Kerrelyn Sparks - How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire

"I'll send you a card."

"You don't trust me."

Perceptive, wasn't he? "Why should I? As far as I can tell, you've abducted me. Without my permission."

His mouth tilted up. "Do you normally give your permission?"

She glared at him. "Where have you taken me?"

"We're across the street from your clinic." He sauntered toward the ledge. "Since you don't trust me, take a look for yourself."

Right, stand on the edge of the roof with a psycho. No way. She'd been stupid enough, fainting in the clinic when she should have been running. She couldn't afford any more moments of weakness like that. The gorgeous man must have carried her out. He really had saved her life. He was tall, dark, handsome, and heroic. Altogether perfect, except for the fact that he wanted a wolf's canine tooth jammed into his mouth. Did he labor under the misconception that he was Wolfman? Was that why her gun hadn't scared him? Only silver bullets could hurt him. She wondered if he was going to howl at the moon.

Get a grip . She rubbed her aching forehead. She needed to stop imagining nonsense and figure out what to do next.

She noticed her purse, sitting by her feet. Hallelujah! She set the purse in her lap and peeked inside.

Yes! The Beretta was still there. She could still defend herself. Even against the gorgeous Wolfman if she had to.

"They're still down there if you want to see them." He glanced back at her.

She snapped her purse shut and gave him a wide-eyed Bambi look. "Who?"

His gaze flickered down to her purse, then back to her face. "The men who want to kill you."

"Well, actually, I think I've seen enough of them today. So I'll just be going now." She eased to her feet.

"If you leave now, they'll catch you."

That was probably true. But was she any safer on a roof with a gorgeous escapee from a mental institute? She clutched her purse to her chest. "Okay. I'll stay for a little while."

"Good." His voice softened. "I'll stay with you."

She backed away, putting the patio furniture between them. "Why did you rescue me?"

He smiled slowly. "I need a dentist."

Not with a smile like that. Damn. A smile like that could melt a woman into a puddle of quivering hormones. I'm melting, I'm melting . "How… how did you get me up here?"

His eyes glimmered in the dark. "I carried you."

She gulped. Obviously a few extra pizza pounds hadn't overly strained the guy. "You carried me all the way to the roof?"

"I… used the elevator." He pulled a cell phone from his back pocket. "I'll call someone to pick us up."

Us ? Who was he kidding? She didn't trust him any farther than she could spit. But he had saved her from the hit men. And so far, he'd behaved like a gentleman. She ventured toward the edge of the building, keeping a safe distance from the mysterious rescuer.

She glanced down. Wow, he'd been honest with her. They were across the street from the clinic.

Three black sedans were double-parked in the street, and a group of men stood there, talking.

Planning how to kill her. She was so screwed. Maybe she could use an ally. Maybe she should trust the crazy but gorgeous Wolfman.

"Radinka?" He held the cell phone against his cheek. "Can you give me Laszlo's cell phone number?"

Radinka? Laszlo ? Were those Russian names? Her skin chilled with goose bumps. Oh God. Big trouble. This guy was probably pretending to be her friend so he could lure her away from the city and—

"Thanks, Radinka." He punched in a new number.

Shanna looked around and located the stairway entrance. Now, if she could just ease over there without him noticing.

"Laszlo." His voice became authoritative. "Bring the car back immediately. We have an emergency situation here."

Shanna moved slowly. Quietly.

"No, you don't have time to go to the lab. Turn around now." A slight pause. "No, I didn't get the tooth fixed. But I have the dentist with me." He glanced her way.

She froze and tried to look bored. Maybe she should hum a tune, but all that came to mind was the one she'd heard earlier in the evening. "Strangers in the Night." Well, that fit.

"Have you turned around yet?" Wolfman sounded irritated. "Good. Now, listen carefully. Do not, I repeat, do not drive past the clinic. Go one block north of the clinic, and we'll meet you there. Do you understand?"

Another pause. He turned to look over the ledge. Shanna resumed her stealthy approach to the stairway.

"I'll explain later. Just follow my directions, and we'll be safe."

She slipped past the patio furniture.

"I know you're just a chemist, but I have full confidence in your abilities. Remember, we don't want anyone else to know about this. And now that I think about it, is our… passenger still in the car with you?" Wolfman walked toward the corner of the building, keeping his back to her and his voice low.

So the rascal didn't want her to hear this. Can you hear me now ? The phrase goaded her. No, she couldn't hear,dammit. Quickly she tiptoed after him. Her old ballet teacher would have been impressed with her speed.

"Look, Laszlo. I'llhave the dentist with me, and I don't want to alarm her any more than necessary.

So take Vanna out of the backseat and stick her in the trunk."

Shanna halted. Her mouth dropped open. Her throat seized up, making it hard to breathe.

"I don't care how much crap you have in the trunk. We're not driving around with a naked body in the car."

Oh no! She gasped for air. He was a hit man.

He whirled around suddenly to face her. With a strangled squeak, she leaped back.

"Shanna?" He turned off the phone and held it out to her.

"Stay away from me." She backed away, fumbling in her purse.

He frowned. "Don't you want your phone back?"

That was her phone? He was a murderer and a thief. She yanked out her Beretta and pointed it at him. "Don't move."

"Not that again. I can't help you if you keep fighting me."

"Yeah, like you really want to help me." She eased toward the staircase. "I heard you talking to your friend. 'Oh, Laszlo, we have company. Put the dead body in the trunk. "

"It's not what you think."

"I'm not stupid, Wolfman." She continued to move toward the stairs. At least he was staying put and not making any moves. "I should have shot you the first time."

"Do not fire the weapon. The men below will hear it. They'll come up here, and I'm not sure I can defeat all of them."

"All of them? My, don't we think highly of ourselves."

His eyes darkened. "I have some special talents."

"Oh, I bet you do. I bet that poor girl in the trunk could say a lot about your special talents."

"She's incapable of speech."

"Well, duh! Once you kill someone, they tend to be lousy conversationalists."

His mouth twitched.

She reached the stairway door. "If you come after me, I'll kill you."

She pulled the door open, but in the blink of an eye, he was there. He slammed the door shut, wrenched the gun from her hand, and tossed it aside. It hit with a clunk and skittered across the rooftop. She squirmed, wiggled, kicked at his shins. He grabbed her by the wrists and pinned her against the door.

"By God, woman, you are hard to control."

"You better believe it." She pulled against his grip, but couldn't free her wrists.

He leaned closer. His breath stirred her hair and feathered her brow. "Shanna," he whispered her name like a cool breeze.

She shivered. His hypnotic voice tugged at her, lulling her into a sensation of comfort and security.

False security. "I won't let you kill me."

"I don't want to kill you."

"Good. Then let me go."

He lowered his head, his breath tickling her throat. "I want you alive. Warm and alive."