Bitten: A Vampire Blood Courtesans Romance by Michelle Fox, Kim Faulks

just under the surface in this man. He rode the hard line of my shoulder and trailed his finger down my arm. My flesh quivered, goosebumps raced to reach his touch.
    The corners of his lips curled, but the smile never reached his bitter gaze. There was no warmth there, no compassion, only an unbridled hunger. He peeled back the layers of my soul, exposing my mind, just as his eyes exposed my flesh.
    “That dress is beautiful, but I think I’d like to see more of you.”
    My head shook on its own, casting his words from my mind. “No. Please….”
    “Take off the dress.”
    I clenched my hands into fists until my knuckles popped. An ache drove through the bones of my fingers. My fist rose. My knuckles were frozen, unable to bend as I brushed the zipper under my arm. I fought, trembled, battled with the demons in my mind. He was just like Jared, wanting something, my blood, my body, my mind… bleeding me dry. The word was a snarl through my clenched teeth. “Don’t.”
    Silver sparkled as his eyes widened. The white tips of his fangs peeked out from under those sculptured lips. The sight of those teeth shimmered. The pressure built, smothering, suffocating. Something warm slipped down my cheek as I pinched the skin under my arm, grasping the end of the zipper.
    “Take off the dress, Nova.”
    That warm caress turned to ice. The grating draw of the zipper sent another drop sliding, following the same path to fall from the edge of my jaw. The cool night air rushed in, spearing icy fingers under the fabric to trail the soft skin of my stomach.
    “Show me that beautiful body, Nova. Let me see what no other man has.”
    I closed my eyes as the shoulders of my fabric slipped. My dress hit the ground at my feet with a thud. I hugged myself, covering what little I could.
    His frigid fingers pulled my wrists. He eased one arm down, leaving me bare chested in middle of his stateroom.
    “You’re breathtaking… do you know that?”
    I dragged air into my lungs. “I’m standing here naked and crying and you want to tell me how beautiful I am? You truly are a monster.”
    I opened my eyes to see the flicker of something in his gaze. Had my words hit home?
    “Then why are you here? Why come to me if you’re unwilling to be used?”
    I flinched at the sound of that word. “Because being paid for a service should never equate with being used, as you so eloquently put it.”
    The ghost of a smirk crossed his face. “You’re right. So if it pleases you, may I take your hand?”
    He moved faster than I could track to lift his arm. I stared at the pale skin of his wrist and his upturned palm. My fingers tingled, itching to rise and obey his command. What if I refused? Could I do that? Fight this compulsion over my mind and my body?
    Even without the command I couldn’t fight him—no more than I could fight the shadows and the night. I caught the hard angle of my wrist as my hand rose through the air to land in the center of his palm.
    His gaze dropped to my exposed breast. The cold air mingled with his attention, tightening, hardening. Nerves fired, sending panicked sparks through my belly and between my thighs. Please, no.
    Ice enclosed my hand. His voice was like a winter’s wind rushing through me, yet not lingering. “You’re far too beautiful to cover yourself.”
    I closed my eyes. I didn’t need to stare into his eyes to know what would happen next.
    “Why don’t you take a seat?”
    I stepped free of the beautiful gold dress. A fresh tear wove its way slowly down my cheek, carving a track. Tears were useless, and so was fighting. My body obeyed a new master. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss, disappointment covered me like a shroud. There was no room for propriety, no room for anything other than exposure in the cruelest sense.
    Sparks danced in his gaze as I followed with my other foot, clearing the crumpled fabric. My heels were muffled against the carpet as I headed for the black lounge. The leather