Marie's Blood Mate by Tamsin Baker Page A

be done. She
lifted her arm and pointed to the front door, feeling strong and
protected now.
    “ If you leave
now, I won’t tell Madame Lina you were here.”
    Lord Sommerton glared at
her for a moment then slunk away. Marie turned to the vampire,
tears of gratitude springing to her eyes as curiosity stirred her
mind. He had turned his head away whilst she dealt with the other
man, but when he looked back at her, his fangs were still
extended.
    Marie knew what Lina was,
had cleaned her room often enough to know perhaps too much about
her.
    “ Would you
like to choose someone also, Sir?”
    The vampire assessed her,
his deep blue eyes flickering over her face while she focused on
the white gleam of his fangs.
    “ Yes.
You.”
    Marie swallowed and
bobbed a curtsey in acceptance.
    “ Yes, Sir. I
need to wait for Lina to arrive and then I can take you to my
room.”
    He frowned.
    “ Where is
she?”
    Marie smiled as the heat
rose to her cheeks again. She should be over such silly responses,
but born a lady, always a lady. Or so it would seem.
    “ In her room
with Antony and Lord Benedict.”
    The vampire closed his
ancient eyes and spoke Lina’s name.
    Not two moments later,
Lina walked into the room, her warm brown hair dishevelled. Her
gown was not yet laced up, but she was there.
    “ Maker, you
have very bad timing.”
    The vampire tilted his
head towards Marie but didn’t apologise for disturbing Lina. Maker?
He was Lina’s maker?
    “ I want her
and she said you must come first.”
    Shock didn’t cover the
look on Lina’s face. She looked between Marie and the old
vampire.
    “ Marie is
amenable to this?”
    Marie nodded. Lina was
very protective of her which she would always be very grateful for.
Lina had taken her in when she was thrown out of her home and would
otherwise have starved on the streets. Her mistress never gave her
to anyone whom she believed to be dangerous.
    However, as she gazed
upon the vampire who had protected her tonight, lust and gratitude
beat through her. Lina’s eyes widened but she smiled as she began
to tidy her appearance.
    This was it. She would go
with him. Marie indicated the stairs and turned to walk that way.
“This way please, Sir.”
    Her voice trembled as she
spoke and her breath hitched in her throat. She picked up her
skirts, her heart beating harder and faster as she took each step
up to the first floor.
    She pushed open the door
to her bedroom, moved close to the bed and turned back to the
entrance. The vampire followed her into the room and closed the
door. He sat, fully clothed, on the chair against the
wall.
    “ You may call
me Sil.”
    A shiver vibrated down
Marie’s spine at the sound of his voice. She loosened her dress and
smiled at him. An action she had done so many time before, yet
tonight felt special.
    “ I am
Marie.”
    Her body had heated in a
way foreign to her, responding to her need to please the man in
front of her. The place between her legs ached, throbbing with
want. She glanced across at the bottle of oil next to her bed that
kept her from being damaged. Perhaps this would be the only night
she would not have to use it? Marie dropped her dress and stood in
her chemise and bloomers.
    “ How would
you like me, Sir?’
    Sil smiled at her, his
face crinkling and his eyes alight with pleasure while he looked at
her. His fangs had retracted and he looked to the world like any
other man.
    “ Marie, I
have no wish to force sex on you but I would like to feed on you,
if you will allow me.”
    Marie’s belly fluttered.
Lina and Benedict’s relationship intrigued her. She knew Lina fed
on Benedict, and he often floated about the house, looking like he
was on a constant blissful high. That look had inspired a yearning
in Marie, and now she had the chance to experience it
herself.
    “ Yes, Sil, I
would love that. How would you like me?”
    He indicated his lap and
sat a little straighter in the chair. “Sit across my lap,
Marie.”
    She saw him inhale