Emperor's Brides Series by Linda Winstead Jones

He burns for her, but this exotic beauty is untouchable. The Emperor of Columbyana is in need of a bride. Riders have been sent to the far corners of the kingdom to bring back six noble beauties for him to choose from. But none can compare to Sanura, an exotic slave with the power to see into men's souls. To touch her is said to bring incredible pleasure—and certain death. Even for the emperor's twin brother, Prince Alixandyr... moreHe burns for her, but this exotic beauty is untouchable. The Emperor of Columbyana is in need of a bride. Riders have been sent to the far corners of the kingdom to bring back six noble beauties for him to choose from. But none can compare to Sanura, an exotic slave with the power to see into men's souls. To touch her is said to bring incredible pleasure—and certain death. Even for the emperor's twin brother, Prince Alixandyr. Alix is charged with bringing this rare creature back to the palace. A man possessed, he has wrestled the darkness inside him since birth. He cannot afford to desire Sanura, but the attraction between them is stronger than his darkest impulses. Even if it means his own destruction, he cannot allow the emperor to claim her. Sanura is a proud woman of great power, reduced to a plaything for the rakish emperor. She wants nothing more than her freedom—except, perhaps, Alix. He is a mystery, the first and only man whose true soul remains hidden from her. As their passion threatens to unleash the demons within Alix, Sanura must do all she can to save the man she loves and prevent him from committting an unforgivable sin. less

Their lust could bind them for life... Just when the lovely Belavalari has given up on Merin—the dashing general to whom she lost her maidenhead—he appears in her native village, with orders from the emperor to return with Bela as a prospective empress. Fearless and skilled with her magical sword, Bela embodies everything Merin could want in a soldier. Except that she's female. And already married—he's horrified to learn—to him... moreTheir lust could bind them for life... Just when the lovely Belavalari has given up on Merin—the dashing general to whom she lost her maidenhead—he appears in her native village, with orders from the emperor to return with Bela as a prospective empress. Fearless and skilled with her magical sword, Bela embodies everything Merin could want in a soldier. Except that she's female. And already married—he's horrified to learn—to him . For her own reasons, Bela drugged him all those years ago and performed the Turi marital rite. Now, to sever the bond forever, Bela and Merin must remain bound together by a short rope for twenty-two days— and twenty-two nights . That is, if they don't kill each other first. But on the horizon looms a cutthroat enemy. Now the pair will have to rely on each other—and the magical sword—to make it through alive and to experience the strength of the ties that bind. less

There can be but one empress... Finally willing to choose a bride, Emperor Jahn of Columbyana has decided to have a last bit of fun by going undercover as a sentinel to collect his next candidate. Unfortunately, the young and beautiful Lady Morgana Ramsden has no interest in becoming an empress. Infuriated by her refusal—and determined to teach the haughty woman a lesson—the disguised emperor strikes a bargain with her stepfather and claims her as his bride... moreThere can be but one empress... Finally willing to choose a bride, Emperor Jahn of Columbyana has decided to have a last bit of fun by going undercover as a sentinel to collect his next candidate. Unfortunately, the young and beautiful Lady Morgana Ramsden has no interest in becoming an empress. Infuriated by her refusal—and determined to teach the haughty woman a lesson—the disguised emperor strikes a bargain with her stepfather and claims her as his bride. Determined to avoid a loveless marriage, Morgana is mortified by her predicament. But as she crosses the unfamiliar landscape toward the palace, a virtual prisoner to her prospective groom, she slowly finds herself succumbing to the handsome sentinel and his sublime seductive pleasures. It is not long, however, before duty calls the emperor, and Jahn must find a way to reveal the truth without losing the woman he has come to love. He never expected that he would not want the charade to end—or that the woman he has fallen for has a secret so devastating that it will likely destroy them both. less

A Return to Columbyana Lyssa Tempest is desperate to find a husband. A witch’s portent years past made it clear that if she didn’t wed before the age of twenty-three she would not wed at all. Lyssa doesn’t want to live her life alone, so after her fourth failed wedding, on the eve of her birthday, she goes on a late night hunt for a man. Any man. And she finds Blade Renshaw. Blade is in the capital city of Arthes with murder his only goal... moreA Return to Columbyana Lyssa Tempest is desperate to find a husband. A witch’s portent years past made it clear that if she didn’t wed before the age of twenty-three she would not wed at all. Lyssa doesn’t want to live her life alone, so after her fourth failed wedding, on the eve of her birthday, she goes on a late night hunt for a man. Any man. And she finds Blade Renshaw. Blade is in the capital city of Arthes with murder his only goal. The pretty and naive Lyssa is a means to an end, his way into the well-guarded palace where he can, at last, avenge his sister’s death. He doesn’t intend to care for Lyssa, perhaps even to love her. They are not prepared to face Lyssa’s newly awakened powers or their part in a coming war, as Ksana demons and the man who would lead them watch and plot against the witch and the blade. less