In just a short period, I realized she wasn’t like other courtesans. I enjoyed spending time with her. I never thought that could happen with a human. The hours we’d spent waiting for trick or treaters and our dance brought more excitement to my living room than ever before. I could talk to her and laugh with her. My attraction to her was inexplicable. And intense.
Last night had been a spark of life in my undead existence. I relived the moment I’d buried myself deep inside her. And her blood—her delicious, tantalizing blood—energized me like a jolt to my undead heart.
After we dined on Huron Avenue, we meandered through Cambridge hand-in-hand, browsing the shops.
“I want to buy you something,” I said.
“Haven’t you just treated me to an expensive dinner?”
“Yes, but now I’d like to buy you a gift. What would you like—clothes, shoes, books? Whatever you want.”
“I wish I had more time to read for pleasure.”
“Ah, right, you love to escape into movies. I haven’t forgotten. So, pick out some movies.”
We headed into a store where she picked out a few movies. When we continued down the block, a display inside one of the clothing stores caught my eye. It was a nicer store, one I doubted a student would shop in unless she came from money.
“Let’s go in here.”
She paused. “Renato. It’s too expensive.”
“That’s okay. You deserve something nice. Pick out an outfit. Whatever you like.”
While she browsed, I sat in one of the comfortable armchairs, most likely sat there for husbands waiting for their wives to shop. Yet, while they probably sat weary, checking their phones, I watched her move through the racks. I liked watching her and the way she furrowed her brow when she concentrated. She returned with a pair of gray cashmere leggings.
“I’ve always wanted to try a pair of these. It’s so soft.”
I touched the fabric. “Not as soft as your skin.”
She gave me a demure smile.
“Now it’s my turn to pick something.” When I led her into the lingerie section, a flicker of excitement flashed in her eyes. I ran my hands over a white satin and lace teddy.
“This is perfect. I’d like to see you in this tonight. Would you wear it for me?”
An adorable blush rose in her cheeks. Her combination of innocence and hidden passion stirred me. I’d uncovered a bit of it last night, and I was eager to dig deeper.
She met my eyes and the fire in them burned brighter. “Yes.”
Our last night together had started out on a wonderful note, but it took a bitter turn when we exited the store to bump into my least favorite vampire.
“Renato,” Gideon said. His gaze shifted to Mia with his beady gaze. “And what was your name? Ah, yes, Mia.”
Mine.
Mia’s hand tensed in my own.
“Gideon,” I said. That was all I wanted to say to him. No, not even that much.
“Fancy that, the two of you ending up together. And there you were the other night, Mia, turning me down. Looks like the dark savior had an ulterior motive all along.”
A low growl rumbled in my throat. “I offered her a ride home after you scared her off. After all these decades, you still haven’t acquired any charm. “
Mia’s eyes shifted back and forth, gauging us both. She hadn’t spoken a word yet, but waves of anxiety flowed from her. One thing a vampire could easily sense was fear.
Gideon snorted. “You call your sulky moping charm?” He fixed his gaze on Mia. “Madam Lucia said you were busy, contracted to another vampire. And look who it is.”
“Yes, I changed my mind.” Mia raised her chin, her spirit burning brighter in a clear refusal not to cower before him. “Renato wasn’t aggressive like you. Perhaps you could learn from him.”
“I’ve seen how he works, and it’s not my style.” Gideon smiled with a feral glint in his eyes. “I’ll get in touch with the Madam. You can see what it’s like to be with a real vampire.”
When he walked away, Mia shuddered.
“Never.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Never.” She turned to me, “How do you two know each other?”
“We unfortunately run in the same circles. This town isn’t so big.”
“You seem like rivals.”
That was an apt description. “True.”
“In what? Business? Women?”
My jaw hardened. “Everything.” I left out the details. She didn’t need to hear about our past run-ins. Too many to count.
It took several blocks to shake off my sour disposition after seeing Gideon. Mia helped snapped me out of it as she asked about the various houses. The tenseness dissipated as we discussed the architecture.
As we approached my road, apprehension rose, like spirits rising from a grave. Only one more night with her.
“Congrats.” I tried to lighten the mood. “You survived two nights with a cantankerous old vampire.”
“I wouldn’t call you that.”
“What would you call me?”
She tilted her head. “Kind. Generous.” With a sly grin, she added, “And sexy as hell.”
A shot of excitement ripped through me. “You up for one more night?”
“Actually, I’m looking forward to it. Tomorrow I go back to my regular life, which is drab in comparison.”
Drab indeed. With her leaving the house in the morning, the vitality would vanish. “It doesn’t have to end just yet.”
“Excuse me?”
What was I saying? After a moment’s hesitation, I threw out my proposal.
“We can extend our agreement. Make it two weeks.”
She tilted her head while she appraised me through a bewildered expression. “I heard —”
When she didn’t finish the thought, I prompted her. “You heard what?”
“Madam Lucia said you booked girls for three nights max.”
Here I was breaking it, for reasons I didn’t entirely understand.
It was true. I was going against my rules with this one. The three nights max rule existed for a reason — so nobody would get hurt. It was for the new courtesan’s best interest. Many of them were young and could fall for a vampire whom they thought would take care of them. With my guidelines set, they knew what was to be expected. I paid for a service they provided. End of story. No expectations beyond what was a short arrangement. I might arrange for her to return after a few months, but only with other courtesans in between. No sense creating illusions that would have to be broken.
Two weeks? What was I doing?
A part of me knew deep inside. I was drawn to Mia and didn’t want her to leave yet.
Perhaps it was a possessive vampire thing. I didn’t like to share. I didn’t like the way Gideon stared at her, making my inner beast want to lash out. The idea of another vampire touching her stirred an urge to tear into things with tooth and claw. This unfamiliar discomfort made my muscles tighten.
But with Mia, it went beyond that. I’d been possessive before, and this didn’t seem to be the same.
“So what?” I replied trying to sound nonplussed. “I’ve enjoyed your company. Why not continue our arrangement a bit longer?”
A bolt of anxiety shot through me. She could shoot me down, and that idea bothered me. With a flippant wave, I added, “If it sounds agreeable to you.”
I was trying to keep this to a contractual level, partially to protect myself. I wasn’t used to putting myself in such a vulnerable position, and never for a courtesan.
My muscles coiled into knots while I awaited her reply. Part of me scolded myself for even behaving this way. I was a coldhearted vampire. A killer. Dozens of woman and courtesans had come in and out of my long undead life. Why did this one get under my skin?
“I have to admit, I’m rather surprised by the invitation,” she said. “But I am interested.”
“Is that a yes?” Oof, I sounded as eager as a teenage boy on prom night.
Her b
right smile lit up her face. She was luminous.
“Yes.”
Tension drifted out of my taut muscles.
“How does this work?” she added. “Do I call Madam Lucia? Or do you?”
Merda. I didn’t know. I’d never done this, but I was thrilled. My mind flashed with images of what we’d done in her room last night—and what we could do—threatening to make me grow as hard as the pavement. I suppressed the urge to take her hand and show her how excited she made me. This road was far too busy with passersby.
“I’ll take care of it.” I looked her over, wondering what she’d need to extend her stay. “Tomorrow, James can take you back to your place so you can get more clothes and whatever else you need. Or, if you’d like, come up with a list, and I’ll have it taken care of.”
“Thank you, Renato, but you’ve already treated me so well. I can go back and pack a bag.”
Funny thing was, I wanted to buy her more. I enjoyed watching her excitement and gratitude whenever I gave her something. She didn’t expect materialistic things, like the others had.
“Fine, I’m sure you want to be comfortable. But let’s go out again tomorrow evening and buy you some more lingerie. I want to unwrap you in a different set each night.” I stroked her bare shoulder and leaned closer to inhale her sweet scent.
A naughty shimmer flickered in her eyes, sending me from semi-erect to full mast.
“Sounds like you have some definite ideas of what you’d like to do over the next two weeks.”
We turned onto my road, which offered more privacy. I pulled her in for a kiss then slid my mouth down to brush her neck.
“I know what I’d like to do right now.” My fangs protruded, as I grew excited by the prospect of drinking her delicious blood while burying myself deep inside her again. “And I don’t plan on waiting to get started.”
Hurrying to my front door, I scooped her into my arms the moment we entered the foyer.
She squealed in surprise. “Where are you taking me?”
“Anywhere there’s a bed. Or not. We can be creative and experiment in every room.”
Her eyes widened with excitement. “I’m already pleased with this decision. Sounds like a promising two weeks.”
“Now you’re setting me up with expectations for what I need to live up to.” I smiled at her. “Don’t worry, I accept this challenge.”
I carried her to her bedroom, prepared to set the tone of the rest of our arrangement.
CHAPTER 6
Mia
The next morning, Madam Lucia called me to go over the contractual details. I tried not to shout when I heard the sum I’d receive.
“You seem to be quite popular. Gideon has asked about when you’d be available. He was quite apologetic about his behavior at the ball.”
Eww. Not going to happen. “Thanks, but I’m not interested.”
“All right. I’ll send him someone else.”
Over the next week, we fell into a routine. I did what I needed to do on campus during the day, and instead of returning to my place, I took the shuttle to Harvard Square and walked to Renato’s house before he woke at sunset. Most nights he sought me in my room before he attended to business. When I asked him what type, he mentioned mostly real estate and other investments.
If he didn’t run off to any meetings, we spent time drinking wine and talking in the living room, while listening to music. Or watching a movie together. Normal things that couples did.
Being a blood courtesan wasn’t such a bad gig after all. Plus, if I was honest with myself, I longed for night to fall, when I’d experience such pleasure from his exquisite touch.
But, all vampires wouldn’t be like Renato, I was quite sure of that. So, I should just take this one vampire at a time, before committing myself to a lifestyle I wasn’t sure was for me.
When my thoughts wandered during lectures or while I tried to read a dry biology tome, I thought about some more exciting things of late. In particular, moments with Renato in his bedroom. Sure, I wasn’t that experienced, but I doubted too many of the men I’d met in college could do the things to my body the way he had. His experience had given him excellent skills in the bedroom.
An odd twist of jealousy in my chest followed when I pictured him with other women. Who knew how many? He seemed to have several courtesans, but what about other human women and vampires? Ugh, I didn’t want to think about that. Nor how he might compare my inexperience to that of a skilled vampire lover.
I pushed those thoughts aside. Why let those insecurities undermine this short-term experience? I would be his live-in lover for two weeks, and that was it. No ambiguity, the expiration date was already set.
After I finished classes and all the research I had to do in the library one evening, I walked back to Cambridge cutting through Harvard Yard, which shined at its best during this time of year. With the brilliant colors of sunset scattered over leaves that skittered across the green grass, it stood as the quintessential New England University. The majestic columns of Widener Library towered over me on the left. Throngs of tourists took snapshots of the buildings in the Yard while students hurried to classes.
I pictured myself at Harvard Medical School across the Charles River. It would have made my mother so proud. Even though she was gone, I wanted to live up to my promise to her after she’d died. I couldn’t save her, but maybe one day I could help others and prevent what had happened to us from destroying other families.
That goal had kept me going for years. Goals kept me going—thinking about a brighter future had helped me crawl out of my dismal past. Plans took the anxiety out of uncertainty, helping me find a secure foothold in a chaotic world.
The two-week time with Renato fit with my sense of order. Knowing what was expected of me helped me sort things through in my mind. It had begun a battle with my body due to the reckless, primal attraction to someone with whom I could never have a real relationship. The concrete idea of a contracted service reminded me of my role, disrupting a multitude of fantasies, or of reliving our intimate moments.
I left the Yard and cut down Church Street to get to Brattle Street. The tea shop caught my eye, so I picked up a chai to go. Renato would be waking up soon, which meant I wouldn’t go to sleep for hours. Some caffeine would help keep me going. The time difference was one of the challenges I’d faced. Over the weekend, it was fine to stay up all hours of the night and sleep late, but during the week, when I had classes, I needed to be alert during daylight hours, yet also reserve some energy for late night sessions with Renato.
Once I had my sweet chai, I continued to walk down the street, pausing to scan a stack of books for sale on a table. No, I didn’t have time to read for pleasure, not with all my textbook reading. Well, I suppose if I gave up some of my movie time I could find time to read a novel, but still, after reading so much text, there was only so much more reading I could take.
The sun set as I passed stores and restaurants and moved on to the massive residences down the road. Renato had pointed out many details about these homes, noting the Queen Anne, Stick, Federalist, and Colonial styles, among others. He knew so much about architecture and the years of their popularity. I could spend hours walking through other neighborhoods with him and listen to him talk about the history.
Two weeks. Remember, it’s only two weeks.
I forced myself to slow down and walk at a more casual pace. No need to act so eager.
When I turned onto his road, I sought out his Tudor house and fixed my eyes on his bedroom window. Not that I could tell he was awake or not since the windows were blacked out. I’d find out soon enough.
I walked up to the doorway, and James opened the door before I reached it.
“Renato has been expecting you.” The tone of his voice was odd, almost chastising.
“I stopped by the library after classes.” Why was I explaining myself to him? I shook it off and put down my book bag.
The sound of footsteps over the hardwood f
loor caught my attention. When I looked up, Renato walked toward me with an unreadable expression on his face. My heartbeat raced. I felt like I’d done something wrong.
“It’s late. I thought you might have changed your mind about our arrangement.”
“No. Not at all. I figured I’d get my studying done before returning here.”
“My star pupil. Always studying.”
I didn’t dare tell him that since our first night together, he’d been a distraction to my studies. A break to my obsession with perfectionism. He made me think of other things, especially when it came to my body.
“I finished my work so I could be available. In case you woke — hungry.” I didn’t specify which hunger, but from what I’d experienced over the weekend, one generally led to the other.
“How considerate. You were thinking of me. And here was I, fearing the worst.”
How would my leaving be so terrible? Sure, he might be, hungry, but with his reputation, I’m sure he could find other courtesans to sate his hunger.
Renato
As the days went on, I grew used to having Mia there when I woke. I sought her out each evening, and often found her in the library. I welcomed her to study there, as I spent most of my work hours in my office. She looked right at home in the paneled room with a built-in bookcase that reached for the beams in the ceiling.
Her study habits—or compulsions—amused me. She positioned everything just so, lining up pens parallel to whatever enormous textbook she was poring over.
When I found her that evening, she was reading from a journal.
“How’s my little perfectionist doing this evening?”
“Fine.” She exhaled as she glanced at me. “I’ve read so much, my eyes are ready to pop out of my skull.”
“Why don’t you take a break for the night? I’m sure you’re ready for it.”
“True.”
Some words in the headline of her article caught my eye. Blood cancer. Stem cells. “What are you reading?”
“Nothing you’d be interested in.” She closed the magazine, some type of medical journal. “It would bore you.”
“Actually, I am interested.”
Pursued: A Vampire Blood Courtesans Romance Page 7
