Read Online Fresh Blood by Jennifer Colgan - Free Book Online Page B

and chairs, the room held couches,
divans and banks of oversized pillows. Much like Club Dead’s
grotto, the scenes taking place ran the gamut from a couple locked
in a lover’s embrace to orgies involving several humans and
vampires trussed in tight leather, chains and spiked collars.
    She pressed herself back against Max, and she
felt his hesitation. In here, he might not be able to protect her
from the others if they wanted her. That thought terrified her.
Giving herself over to Max was one thing, but to a group of
ravenous vampires--she could never do that.
    “We won’t be here long, I promise,” he said
close to her ear. He nudged her forward a step just as Vera Nighe
appeared. The lovely woman Erica had met in the ladies’ room looked
different in the fractured light. Her skin looked much paler and
her eyes seemed sunken. The delicate buttons on the front of her
cream-colored dress were open, exposing the deep valley between her
breasts.
    She smiled at them and offered her hand to
Erica.
    “Come with me, sweet one ... I’ll get you a
drink.”
    Erica looked back at Max. His expression was
stony. “No. She stays with me.”
    Vera pouted and surged closer, shimmying
forward to bump her hip against Max’s. “Now’s not the time to be
selfish.”
    “Maybe later.” Max pulled Erica away from
Vera and led her toward an unoccupied couch. He drew her down to
sit next to him then gently eased her body across his. Cradled in
his arms she felt another conflicting surge of emotions. Had they
been alone, she would have felt cherished, and desirable, but here,
on display in front of so many others, she felt exposed. She
stiffened when Max lowered his head to her neck.
    “Please don’t,” she said when she felt the
tips of his fangs against her skin. “Not here.”
    “I have to--”
    Erica struggled against him and he held her
tighter. The feel of his hands commanding her to mold against him
would have been irresistible if she wasn’t suddenly so afraid.
“No.…”
    “Maxwell. I’m glad you decided to join
us.”
    Erica looked up as Benton Carlisle’s shadow
fell over them once again. Also transformed, he’d become a
frightening caricature of his former self. His elegant suit jacket
and crisp white shirt were gone, replaced by a leather vest and
pants. In one hand he held a coiled whip and in the other a leash
that connected him to a woman who wore nothing at all.
    “Mr. Carlisle.” Max’s voice was low and
steely. Erica tensed as he pushed her gently off his lap.
    “Max ... why don’t you come with me for a
moment? There’s some business I’d like to discuss with you.”
    “Business? Now?”
    “It’s rather important. It involves security
here at the club, and I know your department often looks into
private affairs if there’s a special request.”
    Erica stared up Carlisle, entranced. It
shocked and amazed her to see this man, who only a short time ago
looked like the consummate corporate executive, now dressed in
leather and leading a naked woman around on a leash. The absurdity
of hearing him discuss business with Max made Erica’s stomach
turn.
    She cast a sympathetic glance at the woman,
who responded by bearing bloody fangs in a vicious snarl. The
vampiress, apparently bored by the proceedings, tugged on the chain
that dipped from her slender throat to Carlisle’s fist.
    Her reward for impatience was a tap with the
handle of Carlisle’s whip. She pouted, but with her red-tipped
fangs protruding the expression looked dangerous rather than
demure.
    Erica looked away.
    “We’ll only be a moment, Maxwell. I promise
not to keep you from your lovely lady very long.”
    Erica’s heart twisted when Max rose. He gave
her a grave look that would have melted her heart if he’d held it
longer than a second. As she watched, his expression morphed
dangerously and his fangs grew.
    “You stay right here. Don’t move, no matter
what.”
    She nodded. She had no intention of moving an
inch. As long as