Vampire Erotica Blood Rush (7 page)

“Not any time soon. It’s something you work up to and it’s not for everyone.”

I edged toward the door, heart in my throat. What had I gotten myself into? Sex and blood were one thing, whips and chains something else entirely.

Seeing my panic, Kristos held his hands up and open as if to show he was harmless. “Myra, this is nothing to be afraid of.”

I continued to edge away from him and the room until I stood on the threshold. Kristos followed me, matching my slow pace, his blue eyes locked with mine.

“Have I acted without honor at any time since we’ve met?” He asked, his gaze hard.

I shook my head. “No.” Quite the opposite in fact.

“That is not about to change. Now come, I am sure you have questions and I would prefer to answer them elsewhere.” He held out a hand.

For a long moment I hesitated, but then remembering my mother, I took it. Kristos hadn’t hurt me. He’d been nothing but kind and there was no reason for me to run screaming, even if his home was equipped for the Inquisition.

He led me out of the room, shutting the doors after us and escorted me to the dining room. Candles gleamed in the center of the table, highlighting a vase of red roses and a plate heaped with what appeared to be roast chicken and mashed potatoes. A bottle of wine waited in a silver ice bucket. Despite my frequent raids on his fridge, my stomach growled.

He smiled at the sound. “Are you always hungry or do you just never eat?”

“Since I eat, I guess the answer is I’m always hungry.” I slid into the chair as he pulled it out for me. “At least tonight, I have underwear.”

“I’m not sure that’s an improvement.” He settled into his seat where the setting consisted only of a wine glass. Pouring the wine, he said, “Underwear makes it difficult to top your entrance last night.”

“You may enjoy my humiliation, but I don’t.” I sipped my wine, relishing its fruity tang.

He paused, glass halfway to his mouth. “You misunderstand. Women have thrown themselves at me in a predictable fashion for centuries to the point where it’s dull. You were different and I like new things.”

“Is that how you picked up your little torture hobby?” I immediately wanted to take the words back. Kristos was a client, someone I needed to impress, not snark on. What was with all the flippant comments?
Get a grip Myra
, I ordered myself.
Mind your manners.

His jaw clenched and his expression grew stern. “First, this is not my private home, it’s used by multiple people and is furnished with that in mind. Second, you have no idea how good a whip can feel. Third, other than an open mind, I will never require something from you that you aren’t willing to give.”

I bit my lip and focused on my plate, the aroma of perfectly roasted chicken suddenly failing to entice my appetite. He was mad and it was my fault. “I’m sorry. It’s just one of Madame Rouge’s people had a bad experience there.”

“You aren’t them and I am not Ivan.”

“Ivan?” I furrowed my brow, unfamiliar with the name.

“One of my associates. He’s no longer with the company.” He shifted in his seat, reaching for the wine bottle to top off our glasses. “Let’s change the subject. I understand you’re in college. What major?”

“Business.” Although the world of textbooks and professors felt like it was a different dimension give my current circumstances.

That made him smile. “You want to be a CEO when you grow up?”

I shook my head and cut up my chicken. “No. I’m more interested in entrepreneurship and small start-ups.”

He cocked his head and raised an eyebrow, curious. “Ah, you have a business idea?”

“A few,” I hedged. My appetite resurfaced and I began to eat. The succulent chicken and gravy filled me with the warmth of comfort food.

He smiled at me over his wine glass. “You’re smart to be careful with your intellectual property.”

“Thanks. Speaking of business, what does your company do?”

“We’re a conglomerate with interests in medicine and renewable energy sources. One thing vampires excel at is innovation over the long term.”

“So you’ll be CEO forever?”

He watched as I drank my wine, eyes focused on the movement of my throat.“No, we cycle through to keep things looking human. I’ll be CEO for a few decades and then someone else comes in to be the public figurehead.”

“Why do you want to look human? Doesn’t everyone know you’re a vampire already?”

He shrugged. “We have survived by our discretion and old habits die hard. We’ve only been integrating openly into society for the last few decades. One step at a time.”

“Not to mention I could see competitors claiming unfair advantage.” I paused, struck by a thought. “There are human CEOs right? The corporate world isn’t run by an oligarchy of vampires is it?”  If true, it would completely change how I read the business case studies in my textbooks.

He laughed. “No. We aren’t that proliferate.”

“Can I ask you a more personal question?” I wanted to address some of the concerns I had about blood courtesans.

Kristos crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “I can’t promise to answer.”

“That’s fair. Okay, here’s the thing, you’re attractive, you’re rich, what do you need to pay me for? Can’t you just get a girlfriend or something?”

“That’s an easy one. Would you want to be married to every meal you ate?” He pointed to my plate. “You can eat and the meal is done. A girlfriend is a meal that nags and demands attention. Worse, it’s like agreeing to eat only bananas for the rest of my life.”

“You have a point, but no girlfriends, ever?” That puzzled me. Did vampires not fall in love?

He waved a hand. “Every so often I have had a relationship. We are not immune to the laws of attraction, but it’s difficult to date a human.”

“Yeah, what do you do when you’re sick of bananas?”

“Hire another courtesan.” He shifted in his seat. “Sex and feeding are so entwined for us that it’s just easier to keep it at a business level. Otherwise, we are forever cheating on our significant others and,” he waved a hand, “then it’s just too much drama.”

“What about other vampires?”

“Yes, it happens. Not so much for me. I find female vampires to be overly aggressive. They gain so much strength, they lose the vulnerability that I find attractive. Vampires are all hard edges and I like soft curves.” He reached over and ran a finger along my forearm, the simple touch causing me to flush.

“That’s an insightful comment coming from a guy.” I picked up my knife as an excuse to break contact and cut another piece of chicken.

“I’ve had a lot of time to think about these things.” He watched me with an amused gleam as if he knew how nervous he made me. “So what about you?”

“What about me?” I asked, confused.

“Your boyfriends.”

“Oh. None.” Realizing that wasn’t an answer that would jive with my employment application, I hastened to add, “None to worry about.”

“Any long term relationships?”

His gaze probed mine and I tried to look nonchalant. “Oh sure.” If you counted long term crushes from afar. I’d spent about a year in unrequited lust for a guy in high school. It never went anywhere because I was a debate team geek complete with braces. In college the braces had come off, but mom’s chemo started taking up more than my spare time. I’d barely noticed anything except how far behind I was in my classes.

“Come here.” He held out a hand, waiting while I put down my silverware and set aside my napkin. Standing, I let him pull me onto his lap, straddling his legs with mine. “By the time I am done with you, I will know all your secrets, carnal or otherwise.” He kissed the spot on my neck where my pulse jumped, pressing his tongue against it. An electric arousal shivered through me and I gasped when his hand grazed my nipple, causing it to harden.

Cradling my head, he kissed his way up my neck to my lips. I moaned at the increasing sexual tension. Between his legs, a hard bulge pushed against the softness of my thighs.

He pulled away, hands settling on my hips. “Doctor Martin has made me promise not to feed tonight, but I do plan on a sip as well as other wickedness. Is that acceptable to you?”

I nodded as nerves swirled in my stomach threatening to overthrow my meal. Finding my voice, I said, “Kristos?”

“Yes?”

“I need to tell you something.” I stared down at my hands, wringing them with anxiety because I knew what came next and feared it. I suddenly lost faith in myself. What had I been thinking? Pretending I knew anything at all about sex was a special kind of lunacy. The lie felt wrong.
I
felt wrong. He deserved to know the truth and I wanted to stop making up a past that didn’t exist.

“I can see something is bothering you.” He took my hands in his secure grip and gave me a reassuring squeeze. “Try not to worry, I know what it’s like to be a new courtesan and I will be very gentle with you.”

“It’s not that,” I said. “Or, it’s not
just
that.”

“What is it then? Are you menstruating? We can work around that you know.”

I shook my head. “I’m a virgin.” Worrying my lip, I waited for his response.

He was silent for a moment, then, “Really?”

There was a delight I didn’t understand in his voice and I risked a look at his face. He was smiling and appeared to be very pleased.

He gave a little tug of my hands, trying to capture my attention.“What an unexpected surprise.”

My eyes downcast, I said, “I thought you would be mad.”

He frowned. “Why?”

“Because Madame Rouge made it sound like virgins were bad.”

He waved a dismissive hand. “For her, maybe, but not for me.” And then he was kissing me, hungrily claiming my lips, his hands massaging their way up my spine to the back of my neck. Deepening the kiss, he gripped the hem of my shirt and broke contact to lift it over my head. Tossing it aside, he bent down and kissed the top of each breast, tongue slipping under the fabric of my bra to tease my nipples. The sensation was so intense, I had to hold onto his shoulders to keep myself upright. A hunger I’d never fed, came alive and full of craving.

“It’s okay then?” I frowned, not trusting his quick acceptance.

“More than okay,” Kristos said. “Unless you want to stop?” He went still and looked at me.

I shook my head. “No, I don’t want to stop.”

“What do you want?” His gaze searched mine and I had that feeling again of being in a freefall.

“You,” I whispered utterly charmed by this debonair vampire and his easy way with my body that quickened me with desire. “I want you to be my first.”

“Good. I want to be your first too.” He unhooked my bra then and peeled it off me, smiling wolfishly as my breasts came into view. Hefting one globe in each hand, thumbs caressing the tips, he said, “I can hear your heart. It beats faster when I touch you.” 

Caught up in the effect of his touch, I had no response other than a hitch in my breathing.

“Tell me, has any man made you feel this way?”

I shook my head.

“Just me?”

I nodded.

“Say the words, Myra.”  He then tugged my hair until I lifted my chin up, exposing my throat which he covered with kisses.

“Just you,” I gasped.

At that, he leaned down to suck a nipple while continuing to play with the other, his tongue stroked me with a light, feathery touch. Then the pressure increased as he suckled the tip, which stiffened in response. When he flicked his tongue across my nipple, I moaned and arched my back, pushing my breasts into his face. The sensation in my breast bordered on pain without leaving pleasure. The feeling left me unsatisfied and wanting more.

He released me with a laugh. “And you think you don’t like whippings.”

Confused, I looked at him. “What?”

“That, my dear, was a thorough tongue lashing.” He moved to my other breast, taking the nipple and areola in his mouth with a hard suck. The bristles of his facial hair scraped my tender skin and his tongue showed me no mercy. As before, he stroked me until my nipple hardened into a nub and then he whipped his tongue across it, in hard, short strokes. My first whipping and it felt so good.

My hips spun in small circles and I threw my head back with a heavy sigh. My fingers had gone numb from holding onto him so tightly.

“I think it’s time to retire to the bedroom, don’t you?”

I nodded and then on impulse, reached down to kiss him, tentatively parting his lips for a French kiss. He tasted like salt and wine. His fangs were sharp as razor blades, threatening to nick my tongue with every pass. I came up for air. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being so kind.”

“Kind enough to almost get you killed.” There was a hint of bitterness in his voice.

I shrugged. “Kind enough to take care of me. To put up with all my bumbling mistakes and lies.”

“Are you saying we’re even?”

“Yeah, I think so.” I went to kiss him again, finding I craved his touch. He met me half-way and took control of my mouth as he stood up. Cradling me in his arms, he swept me out of the dining room and down the hall.