Escape: A Vampire Blood Courtesans Romance
Page 10
As the velvet red liquid slipped down my throat I relished the taste. It also seemed to calm me, which, was just way weird. After a few minutes he forced me to release him, sitting back and gazing into my eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized, his voice so full of feeling that it tore at my heart.
“I remember thinking that we had no way out, not with his pack being there.” I cocked my head to the side, thinking back to how I’d felt. “I was resigned to dying, Max.”
“I know you were,” he sighed. “But I couldn’t lose you, Flora. Not when I’d only just realized I didn’t want to live without you by my side. So I did the only thing I could. I fed from you and gave the impression you were dead. As soon as he left, I began the transformation to bring you back to me. If you hate me for that then I’ll understand.”
“I’m a vampire?” I asked quietly, trying to let his words sink in. “Really?”
“Yes, really.” He reached for my hand, rubbing his thumb across the back as he linked his fingers with mine.
“You turned me?” I asked, shock reverberating through me. He’d never turned anyone, not ever, and he’d turned me. I remembered our conversation of how he’d become a vampire and I realized the importance of what he’d done.
“Yes.” He reached up to stroke my face. “I couldn’t lose you, my Flora.”
“Holy crap.” I shook my head. “That’s kinda weird. But that means what, exactly?”
“You’re in the first stages of being a new vampire so your craving for blood could overcome you and you may hurt someone. For now, you’ll feed from me only, until you’ve mastered your urges. After that you can feed on whoever you want so long as you follow the rules. That means you don’t kill a donor and you don’t do anything that would cause us any problems. In other words, you behave.”
“I’d never want to hurt anyone,” I replied vehemently. “But what do you mean about feeding from others? Does that mean you don’t want me to feed from you?”
“No.” Max leaned forward to kiss me quickly. “I would much prefer if you and I fed only from each other but that would only work if we’re together. As I did this without your permission, I would understand if your feelings for me have changed.”
“My feelings for you?” I raised an eyebrow. “I guess I wasn’t so good at hiding them as I’d thought.”
“Flora, I knew how you felt.” He stroked the side of my face. “It just took me a little longer to arrive at the same place.”
“So you’re saying you want me to be what? Your girlfriend?”
Max chuckled. “Not at all. I want you to be my life mate. If that’s what you want too.”
“Ferfucksake!” I squeaked. “Of course it is but you’ll have to teach me all about being a vampire. I wouldn’t want to do anything to hurt anyone, or you for that matter.”
“Good.” Max grinned. “Of course I’ll teach you but for the time being I’d prefer you to stay up here. I don’t want you chasing Isa or Graham around if your craving takes over.”
I couldn’t imagine doing that but if he said it was a possibility then I’d believe him. “If that’s what you think is best. Now, can you tell me how long I’ll be cooped up because there’s a bit of business I’d like to take care of.”
“It depends.” He cocked an eyebrow. “But what is it you need to do?”
“I want to deal with my dad,” I said coldly.
“I’m sorry,” Max replied with a shake of the head. “That won’t be possible.”
Anger rose up like lava inside me. “And why not? I think he deserves some of his own medicine, don’t you?”
“I do,” Max agreed, making me confused. “But you can’t because I already have.”
“You?”
“Yes, the first night after things happened, I knew you’d be out cold for a while so I slipped out and found him.” Max shrugged. “I couldn’t help myself and I must admit that the surprised look on his face was joyous to see.”
“Is he alive?” I queried, knowing my own intentions were to take things to the bitter end for the piece of shit.
“I’m afraid not.” Max looked apprehensive. “His attitude when I caught up to him was, well, let’s just say his words caused me to lose my temper and before I knew it he was dead. I don’t regret doing it, Flora, he deserved to die.”
In that split second I swear I felt a huge weight being lifted from my shoulders. I knew if I’d seen him again I would have no option but to mete out justice, but I wasn’t quite so sure how I would’ve coped with it after the fact. He was my father, even if he should never have held that title. This way, Max had done what I wanted to, but saved me the guilt of my actions.
“Yes, he did,” I agreed. “Now, tell me, Max, what are the plans for the future? Are you staying here? Or what?”
“Firstly, it’s our plans,” he corrected. “Secondly, I don’t plan on making this my full time home, but I admit Scotland has gotten under my skin, so I think I’ll be spending time here several times a year and using my other homes too. Is that all right with you?”
I thought on that, leaving Scotland, and realized it was what I’d always dreamed of. “I’m happy with that but just where would we be going?”
“Everywhere, Flora, everywhere.” He laughed. “I want to show you the world and I have property all over the globe, from New York to Los Angeles, Singapore to Melbourne, Austria, Switzerland and more. I think we’ll travel for the first year but I think a couple of my places might be your favorites.”
“Like?”
“I have a horse stud farm in the US and another in Austria, but I’ll wait until I take you to those because I have a feeling you won’t want to leave and there’s a whole world I want to show you first.”
I couldn’t help giggling as he lay down beside me, pulling me into his arms. “I think I can live with that.”
“Now that you’re feeling a bit better . . .” His lips trailed along my neck causing electrifying tingles to shoot through me. “I think I should show you how good things can be when you’re a vampire.”
“Aye, I think you should,” I gasped as his hand cupped my breast, teasing me with his fingers until I lay panting in his arms.
Author’s Note
I sincerely hope you enjoyed Flora’s story, and I’d like to thank you for taking the time to read it. If you could possibly spare a moment to leave a review HERE then I’d really appreciate it, as your review could help a reader decide if it is for them. If you’d like to read a wee bit more of Flora and Max then check out Freedom!
I’d like to say a great big thank you to several peeps. My editor, Missy Borucki - thank you very much for helping me make my stories the best they can be.
Monica La Porta – thank you so much for the beautiful cover and for reading Escape for me.. I cherish our friendship and value your opinion so much.
A special mention to all the other authors in the Courtesans series – our wee group is amazingly supportive and I’d like to thank you all for your help and advice.
My lovely Sue, thank you so much for helping me and also for being there when I need a nice calm voice of reason! Stracey, you are a gem and have such a good heart, I think I’d have a panic attack if I didn’t have you to chat to every day.
My wonderful Beta readers – a huge thank you. You help me in so many ways and I’m so very grateful for you.
Also to my Reader’s Group, Ava’s Minxes, thank you for your support, girls, and taking the time to read my stories. Sue and Nicola, I really appreciate you running the Minxes for me.
Tammy Payne, you are fabulous, and your eagle eyes find things that’ve been missed, thank you, honey.
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Ava xx
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Blood Courtesans Series
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Blood is bought and sold like fine wine, and the best blood goes to the highest bidder.
It's not supposed to be about love...until it is.
Meet the Blood Courtesans: Standalone Vampire romances set in Michelle Fox's Blood Courtesans world by NY Times and USA Today Bestselling and Award-Winning Authors. All books have an HEA and can be read in any order.
Reborn (Myra)--Michelle Fox
Ensnared (Star)--Rebecca Rivard
Bitten (Nova) & Taken (Nova, part 2) & Resurrected (Nova, part 3)--Kim Faulks
Marked (Winter)--Gwen Knight
Wanted (Corynne)--Kristen Strassel
Needed (Angel)--Ever Coming
Stolen (Dakota)--Marissa Farrar
Resist (Anya)--Tami Lund
Escape (Flora)--A K Michaels
Caught (Katharine)--Julia Mills
Desired (Stella)--Monica La Porta
Cursed (Piper)--Jami Brumfield
Pursued (Mia)--Lisa Carlisle
Freedom (Flora)--A K Michaels
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Hooked (Poppy)--Selena Kitt
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