Tangled Web by Crista McHugh Page A

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