stone. “You shouldn’t give such things to me.”
“Why?” He took the necklace from her and fastened it around her neck.
Because of who I am and what I was sent here to do. The cool metal caused goosebumps to appear where it rested on her cleavage, and the pendant hung heavy around her neck, feeling more like a yoke than a gift. The urge to tell him everything nearly choked her. “I don’t deserve something like this. It’s far too precious.”
“I feel the same way about you.” He pressed his lips against her temple.
Azurha bit her bottom lip to keep the stinging in her eyes from spilling over into tears. She had yet to decide if Titus was a blessing or a punishment from the gods. He treated her like an empress, but her conscience kept reminding her that she was nothing more than a fraud, a slave who’d become so skilled at killing that it no longer fazed her.
Until now.
She caught his mouth and kissed him as if she could convince herself she was worthy of him. Every ounce of joy and sorrow was poured into it, and she clung to him like he was trying to run away from her.
He wrenched the sheet away from her body and pushed her back into the cushions. His eyes were so dark with passion, she could barely see the thin blue rims around his pupils as he stretched out next to her. He grabbed her foot and starting sucking her toes, carefully watching her reaction.
She gave him an approving moan. Then she stretched her leg out. He responded by trailing his lips up her calf with agonizing slowness, nipping her flesh and soothing it with the flat of his tongue an inch at a time. By the time he reached her knee, she wanted to pull his teasing tongue to the place between her legs that ached for his attention.
Titus lifted his head and gave her a wicked grin. “I’ve been wanting to do this since the first night you came to me.” He got the honey pot off the food tray and smeared some of the sticky liquid on the inside of her thigh.
Her heart raced in anticipation. She enjoyed the brief experience of having him lick it off her breast and her neck, but nothing compared to the gut-tightening sensation of him removing it from her thighs. Her womb coiled with tension, and her body trembled from restraining the demands that wanted to pour out from her mouth. She needed him inside her again. Would she ever get enough of him?
He crawled closer and closer to where she needed him, licking away honey he smeared on her legs. “You taste so good, Azurha.” His breath tickled her swollen sex, heightening the dull ache that only he could soothe. “I’d be happy to stay right here.”
“Please don’t.” She angled his head closer to her clit.
The first time his tongue flicked over the sensitive nub, jolts of bliss slammed into her body like a hurricane. She held on to him for dear life, but it was too late. She was already drowning in ecstasy, and she didn’t want to be saved.
12
The cold metal of the pendant dug into his chest, but Titu
s still smiled when he saw it sparkling between Azurha’s breasts. He found it almost comical how she fought him when he suggested she remove the necklace before going to sleep. It told him that she liked it more than she let on, despite all her initial protestations.
He pulled her closer to him to enjoy the curves of her body a few moments longer before he had to get out of bed. Something nagged at the back of his mind, making his palms sweat. His gut told him trouble awaited outside the doors of his chamber.
Azurha stirred. “Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”
He found her watching him with a solemn expression. “Perhaps.”
“I feel it, too.” She nestled closer to him. “It’s like seeing an approaching storm. No matter how calm things are now, you know chaos will take over soon.”
“What do you think it is?”
“I don’t know, but please be careful today.”
The worry in her eyes added to his anxiety. She knew him too well, and he couldn’t hide it from her. He dropped a kiss on her forehead and crawled out of bed. “I promise.”
The first rays of the sun were peeking over the rooftops as he grabbed his robe and went to the bath. Varro was running late. Yet another thing that added to his unease this morning. He tried to carry on this normal morning routine and was climbing out the pool when the steward arrived.
“My apologies for being late, Emperor Sergius.” Tension laced his voice as he handed him a towel. “There is a matter that requires your immediate attention in the throne room.”
Thoughts of an outraged Claudia and her father demanding to be seen filled his mind. They could wait. He took his time drying off. “What is it?”
“The barrier is failing in Alpiria.”
Titus threw the towel away and snatched the tunic from Varro’s hands. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“What is it?” Azurha stood in the doorway, her dress falling off her shoulder.
“Nothing for you to worry about. Varro will take you back to the harem when he gets a chance.”
Tangled Web Page 11
