Read Online Wanted: A Blood Courtesans Novel by Michelle Fox, Kristen Strassel - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Michelle Fox, Kristen Strassel
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He’d given me no reason to do otherwise. No one turned me in when they saw right through my disguise. But I could still put Nash to the test.
“There’s a girl who went to auction with me. Her name was Olivia. Really pretty blonde girl. She was sold right before me, for a low bid. I had a bad feeling about it when it happened, I can picture her in the woods, with those vampires.” I took a deep breath. The vision was back, more vivid than before. “I don’t think she has anyone to stick up for her. I know how that feels, Nash. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”
Nash nodded. I think he understood more than he wanted to. “We’ll find her, and make sure she’s safe. No matter what it takes.
Chapter Nine
Nash
“Stop being such an asshole!” Sabrina sneered at me just before sunrise. A true courtesan, and a longtime companion of Desiree, she never confronted anyone. I could’ve reminded her it wasn’t her place to question me, but I wanted to confirm my suspicions about what set her off.
The sun didn’t threaten me anymore, but it still drained me. “How’s that?”
“She thinks you’re using her.” Sabrina could only meet my eyes briefly. “That you don’t care about her. You can’t toy with her, Nash. She’s so young. And lonely. It’s so palpable I practically choke on it when she’s in the room. Give her your heart, and she’ll give you the world.”
“My heart hasn’t beat in over six hundred years. It will do her no good.” No surprise Sabrina shook her head at my answer. “I can give her something better than that. Respect. Pleasure. Power. She needs those things just as much.” Corynne feared all of them, she didn’t believe she was worthy. It killed me the other night when she thought letting go was the same thing as destroying something. I’d teach her to separate the two, night by night, she’d learn that she deserved all of those things.
Sabrina laughed. “Have you ever actually dated a woman? Courted her until she fell in love with you?”
There had been no chance of me taking a wife as a human. Alexandra had been destroyed before Sabrina was created. Our relationship was much less complicated than the one blossoming with Corynne. We’d wanted the same things. Peace and protection, and we could offer that to one another. Corynne was technically a vendor, but I really would be an asshole if I reminded Sabrina of that. Corynne had signed the contract. My money for her blood. Nothing else was promised. But like her, I wanted so much more.
“No.”
“I didn’t think so. You have to change your approach. Don’t roll your eyes at me. I’m not saying that you have to take her out on dates and get her flowers, but you have to knock it off with your old-fashioned attitude toward getting what you want. It’s not so black and white these days.”
I didn’t often admit I was wrong, but Corynne confused the hell out of me. She was frustrated, and I liked that she hadn’t held back. She was a strong woman who spoke her mind and recognized her vulnerabilities. It wasn’t something I came across often. I wanted her—body, mind, and spirit. But I had no idea how to take care of a beating heart.
“What do you suggest?” There weren’t many things that I was unfamiliar with anymore, but I was out of my league on this one.
“Get to know her.” A dreamy smile played on Sabrina’s lips. She’d forever be a romantic. That was her power. “Not for her body, although whatever the two of you did the other night looked like it was pretty incredible. Find out what she’s interested in. Let her fall in love with you. Watch movies with her, take walks. Talk. Be her friend as well as her ally and her lover. But I only ask one thing.”
I’d never take commands from Sabrina, but she cared about Corynne, and so didn’t I. “What’s that?”
“Please don’t use her because she has something you want. It’ll backfire.”
**
“Tell me about Olivia,” I said to
“There’s a girl who went to auction with me. Her name was Olivia. Really pretty blonde girl. She was sold right before me, for a low bid. I had a bad feeling about it when it happened, I can picture her in the woods, with those vampires.” I took a deep breath. The vision was back, more vivid than before. “I don’t think she has anyone to stick up for her. I know how that feels, Nash. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”
Nash nodded. I think he understood more than he wanted to. “We’ll find her, and make sure she’s safe. No matter what it takes.
Chapter Nine
Nash
“Stop being such an asshole!” Sabrina sneered at me just before sunrise. A true courtesan, and a longtime companion of Desiree, she never confronted anyone. I could’ve reminded her it wasn’t her place to question me, but I wanted to confirm my suspicions about what set her off.
The sun didn’t threaten me anymore, but it still drained me. “How’s that?”
“She thinks you’re using her.” Sabrina could only meet my eyes briefly. “That you don’t care about her. You can’t toy with her, Nash. She’s so young. And lonely. It’s so palpable I practically choke on it when she’s in the room. Give her your heart, and she’ll give you the world.”
“My heart hasn’t beat in over six hundred years. It will do her no good.” No surprise Sabrina shook her head at my answer. “I can give her something better than that. Respect. Pleasure. Power. She needs those things just as much.” Corynne feared all of them, she didn’t believe she was worthy. It killed me the other night when she thought letting go was the same thing as destroying something. I’d teach her to separate the two, night by night, she’d learn that she deserved all of those things.
Sabrina laughed. “Have you ever actually dated a woman? Courted her until she fell in love with you?”
There had been no chance of me taking a wife as a human. Alexandra had been destroyed before Sabrina was created. Our relationship was much less complicated than the one blossoming with Corynne. We’d wanted the same things. Peace and protection, and we could offer that to one another. Corynne was technically a vendor, but I really would be an asshole if I reminded Sabrina of that. Corynne had signed the contract. My money for her blood. Nothing else was promised. But like her, I wanted so much more.
“No.”
“I didn’t think so. You have to change your approach. Don’t roll your eyes at me. I’m not saying that you have to take her out on dates and get her flowers, but you have to knock it off with your old-fashioned attitude toward getting what you want. It’s not so black and white these days.”
I didn’t often admit I was wrong, but Corynne confused the hell out of me. She was frustrated, and I liked that she hadn’t held back. She was a strong woman who spoke her mind and recognized her vulnerabilities. It wasn’t something I came across often. I wanted her—body, mind, and spirit. But I had no idea how to take care of a beating heart.
“What do you suggest?” There weren’t many things that I was unfamiliar with anymore, but I was out of my league on this one.
“Get to know her.” A dreamy smile played on Sabrina’s lips. She’d forever be a romantic. That was her power. “Not for her body, although whatever the two of you did the other night looked like it was pretty incredible. Find out what she’s interested in. Let her fall in love with you. Watch movies with her, take walks. Talk. Be her friend as well as her ally and her lover. But I only ask one thing.”
I’d never take commands from Sabrina, but she cared about Corynne, and so didn’t I. “What’s that?”
“Please don’t use her because she has something you want. It’ll backfire.”
**
“Tell me about Olivia,” I said to
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