Page 9 of Wicked Allure
So she’d work the blood bar, serve, sell her body…she’d expected all of that. But to hear that she was special, this was a first for her.
“You honor me with your trust. Starla, show Tomesha around and get her outfitted.” Mistress paused and ran a hand along Tomesha’s shoulder, caressing the material of her dress. “Who made this dress?”
“I did.” Tomesha fought hard to keep from glancing down at her outfit.
“Hmmm…talented. I’ll keep this in mind.” Mistress stepped away and jerked her head toward the door.
“Yes, Mistress.” Starla smiled at Tomesha and led her from the room. She released Tomesha’s hand and walked beside her. She guided them down a long hallway and through a door that led them to a lower level. “Come. Let’s get you measured for your uniform.”
Tomesha stared at herself in the mirror and had to keep her jaw from touching the floor. Uniform was a loose term for the sheer material draped over her body. The way it caressed her skin sent a shiver down her spine. The white dress had a single tie on the side. One tug and the outfit would fall to the floor. Her tawny skin appeared soft and supple, her dark areolas visible through the fabric.
This person staring back at her was beautiful.
Sexy.
A siren.
Starla had done her makeup and promised to teach her how to do it herself.
“Now this is a human the vampires will be begging to bite.” Starla chuckled. She stood behind Tomesha and rested her hands on her shoulders. Her smile disappeared. “It may be hard at first, you know. Getting paid for sex, but once you have paid your bills and put food in your pantry, it gets easier.”
Tomesha met Starla’s gaze in the mirror. They had gone to Starla’s private quarters at the club. Soon, Tomesha would have her own room where she could entertain clients. She swallowed hard again, but determination filled her. Just thinking of being able to provide for her family gave her the will to do this job.
“Who was your first bite?” Tomesha would worry about the sex part later. What worried her was who Mistress deemed as worthy to be the first vampire to drink from her.
“It was a wealthy councilman. He was traveling from afar and had visited the club for nourishment. Mistress was honored he chose our establishment to feed.” Starla took a step back from her and went over to snag a pair of sandals. She brought them over to Tomesha. “Try these on. I think they’re your size.”
“And?” Tomesha slid them on. They were the perfect fit. She hadn’t worn anything new in a long while. She returned her gaze to the mirror, still in awe of her appearance. “How was it?”
Tomesha had heard stories of humans becoming addicted to the bite of a vampire. There was something in their saliva that activated something inside humans that left them craving more from vampires.
“I can’t really describe it. I mean, after the initial bite, the pain disappears almost immediately and you get this euphoric state. I remember feeling as if I were floating on clouds and didn’t want to come down from it. I know this sounds weird, but it’s very pleasurable.”
“Did you have sex with him?” Tomesha was asking too much, but this was the first time she’d actually spoken with a donor.
“I did.” Starla smiled and shrugged. “He comes around once a year for business to see me.”
Tomesha canted her head and studied Starla. She didn’t appear to be some addict or a human strung out on vampire bites. She seemed healthy and strong. Her small suite was decorated with the finest that money could buy. If she could start out like Tomesha and have become one of Mistress’s top donors, then one day maybe Tomesha would be like her.
“Now enough about me. Important question for you. Do you have a preference between men or women?” Starla folded her arms in front of her.
“I’ve been with both in the past, but I do prefer women,” Tomesha responded honestly. She’d had her share of lovers and had always preferred females. Her last few lovers had been women, and she hadn’t really looked at another man since.
“That’s the good thing about working for Madam Rice. We have the power to determine which clients we’ll take. Any other type of establishment, you may not have a choice on who you service.” Starla picked up a box from a table in the corner and walked back to Tomesha. It was pink with a black lace bow on top. She held it out to her. “And this is the last part of your uniform. Go ahead. Put them on.”
Curious, Tomesha took the box from her. It was almost too pretty to tear open. She slipped her nail underneath the edge to keep from tearing the box. She lifted the lid and found three black leather straps inside. Each of them carried the large initial M.
“What are these?” Tomesha picked up the largest one. It looked like a collar with a button to collapse it closed. Two smaller ones nestled inside the tissue paper.
“This is to remind the vampires they’re not to bite you. As long as you wear this around your neck and those around your wrists, you won’t be bitten.”
Starla took the leather collar and helped Tomesha put it on. They quickly put on the bracelets as well. They were not uncomfortable at all.
“And what if this doesn’t deter a vampire from biting me?” Tomesha glanced at herself in the mirror after the finished touches of her uniform were now on.
“That vampire will pay well, and believe me when I say, no one wants to get on Madam Rice’s bad side.” Starla snorted. She waved to Tomesha. “Come, it’s time for your first lesson.”
“Should I be afraid of this?” Tomesha chuckled nervously.
