“I’m all yours. Where to?”
“It’s only a few blocks to my brownstone. Let’s take a walk.”
We chatted on the short walk to my place about everything and nothing special. She said she’s an orphan after both her parents fell ill with yellow fever. As she walked and talked, I couldn’t take my eyes off her breasts and the way they bounced. She was oblivious to it, or perhaps she was accustomed to the way men stared at her. As we passed a darkened alleyway, I pushed her into it and held her against the brick wall.
To calm her frightened response, because I was nowhere near ready to be done with her, I smiled warmly. “I just need a taste of you before we get to my place. Watching you walk is too much for me to resist. Just a little nip.”
She didn’t catch the double entendre of my words. But it was no matter. She relaxed just the same and wordlessly offered her body for my taking. A slight tug on the top of her corset freed her breast, and I quickly covered her taut nipple with my mouth. I sucked on the sensitive peak, changing pressure from hard to soft without warning. My teeth grazed over the edge before I pulled more of her flesh into my mouth again. I kneaded her breast with one hand, while holding both of her hands above her head with the other. I had to consciously remind myself not to get carried away and accidently hurt her with my innate strength.
“Mmm,” she moaned. “You’re so good at that. I knew you would be a wonderful lover by just looking at you.”
“And tasting you like this only makes me want more. Come, my dear, let’s see if we can make it all the way to my place without stopping again.”
She began to stuff her ample breast back into her corset, but I stopped her with a gentle touch of my hand. “Leave it out. I’ll make sure it’s covered for you.”
She eyed me suspiciously, but she did as I asked anyway. I pulled her to my side and draped my arm over her shoulder. She was so small, especially compared to me, I had no problem hiding her exposure by sliding my hand over it. The intimate gesture made her giggle, and the sound of her laughter mixed with the weight of her breast in my hand shot electric surges straight to my cock.
“Turn into me slightly and put your hand on my cock, Richelle.”
She did as I asked without question, and she gasped when she felt the thick bulge in my pants. “It’s so big.” Her small fingers traced the outline of me to test the full size and girth I had to offer. “I’m glad it’s already late. I’m sure I couldn’t handle another customer after you tonight.”
“No, Richelle, I can guarantee you won’t have another customer after I’m done with you for the night.”
I opened the door of my brownstone and let her enter first. Her eyes roamed around, taking in all my fine décor, and uncertainty settled in her eyes. “Sir, you have a fine home. It’s not my place to say, but you should have a wife to take care of your needs. Not someone like me.”
“You are exactly what I need to take care of my needs, Richelle. You can call me Ramses. It’s a name you’ll be screaming in pleasure very soon.”
Her eyes flitted down to my crotch, and she licked her lips. “I have no doubt of that. Where do you want me first?”
“Take off your clothes and bend over the back of the settee,” I commanded without hesitation.
She complied without reluctance. It was beautiful. The perfectly round globes of her ass called to me, and I planned to have her in every way imaginable. But first, the glistening folds of her already wet pussy needed attention. I shed my clothes in a split second and gripped her hips from behind.
“Hold on tight. I’m going to fuck you tonight until you’re my personal rag doll. But my intentions are not to hurt you, so tell me if I’m too rough. Otherwise, I’ll assume your screams mean you want more.”
“I can hardly wait as it is. I’m ready, Ramses.”
Though she couldn’t see me, I smiled at her reply. She’s ready, is she? My engorged cock said we were more than ready. I positioned myself at her entrance and slid the head of my dick up and down her soaked slit. Coated with her desire as a lubricant, I thrust my hips forward and drove into her to the hilt. She cried out in a mixture of pain and pleasure, unable to distinguish one from the other. She adjusted her stance, widening her legs, and began to move back and forth along my shaft of her own accord.
I guessed that meant she wanted more. And I was all too happy to oblige her.
She met my thrusts, pound for pound, and my fingers dug into her skin and held her hip bones in my grip. The ripples from her repeated orgasms gripped my length like fingers, tightly holding on and heating me to the core. I leaned over, my chest flat against her back, and slid my hand around to her clit. With the change in angle and the additional pressure on the bundle of pleasure sensors, her screams echoed off the walls around us.
My fangs slid out, ready to bite the back of her neck, but I reined them in. It was much too soon to stop fucking her. She felt too good with her tight little cunt wrapped around my thick cock. The scent of her arousal that filled the room was too intoxicating. And I had so much more energy to expend before we ended the night. Instead of using my fangs, I left my mark on her smooth skin with my teeth.
After moving around to the padded seat of the settee, I laid her on her back and resumed making good on my rag doll promise. Her breasts, free from the constraints of the corset, bounced in cadence with my thrusts. I slid my hands up, gripped her breasts, and held on as she reached the pinnacle of pleasure once again.
“This will be mine tonight, too.” I slid my finger in her ass, and she dug her fingernails into my skin. With every thrust of my hips, my finger pushed deeper inside her puckered rosebud. When a wave of wetness coated my cock, I knew her body welcomed the foreign intrusion, and I added a second finger. “You like that, don’t you?” She moaned in pleasure, her wetness running down and coating my fingers. Her own fluids provided the perfect lubricant as I continued stretching her.
“Fuck, you feel incredible,” she panted. “I love how you fuck me.”
Her crude language was unheard of in the prim and proper circles my brother and I normally associated with. It turned me on and fueled my carnal desires even more than usual. I drove into her harder, still using only a small fraction of the power I possessed, but her human body wouldn’t be able to handle me at full force. It only took a few more seconds before her entire body shuddered as her climax tore through her.
“Oh my God, Ramses!” she screamed with her release.
The second I felt all her internal muscles relax, I withdrew from her sweet pussy and pushed into her tight little ass. Still high on her last orgasm, her body more easily accepted my drenched cock, though I took extra care not to intentionally cause harm. Her face instantly contorted in pain from the stretching burn of her delicate tissues. Plunging my fingers in her pussy brought her the pleasure she needed to relax again and allowed me to resume my tandem assault of pleasure on her body. Before long, her muscles once again tensed, but that time, from decadent hedonism. The tight muscle in her ass clamped down around my cock as she came and forced us both over the edge into pure bliss.
“Don’t plan on leaving tonight, Richelle. I’m hardly finished with you.” My voice left no room for argument, and the sated expression on her face showed no contention.
“I’m not going anywhere. I just need a nap first, if that’s all right. You’ve worn me out like no other man I’ve ever known.”
“I’ll take you to my bed. You’ll be more comfortable there. Sleep while you can. When I wake you, it’ll be with my cock in your mouth.”
“That’s sure to give me sweet dreams, Ramses.”
Her response shocked me, and I’ve never been easy to surprise. The smile that crawled across her face was tantalizing and enticing—she liked the imagery my words created in her mind.
I picked her up off the settee, and she wrapped her arms around my neck, snuggling her face in close to me. I carried her to my bedroom and deposited her on my bed before I decided to make good on m
y promise right there, before she’d had time to recover. It was at that moment I had the most perfect idea, and I once again found myself stunned because it had never occurred to me before now. Before I had this young, beautiful whore in my arms.
She wouldn’t die after all, at least, not as a victim of my thirst.
But she would die soon, nonetheless.
She’d die a human death, and then join me as I built our vampire clan.
In my washroom as I cleaned up, I reminisced of how it had been only my brother Slade and me for far too long. It was time to start turning humans into vampires and add more to our little family. I decided right then that Richelle would be the first human in America I’d change. But first I’d need to speak to Slade about my idea. I knew I could keep her in my secluded basement until my brother and I reached an agreement on the size and nature of our clan. She was much too delicious to leave her to chance on the streets.
After all, some madman could get to her out there… One besides me, anyway.
The more I thought about the idea of a large clan, the more I knew it was the right path. We’d have an entire network of vampires with different skills, abilities, and gifts. We’d have to keep it quiet for as long as possible to keep the news from traveling to our old contacts in London before we were ready to face them head on. Watching my little slut as she slept in my bed gave me all sorts of ideas. Vampire brothels, saloons that served both alcohol and human blood, secret business alliances—the possibilities were endless.
First, I needed a taste of her blood. The scent of it still had me close to a frenzied state, and she was sleeping so soundly she’d never know I’d taken a sample. Her bare breast taunted and teased me, so I bent at the waist and pulled her sweet-scented skin into my mouth. She barely stirred. When my fangs slid out and pierced her skin like a quick dart, she jumped and her hand flew to my head. But her eyes never opened because my saliva quickly dulled the pain like a natural anesthetic.
Her blood tasted even better than it smelled.
I showed more self-restraint than I ever realized I possessed.
My mind was made up. Any opposition from Slade be damned.
Coming to America was the best decision of our immortal lives. My brother and I had had quite the windfall of new business ventures, lucrative payouts, and more privacy than we’d ever imagined for the throats that we drained dry.
CHAPTER THREE
Alea Dunn, May 1790
Ramses returned tonight, just as he promised he would. Since the contract that had just been brokered was so significant, Mother had arranged a special sit-down dinner, but she’d transformed the backyard to host hors d'oeuvres and drinks first. She insisted the atmosphere was superior to encourage everyone to mingle. I was inclined to agree with her. With people milling about, talking, eating, and drinking, the chances of my being seen hovering around Ramses were greatly diminished.
As our guests began to arrive, the staff showed them through the patio doors to our late spring oasis. The night air was warm enough a shawl wasn’t needed, though I had one picked out that was an exact match for the hue of my crimson dress.
Speaking of, my dress…was…spectacular.
The clothing style in America has proven to be so vastly different from London, I didn’t appreciate it at first glance. However, one day while Mother and I window-shopped, the featured dress caught my attention. With its straight lines and understated elegance, I simply couldn’t resist purchasing it. The front has a deeply scooped chest, reminiscent of Marie Antoinette’s style, but the sleeves are short and barely cover the tops of my shoulders. The waistline is high with a sash that ties in the back. The sash combined with the low neckline accentuates my breasts and makes me feel very grown-up. The bottom is flowing and so very romantic, unlike the stuffy, formal hoop dresses I grew up wearing.
I’ve normally stayed far away from Father’s business gatherings because the dull conversation nearly bores me into a coma. The thick smoke from the cigars makes me cough, and the sweet stench of the tobacco turns my stomach. Tonight was the first time I’ve joined any business dinner willingly and without being asked first. But then, I’ve never really had a reason to want to go before Mr. Ramses Barnett arrived on the scene.
I made my entrance after everyone had arrived and settled into their comfortable conversation routine. As I stepped onto the lanai, the warm breeze greeted me, blowing my long blond hair away from my face. I rarely wear it down with the ends curled as it is tonight, but I chose that style because it makes me look older, more mature. More sophisticated. More worldly.
And then Ramses looked up at me. For the first time in my life, I felt desired. Wanted. Needed—in the same way someone drowning needs a breath of air. In the same way a man dying of thirst needs water. In the same way a sick person needs health. In the same way someone starving needs a bite to eat.
With that one look from him, everything else faded to black in the background. All I could see was him. All I could hear was my heart thumping in my chest. While the small band played their original music for the other guests, the erratic beat of my heart rivaled them by creating its own music.
Ramses approached me and held his hand out after he bowed slightly. I accepted his hand, and he pulled me closer to him in a partner dance. With one hand on my waist and the other holding my hand in the air, he led us around the dance floor with grace and ease. I don’t think I moved my eyes away from his penetrating stare even once during the entire song.
“Alea, have you found a way to let that poor sap down so you’re not officially engaged anymore?”
“Since last night?” I laughed, and he flashed his most charming smile.
“I guess I’d hoped your father would send a letter first thing this morning.”
“Sean is my friend, nothing more. No matter what, I wouldn’t wish anything bad to happen to him.”
“Why would anything bad happen to him?”
“You know how people are,” I hedged. “If they think there’s anything to talk about, they’ll blow it all out of proportion with rumors. We just want to head that off at the pass as much as we can.”
“That’s very honorable. On top of being so beautiful and intelligent, you’re also thoughtful and considerate. There are so many things to love about you, Alea.”
His directness is so new to me, especially with what he said last night. He doesn’t seem like a young man freshly arrived here from London’s high society. But then again, I’ve never really been around other men his age. Only Father’s business associates, and that’s exactly why I stayed away from their meetings as much as possible. Ramses is actually quite refreshing and doesn’t leave me guessing what he’s thinking.
“I’m surprised you haven’t already found a nice lady to settle down with and have a family.” The words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them. I’ve never said anything so rude in my life, and I thought I’d die of embarrassment on the spot.
“It’s not for a lack of a few ladies trying to capture that spot. Or for my mother to fill it, when she was still alive. But I guess I just haven’t found the right one. Up until now, at least.”
His words flew straight to my already overactive heart. Could he really mean that? Is he falling in love with me? The possibility of it being true, that he’d actually choose me, fills me with such excitement. After our dance, we sat together at a small table outside, enjoying a glass of champagne and each other’s company. Ramses is so witty and knowledgeable in so many things, I could never grow tired of talking to him, listening to him.
I waited until everyone left and retired to my bedroom to capture every word floating in my memory about tonight, so I’d never forget a single thing. How wonderful it felt to be in his arms. How captivating his eyes are. How he seems to see straight through me and somehow knows exactly what I’m thinking and feeling before I even say a word. How he hangs on every word I say, like it’s the most important matter in the world. All through dinner, our eyes found each
other and further sealed our bond.
Father just called me down to his study to discuss the events of the night. My tears are falling so fast now, I’m not sure how this ink will even dry on the page. He noticed the connection between Ramses and me, and he’s not happy.
“Alea, it’s obvious you’re very smitten with Ramses Barnett. Actually, it’s a little too obvious for my taste. When he visits our home, it’s for my business. He’s an associate of mine, and I won’t have your schoolgirl crush interfere with my plans. The fact is, I have a very strong feeling about him. Call it gut instinct. But I won’t allow him to use my daughter’s infatuation with him against me in our negotiations.
“The next time he visits, I expect you to be on your best, proper behavior. If you can’t control yourself around him, you’ll have to dine alone in your room and wait until our guests have left before coming down to join your mother and me. You are not yet eighteen. You are still betrothed to a man in England. Some of our guests will travel back home before we do, and they’ll talk, Alea. There is simply too much at stake for you to behave so foolishly. Have I made myself perfectly clear?”
By the time Father finished speaking, his voice had risen several levels. I can’t remember a time he’s ever yelled at me before. But what he yelled at me about both hurt and embarrassed me. It hurt because he essentially banned me from being around Ramses, or at least, from showing my interest in him. Which just comes out naturally when I’m around him. It’s not a conscious decision—he just makes me feel so real. I was also hurt because he’s right. I am making a fool of myself. Ramses could be just using me to gain leverage over my father’s business deals.
But most of all, someone could go back and tell others about my behavior, putting unnecessary attention on Sean, when that’s the very thing we’re trying to avoid. He’s my friend, and his well-being never even crossed my mind. If Sean is hurt because of my carelessness, I don’t know what I’ll do.
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