Marked for Pleasure [Blood Bond] by Stacy Espino Page B

final insult to end the most miserable night—he couldn’t even get his cock to firm up. He should just go to bed and not get up for a week. Christian stood up, yelling out his frustration. He couldn’t believe this was happening to him.
    “What’s wrong?” She rose from the bench and touched his arm. “Tell me what you want and I’ll give it to you.”
    “It’s not you, my pet. It’s me.” They sat together on the bench. Never had they talked to their playthings as equals, but he had no desire for her now and had a ton on his mind. Who else would he talk to? “Have you ever been in love?”
    “If I loved another, I wouldn’t be here. You, on the other hand, are lost.”
    “Lost?”
    “I’ve been watching you. Your energy has changed ever since you brought that human girl downstairs. Have you considered she may be your mate?”
    He chuckled. “You said yourself she’s human. That’s impossible.”
    “Who says it’s impossible? Fate doesn’t like to be told how to work.”
    She must have seen Heidi before Francis put the invisible barrier on the darker half of the basement where the blood whores stayed. Christian studied the woman beside him. Her hair was the color of aged wine, her eyes as dark as his own. She was a beauty, a virile vampiress. “What are you doing here anyway? You seem too smart to be a blood whore.”
    She scowled. “Maybe if you took the time to get to know me, you’d know I’m more than vein and a pussy.” The nameless woman stood up, her chains dragging behind her. “You know the history of vampirism. I don’t need to teach you that. I do this because I enjoy it, need it. Until I choose a mate of my own, I offer myself to single vamps as a service to our race.”
    “Very noble of you,” he scoffed. He wouldn’t give that much for the greater good. As far as he was always concerned, his race needed to change with the times. For this vampiress to give herself to be used and abused didn’t seem worth the sacrifice. “I suppose you think it’s unconscionable that I can’t think straight because of a human girl?”
    “I’m not here to judge. I know several friends who’ve chosen human males. Love isn’t just a human emotion. I’d like to feel it myself one day.”
    “Love? It’s a crazy thing. One person says it happens at first sight, another says it takes years to develop. For me, it came from one taste. Is that even possible?”
    “We’re different than them. Blood is the life force for all beings, and for us, it’s everything. We can learn so much from another because the blood can’t lie or hide intentions. If you feel connected to this girl after a taste, I would wager to say it’s the real thing.”
    “But my brothers may feel the same way.” He buried his face in his hands, building up a headache just thinking about it.
    “Of course they would. From what I’ve read about fated mates, siblings often bond with the same mate.”
    “Where did you read this? As far as I know from vampire history, our males are not into sharing.”
    She shrugged. “To each their own.”
    The door to the basement opened, sending a beam of light into the darkness below. He bolted to his feet. “I’ve gotta go.” Christian couldn’t get caught talking to a blood whore. If Francis found out, he’d be reprimanded for showing compassion. “By the way, what’s your name?”
    “Arissa.”

Chapter Ten

    Heidi was in luck. The potential buyer from yesterday wanted a second showing. From her limited experience, the request for a second viewing was an excellent sign. She should be ecstatic, but instead she felt a sense of disappointment. Once the house sold, the DeVilles would be history. The mansion at the end of the street would be just that—bricks and stone. She’d never see the brothers again.
    She rubbed cocoa butter cream up her freshly shaved legs after showering. When she reached her hips, she flinched. Her flesh was so tender. She moved to the mirror, turned,