I had chosen well.
A glint shimmered in her eyes, one that indicated excitement and fear. I knew that gaze—I had seen it many times when a courtesan entered my house, yet never quite like this. This time my response mirrored hers, leaving me on unsteady footing on the stairs.
I grabbed the railing, and in a confident tone, I greeted her. “Welcome, Mia. I’m glad to see you arrived safely.”
She turned her gaze up and fixed it on me, lingering for a moment.
“Thank you,” she replied. “It was easy to find. I know Brattle Street but haven’t ventured down this road before.”
As I descended the staircase, I replied, “No need for anyone to come down the streets, unless they live here.”
“True. But anyone who has an eye for architecture could appreciate it.”
Since I’d invested in many properties, it was one of my interests. Was it hers as well?
“Do you have an eye for it?”
“Not in any professional capacity. More like I can appreciate the unique homes in this neighborhood. One of the most historic districts in the country.”
“Indeed.”
“I love when people take the effort to restore old homes, rather than knock them down to build new condos. Some of the houses in the area date back to the 17th century. That’s amazing. How old is this house?”
“Not as old, I’m afraid. This one only dates to the late 1800s. A mere baby.”
She turned halfway around, scanning the room. “It’s stunning.” She ran her hand over the chair rail molding in the living room. “All the details in the woodwork are so beautiful.”
With a twinge of my past creeping into my head, I admitted, “I’ve always loved this house.”
“Did you grow up here?”
My jaw twitched. I had set myself up for a question like that, one I did not want to answer. “No.”
She tilted her head as she appraised me. I now stood before her so she had to look up. She was shorter than I remembered, petite. She must’ve worn heels at the ball.
“You must be good at investing.”
She had to know the price of these houses, most of which were unattainable unless they were inherited by a family member or purchased by someone with money.
“I do a little of this, a little of that. It’s boring—you wouldn’t want to hear it.”
“I’m sure I would,” she said. “But if you prefer not to talk about it, that’s fine. It’s not like I’m here to interview you.”
Her mouth curled into a smile, which I returned. The services of a blood courtesan were clear—sex and blood. Discussion wasn’t necessary. But I liked talking to this one. She had a mixture of innocence and sass. Quite compelling.
I motioned to James, who remained standing nearby. “James will show you to a guest room, so you can get settled in. Then I thought we’d go out to dinner.”
She tilted her head as she appraised me. “That sounds nice. I don’t know how this all works.” She moved her hands in a circle for emphasis.
I laughed. “What did you think, that I’d be so gauche as to jump on you and take what I wanted the second you walked through the door?”
“Well.” She paused. “Maybe not you. But I wouldn’t be surprised by a similar tactic from the other vampire I met last night.”
“Ah, yes, Gideon.” I gritted my teeth, not wanting to think about him.
I gave James a slight nod for the next task.
He stepped up. “Miss, before we go to your room, I need to inspect your bag.”
Her head jerked with surprise. “What for?”
“Security measures,” he replied. “Standard procedure for any of our guests.”
As he sorted through her overnight bag, she twisted a sapphire ring around her finger while her gaze darted around the room. Nervous about something.
James pulled out a syringe and turned it up and down, examining the clear liquid. He arched a brow and asked her, “Holy water?”
“Why would you think that? I’m in pre-med. Part of my lab work...”
James gave her a hard look. “It’s not my first rodeo.”
Her eyes darted around the room. “I can explain,” she said sheepishly.
She dared bring a weapon into my house?
Crossing my arms, I said, “I can’t wait to hear it.”
“A blood courtesan gave it to me for self-defense, in case a vampire got too aggressive.”
That might be a plausible explanation for one like Gideon, but I wasn’t going to let it go so easy. I didn’t get this far by believing every story I’d heard.
“What else are you hiding?”
“Nothing.”
“I need to make sure. Take off your boots.” As she did, I asked, “Who do you want to pat you down—James or me?”
She stared at the beams across the ceiling, and her cheeks turned a dark shade of pink. The blood rushing beneath her skin awakened an instant craving in me. My fangs twitched, yet I fought to ignore my urge to taste her.
“You,” she said.
Despite my satisfaction on hearing that word, I resisted smiling. After dismissing James, I stepped up to her and raised my hands to start the inspection. Ah, she smelled divine. She must taste deliziosa.
When I reached behind her neck and ran my fingers through her silky hair, she dropped her head back a few inches. Bad idea on her part. A beautiful woman exposing her neck like that to a vampire was too damn enticing. The blue veins pulsed under her ivory skin, beckoning me to drink the sweet nectar. My fangs ached with the need to draw her warm blood. She was lucky I didn’t pierce her flesh right there. The dark liquid called to me and I struggled not to heed it as the heady rush of bloodlust muddled my brain. I remained still until I regained self-control.
She’d unwittingly tempted me. But, I would taste her soon enough.
No. Not soon enough. Hell, I wanted her now. I'd never struggled so much against the dark call of a courtesan. It must have been too long since I’d last fed.
Focus. Gritting my teeth while my fangs slowly retracted, I finally deemed it safe to continue.
“This will be over in a moment.” Although her dress clung close enough to her curves, I could never be too sure. Besides, I enjoyed the process of touching her. A preview of what was to come.
I ran my hands over her arms and sides and down to her lower back. Whenever I found bare skin, I dragged my fingers, prolonging the process. Her flesh was warm and soft. Oh, what she’d feel like when I had her naked in bed, touching every secret part of her. I kneeled to continue patting her down, growing hard as I squeezed her curvaceous ass and I imagined lifting it off the bed as I drove deep inside of her.
“Is that necessary?”
Her question was valid if this were a routine inspection, but from the first moment when I touched her silky hair, it had taken on a seductive edge. Perhaps I was overdoing it. “You can never be too careful.” I forced myself to move on.
Her legs were just as enticing as I smoothed my hands over them. I parted her knees wider as I checked her inner thighs, and she gasped. When I glanced up at her, she caught my gaze, and I seemed to lose focus as a strange excitement threatened to overpower me and make me forget what I was doing. The insistent need to have her hammered deeper, pooling in my aching cock.
My body took over as my hands continued trailing up her thigh. Her blood flowed freely there. I could drink from her heavenly flesh. My gums twitched again with the need to taste her. “That part’s over,” I said, partially as a reprimand to myself.
As I moved back up the front of her body, her desirable feminine scent threatened to make me lose control over the beast within. My touch had excited her as much as it had me. I struggled to control my reaction. It wasn’t my habit to attack my meal the second she walked through the door, but she had an appeal that made it difficult to resist, awakening the darker part of me that yearned for blood and a luscious female body. I finished the inspection over her belly and breasts, trail
ing my fingers. I lingered over the soft flesh more than I needed to, enjoying this chance to learn her curves. Why not make it pleasurable as well as purposeful?
When I rose, her cheeks had turned scarlet. She caught my eye, and her pupils dilated. She parted her pink lips…such an irresistible invitation. I stifled the urge to kiss her right then. After those signs, she might have let me, but I hadn’t even shown her to a room.
It wasn’t the right moment to act on my baser instincts, not after convincing her to take a chance on me. If I jumped on her like a wild beast, she’d be out the door before I even had a taste of her. That wasn’t the way I played, and with Mia, I had to take it extra slow. Unhurried was fine, I could work with that. All I had was time. A slower seduction would amp the anticipation and heighten the reward. She’d be desperate with need the way a vampire lusted for blood. A smile spread across my face as I pictured it.
Straightening to my full height, I ran my hands over my slacks to regroup, ignoring my agonizing erection. “It’s over. You passed inspection. The bedrooms are upstairs.”
Mia
Holy crap. As Renato gave me a quick tour of some of the main parts of the house, I could barely take it in. My body throbbed as every particle seemed to burn from his touch. My mind was still hazy from the tumult of emotions that churned within.
Just wow.
Renato opened a door upstairs. “This is your room while you’re here. You have your own bathroom. If you need anything, James can get it for you.”
I stepped in. “This is wonderful. Thank you.”
Renato nodded. “I’ll let you get settled in. Meet me downstairs in an hour. We’ll head out for dinner.”
After he left, I closed the door and marveled at my surroundings. I thought I’d stepped into a classic film. The guest room—my bedroom for the next three nights—was bigger than my studio apartment. It was furnished in cherry red wood polished to a shiny gleam. Each of the legs of the dresser, desk, and bed were carved with ornate designs. The bed itself had four posts that reached up to the ceiling. I threw myself onto it, sinking into the soft bedding.
Renato had left me here to get settled in. If by that, he meant rolling on the featherbed and staring like a goon with a wide smile at the ceiling, then yes, I was settling in quite nicely. When I pulled myself off the bed, I touched everything. From a marble bust on the dresser to the decorative wood carvings of the frames of paintings of Italian vistas, and even the toiletry containers in my private bathroom. I opened tiny glass jars that held cotton swabs and cotton balls and peeked in drawers that were stocked like someone had a toiletry fetish. It was like I’d stepped back in time to some glorious era. A part of me had always wondered if I was born in the wrong decade, which was why I was drawn to movies of the past. Stepping into this house felt like I might have found the right time and place. It felt—right.
After relishing my luxurious space, I got ready. Renato told me to come downstairs in an hour, and I spent half that time loafing around. At least, I’d showered and dressed before I arrived, but I wondered if my dress and boots would cut it. It depended on where we were going. If he’d glanced at my outfit earlier with a look of contempt, I’d be self-conscious. But he hadn’t, nor mentioned anything about changing. Even after rubbing me down, which I admit had left me more turned on than anxious.
Not that it had started that way. When Renato had stared at me after discovering the holy water, I’d thought I’d be shown the door. After all, I’d entered his house with a weapon to be used against vampires. I’d transferred the holy water to a syringe. As a pre-med student, it seemed like a suitable choice. Rather than throwing the holy water haphazardly at a vampire, I’d force it with precision deep inside his body. No matter what my reasoning was, it didn’t cast me in a good light. Renato didn’t appear to be furious, though.
Perhaps he’d encountered similar actions by other blood courtesans.
Or worse.
I spent the rest of the time in the bathroom experimenting with all the new toiletries. Lotions that made my skin soft and smell like roses. Sprays that made my hair shine. But I used my own makeup, because who knew who else had been in this space before me.
When I went downstairs, Renato met me as I reached the bottom. I sucked in a breath at the sight of him as a tendril of heat unfurled in my stomach. He still wore the black slacks and black button-down shirt I’d seen him in earlier, so what caused this unexpected thrill? Maybe it was excitement to go on a dinner date with someone who I’d consider out of my league in my normal life. He possessed an innate sophistication and worldliness that I lacked.
“Are you ready to head out to dinner?”
I exhaled while flutters of excitement rushed through me. It was strange how much I looked forward to going out with him. At least he wasn’t going for the wham, suck your blood, thank you, ma’am encounter, which was the play I’d expected. Also, I didn’t think vampires ate, not food at least. But then why would he ask me out to dinner?
“Sure.” I rubbed my hands down my sweater dress. “Is this okay?”
“More than okay. You look radiant.”
I learned the answer to my question about him eating an hour later after James had dropped us off in Harvard Square. We headed down a brick sidewalk to find a restaurant set back from the main road. We were seated in the courtyard at Renato’s request. I shot him a skeptical look since it was fall in New England.
“Don’t worry. They have heat lamps. It’s quite nice to sit outside this time of year.”
He was right. After we sat down, I felt the warm kiss of heat that made outdoor dining more than tolerable.
Renato ordered two flights of wine from the wine steward, whom he knew by name.
After ordering the wine, he asked, “What would you like for dinner?”
“What are you having?”
“Just the wine. They have an excellent selection here. But you, order whatever you’d like.”
“I’ll send the waiter over,” the wine steward said. “Once I see what you’ve ordered, I’ll bring over a glass to complement your selection.”
I scoured the menu. When the waiter arrived, I ordered the eggplant parmesan.
“What else?” Renato asked.
“That’s plenty.”
“Order an appetizer and dessert, as well, so you can try a different wine with each.”
I looked down to avoid him seeing the slight blush rising in my cheeks. I did not know anything about pairing wine with my meal. I often subsisted on a quick slice of pizza in between classes, so restaurants, especially one as nice as this, were a rarity. More like nonexistent.
Might as well enjoy the experience. This might be my one and only meal with a vampire.
I ordered stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer and a piece of chocolate cake for dessert.
“You’ll be happy,” Renato said. “The sparkling wines he pairs with chocolate are magnifici.”
The Italian word sounded equally magnificent coming from his mouth. I replayed his velvet-rich voice in my head.
The stuffed mushrooms and the first flight of wine arrived. It was a light white one with a French name, which I forgot the moment after the wine steward announced it.
Renato watched me as he sipped his wine, seeming to draw enjoyment from watching me eat.
“So, you don’t eat? Ever?”
“I do. But not in the way you do. I feed from someone. Or I drink. And I get the flavors from the person as well as what they eat or drink.”
His enjoyment grew from my blood being flavored by what I ate. I brushed off a shudder, knowing I was the meal.
“Tell me about yourself,” he said.
Conversation. Yes. Anything to get my mind off the blood exchange. “I’m in college, pre-med, studying biology.”
“Are you close to finishing?”
“I just started my junior year. But then, I’m going to medical school to become a doctor. Fingers crossed I get into Harvard Medical School.”
&nb
sp; “Ah, many blood courtesans I’ve met are college students. Tuition and loans are quite expensive. Is that why you thought of becoming one?”
“For the most part,” I admitted.
“Tell me about the other part,” he said.
That part was too close to my heart. And I’d only just met him. “I’d rather not.” Time to change the subject. “What about you?”
“We’ll get to me eventually. I’ve been around a long time and have gotten to know myself a long time ago,” he said with a laugh. “What I want to know about is you.”
I took a sip of wine. Since he was paying for this experience that I agreed to, I suppose he was entitled to that request. But he wasn’t entitled to know my secrets so I buried them deeper, hoping he couldn’t read minds.
CHAPTER 4
Renato
Mia visibly tensed when I asked her about her reasons for becoming a blood courtesan, so I backed off.
For now.
She must have kept the reason closely guarded, which increased my urge to uncover it. Secrets could be dangerous. If she was keeping something from me, I wanted to know what it was—and why.
There I went again, jumping to conclusions. Sure, she had a syringe of holy water on her, but I didn’t blame her. It wasn’t the first time I’d found holy water on a blood courtesan, among other types of weapons. They were merely human, after all, and spending time alone with an immortal creature who could snuff out their lives as easy as blowing out a match.
To lighten the tone—and my suspicions—I changed the topic to a more innocuous one. “What do you like to do in your spare time?”
Mia exhaled, and her tension appeared to dissipate. She put down her fork.
“There isn’t much of that after classes, homework, reading, and lab work. I had a part-time job for a while, but once I was buried under the workload, I only work during the summer time now. Which leads to more loans racking up. When I do treat myself to some time off, I go to the movies.”
Pursued: A Vampire Blood Courtesans Romance Page 4
