Marked for Pleasure [Blood Bond] (6 page)

Heidi tossed her head back and groaned, running her hands through his thick, black hair to hold his head in place. In fact, his hair felt so real. She could even smell his faint cologne.

“Teach me,” she blurted without thinking.

Heidi never wanted this fantasy to end, but reality was breaking through the fog of her lust. To satisfy her increasing doubts, she closed her eyes, reached over, and pinched her arm. If this was indeed all a dream, she should wake up.

When Heidi opened her eyes, she was alone. One candle flickered on her dresser, casting long shadows along the walls. She sat up in a rush and scanned the room. Everything was the same—her blanket was coiled on the ground beside the bed, and she lay naked, her pussy swollen and wet. She dropped down to her back. The uncommon silence put her at unease. Every slight creak in the house made her flinch.

It had to be real.

She reached into her night table drawer and pulled out her vibrator. It had aided her well in the past but was a poor substitute tonight. She was so hot-wired, flush, she was tempted to steal over to the DeVille house and beg them to fuck her. Screw the commission. But in reality, Francis would continue to hate her, not desire her as he did in her dreams.

With the setting on high, she placed the seven-inch, flesh-colored phallus against her clit. She’d never penetrated herself. The only spot she needed the vibration was her sensitized bud, the one Francis had toyed with. Just thinking about his dark head between her legs made her natural juices leak down to her ass. With the visual stimuli locked safely in her head, it took less than a minute for her body to erupt. She took rapid, shallow gasps as her pussy spasmed in heavy waves. It had taken a lot of practice to control her breathing when she orgasmed. Living in the same house as her parents certainly had its drawbacks. Explaining why she was crying out in the dead of night would not be a pleasant experience.

* * * *

Francis watched her from the shadows. She was unabashed, pleasuring herself until her body convulsed, her hips coming off the bed. He would have loved to have been the one to bring her to that peak, but he shouldn’t be here at all. He knew Heidi was the key to his destruction, but he still couldn’t stay away. Wasn’t it a human trait to crave what was unhealthy? Immersing himself within the weaker race, living and working amongst them, must be rubbing off on him. He tried so hard to maintain vampiric order, to be an example to his younger brothers. They were the key to the future so long as they kept true to their lineage. An obsession with a human girl would not go over well.

As Heidi panted on her bed, her body pliant and sated, he couldn’t help but appreciate her soft curves, her blonde hair sprawled across the dark sheets, and her ripe breasts begging for his ministrations.

“
Francis,
”
she whispered, her eyes closed.

He would normally guess she had fallen asleep, but he knew better. Hearing his name on her lips, even after she believed the dream had passed, made his cock stiffen. Her virgin pussy would be sweet and tight. He had to use all his determination to keep his manners. There was no way he could reveal his infatuation with his brothers, especially with Joseph barely able to keep away from her. To inform them that this weak little female was fated to them by the gods would only confuse them, drive them away from the ideals of their race. There was no room for love in a vampire’s life.

Heidi Walsh was the reason he put their house on the market. The reason they had to get as far away as possible.

Chapter Five

“Where’ve you been? There’s plenty of fresh blood in the basement. You’re the one who keeps telling us to bring them home to save us from prowling the streets at night.” Christian played a game of solitaire on the kitchen table, the early morning light kept out by the heavy curtains. He’d been awake since sunrise but hadn’t gotten up until Heidi phoned the house at nine o’clock in the morning.

“I do more with my life than prey on helpless humans.” Francis opened the refrigerator and grabbed an apple, polishing it on his shirt. “There’s a lot involved in planning a move of this magnitude, many loose ends to tie up.”

Christian placed an ace of hearts at the head of the table, planning the next move in his game. “There wouldn’t be any loose ends if we stayed put. I just got promoted at the law firm last year, and now I’ll have to start all over again.” Between him and Joseph, Christian knew he was the sharper thorn in Francis’s side. He questioned everything, never satisfied with the status quo or following old traditions in a modern world. So what if some vamps wanted to devote their lives to a human. The days of plagues were long behind them.

“Everything I do is in your best interest. Don’t you believe that?”

“Yes, brother.” But Francis was often blinded by his hard-set ways, unwilling to see the world around him changing. He may believe he had the best intentions, but in reality he kept them in the Dark Ages. “You’re doing your best to keep us in a time warp.” Pushing his eldest brother’s buttons was something he also couldn’t resist, even though Francis was far more powerful.

Francis banged his fist on the table, leaving his game of cards in disarray. He leaned forward, his lips curled over fully extended fangs, thick and glistening white. “Don’t test me! Your lack of respect is grating on my nerves.”

Why the fuck was Francis coiled so tight? The move was his idea, so he couldn’t blame the associated stress since he’d created it himself. Christian leaned back and rolled his eyes. Francis’s display of dominance may work on the blood whores in the basement, but it had little effect on him.

Christian brushed the cards into a makeshift pile on the table. Ignoring Francis’s theatrics had become second nature to him. He learned long ago that feeding the insanity only made things worse. Still, as easily as Francis could destroy him with a thought, he knew his brother loved him—despite love being frowned upon by their race. “Heidi called.”

Francis straightened his posture, his eyes widening slightly. “What now?”

“Feign disinterest all you want. You’re not the only one with heightened sense in this house.”

Francis took a cleansing breath, as if fighting for control. “I’m trying to get this house sold. What did she want?”

Christian didn’t buy it. The little Ms. Walsh had both his brothers by the balls. “She has a potential buyer. She’s bringing him through the house this afternoon.”

Francis nodded. “Make sure no one goes in the basement.” He took a noisy bite of his apple, the wet crunch the final punctuation on their brief conversation.

Christian spent the next couple hours sorting through his clothes for the move, tidying his room, and making the main areas of the house presentable. Despite what most people probably thought, it was Christian who kept the house in order. Hiring a maid would be too risky. She could see or hear things not meant for her eyes or ears. Some days things got out of control in their private lower room. Cries, moans, spankings, and the rattling of chains from below would guarantee them a visit from the authorities if a nosy human happened to overhear.

Unlike in their last city, they had managed to stay under the radar. Christian didn’t resent the fact he needed blood, that he was different in immeasurable ways from his neighbors. He only hated that being a vampire automatically meant he was unable to grow, adapt, or walk a different path than the one laid out for him.

When the doorbell chimed a few minutes after the agreed-upon time, Joseph was the one to answer the door. They were supposed to leave the house during a showing, but Francis wouldn’t leave the house unguarded, not with such a dirty little secret in the basement. And heading outside in the light of the midday sun would be too much for them to bear.

“Good afternoon, Mr. DeVille. This is Jeremy Carpenter. He’s come to view the house, if that’s okay.”

“By all means.” Joseph waved them into the house in a courteous manner and stepped to the side.

The buyer wore khakis and a polo shirt, not a suit as Christian had expected. Then again, he’d learned that the filthy rich rarely flaunted their wealth. Only the mediocre trying to climb the totem pole of success obsessed about their outward appearance.

Christian picked up on the malevolent vibe from Joseph as he assessed the buyer. Either he didn’t like a human male in the house or he was jealous. By the way Joseph had behaved earlier with Ms. Walsh, Christian guessed the latter. The new guy had dirty-blond hair and blue eyes to match their lovely Heidi. The fact they made a cute couple probably riled Joseph even more.

“As I mentioned on the phone, everything’s included. The artwork is amazing, and just look at this entryway. The staircase was custom-made by hand. It’s not your everyday find.” She did her job dressed in a killer suit, her long hair rolled back into a functional bun.

“It looks exactly like what I’ve been looking for.” The buyer, Jeremy, gazed around the foyer, exchanging glances with him and Joseph on occasion.

Christian wasn’t sure why he also had an instant dislike of the human. It’s not like he had a hard-on for Heidi. Sure, he’d noticed her over the years, but he wasn’t out-of-his-mind obsessed like Joseph.

“Wait until you see the upper level.” Heidi walked side by side with Jeremy. Her excitement was palpable. Was it due to the potential sale or the man beside her?

Christian shook his head and escaped into the kitchen. He wasn’t going to get all worked up over a woman. His vampiric nature made him possessive and controlling to a fault, so he ignored the invading feelings. Unlike what they were spoon-fed since birth, he wanted to choose a mate out of love, not bloodlust or pedigree. The whole shift to interracial marriages was fine, in his opinion. But he wouldn’t dare voice his opinions when Joseph and Francis were so hard-set on keeping tradition.

* * * *

Joseph followed at a safe distance from Heidi and Jeremy. He could sense the dominant aura coming off of the male, and it brought out his hackles. He didn’t like competition. While Christian could care less about their natural base desires, and Francis was an expert at maintaining control, Joseph struggled each and every day. Passion, anger, hunger, and an array of other volatile emotions played in his head constantly, which was why he had to seek out his eldest brother’s assistance on numerous occasions. Living in human society would always be a challenge.

“What brings you to this end of the country?” Heidi asked the client. How did she know where he was from? Had they talked at length before coming here? His irritation with the stranger grew.

“Business. I’m a journalist. There seems to be a lot of work in this area.”

“Really.” Joseph could hear the uncertainty in her voice. The unemployment rate in their little town was sky-high. There wasn’t an abundance of anything but alcoholics and welfare cases. They’d returned to the old mansion owned by their late parents to start fresh, and certainly were the talk of the town. This guy was either lying or very lucky, especially possessing the kind of money he’d need to buy their house on a journalist’s salary.

He stood in the upper hallway as the two entered Francis’s room. He fidgeted as he waited, wondering what was taking so long but not willing to check on them directly. There was friendly chatter and laughing. When they finally came out of the room, Jeremy walked ahead, so Joseph used the opportunity to grab Heidi’s arm. He held her steady, his grip tight.

“Behave yourself,” he whispered in her ear before releasing his hold. She stared at him for a long moment then continued on down the hall.

What the fuck was he doing? She wasn’t his to claim. Not his to command or keep. Then why did she invade his dreams and his every waking thought?

“Forever wanting what you can’t have?” asked Francis, appearing beside him. He hadn’t even heard him come down the hall, too busy watching Heidi retreat with Jeremy.

What kind of a name was Jeremy anyway?

“I don’t want her. I just don’t like
him
.”

“If he buys our house, I like him just fine. Now stop making trouble.”

Joseph turned to face his brother, crossing his arms over his chest. “And just where did you disappear to last night?”

Francis laughed, a sound he rarely heard. “Am I to check in with my baby brother now?” He squeezed Joseph’s shoulder. “I brought a fresh girl in last night. She’s very eager to play our games. You should pay her a visit before you lose it.”

Lose it? Yes, he did feel like a bomb ready to go off. If that prick walked any closer to Heidi, he may just ignite. There was no way he could hide his emotion from Francis.

“Is something wrong with me?” He uncrossed his arms, bracing one against the wall as he dragged the other through his hair. “I don’t even know her, but I’m ready to kill for her.” It took a lot to admit the truth to Francis. He didn’t want to appear weak or disappoint him and their race.