Twice Upon a Time (12 page)

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 many 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.”

The women of the harem talked Farima into sharing tales of her sisters. Farima had travelled to many distant lands to visit them. It seemed they had all been married off for some sort of political gain in honor of their father’s wishes. Reece felt a stirring within Nasir’s heart. Nasir’s feelings for Farima were strong and true, yet he too saw the importance of her pairing with Ashar. She was not an ordinary woman. She had been born into a particular life and like Nasir she had accepted it.

The camaraderie between the women blossomed and bloomed as they shared stories of how they came to wed Ashar. Al iances had been forged. Wars avoided. Did Ashar really have feelings for Farima or was the attention paid to her due to what she represented? The daughter of a sultan was a prize to be coveted and cherished if attained.

A late morning meal was brought to the room and the sharing of food was added to the excited talk between the women. Khadija paid a brief visit. She’d come to remind the women of their duties, but when she saw how well they were getting along with Farima, she placed a gentle hand on the back of her newest daughter-in-law’s head and said, “I think we’ll take a holiday today. To celebrate Farima’s addition to the harem.” If the women had been hesitant to like Farima before, that proclamation sealed her fate as their favorite person of the day. Or at least the hour.

That all changed when Roxelana entered the pavilion and strode across the intricately-patterned tile floor to glare at Farima. “What do you think you are doing? That is my place. I demand you move at once.”

The rest of the harem scurried away from the cushions where Farima remained comfortably reclined. The women huddled against the walls—not speaking, not making eye contact.

Farima met Roxelana’s eyes evenly and said, “Your place is no longer assured, my lady. There’s a new Kadin in this harem. I might not be Ashar’s first wife, but I am his most superior one.”

At the look of outrage on Roxelana’s beautiful face, Reece’s hand returned to the hilt of his sword.

“How dare you?” Roxelana sputtered. Lara expected flames to shoot from the woman’s nostrils at any moment. “How
dare
you?”

“Oh, I dare, Roxelana. You’ve been allowed to be a tyrant in this harem for far too long. I am not afraid of you. Ashar will have you stripped of clothes and staked out in the desert sun to bake.”

Roxelana smirked. “I spoke to Ashar last night and again this morning. I have convinced him that I am completely innocent of any wrong doing.” Behind Roxelana, Lara caught sight of Ashar standing in the doorway. His face lit up when his searching gaze found her seated among the plush cushions in the center of the room. Nasir pressed a finger to his lips to stop him from alerting Roxelana to his presence.

“I’m not the first of Ashar’s wives you’ve targeted,” Lara said to Roxelana. “I know what you did to Safiye’s mother. Her death was not due to illness. You slowly poisoned her to death, just as you planned to poison me.”

“You have no proof.”

Lara could hear Safiye’s soft sobs against the shoulder of one of the women watching the confrontation from against a wall.

“I do have proof. I was able to save some of the food your servant left for me yesterday. While Nasir was chasing him down and was later slashed by the same man, I hid away some of the evidence.” She was total y bluffing, but Roxelana had no way of knowing that. “And then I fed it to little gray dog that keeps the vermin away from the pantry. The food killed that poor little dog. Food that you meant for me.” Roxelana eyes brightened. “You lie! I killed that dog and you know it. You watched me break its neck when I told you that if you wanted to live, you’d better leave.”

“That’s right,” Lara said. “How could I have forgotten such cruelty? Or how you convinced Maisha that you’d do the same to me if she didn’t take the fall for you.”

“She’s an idiot. She’ll do anything to save her princess.” Roxelana rol ed her eyes.

“She won’t do you much good once Ashar has her head lopped off, now will she?”

“Roxelana,” Ashar said, his voice deep and commanding. “I need to speak with you.

Now! And I will have no more of your lies, woman. The truth this time.” All the blood drained from Roxelana’s face. Trembling she turned to face her husband. Lara was glad she wasn’t the one who’d angered him. A trickle of fear raced down her spine as Ashar turned on his heel and stalked from the room. Roxelana followed. “Please, my husband. Listen to me. It’s not what you think. I would never—”

“I have heard enough,” he bellowed. “From your own lying lips.”

“But Ashar, I love you. Don’t you see? Everything I do, I do it out of love.”

“That speech won’t save you this time, Roxelana. I’ve seen the black heart concealed by that beautiful bosom. You will make a fool of me no more, woman.” Lara could hear her pleading with him through the corridor until eventually their voices faded into the distance. Lara glanced up at Reece and smiled. “Do you think that will help Maisha?”

“I think you’re brilliant,” he said.

Her smile brightened.

“I also think you need something to relax you,” he said, his lips curled in a sexy smile. “A long bath. A thorough massage.”

“Several orgasms?” she asked hopefully.

“Naturally.”

Reece held Lara’s naked body against him in the alcove where water poured down the high wall into the deep pool of water. He relished this time alone with her. He hoped their next leap was a little less dramatic. And in an unpopulated location with just the two of them. He really didn’t see that happening, but there’d never been a law against hoping.

“Reece,” she murmured lethargically. Apparently, her three most recent orgasms had relaxed her as planned.

“Hmm?”

“I love you. I don’t think I tell you that often enough.”

“If you said it non-stop for the rest of your life, it stil wouldn’t be often enough for me.”

She chuckled. “You really are a sap.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Only for you.”

“If we did get the other half of the amulet and could go anyplace and anytime we chose, where would you want to go?” she asked.

“It doesn’t matter as long as you’re with me.”

“Sap,” she accused again.

“The stickiest. Keeps me stuck to you,” he said.

She laughed. “You also tell lame jokes.”

“So why do you love me?”

“Because you’re a sap and tell lame jokes.”

“And I’m a good kisser.”

She lifted her head to look up at him and he lowered his head to kiss her. When he drew away, she smiled at him. “And you’re a good kisser.”

“Where would you want to go?” he asked.

“Ancient Egypt,” she said without hesitation.

He should have guessed. Her thesis and her job both centered around that time and place. They’d met because she was interested in artifacts from that time.

“If we ever get the other half of the amulet, that will be the first place we go,” he promised.

“And then I want to return to our time and marry you in the future.” He stroked her hair, his heart panging in his chest. He needed to tel her about how her life had been sacrificed to activate the amulet. Their only future was in the past. He opened his mouth, the words on the tip of his tongue. She loved him. She’d forgive him for hiding the truth. She had to. She loved him. She’d said she loved him.

“Lara,” he said. “I have to tell you something about the night you died.” She covered his lips with two fingers. “I don’t want the details,” she said.