Curse the Dawn by Karen Chance Read Free Book Online Page B

information. I hadn’t really expected one; Mircea was subtler than that. “We’ve been searching for you for hours” was his only comment.
    “But Marco said he didn’t tell you—”
    “An oversight that will never reoccur.”
    Uh-oh.
    Master vampires protected their families, and in return they received unquestioning obedience. Most of their servants were physically unable to disobey, with the only exceptions being those who reached master status themselves. But even in their case, going against a direct command was extremely difficult, especially when they served one of the few first-level masters in the world. Marco must have been really strong to be able to flout Mircea’s orders.
    And now he was in trouble because he’d covered for me.
    “What are you going to do?” I asked, worried.
    “Discipline my servant.” His usually mellow voice was suddenly flat and hard.
    “Mircea . . .”
    “Do you know what some of our enemies could have done to you in five hours, Cassie?” His fingers tightened fractionally on my skin. “I do. I’ve spent all night with the possible scenarios running through my mind.”
    “He didn’t know I’d left the hotel. I told him that I was—”
    “He knew.”
    “How? And if Marco didn’t tell you I was missing, how did you know?”
    He didn’t answer, just leaned over and turned off the tap. A mountain of feathery white bubbles had foamed over the side of the bath and spilled onto the marble tiles, making the floor even slipperier than usual. They didn’t seem to bother Mircea, who sat on the side of the tub to examine the cuffs.
    “Ah, yes. An older version, but I think I recall—” He did something and, at last, they snapped open.
    I sagged against him in relief and didn’t even notice that he’d gotten my bra off until a thumb swept over a nipple. “Mircea . . .” I started to make some kind of protest but forgot halfway through.
    He dropped to one knee and undid my shoes, while I held on to his shoulders and bit my lip. “Most men would have taken advantage of your previous position,” he told me. His face was still stern, but eyes were laughing.
    “You’re not most men.”
    “Kind of you to notice.” He tossed my filthy shoes, socks and bra into a corner. “And I prefer you to have the full use of your hands.” I swallowed and he finally smiled for real, his hands lingering on my waist.
    “I don’t like the idea of someone suffering because of me,” I told him.
    “He won’t be suffering because of you.” His fingers found the button on my jeans, and I stepped back, grateful for the steam that might help explain my furious blush. It was stupid—it wasn’t like Mircea hadn’t seen me in less—but the idea of standing there in a thong with him still fully clothed was doing bad things to my blood pressure.
    He moved with me, arching an eyebrow. He trailed a finger along my waistband. “Is there something in there that will surprise me?”
    “I hope not,” I said fervently. “About Marco—”
    “He disobeyed my direct command to be immediately informed of any danger to you. I could not ignore such a challenge to my authority, even were you not involved.”
    “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”
    “I will not permanently injure him, Cassie,” he told me, sounding as if it was a major concession—which was probably the case.
    He unzipped my jeans and pushed them down my hips before I could protest. I stepped out of the puddle of filthy denim, caught between desire and serious embarrassment. He tossed the jeans aside, hooked a finger under the little bow on the front of my thong and pulled me to him.
    He was still smiling, but it had changed. Something about it made sweat start to prickle at the base of my hair and my arms to curve around his neck. His lips fit against mine like a missing puzzle piece.
    Dark and sweet, Mircea’s taste was intoxicating, like the crisp midnight scent of him. It sent liquid shivers to the pit of my