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Category: Romance/Dark Fantasy
Description: A family tragedy turned Cheyenne Logan into a vigilante with a mission: kill every vampire on earth. Kieran Duboix became a vampire against his will centuries ago and, now, he uses his special abilities to help mankind by stopping feral vamps who threaten to expose their existence and kill innocents. His biggest challenge, however, comes when he's sent to recruit Logan, the knife-wielding hellion. Seducing her to his way of thinking won't be easy...to survive. And when a monster from his past targets her, keeping her alive might prove impossible.
eBook Publisher: Cobblestone Press, 2008
eBookwise Release Date: October 2008

15 Reader Ratings:

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Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [170 KB]
Words: 34399
Reading time: 98-137 min.

"You said you were sent here. Sent by whom?"

He shrugged. "Does it matter?"

"Yes, it does to me," she said, unable to hide her pique over his attempt to avoid answering her question. "Tell me."

His sudden smile was pure, cavalier arrogance. "Make me."

Frustrating arrogance.

She pulled one of her knives and, without pause, flung it at him, missing his head by mere millimeters. The tip stuck in the tomb's heavy wooden door, the handle briefly wobbling.

"Tell--"

He was on her before she had a chance to complete the command. He didn't strike her but rather wrestled with her until he gained the upper hand, which didn't take long, much to her dismay. He flung her around off balance until she was pressed against the wall of the Beauregard tomb, her wrists imprisoned above her head in his fist, her neck held in his other.

For a brief instant, she feared she'd been wrong about him. But he didn't squeeze, although his grip was firm enough to keep her in place. And his eyes ... They held no evil, no insane, animalistic fury like the kind she'd witnessed before in other vampires she'd vanquished. No. His were ... passionate.

The nearness and strength of his body were also enough to send a shock of adrenaline through her veins and heighten her desires, which only served to tick her off and increase her arousal even more.

Damn, he smelled good ... for a walking dead man. A sexy-as-sin, arrogant, walking dead man.

"Someone needs to teach you--"

She lifted her knee but missed the intended target. Worse, her attack backfired when he leaned his body against hers to prevent further such attempts.

"--to not play with knives. Someone might get hurt."

She squirmed, but only managed to rub herself between a cold stone wall and a hard-muscled, hot-blooded vampire. If she could just get one hand free...

"If that's what it takes for you to see my point," she gritted out. "Answer my question."

"Oh, I see your point," he said before stunning her with a fast and furious kiss, which ended all too soon. "But your affinity for attacking me will only gain you a well-deserved spanking, my bloodthirsty beauty." In a flash, he sat on the steps once more and had her sprawled facedown across his thighs, her wrists captured in one fist at the small of her back.

"No!" She grunted. "No. You. Don't! Don't you dare--"

Smack.

"Ow!"

Smack, smack, smack.

She panted and wiggled, bucked and shouted, all to no avail. His hand collided with her ass several more times. "Ssst-stop." Though she screamed the command, it lacked sincere authority or much force since she struggled to catch her breath.

Smack, smack. He paused, his large hand like an electric blanket over her stinging flesh despite the barrier of clothing between them. "No more trying to cut me, stab me, or slice me in two. Got it?"

"If I'd wanted to stab you," she said, albeit breathlessly, "I would not have missed."

"thrilling, and the initial pain from his swats had receded into a warmth that felt rather ... good. Not that she'd ever admit it to him.

In defense, she dropped her gaze to the bulge in his pants and laced her words with contempt. "Do you always get so excited over whipping someone?"

"Do you always become this aroused after being spanked?"

She huffed. "I most certainly am not--"

"Careful, my dear. You can deny it all you want, but I can hear your pulse quicken, see the arousal in your eyes." His gaze dropped to her chest. "And in a pair of hard, delicious nipples."

"Don't flatter yourself." She crossed her arms over her breasts. "It's chilly." Delicious?

He cocked a brow and smiled at her obvious lie.

Damned frustratingly arrogant man.

He took a step toward her, lithe and predatory. She inched away, up the steps to the tomb, one hand rising to delay his advances.

"Hold it right there, you ... you ... Vampire Valentino. Don't come any closer."

He paused, grinned, and burst out laughing.

She released an unsteady breath. "I'm warning you."

Amid chuckles, he repeated, "Vampire Valentino ... That's priceless."

The rumble of his laughter was contagious. Recognizing the humor of the moment, she fought against the urge to smile, but her lips still twitched.

Her body collided with the door behind her. Realizing she'd backed herself into a corner, she grew serious in an instant.

By then it was too late.

He took the top step and stood before her, so tall, dark, and provocative. He closed to within a couple of inches, filled her vision, and blocked out the rest of the world. His gaze captured hers and wouldn't let go.

Her breaths stalled in her throat. Her pulse skipped.

With an attractive smile, he whispered, "You can't hide it, chére. Not from me." Without looking away, he reached for the blade sheathed beneath her arm, carefully slid it from its holder, and dropped it a few feet away. Next went her Ka-Bar, along with any ability of her lungs to function. After a third blade sailed to the ground where it joined the rest, he asked, "Any others?"

Since her fourth was still stuck in the door, low and off to her left, she shook her head.

Without a word, he made short work of her straps; the holders joined her arsenal on the floor, followed by her belt. As his hands moved methodically over her body, unbuttoning her blouse, unzipping her pants, she closed her eyes and let her senses focus on his touch, the way he smelled ... Mmm. The subtle sounds of his breathing.

He didn't remove her clothes so much as he moved them out of his way. The dull pops of his button fly joined the faint chirp of birds in the distance. Then, his large palms cupped her butt and slid to her thighs, lifting her, spreading her. As he picked her up, he stepped over her pants, which were still bundled like makeshift cuffs around her boots, and moved between her thighs.

"Hang on," he murmured before his lips ensnared hers and his body pinned her against the door.