Read Online Drawn to the Vampire (Blood and Absinthe, Book 4) by Chloe Hart - Free Book Online Page B

steps for every one of the vampire’s long strides.
    “A little thing, you call it. Do you have any idea how difficult it was to steal that damn—”
    “Absolutely. Quite a feat. My cousin sounded very impressed when she told me about it. Really, you’re a legend in your own time.”
    “For someone asking a favor, you’re pretty free with the sarcasm.” He hesitated. “All the same, I was never able to use the Gem for its intended purpose, so I find myself inclined to accede to your request. On one condition.”
    Kit glanced at him sideways. “What is it?” she asked suspiciously. Facing forward as he was, his face was completely hidden by the black hood.
    “Just a little addition to my payment. Not even an addition. A clause in our contract, if you will. Something we never specified and that I don’t want you arguing about when the time comes.”
    “I don’t think I like the sound of this.”
    “Oh, it’s nothing. Just that I can take my blood from any place I choose.”
    She frowned. “You mean if we’re in another country?”
    “No, Kit. I mean anywhere on your body.”
    Kit felt like the air had been sucked from her lungs. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. They walked in silence until they reached the tower.
    She composed herself as best she could before turning to face the vampire, who had taken off his hood in the shadow of the building. He was looking at her with a particularly evil grin.
    “I thought the neck was considered traditional,” she said cautiously, glad that at least her voice was calm and steady.
    “It is,” Luke said. “But I’m not.”
    Kit felt herself blushing from head to foot. She couldn’t help imagining Luke’s mouth on forbidden parts of her body, parts of her body that no man’s mouth, and particularly no long, sharp, deadly fangs, had ever been near. The worst part was, she knew it wasn’t only embarrassment that had her heart pounding.
    Suddenly she was angry.
    “You did this on purpose,” she said, glaring at him. “Now I have all these images in my head, images I’ll probably never be able to get rid of, and you put them there. Well, you know what? I don’t need the Gem of Fanor. I’ll find some other way to save Peter. If you think for one second—”
    “It won’t hurt, you know. No matter where I bite you.”
    “I don’t care about that! Well, yes I do, but that’s not the point here. The point is…”
    “Yes?”
    “The point is no . A big, fat no. You will not take your blood from any place you want. Call me old-fashioned, but we’ll be sticking to the neck. Is that clear?”
    Luke was looking at her appraisingly. “You’re absolutely lovely when you blush, did you know that? Some women get all blotchy. Not you. Just a nice rosy glow.”
    Kit folded her arms. “Is that clear?”
    Luke folded his arms. “You really mean to say you’ll let your only brother languish forever in the land of the dead just because you’re repressed?”
    “Re pressed ? Are you crazy? This isn’t about repression. I do plenty of wild, crazy things with normal, human men!” This wasn’t exactly true, but he didn’t have to know it. “This biting thing might be sexual for you, but it isn’t for me. It’s just something horrible I have to do to save my brother, and when it’s over I’m going to do everything I can to wipe you out of my memory banks forever. I hear hypnosis works great for that.”
    Luke only smiled lazily. “If you’re going to wipe out the experience anyway, then why not just give me what I want? You don’t even know where I’ll decide to take my payment. I may go for the neck after all, just to surprise you. Maybe I only brought the subject up because it’s fun to tease you.”
    Suddenly Kit felt deflated. She backed up a couple of steps and looked at him.
    “Fun, huh? Must be nice for you. None of this is fun for me. In a way, though, maybe it’s a good thing this happened. I was almost starting to trust you, to think