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  From the desk of Molly Cannon

  Dear Reader,

  There used to be a bar way out in the country where my husband and I would go with a bunch of our friends to dance on Saturday nights. We’d drive for miles and miles down these dark, unlit roads, and then in the distance we’d see the glow against the night sky from the pole lights in the parking lot. We’d pull in, the gravel crunching under our tires, and the place would be packed. After we found a place to park, we’d scramble out of our cars and head inside. The sound of country music and the smell of beer would hit us like a wave when we walked in the door. And the building—it was gigantic, a big, barn-like place—but we’d find a table and settle in for a night of two-stepping, drinking beer, and hanging out with our friends.

  As I danced, I couldn’t help but do a little people watching. The women would all be dressed to the nines in their dancing outfits, trying to catch someone’s eye. The men would be on the prowl but doing their best to play it cool. I’d keep my eye on the blonde woman in the yellow dress: She’d come with one guy, but she danced with another one all night long. Or the tall, stern-looking cowboy at the bar who never took his eyes off the short, dark-haired girl in the pink shirt for a single second. She huddled up with a group of girlfriends, so I wondered if he’d ever work up the courage to ask her for a dance. There might be a couple arguing in one corner, and a couple kissing in another. It was always quite a show: love, lust, broken hearts, maybe some cheating, and a lot of hanky-panky—all played out to the quick-quick, slow-slow beat of a country song. That dance hall is gone now, and the countryside has been swallowed up by neighborhoods and paved roads with streetlights, but I haven’t forgotten the nights I spent there.

  So it’s no accident that the first scene of my book AIN’T MISBEHAVING takes place in a parking lot. Not just any parking lot, but the parking lot outside of Lu Lu’s, the local watering hole in Everson, Texas. When Marla Jean Bandy decides it’s time to quit spending nights home alone after her divorce, when she decides it’s time to bust out and have some fun, Lu Lu’s is just the kind of place I thought she needed. Decked out in a tight red dress and her best cowboy boots, she’s ready to get back out there and have a good time…until Jake Jacobsen, a childhood crush, shows up and tries to run interference. Marla Jean is about to find out that a parking lot on a Saturday night can be full of delicious possibilities.

  I hope you enjoy AIN’T MISBEHAVING and have fun getting to know Marla Jean, Jake, and all the meddlesome, well-meaning folks in Everson, Texas.

  Happy Reading!

  www.mollycannon.com

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  Also by Cynthia Garner

  Kiss of the Vampire

  ACCLAIM FOR KISS OF THE VAMPIRE

  “An inventive spin on supernatural mythos draws readers into this fast-paced paranormal series launch…Garner shows promise with great characters, constant action, and steamy sex.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Intriguing…Garner provides both a cool premise and interesting characters. One to watch!”

  —RT Book Reviews

  “A deliciously dark and scorchingly sexy treat for fans of paranormal romances.”

  —Chicago Tribune

  “With interesting back stories and even more interesting futures ahead, Garner keeps the readers wanting more…Tobias and Nix’s relationship is passion-filled with hot lovemaking and even hotter story lines. I will eagerly be awaiting the next addition in this new series.”

  —GoodReads.com

  “Various characters in the story have complex, yet compelling, backgrounds… As for the ending—awesome!…I closed the cover of this book while wishing that the second title was available for me to dive immediately into.”

  —HuntressReviews.com

  “A refreshing look at the origin of vampires, werewolves, and other myths. Fast-paced, the romantic and police procedural subplots deftly balance a strong storyline…never slows down as Cynthia Garner provides a fascinating take on the supernatural.”

  —GenreGoRoundReviews.blogspot.com

  “I cannot wait for this series to continue…Garner seamlessly combines paranormal romance and romantic suspense that has you on the edge of your seat.”

  —ANovelAddiction.wordpress.com

  Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Epilogue

  A Preview of Heart of the Demon

  Acknowledgments

  The Dish

  Also by Cynthia Garner

  Acclaim For Kiss Of The Vampire

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2012 by Cindy Somerville

  Excerpt from Heart of the Demon copyright © 2013 by Cindy Somerville

  All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  Forever

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  First eBook Edition: June 2012

  Forever is an imprint of Grand Central Publishing.

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  ISBN: 978-1-4555-1076-4