Maisha shook her head. “I would rather die than see you hurt, my princess.”
“Sil y woman.” Lara wrapped her arms around her and kissed her temple. “We will set this straight. You will not be punished for someone else’s doing. I am going to leave you here until things are settled. If Roxelana knows that you have revealed her plan, she will target you next.”
“Do not put yourself in danger for me,” Maisha pleaded. She could not return Lara’s embrace as her hands were secured behind her back, but she leaned against her, her flesh yielding against Lara.
“Ashar will keep me safe. Do you believe that?”
“No,” she whispered, “but I believe that Nasir will. These past two days, I have witnessed how much he cares about you. I never recognized how strongly he feels for you.”
Lara smiled to herself. That would be Reece’s devotion to her that Maisha had witnessed. Lara was so lucky to have him beside her. She knew he would always be there and never do anything to put her in harm’s way.
“I will find a way to get you out of this,” Lara promised. “Be patient. Don’t talk to anyone but me.”
Maisha nodded. Lara released the woman and before she could rise to her feet, Farima’s emotional will caused her to lean forward and kiss Maisha’s trembling lips. “I do love you,” she said. “I always have. No man will ever change that.” Tears streamed down Maisha’s cheeks and she sniffed her nose. “You are my everything, Princess.”
Lara opened the cell door to find Nasir and Ashar watching for her anxiously in the corridor.
“Well?” Ashar demanded.
“She wouldn’t tell me anything,” Lara said, knowing that she had to find a way to get Roxelana to confess and Ashar wasn’t the type to be sly. Demand and conquer was his way. “I would like a few days to try to find out more information before Maisha is executed.” She wrapped both arms around Ashar’s neck and plastered her body against his entire length. Reece’s narrowed eyes and stiffened stance did not go unnoticed, but she wanted Ashar to agree to her request. “Will you give me that, Ashar?” She rubbed her lips along his jaw and his arms circled her body. “Please, my love.”
“I see no harm in al owing her to remain a prisoner for a few more days, but you are not to visit her again.”
“Do you think I’ll try to release her?” Lara asked. “Don’t you trust me, husband?”
“I’m not sure,” he said. “You did run off into the desert with Nasir.”
“I was afraid. You were not here to protect me.”
Ashar’s arms tightened around her. “I’m here now.” And Lara would need him to get Roxelana to confess.
Chapter Thirteen
The next morning Lara waited for Ashar to leave the room before she stopped feigning sleep. She could have slept for several more hours. Her body was exhausted from several additional sexual encounters that had occurred in the night. Not to be outdone by the governor, Reece had insisted on participating, though his body had to be exhausted. She wished Ashar would go fuck his entire harem and give Farima a break. The man was insatiable. Too much for one princess and a faithful eunuch to satisfy.
When Lara moved to rise from the bed, Reece’s arms wrapped around her waist and he drew her against him, tucking her head under his chin and holding on tight.
“Don’t go,” he whispered, “we finally have a moment to ourselves.” She tensed. “I hope you aren’t thinking about making love again. I’m sore, Reece.
Ashar is gentler now, thanks to your coaching, but now it takes him almost an hour—” Reece covered her mouth to stop her words. “Can we pretend Ashar, the well-hung, fuck-al -night governor, doesn’t exist?”
Lara snuggled closer to the man she loved. “Who’s Ashar?” Reece stroked her hair as she listened to his heart thud rhythmical y in his chest.
“Carl will be here sometime today,” he murmured. “We need to make sure we stay close to each other so we are certain leap together. I propose we cuddle in bed all day. You can pretend you’re exhausted from all the marathon sex.”
“Who’s pretending?”
“And I can pretend I need to recover from my knife wound.” She kissed his chest above the row of stitches. “As wonderful as that sounds, we still have to help Maisha.”
“Sweetheart, I know like to help, but there isn’t really anything you can do. If she was executed in the past, you can’t change that. And if she wasn’t, it wasn’t anything you did that prevented it.”
“Maybe,” she said, “but I still want to help. She lied about being responsible because she thinks it will keep her princess safe.”
“Why didn’t you just tel Ashar that? It would settle everything.”
“He needs to hear it from the horse’s mouth. His first wife is the jealous cow who’s causing al the problems.”
“So which is she?” Reece asked.
Lara’s brows drew together in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Ashar’s first wife. Is she a horse or a cow?”
“Both. She’s also a bitch.”
Reece’s hands skimmed over the skin of Lara’s back. “I think you should just stay away from her. Apparently she’s some sort of animal.” Lara laughed and melted against Reece’s hard body. “When we first arrived, I thought this was the best leap ever. Luxury and pampering. I thought the only thing Farima had to worry about was how many gold bracelets to wear on a given day and who was going to supply her with her daily quota of orgasms. But al the lying and deceit that comes with this life isn’t worth it. I’m so glad you’re always honest with me, Reece. I could never remain in a relationship based on lies.” Reece stiffened and drew away from her. “If we’re going to help Maisha before we leap, we’d better get busy.”
“I thought you wanted to stay in bed all day.”
“I did,” he said, “but holding you is making me horny. If we stay like this much longer, I’ll start thinking you need several orgasms to relax you and you know Ashar will agree.”
Lara struggled from his grasp and sprang from the bed. “I’m up!” Chapter Fourteen
Reece followed Lara toward the main room of the harem. He stared at the back of her head, guilt churning in his gut. What she’d said—that she could never remain in a relationship based on lies—made his heart thud with anxiety. Their entire relationship was based on a lie. He’d told her that some religious cult had kil ed her to get the amulet and that he’d found her dead, when in reality he had unintentionally sacrificed her life to activate the damned thing. Had he known that would be the outcome, he would have smashed the amulet to dust with a sledge hammer rather than put her in harm’s way, but it was too late to take it back. He’d seen time and again that he couldn’t change the past and while her death was part of Lara’s future, it was in his past. He couldn’t change it, but he could be with her here. If it was the only way he could keep her in his life, he’d take it. Stil , the lies… He was tempted to clear the air between them and tel her the truth, but worried that she’d stop loving him. He couldn’t bear the thought, so he bit his lip and followed her through the palace with his hand on the hilt of his scimitar.
When Lara walked into the midst of the harem women, her head held high, Reece smiled with pride. She must be terrified, but his Lara was made of strong stuff and the threat of being ripped to shreds by two dozen jealous women didn’t make her back down. Or maybe she didn’t realize the danger she was in. She walked calmly and confidently to the center of the room and lounged upon a set of cushions that seemed reserved for someone of importance, which was probably not the governor’s newest wife.
“I require wine,” she said and even Reece was inspired to do her bidding. He stayed by her side ready to defend her life, if necessary. A silver cup was placed in her dainty hand and she lifted an eyebrow at the servant who’d brought it.
“Assure me this is safe for consumption. It seems ma
ny in this room would like to see me dead.”
A hush fell over the softly speaking woman and they stared at Farima with interest.
Reece watched them, looking for any who seemed ready to strike, but he saw no malice in them. Only curiosity. The servant sipped wine from the princess’s goblet and returned it to her hand before moving to stand by the wall. Farima swallowed the wine in delicate gulps. Reece noted that Lara had given in to the other woman’s will and Farima was in complete control. Her confidence spoke of her regal upbringing. Within a few minutes the other women began to move closer. The young girl who they’d met the day before, Safiye, was so bold as to sit on the floor beside Farima’s cushion.
“How are you today, young one?” Farima asked her.
Safiye beamed. “Quite well. I am overjoyed that you’ve joined us this morning.” Several of the governor’s wives smiled in welcome and Reece relaxed his stance slightly, but continued to monitor the actions of the women closely.
“Tell us of your life in Istanbul, princess,” a lovely Persian woman said in halting Turkish. “The palace there is so grand.”
Farima spoke of her home. She described the banquets and the visitors who came from all over Europe, the Middle East, Northern Africa and Asia to visit with her father.
By the time she paused to take another sip of her wine, al of the harem women were seated around her collection of cushions listening with rapt attention.
“Isn’t she beautiful?” Safiye said and lifted a timid hand to touch Farima’s arm. “It is no wonder that father is so taken with her.”
Farima flushed slightly at the compliment. “I hope to bear him a strong son soon.”
“He is plagued with many daughters,” one of Ashar’s two dozen wives said.
There was a twitter of nervous laughter.
“Will the sultan come to welcome your son into the kingdom?” one of the women asked. “I have always wished to gaze upon the sultan. I hear he is as handsome as he is powerful.”
“Then he must be blindingly handsome,” one of the women proclaimed.
The women all looked to Farima for her reaction. When she laughed, they joined her. “You shall see for yourself,” Farima said. “I am certain he will want to meet his grandchild. He has travelled great distances to meet the children born to my elder sisters. He loves babies.”