Tangled Web by Crista McHugh Read Free Book Online

and the ache inside her deepened. Her body knew what it wanted, but her mind still hesitated. The only solace she found in the situation was the knowledge she was no longer weak, no longer helpless. If he tried to harm her, she could end his life in mere seconds. And when she was done with him, she would have to do just that, but until then, she needed to stay here, to be close to him so she could finish what she had been sent here to do once she satisfied her curiosity. There was nothing wrong with playing with her prey before she killed it.
    She shook her head, and his grin widened.
    “Good, because I want to make you come.”
    She opened her mouth to make some jest about how he was so sure he could make her come, but he pressed his finger over her lips. His hands rubbed against her inner thighs, gently increasing the pressure until she opened them to him. This is wrong. I shouldn’t let him touch me like this, I shouldn’t forget why I’m here.
    Her limbs trembled like fragile branches caught in a storm, barely managing enough strength to push away from him. She was here to kill him, not to surrender to his touch. What had started as a game of seduction to distract him while she snapped his neck with her palla had turned against her. Now, she was the one who was being seduced. She was the one left vulnerable.
    “What’s wrong?” he asked for the second time that evening. Deep lines furrowed his brow.
    Fear gripped her like a vise. Had she let something slip? Her muscles prepared to strike before he’d have a chance to call for help. “Why would you humble yourself by pleasuring me?” she asked, hoping to distract him.
    He frowned, and her stomach clenched. “Did you not want me to?”
    Were Deizian men of his rank different from most other men? Or was it just him? Unease rolled through her gut. She was spending far too much time thinking about him as a person rather than a target. “I suppose I’m not used to men wanting to pleasure me. It almost seems unnatural after what I’ve been trained to do.” She reached for her stola and covered her breasts. “Should I return to the harem?”
    The lines smoothed from his face. “No.”
    “Then what do you want from me?”
    “Would you care to join me in my bed?” He stood and held out his hand. “Just to sleep. I promise I won’t force you to do anything you don’t wish to do.”
    She hesitated. This went against all of her training. Becoming intimate with her target would only make him harder to kill in the end. She took his hand and followed him to his bed chambers, telling herself she would wait until he fell asleep to smother him with one of the pillows.
    The lights in the room dimmed as he touched one of the sconces. He waited until she donned her dress, then pulled her into his arms, forcing her to lie next to him. Her mind screamed to end this now, but fatigue settled on her body like a lead blanket. For a second, she wondered if it was possible for a Deizian to channel his magic through her rather than the bronze colored ore she always thought was the required conduit.
    One night wouldn’t make much of a difference , she rationalized while she relished the warmth of his skin next to hers. She would worry about how to kill him in the morning.

6
    Titus awoke and wondered if he was still dreaming. The faint scent of jasmine rose from the warm body nestled beside him. He lifted his head and stared at the sleeping woman. Her glossy black curls tumbled over the edge of her pillow, and her plump lips told the tale of too many kisses the night before. The white sheet added a stark contrast to her bronzed skin. He smiled when he remembered how sweet she tasted.
    Part of him was tempted to gently rouse her with a few kisses along the back of her neck before rolling her over and burying himself in her. His cock twitched to life at the thought. By the gods, he’d never met a woman that affected him this way. Not even Lucia.
    The memory of his dead wife dulled