Taken: A Vampire Blood Courtesans Romance Read online

  Taken

  A Vampire Blood Courtesans Romance

  Kim Faulks

  Michelle Fox

  Contents

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Introduction

  1. Nova

  2. Kol

  3. Nova

  4. Kol

  5. Nova

  6. Kol

  7. Nova

  8. Kol

  9. Nova

  10. Kol

  Afterword

  About the Author

  Also by Kim Faulks

  Aquarius Blurb

  11. Victor

  12. Odessa

  13. Victor

  Copyright © 2016 by Kim Faulks

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  I’d like to thank a few people. Michelle Fox for not just bringing me into her Blood Courtesans world, but for also being a mentor and friend. Monica La Porta for her gorgeous cover and friendship. Rebecca Rivard for her deft editing skills and Ann Gimpel for putting aside her own work to help me when I needed it—thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  Will love finally win when the Holland family seeks revenge?

  Don’t miss this heart-pounding finale to Nova and Kol’s story.

  I was sold, and then saved. My life as a Blood Courtesan was over before it began. But my horrors continue to haunt me in the secrets Kol keeps.

  Devlin Holland’s brothers have come for one thing—retribution. And they’ll stop at nothing to see Kol fall to his knees.

  Nova

  “Close your eyes and lay back.”

  Kol’s voice echoed from the dark corner of the lounge room. I turned my head, searching the shadows as the hue from the fire danced and dimmed.

  “Now.”

  Blood seeped from the puncture at my neck. I closed my eyes, obeying his command and focused on the warm touch, trickling down… down… down.

  My blood was his fingers, sliding, touching, lingering at the hollow of my throat.

  “Can you feel me?”

  A faint brush at my nipple made me flinch. Fire burned slow, leaving nothing but an ache behind.

  “Spread your legs.”

  His dangerous tone filled me with a surge of desire. My muscles trembled. My mind torn between decency and obeying. Something soft hit my knee, sweeping across my thigh, and then was gone. Something smooth?

  His shirt? His tie? Was he taking off his clothes?

  “Pleasure and pain, Nova. Sometimes they are one and the same.”

  Something lashed my skin with a soft slap. A belt? My heart thundered, senses fired, sending sparks through my body. The heels of my feet bounced, sending tremors through my legs. Goosebumps raced along my skin. Every whisper, every cool breath. I felt it all.

  “Breathe, Nova. Breathe.”

  I turned toward his voice and exhaled on a shudder. That soft touch came again, sliding across my nipples. I stiffened and arched my back as a whimper slipped from my lips.

  “Did that hurt?”

  I searched my mind and then slowly shook my head.

  “No?”

  My mouth was dry, my lips stuck together. I snaked my tongue along the crease, forcing my flesh to part and whispered, “No.”

  The lash came again, harder, sending a lick of hot fire along my thigh. I hissed at the pain and opened my eyes. Shadows crowded me.

  “Close them,” he snapped.

  I clenched my eyes shut. Icy fingers found every stroke the soft whip left behind. His breath was cool against my ear, filling me with like a winter’s breeze.

  “Do you feel exposed, vulnerable?”

  I jolted, turning my head, to search for his lips and found air. “Y.. yes.”

  The soft whip brushed my other cheek, and the rich smell of leather filled my nose. The smooth edge skirted my neck, following the warm silky trail of my blood.

  “Do you want me to tell you what I see?”

  He trailed the leash over my collarbone and then down between my breasts. Heat raced to my cheeks as I nodded.

  “I love watching you blush, love seeing you squirm against your seat. You want this, you crave the danger… the excitement. But you won’t admit it. You’re a good girl, aren’t you Nova Flynn… you’re a real good girl.”

  The leash slowed at the dip of my stomach, then eased over my mound. My legs trembled. I tried not to notice the jiggle in my thighs—or feel the deep lick of embarrassment.

  “Fuck, you look beautiful. I could stare at you forever, all blushing skin… trembling like some terrified little rabbit. Now, wider for me… that’s the way—spread those beautiful legs.”

  The leather thong pressed against the tip of my crease, then eased. My heart picked up speed, driving need through my veins. Each slow ebb and flow bought me closer to that moment where I melted into nothing. I licked my lips and fought the urge to squirm. Heat raced, licking with long languid tongues between my thighs.

  He rocked against my nub, angling the thick end of the leather lower. I shuddered. My legs opened wider… wider. My tongue skirted my lips as I begged. “Please.”

  “Please?” He whispered. His breath tickled my lips, urging me to whimper. “Please? Is that what good girls are supposed to say?”

  One tiny shake of my head, had me arching my back, desperate for surrender. The leather slid lower, edging toward my middle.

  “I want you begging for me, Nova. I want you weeping with desperation. And I always get what I want.”

  The delicious torture ended. My body thrummed with urgency. I caught the cut through the air a second before the leather bit. Pain flared, hot across my thigh, stealing my desire in one second, then battering my walls in the next. A shattering cry slipped from my lips and filled the dark room.

  Cold, wet. His tongue met my tender flesh. I whimpered at the sensation as the whip pushed against my crease, and then angled in. Tremors rose in the wake of his tongue. I jerked and shuddered as the heat of pain melted into the wild need for release.

  His tongue trailed my searing flesh as the leather moved slowly, up and down… up and down—pushing its way against the center of me.

  I followed his lips to the inside of my thigh. “I could spend hours between your legs, teasing… sucking, tasting you.”

  The whip left me, replaced by his tongue. His lips followed, taking in my throbbing nub. Tremors rose as his tongue skirted my flesh, drawing me deep, making me forget who I was.

  “Beg for me, my good little girl. Beg for me.”

  I pierced the soft chaise lounge with my nails and clenched tight. My hips rose, meeting the draw while my pussy quivered. My knees dropped wider. I needed… I needed. “Please, Kol. I can’t…. “

  His fangs scraped tender flesh. “Oh, my sweetheart I think you can… I think you can very nicely.”

  My foot left the floor, finding cool skin. I drove my hips into the air, whimpering as his teeth marred my flesh. His hands were under me, lifting, curling me. I opened my eyes and stared into his.

  His mouth glistened wet and hungry. The vein in my neck throbbed with need. I angled my head, exposing my neck as his cock moved against my entrance. White fangs peeked from under his drenched lips. He dropped his gaze to the wound at my neck.

  I wound my legs around his waist and dragged him deeper, breeching my defenses. A hiss escaped him. Power pulsed through my veins. I craned my neck, tendons pulled taut. My vein throbbed, cal
ling, while I pressed my feet against the small of his back, driving him deeper.

  The mask slipped. The stone cracked… my vampire moaned. Stars sparkled in those ocean blue eyes. He gripped my hips and surged, riding the crest of the wave. I’d never felt more at home adrift in his sea.

  The tease turned to urgency. His steely muscles clenched, tightened and I felt every delicious quake. His hand pressed against my back, holding me steady as we slid to the floor. The soft rug tickled my skin and warmed my back. Warmth and comfort faded form my mind as he rose over me like a god. His hands braced his weight. His cock pinned my body—but it was his bite I craved the most.

  A brutal thrust tore a gasp from my lips. My feet slipped, taking him to the hilt.

  “My good little human.” He growled. “Cum for me.”

  My body bowed. I stretched, taking in every delicious inch, until he withdrew. My channel ached, needing him. I squirmed, clutching the rug and rode the wave. I arched my neck. I was a junkie… high on this man… needing more.

  The impact was brutal, needles pierced my vein. Heat flooded me, fire, flames, pain and pleasure all melted into one. I grasped his shoulders, my fingers trailed rock hard muscles and I was his.

  He grunted, driving deeper as warmth spilled from my neck and between my legs. His teeth withdrew. With a surge of possession he shuddered. I gripped him, holding tight as he plunged one last time, then stilled.

  My breast heaved, my nipples rubbing against his smooth chest. He waited, staring at me with a mixture of conflict and longing. He rolled, and hit the rug beside me with barely a whisper of a sound. I curled my body, moving under his arm as he reached for me.

  A word hung between us… a simple word… a tender word. I nestled against the crook of his shoulder. I didn’t need to whisper love. In this moment I needed nothing more than what we had right now. He dragged his wrist to his mouth and bit, blood trickled. I opened my mouth to catch the drops.

  Not too much… he whispered. Not yet anyway.

  The slow trickle hit my tongue. I swallowed, taking him deeper. We melted into one, flowing… forging. The skin at my neck tightened. I trailed my fingers along the line of my vein. The puncture wounds closed, and my skin smoothed.

  “What does it mean if you turn me into a vampire? Do I belong to you forever?”

  He turned his head, blond curls tumbled. “Only if you want to.”

  My stomach tightened. I hadn't thought that part through. Forever was a long time. Did he want the same?

  “Why worry? We’ve got plenty of time. I’m not going anywhere and neither are you. So let’s enjoy this.” He rolled onto his side. “Let’s enjoy each other. Tell me your secrets Nova Flynn. Let me be the center of your world.”

  I stilled. My heart sped. Could he not see it in my eyes? Could he not hear it in my body?

  This man… this vampire, was my world. I was falling and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to stop it. I was weak when it came to him, powerless to control even my own body.

  He leaned close, dropping his head to kiss my cheek. I turned my head. Cool lips trailed like ice to meet the warmth of my own. In the last week I’d known pain. I’d felt betrayal, but I’d also found passion.

  We’d escaped from the world and the mess we’d left behind. Our needs became simple, food, sleep, sex… I felt heat rush to my face and smiled. There’d been plenty of sex.

  His breath tickled the edge of my lip. He opened his mouth, dragging the soft flesh inside his mouth. Warmth spread out from my center. My senses came alive, sparking, flying.

  “I love it when you blush like that. I love the feel of life thrumming in your veins and the scents as I spill from your body.” He lifted his head and stared into my soul. “I’m a killer—it’s why I was turned. It’s all I know, it’s all I’ve ever known. But when I’m with you, I think maybe, just maybe I can wash the blood from my hands and walk away. You make me weak, Nova. You make me so damn weak I’m half-insane. But you also make me strong.”

  Something shadowed his eyes. Fear. The steel door slammed down. A part of me whispered, there’s something’s wrong—something he’s not telling me.

  “Let’s go,” I said. “Leave this place. I don’t have to collect my stuff from the apartment. We’ll leave tonight. I’ll call my sister, cash in everything I have. We’ll move to Rio and live in a one-bedroom shack near the beach.”

  Stars danced in his eyes. “You’d do that? You’d sell your inheritance for me?”

  I’d sell my body. Hell, I’d sell my soul for this man. “In a heartbeat.”

  He stilled, staring at me for a long time before he spoke again. “I’d never ask you to abandon the keepsakes from your mother, nor her money. It’s all you have left.”

  I dropped my gaze as desire turned to desperation. My mother was gone, my sister barely spoke to me—and Jared… oh God, Jared. I was glad he was dead. I was glad he was gone from my life. Only now I was adrift—anchored to no one and nothing.

  I lifted my head, searching for the right words. “I feel so lost. And I don’t know where I belong. Here with you, or out there with them.”

  His brow furrowed and the corner of his mouth twitched. “If you’re talking about being either vampire, or human I can’t answer that. It’s a decision you shouldn’t make lightly. I want you to agonize over it. I want you to toss and turn in your sleep. I want you to be consumed with understanding what it means to be a monster like me, so when the time comes—if the time comes—you’re sure about what you want. Then, and only then, we can take that step together—no matter what you decide.”

  “You know they’ll find us, don’t you? The police, I mean. They’ll come for me. I bet they’ve already been to the apartment. They’ll see I’ve run. It won’t look good, not for me… and not for the Blood Courtesans.”

  The sparkle dulled in his eyes. After days of hiding in this house, I’d broken the spell.

  “I’m not concerned about the police, Nova, and you shouldn’t be either.”

  A fist wrapped around my gut. I tried to find hidden meaning in his words. Had he done something without me knowing? Had he threatened the police, paid them off? Was this Kol’s way of protecting me?

  He’s a killer. A vampire enforcer. What did you think he’d do?

  I wanted so badly to walk this tightrope between his world and mine, but the drop was a long way down, and I had two left feet. “Is there something I should know?”

  His smile came a little too quick.

  His chuckle a little too loud.

  He leaved in to kiss me, and fear bloomed like a deadly flower inside.

  Kol was hiding something.

  Kol

  Lies lingered between us, dark, infernal lies that would only hurt Nova if she knew. I waited for her breathing to slow, and for the guilt to pass.

  I rose from the floor without a sound. She curled tighter. Her foot peeked out from under the rug, searching for me. I squashed the pang of guilt and snatched my clothes from the floor. My feet were heavy, weighted down by desire to stay beside her.

  The less she knew the better.

  I’d not drag her into my world—not yet—not until I knew it was safe. I yanked on my trousers and slid my arms through my shirt. Nova turned her head, soft amber hair spilling across the thick pile on the rug. Her lips curled as she drew in a breath. Was she dreaming of me?

  My fingers worked the buttons of my shirt. I tucked in the ends and fastened my belt. There was work to be done—money to be made and murder to atone for.

  I stepped out of the lounge room and into the hall. The tiny eighteenth-century dresser sat inside the doorway. The drawer groaned as I slid it open and withdrew a slip of paper and a pen and wrote:

  Help yourself to the food in the fridge. Wait for me before you leave for your apartment. I’ll be home as soon as I can.

  Kol.

  I folded the paper, penned her name on the front, and headed for the door. I pulled the door soundlessly closed behind me and
eased the key into the lock. She wouldn’t wake, not for hours—her body was spent. I’d made sure of that.

  Nova was a problem. A beautiful, delicious problem I wanted to endure for a long time to come. Hell, I wanted forever. I hit the remote button for my car. Orange lights flashed without a sound. I yanked open the driver’s door and slid inside. Rich leather and the faint trace of blood welcomed me.

  The car started with a growl. One quick glance at the house and I turned the wheel toward the gate. Nova was safe here, hidden behind a state-of-the-art security system and a seven-foot wrought-iron fence. It would deter any human thief, and she should be safe enough from the vampires, too.

  The house was under a false name. Only one other knew it was mine—Rurik, the vampire I vowed my life to. Gravel crunched as I slowed the car, lingering long enough to see the gate slide closed before I headed for the city.

  The houses were quiet. Darkness lingered behind most windows. Humans understood inviting a stranger into their home spelled death. They barricaded their doors, tossing and turning, desperate for that crack of light over the horizon. Little did they know, the sun had little power over a monster like me.

  I spun the wheel. The tires slid, peppering the underside of the car with gravel until I hit the asphalt. I wound through suburbs as I hit the freeway, and then punched the accelerator as I headed into Boston

  The engine purred. Bright lights whipped past, blurring into one. Tension coiled inside me. The flash of lights resurrected memories.

  Devlin Holland looming over Nova… his hands in her panties. Then Jared smirking at me.

  The sonofabitch wasn’t laughing anymore.

  I shifted gears, and pressed my foot to the floor. Sirens flew past. Even if they wanted to catch me, they couldn’t. I’d be gone before they even tried. I tapped the brakes and hit the off ramp, dipping into shadows.

  The night sky lit up like a carnival in the distance. Red and white flashed in neon colors, growing brighter the closer I came. Boston, and this club, Bitten, was more than a city or a workplace—this place was my home.