Cody

Her.

Because he didn’t want her. She could be any woman. Every woman.

So why had he come this time and not the countless times before?

The question struck and he scrubbed harder. Deprivation, he reminded himself. Forty-eight sexless hours. That was enough to make any vampire a little wacky. He hit the dispenser again and lathered up some more. The less she lingered on his skin, the easier it would be to forget. Her gasp of surprise. Her heartfelt gratitude. Her delicious body which had fit him so perfectly, as if she’d been made for him and only him. His unexpected release.

It had been a helluva long time since he’d reacted that way with any woman.

Try never.

At least not since he’d turned vampire.

The truth weighed down on him as he rinsed his hands.

It was a fluke. The right time. Right place.

The right woman.

He ignored the last thought and ducked his head to splash some of the cool liquid onto his face. He caught his dripping reflection in the mirror. Bright purple rimmed the edges of his pupils. His hands tightened on the sink and the color shimmered hotter, brighter.

As satisfied as he felt, he was still hungry. He needed another woman. Now.

Raking a hand through his hair, he grabbed a paper towel, wiped his hands and then headed back out to the bar.

Maybe then he could get the sound of her breathing out of his head. The disappointment that followed her to the car. The fear—

His thoughts careened to a halt as a surge of emotion went through him. In a split second, he saw Miranda standing in the back parking lot. He smelled her terror and felt her surprise as her eyes fixed on the scene unfolding near her.

And for the first time since he’d opened his eyes as a vampire, Cody Braddock was scared shitless.

“PLEASE,” CAME THE CHOKED gurgle.

Miranda’s gaze pushed through the darkness to the two shadows wedged between a pair of parked cars. Shock and disbelief whirled through her. A reaction that had nothing to do with the woman who sprawled on the ground, blood gushing from her throat, and everything to do with the man leaning over her, lapping at the crimson heat.

The man’s head lifted and his furious red gaze collided with Miranda’s. His lips pulled back. Blood drip-dropped from a pair of lethal looking fangs. A growl bubbled past his lips and sizzled through the air.

Miranda blinked, but he was still there.

Still a…

No.

Denial rushed through her, followed by a quick burst of raw terror. While there had to be an explanation—no way was this guy a real bloodsucker—he was still dangerous. Murderous.

He took a step toward her and she stumbled away from him. She turned and urged her feet to move.

In a heartbeat, he caught her by the hair and yanked her backward. Her legs went out from under her and she landed flat on her back between the two cars. Her head slammed against the pavement. Pain exploded in her skull and blurred her vision. Not enough, however, to obliterate the man’s vicious red glare as he loomed over her.

“Well, lookee here. A two-for-one special.” He smiled, revealing his blood-stained teeth which matched the crimson of his eyes. “I’ll definitely be shopping here again.”

A nightmare. The thought struck and she grasped at it, holding tight. None of this was real. Not the choked gurgles of the woman nearby. Or the vicious vampire leaning over her.

None of it.

But then he hissed, his fangs grew sharper and longer, and Miranda braced herself for a very real death.

Chapter Five

CODY REACHED THE YOUNG MALE vamp just as he was about to sink his fangs into Miranda’s neck.

“She’s mine,” he growled. He caught the vampire’s shoulder and the man’s head snapped up. Blood trickled from the prick points on Miranda’s neck, but it didn’t gush. The vampire hadn’t bit deep enough to hit the artery and claim her as his own.

Yet.

The notion bothered him a helluva lot more than it should have considering he wasn’t the least bit interested in keeping Miranda for himself. Even if she had been one of the best lays he’d had in a long, long time.

Cody shifted his attention to the woman sprawled on the pavement nearby. Her chest rose and fell and tears streamed down her cheeks. The bite marks at her neck pumped blood out onto the pavement. She wasn’t dead. Yet. “Haven’t you had enough?” he asked the young vampire.

A smile twisted his lips. “There’s no such thing.”

Damn straight. Cody had just had incredible sex, yet his insides still tightened and clenched. His nostrils flared with the decadent scent of blood. His dick throbbed with the memory of Miranda surrounding him, making him come.

He braced himself and eyed the younger vampire who held her in front of him like a shield. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-four.”

“Not your age. How long have you been a vampire?”

The red glint in his eyes cooled just a little and impatience flashed. “Eight months. What does that have to do with anything?”

“The fact that you don’t know shows just how disadvantaged you are right now. I’ve got years on you and a century more experience.” His gaze dropped to Miranda. Her eyes were wide open, pure fear swimming in their depths. The urge to protect her surged through him and shook him to the core. “You’ve had your fun tonight. Back off.”

“Or else?”

“Do you really have to ask?” Cody flashed his own fangs and the vampire hissed.

Shit.

The last thing he wanted was to get into a pissing contest with a wet-behind-the-ears fledgling. They could be unpredictable, which made the situation far more dangerous than usual.

The vamp tightened his hold on Miranda and Cody stepped forward, his fangs bared, his fury this close to simmering over.

“Fine.” The vampire thrust her forward. “She’s yours.”

Cody caught Miranda and tucked her safely behind him.

Meanwhile, the young vamp turned his attention back to his first victim. “I’ve got my own.”