Marked: City of the Damned Book 1 (7 page)

Gedeon’s body heaved and trembled at the
sensations sweeping through him, but did not resist the invasion of
the most intimate part of his body. In fact, he welcomed the
feeling, and just when he thought that nothing in the world could
feel better than what he was experiencing at this very moment,
Sara’s mouth once again found his cock and she began sucking him,
taking him down her throat further than she ever had before. The
feel of her tongue gliding along the length of his shaft was all it
took to push him over the edge. Gedeon thrust hard and could feel
the tip of his cock hit the back of her throat as he spilled
himself into warm confines of Sara’s mouth.

Greedily, Sara kept sucking as warm jets of
semen filled her mouth, closing her lips firmly around him and not
letting a single drop escape. Only when the trembling in Gedeon’s
body subsided, and he sank back into the plush leather seat, did
Sara ease her finger out of his anus and move to the seat beside
him.

The silence stretched on and anxiety began to
build within her. Gedeon sat beside her, his head resting on the
back of the seat and his eye firmly closed.
What have I done? He
must think I’m a freak,
Sara thought. “Gedeon, listen...”

“Shh.” Gedeon slowly opened his eyes and
lifted his head. Grabbing Sara by the shoulders, her pulled her
into his lap and silenced her with his mouth. His lips crushed
against hers and their tongues mated in a frenzied dance.

Sara pulled away and lifted herself off the
seat, straddling Gedeon’s legs. Still panting and gasping for air
from the kiss that had left her breathless, she lightly trailed her
fingers over the rough stubble on his unshaven face. Never before
had she seen his eyes as black as they were at this very moment.
Mistaking the look in his eyes as anger, Sara leaned forward and
buried her face in the crook of his neck. “I’m sorry. I should
never have done something like that without asking you first.”

“Sorry? What do you have to be sorry for?
That was the best fucking blowjob I’ve ever had in my life.”

Shocked, Sara raised her head and faced him.
“You’re just saying that to make me happy.”

“I’d never lie to you, Sara,” Gedeon said in
a more serious tone. Raising his hands, Gedeon trailed his fingers
along the exposed skin of her slender arms, causing goose bumps to
rise on her flesh. “Where on earth did you learn something like
that?”

“I found it in an article on this website. It
said that if you...”

The sound of Gedeon’s cacophonous laughter
filled the air around them.

“What’s so funny? I thought you said you
liked?” A blush reddened her cheeks, and Sara bashfully looked
away.

The laughing subsided and was replaced by the
soothing sound of Gedeon’s voice. “You could do anything to me and
I’d love it. As a matter of fact, I’d like you to do something for
me tonight.”

“What?” Sara asked without turning to look at
him.

“We’ll talk about it when we get upstairs,
but right now I’d better get dressed.”

Sara looked up and saw that they were parked
in front of the condo. Its elegant curves and sharp angles
accentuated the art deco facade of the building. After fastening
his pants Gedeon helped Sara out of the limo and led her towards
the entrance to the building.

“What about our luggage?” Sara asked as she
stepped out of the limo and onto the sidewalk that spanned the
length of the building.

“The driver will see that it’s brought up to
the suite.” Gedeon smiled and squeezed her hand as they walked
through the doors and into the lobby.

Chrome accents glistened under the
fluorescent lighting that hung from the ceiling above, and Sara
blatantly stared at the pictures of half naked women that adorned
the walls.

Gedeon noticed the amused look on Sara’s face
and chuckled. “They’re original works by Tamara de Lempicka. Do you
like them?”

“They’re different,” she replied sheepishly.
Sara wasn’t familiar with the Art Deco Movement, but it was obvious
even to her that this building housed many original and restored
pieces of the era. Even the tile floor of the lobby was unlike
anything she’d ever seen before. Hand laid mosaic tiles had been
interlaced together to form graceful curves and intricate circular
patterns.

“Come on,” Gedeon said, and tugged at her
hand as he dragged her towards a set of ornate brass elevator doors
“I have something else I want to show you.”

They rode the elevator to the fifth floor in
silence. Sara’s stomach felt queasy as they walked down the hall
towards the suite, dragging her feet on the carpet as they went.
The whole reason for this trip to Florida was so Gedeon could mark
her without the risk of her aunt discovering them, but they’d never
discussed any of the details or when it was going to take place.
Sara could vividly remember the pain of being marked by Pryse and
had come to the conclusion that the less she knew about what was
going to happen to her, the better off she’d be. But it did nothing
to calm the nervousness that had suddenly overcome her. Would
tonight be the night, or would Gedeon give her a couple days to
enjoy the nice weather and take in the sights before she was
subjected to days, or perhaps weeks, of excruciating pain?

As if sensing her fear, Gedeon wrapped his
arms around Sara’s waist and pulled her securely into his embrace.
He leaned down and tenderly placed a kiss on her forehead. “Not
tonight. I promise. Tonight is all about you and me.”

Sara looked up at him and smiled. “I was
hoping you’d say that.”

Now Available

Book one in The Winemaker’s Feast
series

By
Everly Drummond
and
Ivan
Rusilko

Recently named executive chef at one of Miami
Beach’s hottest restaurants, Jaden Thorne is determined to make her
culinary mark and fulfill her professional dreams. When Jaden is
given highly coveted tickets to the ultra-exclusive Winemaker’s
Dinner, she jumps at the opportunity to meet South Florida's
wealthiest and most influential food and wine enthusiasts.

Jaden’s eyes are drawn to the VIP section
even before the appetizers appear, but she soon finds herself
thinking less about networking and more about the intriguingly sexy
stranger eying her from across the room. After dinner, what begins
as a light-hearted flirtation unexpectedly catapults into a night
of explosive passion. But when morning dawns, Jaden leaves her
sleeping Mr. Oh So Sexy behind, sure they’ll never see each other
again.

Dr. Ivan Rusilko, a handsome, young
physician, boasts an extensive resume’ and a well-established
position on Miami Beach’s social scene. But despite his success and
glamour, he’s routinely had to suffer uninspiring dates and doomed
relationships. With a romantic heart, Ivan’s not the
love-‘em-and-leave-‘em type. But when he awakens to find that the
girl in the red dress has done exactly that, he resolves to find
her--only if it’s just to ask why she left without even a kiss
goodbye.

The Winemaker’s Dinner is a fictionalized
erotic memoir inspired by the romantic triumphs and tragedies of
Dr. Ivan Rusilko’s real life. Weaving fact with fantasy, authors
Everly Drummond and Dr. Ivan Rusilko have gifted readers with a
swoon-worthy flesh and blood romantic hero and the intoxicating
bouquet only a heartfelt tale of passionate love can create.

Chapter 1

“Something”

A cool breeze caressed Jaden’s body, and the
scent of butterfly weed and columbine infused the late-summer air
around her. Brilliant purple and orange hues colored the evening
sky as she stepped onto the makeshift wooden dance floor that
served as the centerpiece for this evening’s event at the Florida
Wine Festival.

Jaden wrapped her sheer, black shawl tightly
around her shoulders and over the open back of her slim, red
cocktail dress. She surveyed the scene, looking for table number
nine and trying her best not to seem lost.

In the garden of the private estate on the
edge of the ocean, throngs of guests had started to arrive. An army
of waiters and waitresses dressed in blue scurried around like
clockwork soldiers carrying silver trays brimming with glasses of
wine, while another army, dressed in green and laden with trays of
hors d’oeuvres, followed suit.

Tables set with fine bone China and sterling
silver surrounded the dance floor, and beyond them were the
well-manicured lawns and shrubbery of the opulent estate—the home
of a rich philanthropist couple who were thought to hold a large
stake in the premier wine of this year’s festival, Mollydooker, as
well as being connected with some of Florida’s most elite.

As the sun slowly sank beneath the horizon,
the vibrant purples and oranges of the evening sky faded into muted
shades of gray and black. Scanning the crowd once again, Jaden
finally recognized a short brunette in a blue dress.
Thank
God
.

Tasha was Jaden’s roommate, lifelong friend
since they were girls together in Colorado, and only ally in the
mob of wine enthusiasts clamoring for a glass of this year’s
premium blend. Tasha waved from where she stood on the other side
of the tent. Beginning the voyage to meet her, Jaden pushed through
the crowd clustered at the bar. She made her way along the edge of
the near-vacant dance floor, mindful of her formfitting dress with
every step.

Jaden could feel the eyes of more than one
man following her as she sauntered by. She smiled. It had been a
while since she’d enjoyed the calloused touch of a man, and Jaden
was determined to turn heads this evening.
Just as long as
they’re not married,
she thought, sneaking a sideways glance
and sighing. Most of the prime real estate at this dinner wore
telltale wedding bands.

The Winemaker’s Dinner was the hottest
ticketed event of this year’s Florida Wine Festival, and they’d
landed it smack in the middle of Labor Day weekend. Celebrity
chefs, world-renowned sommeliers, and politicians were among the
guests, and it was pure luck that Jaden had managed to be on the
guest list as well. Her new boss, Geoff, owner of a prestigious
restaurant in Miami Beach, had come down with the flu and insisted
his head chef take his place and network in his stead.
Coincidentally, the event fell on Jaden’s birthday, which was why
she’d been adamant that Tasha accompany her. It had been a
tradition since their midteens that they spend birthdays
together.

A waiter in a crisp white shirt passed by in
a blur, and with a quick flick of her hands, Jaden secured two
glasses of the red wine before joining Tasha at their table.

“Jesus, it’s a stampede out there,” Tasha
noted, pulling out the chair beside her. “These people are
vultures.”

“Well-dressed vultures at least,” Jaden
replied. “Wait until after dinner. I bet that’s when the real fun
starts.”

“Why did you drag me along, anyway? I could
be at home on the sofa with a pepperoni pizza, catching up on my
TV.”

“Yeah, like you’d pass on a chance to drink
wine and ogle VIPs,” Jaden scoffed. “Besides, it’s my birthday. You
wouldn’t really make me come here by myself, would you?”

“I knew you’d throw that in my face.” Tasha’s
delicate features contorted in mock surprise. Then she smiled as
she reached into her purse. She pulled out a small box wrapped in
gold foil and placed it on the table in front of her friend. “Happy
birthday.”

“Tasha, I told you not to buy me anything,”
Jaden murmured.

Tasha had been keeping close watch on her
finances. The Miami real estate market had slowed to a crawl in the
last few months, and making enough sales to keep herself afloat was
next to impossible right now. Jaden had implemented a no-gifts rule
this year—or at least she thought she had.

Tasha had no doubt gone to great lengths to
get something for her, and Jaden blushed as she picked up the small
package. She peeled back the wrapping paper and crumpled it into a
ball, tossing it on the table in front of her. Slowly, she opened
the lid of the black satin box. Inside, buried beneath a layer of
tissue paper, Jaden found a delicate silver chain with a silver
frying pan charm dangling from it.

“It’s an anklet,” Tasha explained. “I know
you’re not supposed to wear jewelry to work, but I figured you
could get away with this.”

“I love it,” Jaden said with a smile.
Removing the chain from the box, she unclasped it and placed it
around her ankle. “It matches my dress.”

“It’s not much, but—”

Thankfully a waiter chose that exact moment
to appear at their table and interrupt the conversation, because
Jaden knew precisely what Tasha was going to say: “It’s not much,
but it’s all I could afford right now.” She knew her friend was
struggling, but there was no need to announce it to the rest of
their table, which was beginning to fill up.

Wordlessly, the waiter placed six glasses of
wine on the table as a chime began to sound. When he’d finished he
retreated into the sea of people now making their way from the bar
to their assigned seats.

“I hope they serve dinner soon. I’m
starving,” Jaden said, changing the subject. She tried to look
nonchalant as she scanned the crowded garden.

Her gaze drifted to the bar where a few
people still remained, wine glasses in hand, and suddenly she
noticed him. Standing beside a small stage at the front of the
dance floor was the most stunning man she’d ever seen: tousled
brown hair—the color of aged mahogany—brushed the collar of the
crisp, white dress shirt that peeked out from the jacket of his
perfectly tailored suit. The setting sun cast a luminous glow,
streaking his hair with dazzling flecks of gold and bronze. His
well-defined jaw bore what looked to be at least a day of stubble,
and a pair of deep-set eyes, brilliant and full of life, now stared
back at her.