Marked for Pleasure [Blood Bond] Read Free Page A

that his eldest son would take his place. Since the last plague destroyed the majority of the vampire race, Francis took his responsibility to keep the race pure very seriously. Too seriously, if you asked him. Joseph, and especially Christian, had assimilated well into human society. Vampires were a Hollywood myth, so as long as they could maintain control, it was easy to live and work amongst humans.
    “It’s okay. I haven’t seen the office anyway.” She continued to follow him, slipping into the small office after he entered.
    As he sorted through the file cabinet, she strolled around the room, trailing her fingertip daintily along the top of the shelves. Her blonde hair fell in loose curls down her back.
    “I know they’re in here somewhere. Just give me a minute.”
    When she shut the door, he thought he was a goner. With the circulation of air cut off, all he could smell was her—ripe and sweet. The ultimate temptation. He felt the room warm, developing a life of its own as if fueled by the girl’s essence. Her heartbeat pounded in his ears, not slow and steady, but desperate and erratic. She was either nervous or aroused, preferably both. His mouth watered, and when he ran his tongue along his upper lip, he felt the sharp prick of his incisors. No doubt, Francis would come to the rescue any minute and save him from himself.
    “I wanted to thank you again for this opportunity.” She was right behind him.
    He jerked to attention, spinning around, a few files dropping to the floor. Joseph never lost his cool, but this weak little human had him hanging on to control by a thread. When she was near, he could barely contain the urge to taste her, to feel the heat of her skin against his own. Vampires weren’t known for being gentle, patient lovers. Heidi would never be able to handle him, so it was foolish to entertain fantasies of keeping her. Did she not feel the danger he represented? Most animals and humans alike could sense the malevolent energy that vampires emitted, a self-defense mechanism held by weaker beings, prey.
    He braced his hands on the low cabinet behind him, using it as an anchor. Where the fuck is Francis? “I figured it was best to support the community with a local agency. I saw your ad…”
    “Right. Of course. Anyway, I really appreciate it, and I’ll do my very best to meet your expectations.”
    Would she bend over his desk right now? Offer her body and blood with no questions asked?
    The door swung open, bringing a waft of cleansing air into the too-small room. “Joseph? You find the file?”
    He was beyond reason at this point. His fangs wouldn’t recede on command, and his muscles were tense, adrenaline pumping violently through his veins. Had his eyes taken on a reddish hue?
    As soon as Francis entered the room, Joseph bolted without a word. He knew his older brother was disappointed with him, which only made him feel worse. Control was everything in their race, something to be revered so they could live amongst humans without being detected. He was only one hundred and eleven, so had a lot yet to learn compared to Francis’s almost two hundred years. Of course Christian was only eighty-five and moved seamlessly between the two worlds. He blamed Heidi’s unique hold on him. She alone was capable of bringing him to his knees.
    Joseph brushed by Christian, who tried to stop him when he rushed away from the office—and the girl.
    “What’s your problem?” asked Christian.
    “That…that girl.” He could barely speak, his heart still pounding in his chest from thinking about her.
    He chuckled. “She is something. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but she’s certainly not your average human.”
    “Perhaps she carries the next plague. Wasn’t it the lure of a beautiful human siren which started the last?”
    Centuries earlier the black death had decimated the human population. In their desperate attempts to come up with a cure, some scientists inadvertently created the