The Vampire Who Loved Me Read Online Free PDF Page A

contrast to the shabby finery of most of the club’s patrons. A glowing halo seemed to surround her, separating her from the cigarsmoke and raucous laughter that filled the room. From the corner of his eye, Julian could see her already garnering other glances—some curious, some wary, others openly predatory.
    They’d seen her kind here before. Wealthy ladies with an insatiable appetite for deep play. Since the fair sex wasn’t even allowed in the more reputable clubs that their husbands frequented, they were forced to seek their satisfaction in hells such as this. They were so in thrall to the thrill of the game that they were willing to risk their reputations and their fortunes on one fickle roll of the dice or turn of a card.
    More often than not, a lady would play until every last coin of her blunt was gone, leaving her with only one way to pay off her debts. For some reason, Julian couldn’t bear the thought of this woman being forced to accompany some gloating gambler to one of the rooms upstairs. Couldn’t stomach the image of her being shoved to her knees and stripped of that ridiculous bonnet by his fumbling hands.
    The net veil attached to its sweeping brim shadowed her eyes and gave her an irresistible aura of mystery. All he could see was the curve of a dimpled cheek, a pointed chin that boded aheart-shaped face, and a pair of lush lips perfectly fashioned for kissing and other even more illicit pleasures.
    With some difficulty, he tugged his gaze away from her mouth only to have it settle on the burgundy velvet ribbon she wore around her throat as a choker; her long, graceful throat where a pulse, nearly invisible to the naked eye, danced to each throbbing beat of her heart. Julian jerked his hungry gaze away before he could betray himself. Bringing the glass to his lips, he took a deep swallow of the port, knowing it to be a pale substitute for what he craved.
    “Might I have a word with you?” she asked, her voice low and rich.
    He flicked a lazy glance her way, but before he could respond, the brunette snapped, “Ye ought to address ’im as ‘sir’! ’Im’s a knight, ’e is, knighted by the king ’isself. A real ’ero.”
    “ My ’ero,” the blonde purred, slipping a hand into the open throat of his shirt and raking her crimson nails through the crisp whorls of his chest hair.
    Those lovely lips tightened with distaste. Or some other emotion Julian couldn’t quite read.
    “Very well… sir . I was wondering if I might have a word with you,” she repeated, her scornful tone dismissing his companions. “In private.”
    It was the most intriguing proposition he’d received all night. She must be seeking more than just the thrill of the game. He’d encountered her kind before as well, in nearly every city around the world. Women possessed of a hunger as unholy as his own. Women who recognized and deliberately sought out creatures like him, courting danger and death as if they were the most accomplished of lovers.
    Silently cursing the ghost of his scruples, he said, “I’m afraid I can’t help you, miss. As you can see, my attentions are already”—he slid his hand from the brunette’s hip to the rounded curve of her thigh—“occupied.”
    “Ye’d best scurry back to yer fine carriage, m’lady,” the brunette said. “A great wolf like this one would gobble ye down in one bite.”
    The golden-haired wench looped her arms around his neck. “’E needs a woman, not a lady.”
    “Or two women,” the brunette countered,earning a throaty laugh from her companion.
    Taking another sip of the port to quench his regret, Julian waited for the woman to turn and flee into the night.
    Instead those lush lips curved into the sweetest of smiles. “I hate to deprive you of such scintillating company, but I really must insist.”
    Julian glanced around the club, keenly aware that their exchange was beginning to garner more than casual interest. “This is no place for a woman like you. Why