Tall, Dark and Undead
Blurb:
Gutsy, kick-ass Suzanne James has no intention of complicating her life by falling in love…especially with a vampire. But it’s hard to stay objective when a drop-dead gorgeous male rescues her from three assailants in a dark alley. All but unconscious, she could swear her hero has glowing red eyes and two sharp, pointed teeth.
Adrian Caine has spent the past hundred years, in vampire parlance, a vegetarian. When he rescues a beautiful blonde in a dark alley, it takes all of his formidable control not to backslide. Attraction turns to desire. Even though it’s not in Suzanne’s best interest, he can’t stay away.
Excerpt:
My shoulder hurt like a mother. One of the dickless wonders had managed to dislocate it.
A sensual slide of sharp teeth moved along my throat. A breath as sweet as peppermint hovered near my mouth. Cool arms held me, one carefully placed beneath my armpit. Thank goodness it didn’t rub against my throbbing shoulder. “You’re not one of my attackers. They stank and had sour breath. You smell nice, like peppermint, night air and lemongrass.” I gave a loopy smile and snuggled closer. Ouch. The body against mine hard as stone.
The arms tightened. Again I felt that damp, sharp slide along my neck.
I pried open sticky eyes then promptly shrieked and shut them tight. My head whirled. Several faces wavered in my line of vision. Every one of them had red eyes and fangs. “Put me down. Go away.” I tried to yell, but unfortunately the noise from my throat was no more than a whimper. I pushed frantically against a rigid chest wall.
His arms locked around me. I could barely breathe. “Let me go or I’ll kick your ass,” I wheezed. Not that I had a prayer of caring out that threat.
He stretched out his arm, cradled me against him, his fingertips resting lightly on my left breast. My eyes closed, I fisted my hand and raised it to his jaw. Pitifully weak, I barely made contact before my arm fell slack at my side.
I tensed but the hand over my heart didn’t move. Electricity pulsed in his fingers and thrummed in perfect sync with my heart. Even though nothing happened, it felt strangely erotic. Every bone in my body went limp. The pain that incapacitated me receded.
He sighed and moved his hand. I whimpered.
“Relax. I’ll get you to a hospital.” His voice held a velvet quality. It stroked and pleasured.
“If I relax any more I’ll be dead.” My heavy lids refused to open. Laughter that sounded like bells rang through my head.
A rush of air hit my skin. Moments later bright lights blasted my eyelids.
A buzzer sounded, then the rush of hurried feet. “Oh my God, it’s Suzanne James.”
“You know her?” the velvety voice asked.
“She works here. What happened?”
“She was attacked,” he answered. Like a drug, his voice calmed me.
“Attacked! Suzanne, can you hear me?”
“Umm-hmm.” I felt as if I were floating. Any minute my bones would ooze out of my body. I wrinkled my nose at the scent of alcohol and sterilizing soap that wormed into my ethereal haze and ruined the ambience. “Yup, I’m at work.”
“Just a minute—I’ll get a gurney.”
“Must be an orderly,” I mumbled under my breath.
“It is,” my fanged rescuer responded.
“Your hearing is exceptional.” Hospital sounds surrounded us—voices hushed and not so hushed, hurried footsteps, low moans and the creak of carts.
“Yes it is.”
It seemed like mere seconds before I was transferred to a cot and the cool, hard arms that had held me fell away. Pain returned.
“Where are you going?” the orderly asked.
Where is who going?
“You can take it from here,” that sensual voice responded.
Somehow I managed to open my eyes to slits. The man who was leaning over me fragmented into several pieces. The pieces wavered and spread before they popped into one perfect specimen of manhood minus the fangs and crimson eyes I could have sworn he’d showed earlier.
“Where’s the fangs?” I shook my head back and forth as I tried to convince my tired eyes to open the rest of the way.
“What’s she talking about?” the orderly asked.
My rescuer ignored the question. “Her shoulder’s dislocated and she hit her head.” Whoosh. A light breeze danced on my skin and ruffled my hair.
He was gone.
About Sandra Cox:
Sandra’s a vegetarian, animal lover and avid gardener. She lives with her husband, their dog and several cats in sunny North Carolina. (A picture of one of the menagerie is included.)
Besides paranormal, she also writes historical and time-travel romance, young adult fantasy and non-fiction.
Buy Link: https://tinyurl.com/TallDarkUndead
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