Free Marked: A Vampire Blood Courtesans Romance by Michelle Fox, Gwen Knight Page B

asked, then eased into the high-backed chair across from his desk.
    “Madam da Silva sent over the contract this afternoon.”
    Though I’d expected her to do exactly that, my heart skipped a beat.
    Ethen glanced up from the papers with an arched brow. “Is something the matter?”
    I shook my head, unsure how to calm my nerves. He didn’t realize what exactly this meant to me, and, right now, I wasn’t sure if he needed to know. His reaction to the news that my blood was untasted made me wary regarding my sexual inexperience.
    “Would you like to read it over before I sign it?”
    “Do I need to sign it?” I asked.
    “Yes. You’re employed by the company. Therefore, Madam da Silva does the negotiating on your behalf, but you are still required to sign. So, I would prefer if you read it over. If anything feels unseemly to you, I will request a modification before signing.”
    “You…you would do that for me?”
    “This is as much your contract as it is mine.”
    Speechless, I leaned forward and accepted the proffered pages. Then I settled back into the chair and started to read.
    “You may read anywhere else,” Ethen commented after a few moments.
    I almost smiled, completely aware of the unease in his voice. Clearly, his office was his own personal space. I recognized the dismissal but chose not to acquiesce. Instead, I crossed one leg over the other and faked a look of concentration. “I’m good.”
    “You mean to remain in here, then?”
    This time, a grin did cross my face before I parroted back a version of his words from last night. “It isn’t often I get the chance to read a contract in Ethen Rune’s office.”
    His silence was a touch uncomfortable before he laughed under his breath and shook his head. “Touché.”
    I hadn’t made it a full paragraph in before my head snapped up, and I stared at him as he typed an email out on his computer. “Three nights? I thought these courtesan agreements were usually for a single night?”
    “It is for the length of time bid by the client,” he responded without so much as glancing at me.
    “You…bid for three nights?”
    “Why do you suppose your contract was the highest grossing?”
    Truth be told, I hadn’t considered it. The past few days had been non-stop excitement and drama, and none of it the right kind. “I don’t understand…”
    “What’s there to understand?”
    “You don’t even know me.” I stared down at the contract as though I could find some hidden meaning to the intricately typed words. “You spoke to me for five minutes, if that. But you negotiated a three-night contract?”
    The chuckle that rolled off his lips was not necessarily a pleasant one. “What does speaking to one another have to do with anything?”
    How quickly a few words could shut me down. As though finally understanding the weight of his implication, he lifted his head, a line of concern wrinkling his brow.
    “I see,” I responded before he could backtrack. Pushing to my feet, I signed the contract, then handed it over and slipped out of the room.
    His meaning had been clear enough. He hadn’t chosen me for me . To him, I was a body. Blood and sex. Nothing more.
    Fine. I could accept that. It wasn’t as though he meant anything to me, after all. Merely a tool to secure the funds needed to pay off Alexei.
    Quid pro quo.
     
    ***
     
    “Winter. Open the door.”
    With a sigh, I glanced up from my phone. “It’s your home,” I called back. If he wanted the door open, he could damn well do it himself.
    I knew better than to let his words upset me. He was correct, after all. What did it matter if we were friends or not? Except, apparently I wanted him to like me. Not that it mattered what I wanted. The contract needed to be fulfilled regardless of my personal desires. Emotions couldn’t hold sway here. The entire gala had been brought together not only for charity but for the purpose of bidding on the courtesans. Some of the women had been lucky