Taken by a Vampire (Vampire Queen) - By Joey W. Hill Page 0,50

A vampire needed to completely drain a human once a year to rejuvenate his mind and body, keep them in peak condition.

Niall had been with Evan three hundred years. Unbidden, she imagined a stack of bodies, like a wall of sandbags, and it speared straight into those nightmares Stephen had given her. A wave of blood, washing over the bodies . . .

“Wheest.” The shushing noise made his breath a soft stroke on her skin. “I’ll sing you a song if you keep doing that.”

Evan was still in her head, letting Niall hear her thoughts. She squeezed her lids tighter, trying to dispel such images. “You’re not smelly,” she whispered.

“Yes I am. Go to sleep.” Niall’s gruffness helped that warmth to return. “God knows what Picasso will want when he gets up tonight. Probably have me scaling the highest peak to strap a camera on a mountain goat’s arse.”

He trailed off at the end of the sentence, punctuating it with a half snore. At first, she thought he was teasing her, then she realized he’d truly fallen asleep in midsentence. She envied him the effortlessness of it. His unconscious state eased her somewhat, though. She was glad to be sharing the bed with him, but she wasn’t sure what she’d do with the intimacy if he stayed awake. In Stephen’s house, she hadn’t had any difficulty avoiding unmandated physical contact with other servants, but here was an entirely different matter.

Evan had left her wanting, but that was her fault. No matter how shamefully poor her impulse control had become, she wasn’t going to shame herself further by acting on her impulses with his servant.

As she worked through a calming meditation, her body relaxed further into Niall’s. Servants never slept together. She was glad Niall and Evan didn’t know that, and hoped she could sleep here every night, no matter how weak a thought that was. He’d been right—she felt sheltered here, safe from the nightmares.

Eventually she dozed, but when she woke, she didn’t think she’d been out long. She was still firmly held in Niall’s arms, his breath on her neck and shoulder. The bedroom door was open, but she didn’t see daylight in the forward part of the house. The rumble of thunder told her it was storming, explaining the darkness. She became aware of the patter of rain, falling on the tin roof. A moment later, she realized Evan was in the room.

Niall had taken the center of the large bed, putting her on the right side. Behind them, she heard Evan shedding clothes, the metallic clink as he removed his watch. When she turned her head, the lights woven through the headboard allowed her to see him, down near Niall’s feet. He was shirtless, the top of the pants open so they fell low on his lean hips as he dug out whatever he was carrying in the pockets. Some change, possibly some keys. Very normal things, things she wasn’t used to vampires carrying.

When his gaze lifted, she didn’t immediately think to look away. Instead she lingered on his brow, the way his hair fell over it, the straight shape of his nose and mouth, the sculpted cheekbones. His upper body, while lacking Niall’s bulk, was strong and lean, with pleasing curves and ridges of muscle.

Niall tended to let his clothes stay where they fell, because he’d kicked them aside when he’d brought her into the room. Evan folded his, laying them over a chair. She should do that for him. It wasn’t proper for him to be doing the task while his servants lay there.

It is if I enjoy watching them twined together, waiting for me. Well, you’re waiting. I could be falling off the mountain toward a ravine of sharp tree branches and Niall wouldn’t rouse. Unless I give him proper incentive.

The mattress shifted as Evan slid into the bed. Reaching over Niall’s body, he touched her arm, let his long fingers slide over her elbow, her hip. Though the blanket was covering her, it was thin, and the night rail even thinner.

Take the gown off, Alanna. You may keep the blanket. Keep your back against Niall when you’re naked, but you can turn your head to watch if you desire.

When she obeyed, lifting her upper body to free the garment, such that the blanket fell to her waist, Evan’s fingertips traced her spine, the tender skin between her shoulder blades, making her tremble under his caress. When she lay back down, she left the