Read Online Marked: A Vampire Blood Courtesans Romance by Michelle Fox, Gwen Knight - Free Book Online Page A

What surprised me most was my lack of fear.
    “Lesson number one: Never stare a vampire in the eye.” His thumbs brushed along my ribs.
    “Why?”
    His hand grazed up the length of my side and the swell of my breast before settling against my cheek. Without thought, I leaned into his touch, my lashes fluttering against my cheeks.
    “Our glamour is strongest with eye contact,” he explained. “Some might take advantage of that.”
    “But not you.”
    His throat worked as he struggled to swallow. “No, not me. I’ve never felt a need to force someone to do something.”
    A tremor shook the wall I’d erected around my heart. I opened my eyes and met his gaze without flinching. Somehow I knew I could trust him . Not vampires. But him . Ethen Rune. The one who’d stopped Luke from taking what he wanted. The one who’d outbid all the other vampires to spend the night with me, then given me my own room instead of forcing me to stay in his.
    He made me feel. Something that hadn’t happened in a long time.
    “Though, I admit…you test me.”
    A slight frown wrinkled my brow. “How do I test you?”
    He leaned forward until the tip of his nose brushed my throat. “Your scent, your voice, your blood… I find everything about you captivating.”
    So I affected him as much as he did me. I moistened my lips and lifted my chin, exposing my throat for his pleasure.
    “I thought you were going to change out of your dress? Not that I’m complaining,” he stated, his fingers playing along the edge of my bust.
    “I tried. I couldn’t…”
    “Take it off?”
    I shook my head, gasping when his teeth grazed my flesh.
    “I’ve never understood the madam’s fascination with such things. Vampires care little about the clothing you wear.”
    “A trait all men share, I’m sure,” I whispered.
    “Mm,” he hummed, his tongue brushing against my throat.
    I shuddered, surprisingly eager for him to take that final step, even though I’d never been bitten before.
    “She preens and primps you up as though you’re…”
    “An object?” I finished.
    As though my words were a little too close for comfort, he cleared his throat and stepped back, his jaw tight. He tugged on his shirt, recomposing himself right before my eyes.
    My stomach chose that moment to give a resounding growl that rumbled through the room.
    “And on that note.” Ethen started back toward the plate he’d made up for me, “I suppose I should feed you.”
    Gone were the gentle touches and heated glances. Dismayed, I ran a hand through my bangs and nodded.
    “Were you forbidden from eating at the gala?”
    “Of course not.”
    He glanced over his shoulder. “Then…?”
    “Do you know how much this dress costs?”
    He blinked, then shook his head. “I do not.”
    “Me neither. And I wasn’t about to find out.”
    “Are you normally a messy eater?”
    “Hardly. But it was a nerve-wracking situation to be in. One slip and everyone would know me as the courtesan who spilled cocktail sauce down her dress.”
    “Ah, a serious offense.”
    His dry tone dragged another snicker out of me. “The most serious.”
    “Well, I shan’t make you wait any longer.” He turned with a flourish and presented a gold-rimmed platter heaping with four slices of pizza.
    My eyes widened at the sight. “I’m supposed to eat all that?”
    His attention shifted to the plate. “Too much?”
    “A couple slices too much.”
    He tilted his head and studied the plate. “Apologies. I must have forgotten appropriate portion sizes.”
    Compassion lit through me. It wasn’t his fault. Vampires stopped consuming solid food the moment they transitioned from humans. If Ethen was as old as people claimed, he hadn’t tasted human food in over a couple centuries.
    “You know what,” I said. “Screw it. Hand it over.”
    His brows shot up. “All of it?”
    “Sure! A girl needs a challenge, right?”
    “And you think this is the appropriate way to challenge yourself?”