Wicked ways

WICKED WAYS
Cynthia Eden

CHAPTER 1
Miranda Shaw had understood that she was on the date from hell ever since the appetizers were served at the too-expensive restaurant and she’d caught sight of the tiny bugs crawling over her cocktail shrimp. But she didn’t truly realize just how bad the situation was until her date took her home and then attempted to bite her with two-inch-long fangs.
“Oh, my God!” She caught sight of the teeth just in time. She’d thought Paul Roberts was just in macho-aggressive mode. Moving in for a lick on her neck. Miranda had fully intended to jerk away from the guy before he made contact-
Then she saw his teeth.
Oh, hell, no.
The scream that burst from her throat should have deafened him. Or at least broken one of the lovely glass picture windows that lined the front of her house.
But it did neither.
When she tried to run, Paul grabbed her arms, holding her tight. “Don’t make me hurt you,” he growled, and Miranda wondered if she were in the middle of some kind of really, really vivid nightmare, because there was no way that her boring, all-I-can-do-is-talk-about-myself date had just sprouted those deadly fangs.
Things like this so didn’t happen in nice, normally quiet Cherryville, Florida.
She twisted her body, trying to break free, but the guy’s grip was too damn strong. Shit. “What are you – Ow! “
His teeth had pierced her neck. Torn the skin. She shoved at him again, harder, and those teeth of his just seemed to cut deeper into her flesh.
Then she heard the muted sound of him swallowing.
He’s drinking my blood. The freak is actually drinking my blood.
Weakness began to trickle through her body. His hold was too powerful. Fear made her dizzy. This shouldn’t be happening. She’d done everything right. Talked to the guy over the Internet for a good two months

before she’d met him in person.
He wasn’t supposed to be some kind of blood-drinking psychotic!
He was grunting now and making little moaning sounds, and she was pretty certain that she was going to pass out. At any moment.
Then the weirdo would probably kill her.
Not the way she’d been hoping her night would end.
I’m not going out like this. Her neck was on fire. Her body quivered. But her Grandma Belle hadn’t raised a quitter.
Miranda managed to lift her knee and ram it as hard as she could into the jerk’s balls.
He stiffened against her, lifted those terrible teeth for just a moment-
And Miranda twisted like a snake, managed to break free of him, and then lunged for the door.
Just a few more feet…
If she could get outside, she might be able to get help. Or maybe her new neighbor, the only neighbor she had in the boondocks, would be able to help her and-
Paul grabbed her by the hair and hauled her back. She shrieked as he pulled her, reaching up with her hands and clawing his wrist.
“You’re going to be so damned sorry, you bi-” His snarled words ended in a gasp when her front door was literally kicked open.
Miranda blinked, stunned and damn grateful to see her neighbor of five days, Cain Lawson, standing in the doorway. Over six feet three inches of pissed-off male. Tousled coal-black hair. Handsome face etched into lines of fury.
He glanced first at her, then at the psycho still holding onto her hair with a death grip. Miranda was on her knees, scratching and clawing, and she didn’t think it was necessary, but she still screamed, “Help me!”
Then the really, truly unthinkable happened.